Federico Bahamontes
Encyclopedia
Federico Martín Bahamontes (born 9 July 1928) is a Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 former professional road racing cyclist.

Biography

Bahamontes was born in Santo Domingo-Caudilla
Santo Domingo-Caudilla
Santo Domingo-Caudilla is a municipality located in the province of Toledo, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the municipality has a population of 801 inhabitants....

 (Toledo
Toledo (province)
Toledo is a province of central Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. It is bordered by the provinces of Madrid, Cuenca, Ciudad Real, Badajoz, Cáceres, and Ávila....

), of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

n descent. His family was devastated during the Spanish civil war
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...

 and Bahamontes' father, Julián, took the family to Madrid as refugees. There Julian Martín lived by breaking rocks before opening a fruit and vegetable stall.
Bahamontes worked as a delivery boy. His hero and eventually his friend was Julián Berrendero
Julian Berrendero
Julián Berrendero Martín was a Spanish road racing cyclist. He is most famous for having won the third and fourth editions of the Vuelta a España in 1941 and 1942...

, winner of the Tour of Spain in 1941 and 1942 and later selector of national teams.

He began racing in the late 1940s, winning his first race, wearing a baseball shirt on 18 July 1947. It was 12 years to the day before his first Tour de France triumph.

He took the mountains jersey and won the first stage of the 1953 Tour of Asturias at 23, while still not a full professional. The Spanish cycling federation picked him for the 1954 Tour de France
1954 Tour de France
The 1954 Tour de France was the 41st Tour de France, taking place from July 8 to August 1, 1954. It consisted of 23 stages over 4656 km, ridden at an average speed of 33.229 km/h....

 the following year and his instructions from the national coach was "Try to win it." He didn't win but he did win the mountains competition and finish 25th.

Bahamontes was a climbing specialist to whom reporters gave the nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....

 the 'Eagle of Toledo
Toledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...

. He rode in a distinctive upright style, staring ahead, his shorts pulled high on his thighs, his hands repeatedly changing position on the handlebars. He won the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...

 in 1959
1959 Tour de France
The 1959 Tour de France was the 46th Tour de France, taking place between 25 June and 18 July 1959. The race featured 120 riders, of which 65 finished. The Tour included 22 stages over 4,391 km, and the winner had an average speed of 35.474 km/h....

, and won the Tour's "King of the Mountains
King of the Mountains
The King of the Mountains is the title given to the best climber in a cycling road race; usually and officially known as the Mountains classification...

" classification six times (1954, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1964). He also took second and third places overall in 1963 and 1964 respectively. In total, he won seven Tour stages.

He was also second in the 1957 Vuelta a España
1957 Vuelta a España
The 12th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 26 to May 12, 1957. It consisted of 16 stages covering a total of 2,967 km, and was won by Jesús Loroño. Vicente Iturat won the points classification and Federico Bahamontes won the...

, and won the mountains competition then and the following year, 1958, when he finished 6th. He also won the mountains competition in the Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...

 in 1956
1956 Giro d'Italia
The 1956 Giro d'Italia of cycling was held from 19 May to 10 June 1956, consisting of 23 stages. This 39th edition was won by the Luxemburgish Charly Gaul....

.

Bahamontes was not initially considered a contender for in the 1959 Tour de France
1959 Tour de France
The 1959 Tour de France was the 46th Tour de France, taking place between 25 June and 18 July 1959. The race featured 120 riders, of which 65 finished. The Tour included 22 stages over 4,391 km, and the winner had an average speed of 35.474 km/h....

, but he benefited from an early escape on a stage in the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...

, and then won a mountain time trial
Individual time trial
An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...

 to the Puy-de-Dôme
Puy-de-Dôme (mountain)
Puy de Dôme is a large lava dome and one of the youngest volcanoes in the Chaîne des Puys region of Massif Central in south-central France. This chain of volcanoes including numerous cinder cones, lava domes, and maars is located far from the edge of any tectonic plate. Puy de Dôme is located...

