1996 Vuelta a España
Race details
Dates7–29 September
Stages22
Distance3,898 km (2,422 mi)
Winning time97h 31' 46"
Results
Winner  Alex Zülle (SUI) (ONCE)
  Second  Laurent Dufaux (SUI) (Festina–Lotus)
  Third  Tony Rominger (SUI) (Mapei–GB)

Points  Laurent Jalabert (FRA) (ONCE)
Mountains  Tony Rominger (SUI) (Mapei–GB)
Sprints  Jürgen Werner (GER) (Team Telekom)
  Team Team Polti

The 51st Edition Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain), a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the three Grand Tours, was held from 7 September to 29 September 1996. It consisted of 22 stages covering a total of 3,898 km (2,422 mi), and was won by Alex Zülle of the ONCE cycling team.[1] This was the only time in cycling history that riders from Switzerland swept the Podium in a Grand Tour.

Five-time Tour de France winner Miguel Indurain started his home tour for the first time since finishing second in 1991, having just recently been dislodged at the Tour by Bjarne Riis. He was initially reluctant to start, but convinced by his team to do so after a strong performance during the time trial at the Olympic Games in Atlanta. However, Indurain would eventually abandon the race, which would prove to be the last of his career, on stage 13 while lying in third place overall, having been dropped by the rest of the race favourites on the first-category climb of the Fito pass.[2][3][4]

Teams and riders

Route

List of stages[5][6]
Stage Date Course Distance Type Winner
1 7 September Valencia – Valencia 162 km (101 mi)  Biagio Conte (ITA)
2 8 September ValenciaCuenca 210 km (130 mi)  Nicola Minali (ITA)
3 9 September CuencaAlbacete 167.2 km (104 mi)  Laurent Jalabert (FRA)
4 10 September AlbaceteMurcia 166.5 km (103 mi)  Tom Steels (BEL)
5 11 September MurciaAlmería 208.4 km (129 mi)  Jeroen Blijlevens (NED)
6 12 September AlmeríaMálaga 196.5 km (122 mi)  Fabio Baldato (ITA)
7 13 September MálagaMarbella 171.1 km (106 mi)  Fabio Baldato (ITA)
8 14 September MarbellaJerez de la Frontera 220.7 km (137 mi)  Nicola Minali (ITA)
9 15 September Jerez de la FronteraCórdoba 203.5 km (126 mi)  Nicola Minali (ITA)
16 September Rest day
10 17 September El TiembloÁvila 46.5 km (29 mi) Individual time trial  Tony Rominger (SUI)
11 18 September ÁvilaSalamanca 188 km (117 mi)  Marco Antonio Di Renzo (ITA)
12 19 September BenaventeAlto del Naranco 188 km (117 mi)  Daniele Nardello (ITA)
13 20 September OviedoLakes of Covadonga 159 km (99 mi)  Laurent Jalabert (FRA)
14 21 September Cangas de OnísCabarceno Natural Park 202.6 km (126 mi)  Biagio Conte (ITA)
15 22 September Cabárceno – Alto Cruz de la Demanda (Ezcaray) 220 km (137 mi)  Alex Zülle (SUI)
16 23 September LogroñoSabiñánigo 220.9 km (137 mi)  Nicola Minali (ITA)
17 24 September SabiñánigoCerler 165.7 km (103 mi)  Oliverio Rincón (COL)
18 25 September BenasqueZaragoza 219.5 km (136 mi)  Dimitri Konyshev (RUS)
19 26 September GetafeÁvila 217.1 km (135 mi)  Laurent Dufaux (SUI)
20 27 September ÁvilaPalazuelos de Eresma (Destilerías DYC) 209.5 km (130 mi)  Gianni Bugno (ITA)
21 28 September SegoviaPalazuelos de Eresma (Destilerías DYC) 43 km (27 mi) Individual time trial  Tony Rominger (SUI)
22 29 September Madrid – Madrid 157.6 km (98 mi)  Tom Steels (BEL)
Total 3,898 km (2,422 mi)

General classification

RankRiderTeamTime
1Switzerland Alex ZülleONCE97h 31' 46s
2Switzerland Laurent DufauxFestina+ 6' 23s
3Switzerland Tony RomingerMapei–GB+ 8' 29s
4Italy Roberto PistoreMG Maglificio–Technogym+ 10' 13s
5Italy Stefano FaustiniAKI - Gipièmme+ 11' 21s
6Austria Georg TotschnigTeam Polti+ 11' 33s
7Italy Davide RebellinTeam Polti+ 13' 16s
8Italy Andrea PeronMotorola+ 14' 46s
9United States Bobby JulichMotorola+ 15' 10s
10Spain Fernando EscartínKelme-Artiach+ 18' 35s
11Spain Marcos SerranoKelme-Artiach+ 19' 19s
12Spain José María JiménezBanesto+ 20' 19s
13Italy Mauro GianettiTeam Polti+ 21' 15s
14Spain Daniel ClaveroMX Onda+ 21' 49s
15Italy Daniele NardelloMapei–GB+ 22' 37s
16Russia Vladislav BobrikGewiss Playbus+ 26' 00s
17Belgium Axel MerckxMotorola+ 27' 34s
18Spain Francisco Javier MauleónMapei–GB+ 27' 38s
19France Laurent JalabertONCE+ 27' 44s
20Denmark Peter Meinert NielsenTeam Telekom+ 29' 56s
21France Pascal ChanteurCasino
22Switzerland Fabian JekerFestina-Lotus
23Germany Kai HundertmarckTeam Telekom
24Spain Ángel CaseroBanesto
25Italy Massimo ApollonioScrigno–Blue Storm

References

  1. "Vuelta a Espana". autobus.cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  2. Cossins, Peter (24 August 2014). "Vuelta a Espana iconic stages: Indurain quits the Vuelta and racing". cyclingnews.com. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  3. "Ciclismo La Vuelta 96 - Look Clasificaciones" (PDF). El Mundo Deportivo. 30 September 1996. p. 49. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 November 2021.
  4. "Ciclismo La Vuelta 96 - Puedo ganar el Tour" (PDF). El Mundo Deportivo. 30 September 1996. p. 48. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 January 2021.
  5. "1996 » 51st Vuelta a Espana". Procyclingstats. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  6. "51ème Vuelta a España 1996". Memoire du cyclisme (in French). Archived from the original on 25 October 2004.
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