Cycling: Federico Bahamontes, winner of the Tour de France in 1959, died at 95

Death Also winner of the polka dot jersey six times, he was considered one of the greatest climbers in history

The elegant Federico Bahamontes flew away at the age of 95 — AFP

He is one of those riders that we haven’t seen but whose name we have heard enough to understand the extent of their talent. A Di Stefano on saddle. Federico Bahamontes, winner of the Tour de France in 1959 and six times best climber on the Grande Boucle, has died. to the age of 95. “It’s with deep sadness that we mourn the loss of Federico Martín Bahamontes, the Eagle of Toledo, a benchmark in the sport that has carried his life. our city name to the highest,” Carlos Velázquez on his Twitter account, now renamed “X”.

“The first Spaniard to to have won the Tour de France is part of our country’s sporting history, with more than 74 victories to date. its active,” the mayor. The city has also decreed; two days of official mourning, said the town hall on its website.

The king of the mountain

Born on July 9, 1928 at; Santo Domingo near Toledo, Bahamontes definitely entered; in the history of cycling on July 18, 1959 by winning the Tour de France. The “Eagle of Toledo” by a French journalist, participated in to his first Tour in 1954 and won; six times the classification of the mountain (1954, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1964) in ten participations in; the Great Loop.

Winner of the Vuelta à agrave; twice (1954 and 1957), he remained at the top in his late thirties and relaunched his career under the authority of of its sports director Raoul Rémy. During the Anquetil years, “Fede” appeared twice more (2nd in 1963, 3rd in 1964) on the podium of the Tour, the race which suited him best. this runner who loves scorching temperatures. Although he won eleven mountain stages in the three Grand Tours (7 in France, 1 in Italy, 3 in Spain), he was however limited. by his poor skills as a downhiller. a time when arrivals at the top were less frequent.

Sports director and bike shop

“ 20 years later, it would have doubled; his score,” said Pierre Chany, the leading journalist at the time. “Legend of our sport, he was the first Spaniard to winning the Tour de France, an event that also made him a winner. as one of the best climbers in history,” the Spanish Cycling Federation in a message published on Twitter.

After his retirement, Bahamontes remained; involved in cycling as a team manager, then manager of the Vuelta a Toledo. He also ran his own bike shop.