. Into the Alps, he combined with fellow climber Charly Gaul
Charly Gaul
Charly Gaul was a professional cyclist. He was a national cyclo-cross champion, an accomplished time triallist and a better climber. His ability earned him the nickname of The Angel of the Mountains in the 1958 Tour de France, which he won with four stage victories...

 to extend the lead into Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...

, and although French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 riders Henry Anglade
Henry Anglade
Henry Anglade is a former French cyclist. In 1959 he was closest to winning the Tour de France, when he finished second, 4:01 behind Federico Bahamontes. In 1960 he wore the yellow jersey for two days.-Origins:...

 and Jacques Anquetil
Jacques Anquetil
Jacques Anquetil was a French road racing cyclist and the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times, in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964...

 cut their deficits, neither made up enough time to threaten Bahamontes' overall lead. He won by just over four minutes from Anglade, and became King of the Mountains too.

Anquetil was whistled as he finished the Tour on the Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes
The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...

 because spectators had worked out that he and others had contrived to let Bahamontes rather than the Frenchman Anglade win. The French team was unbalanced by internal rivalries. Anglade was unusual in that he was represented by the agent Roger Piel while the others had Daniel Dousset. The two men controlled all French racing. Dousset worked out that his riders had to beat Bahamontes or make sure that Anglade didn't win. Since they couldn't beat Anglade, they contrived to let Bahamontes win because Bahamontes, a poor rider on the flat and on small circuits, would be no threat to the post-Tour criterium fees that made up the bulk of riders' - and agents' - earnings.

In 1960 Bahamontes got no further than the first few days of the Tour. The writer Roger St Pierre said:
"One of the most poignant photographic images in Tour history captured the dejected Spaniard sitting on the platform astride his suitcase, head in hands as he waited for the train to take him back home having abandoned the race before it even really got going.


In 1963 and 1964 Anquetil exacted revenge. In the 1963 Tour de France
1963 Tour de France
The 1963 Tour de France was the 50th Tour de France, taking place June 23 to July 14, 1963. The total race distance was 21 stages over 4137 km, with riders averaging 37.092 km/h...

 he beat Bahamontes into second place. Bahamontes and Anquetil performed well in the Alps and on one stage were first and second overall, three seconds apart. However, the Spaniard's efforts to retain his mountains leadership rebounded on him. He was unable to break away from Anquetil on the stage to Chamonix
Chamonix
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix is a commune in the Haute-Savoie département in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympics...

 and Anquetil's victory in the time trial sealed his fourth Tour win, with Bahamontes 3:35 behind. Bahamontes insisted he lost the race because of collusion between Anquetil and the Tour organiser, Jacques Goddet
Jacques Goddet
Jacques Goddet was a French sports journalist and director of the Tour de France from 1936 to 1986....

. He said:
A year later, in the 1964 Tour de France
1964 Tour de France
The 1964 Tour de France was the 51st Tour de France, taking place June 22 to July 14, 1964. The total race distance was 22 stages over 4504 km, with riders averaging 35.419 km/h. Stages 3, 10 and 22 were all two part stages with one the first half being a regular stage and the second half...

 Anquetil took his fifth victory and the margin over Bahamontes in third was 4:44; Raymond Poulidor
Raymond Poulidor
Raymond Poulidor , is a former professional bicycle racer. He was known as the eternal second, because he finished the Tour de France in second place three times, and in third place five times, including his final Tour at the age of 40...

 took second place. Bahamontes at least had the satisfaction of his sixth King of the Mountains win and two more stage wins (bringing his total Tour de France stage wins to seven).

Bahamontes' Tour in 1965 marked the end of his career. He floundered on the mountains where once he had flown. He finished the day to Bagnères de Bigorre, at the foot of the Tourmalet, only just inside the time limit. He tried a colourful attack on the col du Portet d'Aspet next day and then climbed out of the saddle and out of the Tour de France for ever.

Riding style

Bahamontes was a talented climber but a poor descender, sometimes taking one foot off the pedal to take mountain bends like a speedway
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...

 rider. He landed in a cactus bush descending the Montserra
Montserrat (mountain)
Montserrat is a multi-peaked mountain located near the city of Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. It is part of the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range. The main peaks are Sant Jeroni , Montgrós and Miranda de les Agulles...

 as an amateur and thereafter refused to descend mountains alone, once waiting at the top of a col in the Tour de France for other riders to arrive. He reached the top minutes before a chase group arrived, and famously passed the time eating ice cream by the side of the road.

He was also temperamental, throwing his bike down a ravine to stop any pressure to continue riding when he dropped out of the 1956 Tour de France
1956 Tour de France
The 1956 Tour de France was the 43rd Tour de France, taking place from July 5 to 28, 1956. It consisted of 22 stages over 4498 km, ridden at an average speed of 36.268 km/h....

 on the col de Luitel. The following year he dropped out again when the retirement of his team-mate, Miguel Poblet
Miguel Poblet
Miguel Poblet i Orriols, born March 18, 1928 at Montcada i Reixac in the northern suburbs of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, is a Spanish former professional cyclist whose career lasted from 1944 to 1962, during which he had over 200 professional victories...

, left him without support. He held on to his bike but took off his shoes.

Retirement

Bahamontes retired to run a bicycle and motorcycle shop in Toledo. There he receives letters every week, some addressed to "F. Bahamontes, Spain" and sometimes to his name and with a picture of an eagle.

He is mentioned in the French film Le Fabuleux Déstin d'Amélie Poulain, known in English as Amelie
Amélie
Amélie is a 2001 romantic comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Written by Jeunet with Guillaume Laurant, the film is a whimsical depiction of contemporary Parisian life, set in Montmartre...

. Amélie finds a box of toys left behind by an owner of her flat. She returns them to the owner - by now a middle aged man - and he is reminded of his childhood, part of which involved watching Bahamontes ride to victory in the 1959 Tour de France.

Palmarès

1950
national amateur road championship

1952
Vuelta a Albacete

1953
Circuito Sardinero

1954
Nice-Mont Agel
Vuelta a España:
2nd overall
Tour de France
1954 Tour de France
The 1954 Tour de France was the 41st Tour de France, taking place from July 8 to August 1, 1954. It consisted of 23 stages over 4656 km, ridden at an average speed of 33.229 km/h....

:
Winner Mountains classification

1955
Clasica a los Puertos de Guadarrama
Monaco - Golf du Mont Agel
Mont Faron
Vuelta a Asturias
Vuelta a Asturias
Vuelta a Asturias is a professional cycle road race held in Spain in early May each year. The event was first run in 1925 but has not been held consistently until 1968 to present. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour...


1956
Tour de France
1956 Tour de France
The 1956 Tour de France was the 43rd Tour de France, taking place from July 5 to 28, 1956. It consisted of 22 stages over 4498 km, ridden at an average speed of 36.268 km/h....

:
4th overall
Giro d'Italia
1956 Giro d'Italia
The 1956 Giro d'Italia of cycling was held from 19 May to 10 June 1956, consisting of 23 stages. This 39th edition was won by the Luxemburgish Charly Gaul....

:
Winner Mountains classification
Mountains classification in the Giro d'Italia
The mountains classification in the Giro d'Italia is a secondary classification. In this classification, points are awarded to the leading riders over designated climbs. Most climbs are sorted into one of three scales based on difficulty and its position on that day's stage...

Vuelta a España
1956 Vuelta a España
The 11th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 29 to May 13, 1956. It consisted of 17 stages covering a total of 3,531 km, and was won by Angelo Conterno of the Bianchi cycling team...

:
4th overall

1957
Mont Faron
Vuelta a España
1957 Vuelta a España
The 12th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 26 to May 12, 1957. It consisted of 16 stages covering a total of 2,967 km, and was won by Jesús Loroño. Vicente Iturat won the points classification and Federico Bahamontes won the...

:
Winner Mountains classification
Mountains classification in the Vuelta a España
The mountains classification in the Vuelta a España is a secondary classification in the Vuelta a España. For this classification, points are given to the cyclists who cross the mountain peaks first. The classification was established in 1935, when it was won by Italian Edoardo Molinar, and until...

Winner stage 3
2nd overall
Vuelta Ciclista Asturias

1958
national time trial champion
Giro d'Italia
1958 Giro d'Italia
The 1958 Giro d'Italia of cycling was held from 18 May to 8 June 1958, consisting of 20 stages.This 41st edition was won by the Italian Ercole Baldini.- Final classment :- Maglia rosa holders:...

:
Winner stage 4
National road race championship
Saint-Junien
Subida a Arrate
Tour de France
1958 Tour de France
The 1958 Tour de France was the 45th Tour de France, taking place June 26 to July 19, 1958. The total race distance was 24 stages over 4,319 km, at an average speed of 36.919 km/h....

:
Winner stages 14 and 20
Winner Mountains classification
8th place overall classification
Vuelta a España
1958 Vuelta a España
The 13th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 30 to May 15, 1958. It consisted of 16 stages covering a total of 3,241.8 km, and was won by Jean Stablinski. Salvador Botella won the points classification and Federico Bahamontes...

:
Winner Mountains classification
Mountains classification in the Vuelta a España
The mountains classification in the Vuelta a España is a secondary classification in the Vuelta a España. For this classification, points are given to the cyclists who cross the mountain peaks first. The classification was established in 1935, when it was won by Italian Edoardo Molinar, and until...

6th overall

1959
Subida a Arrate
Tour de France
1959 Tour de France
The 1959 Tour de France was the 46th Tour de France, taking place between 25 June and 18 July 1959. The race featured 120 riders, of which 65 finished. The Tour included 22 stages over 4,391 km, and the winner had an average speed of 35.474 km/h....

:
Winner overall classification
Winner Mountains classification
Winner stage 15
Vuelta a España
1959 Vuelta a España
The 14th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 24 to May 17, 1959. It consisted of 17 stages covering a total of 3,048 km, and was won by Antonio Suárez. Suárez also won the mountains classification while Rik Van Looy won the...

:
Winner stage 4

1960
Subida a Arrate
Vuelta a España
1960 Vuelta a España
The 15th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 29 to May 15, 1960. It consisted of 17 stages covering a total of 3,567 km, and was won by Franz De Mulder of the Groene Leeuw cycling team...

:
Winner stage 13

1961
Cenon
Monaco - Golf du Mont Agel
Nice - Mont Agel
Riberac
Subida a Arrate

1962
GP de la Magdaleine
Juliénas
Mont-Faron
Subida a Arrate
Tour de France
1962 Tour de France
The 1962 Tour de France was the 49th Tour de France, taking place June 24 to July 15, 1962. It was composed of 22 stages over 4274 km, ridden at an average speed of 37.306 km/h. After more than 30 years, the Tour was again contested by trade teams...

:
Winner stage 13
Winner Mountains classification
Ussel

1963
La Touloubre
Miramas (FRA)
Mont-Faron (b) (FRA)
Tour de France
1963 Tour de France
The 1963 Tour de France was the 50th Tour de France, taking place June 23 to July 14, 1963. The total race distance was 21 stages over 4137 km, with riders averaging 37.092 km/h...

:
2nd overall
Winner stage 15
Winner Mountains classification

1964
Escalada a Montjuich
Six Days of Madrid (with Rik Van Steenbergen
Rik Van Steenbergen
Rik Van Steenbergen was a Belgian racing cyclist, considered to be one of the best among the great number of successful Belgian cyclists.-Early life:...

)
Mont-Faron
Subida al Naranco
Tour de France
1964 Tour de France
The 1964 Tour de France was the 51st Tour de France, taking place June 22 to July 14, 1964. The total race distance was 22 stages over 4504 km, with riders averaging 35.419 km/h. Stages 3, 10 and 22 were all two part stages with one the first half being a regular stage and the second half...

:
3rd overall
Winner stages 8 and 16
Winner Mountains classification
Ussel

1965
Escalada a Montjuïc
Escalada a Montjuïc
The Escalada a Montjuïc is a one-day, two-stage road bicycle racing race held in Barcelona, Spain since 1965. It is held in the middle of October, as one of the final races in the European season. Since 2005, it is organised as a 1.2 category race as a part of the UCI Europe Tour...

Tour du Sud-Est
Vuelta a España
1965 Vuelta a España
The 20th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 29 to May 16, 1965. It consisted of 18 stages covering a total of 3,410 km, and was won by Rolf Wolfshohl of the Mercier cycling team...

:
10th overall


Grand Tour results timeline

1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965
Tour
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...

25
1954 Tour de France
The 1954 Tour de France was the 41st Tour de France, taking place from July 8 to August 1, 1954. It consisted of 23 stages over 4656 km, ridden at an average speed of 33.229 km/h....

DNE 4
1956 Tour de France
The 1956 Tour de France was the 43rd Tour de France, taking place from July 5 to 28, 1956. It consisted of 22 stages over 4498 km, ridden at an average speed of 36.268 km/h....

DNF-9
1957 Tour de France
The 1957 Tour de France was the 44th Tour de France, taking place June 27 to July 20, 1957. It was composed of 22 stages over 4665 km, ridden at an average speed of 34.250 km/h....

8
1958 Tour de France
The 1958 Tour de France was the 45th Tour de France, taking place June 26 to July 19, 1958. The total race distance was 24 stages over 4,319 km, at an average speed of 36.919 km/h....

1
1959 Tour de France
The 1959 Tour de France was the 46th Tour de France, taking place between 25 June and 18 July 1959. The race featured 120 riders, of which 65 finished. The Tour included 22 stages over 4,391 km, and the winner had an average speed of 35.474 km/h....

DNF-2
1960 Tour de France
The 1960 Tour de France was the 47th Tour de France, taking place between 26 June and 17 July 1960. The race featured 128 riders, of which 81 finished...

DNE 14
1962 Tour de France
The 1962 Tour de France was the 49th Tour de France, taking place June 24 to July 15, 1962. It was composed of 22 stages over 4274 km, ridden at an average speed of 37.306 km/h. After more than 30 years, the Tour was again contested by trade teams...

2
1963 Tour de France
The 1963 Tour de France was the 50th Tour de France, taking place June 23 to July 14, 1963. The total race distance was 21 stages over 4137 km, with riders averaging 37.092 km/h...

3
1964 Tour de France
The 1964 Tour de France was the 51st Tour de France, taking place June 22 to July 14, 1964. The total race distance was 22 stages over 4504 km, with riders averaging 35.419 km/h. Stages 3, 10 and 22 were all two part stages with one the first half being a regular stage and the second half...

DNF-10
1965 Tour de France
The 1965 Tour de France was memorable for a number of reasons. In his first year as a professional, Felice Gimondi, a substitute replacement on the Salvarani team, captures the overall title ahead of Raymond Poulidor, last year's second place finisher...

Stages won 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 1 2 0
Mountains classification 1 2 NR 1 1 NR 1 1 1 NR
Points classification NR 19 NR NR NR NR NR 3 12 NR
Giro
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...

DNE DNE DNF DNE 17 DNE DNE DNF DNE DNE DNE DNE
Stages won 0 1 0
Mountains classification 1 4 NR
Points classification N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Vuelta
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...

N/A 21 4 2 6 DNF DNF DNE DNE DNE DNE 10
Stages won 0 0 1 0 1 1 0
Mountains classification 5 2 1 1 NR NR 5
Points classification NR 3 7 NR NR NR NR


External links

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