The 46th Edition Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain), a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the three grand tours, was held from 29 April to 19 May 1991. It consisted of 21 stages covering a total of 3,215.5 km (1,998 mi),[1] and was won by Melcior Mauri of the ONCE cycling team.[2][3]

1991 Vuelta a España
Race details
Dates29 April – 19 May
Stages21, including one split stage
Distance3,215.5 km (1,998 mi)
Winning time82h 48' 07"
Results
Winner  Melcior Mauri (ESP) (ONCE)
  Second  Miguel Induráin (ESP) (Banesto)
  Third  Marino Lejarreta (ESP) (ONCE)

Points  Uwe Raab (GER) (PDM)
Mountains  Luis Herrera (COL) (Ryalcao Postobón)
Youth  Oliverio Rincón (COL) (Kelme–CAM)
Combination  Federico Echave (ESP) (CLAS–Cajastur)
Sprints  Miguel Ángel Iglesias (ESP) (Puertas Mavisa)
  Team ONCE
← 1990
1992 →

Race preview and favorites

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Miguel Induráin, Laudelino Cubino and Anselmo Fuerte were the Spanish favourites for the race. Defending champion Marco Giovannetti was also a favourite together with Steven Rooks, Raúl Alcalá and the Colombians Fabio Parra and Luis ‘Lucho’ Herrera.

In the end Melcior Mauri was the revelation of the race and beat the future winner of the Tour de France Miguel Induráin in all the time trials. Indurain was forced to ride an aggressive race in the mountain stages but Mauri was able to defend his lead.

Route and stages

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Stages and winners[4]
Stage Date Course Winner General Classification leader
1 29 April Mérida (TTT)[nb 1]   Melcior Mauri (ESP)   Melcior Mauri (ESP)
2a 30 April Mérida to Cáceres   Michel Zanoli (NED)   Anselmo Fuerte (ESP)
2b 30 April Montijo to Badajoz (TTT)   ONCE (ESP)   Anselmo Fuerte (ESP)
3 1 May Badajoz to Seville   Jesper Skibby (DEN)   Herminio Díaz Zabala (ESP)
4 2 May Seville to Jaén   Jesus Cruz Martin (ESP)   Melcior Mauri (ESP)
5 3 May Linares to Albacete   Uwe Raab (GER)   Melcior Mauri (ESP)
6 4 May Albacete to Valencia   Jean-Paul van Poppel (NED)   Melcior Mauri (ESP)
7 5 May Palma de Mallorca   Jesper Skibby (DEN)   Melcior Mauri (ESP)
8 6 May Cala d'Or (ITT)   Melcior Mauri (ESP)   Melcior Mauri (ESP)
9 7 May Sant Cugat del Vallès to Lloret de Mar   Jean-Paul van Poppel (NED)   Melcior Mauri (ESP)
10 8 May Lloret de Mar to Andorra la Vella, Andorra   Guido Bontempi (ITA)   Melcior Mauri (ESP)
11 9 May Andorra la Vella, Andorra to Pla-de-Beret Stage cancelled   Melcior Mauri (ESP)
12 10 May Bossòst to Cerler   Ivan Ivanov (URS)   Melcior Mauri (ESP)
13 11 May Benasque to Zaragoza   Jean-Paul van Poppel (NED)   Melcior Mauri (ESP)
14 12 May Ezcaray to Valdezcaray (ITT)   Fabio Parra (COL)   Melcior Mauri (ESP)
15 13 May Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Santander   Guido Bontempi (ITA)   Melcior Mauri (ESP)
16 14 May Santander to Lagos de Covadonga   Luis Herrera (COL)   Melcior Mauri (ESP)
17 15 May Cangas de Onís to Alto del Naranco   Laudelino Cubino (ESP)   Melcior Mauri (ESP)
18 16 May León to Valladolid   Antonio Miguel Díaz (ESP)   Melcior Mauri (ESP)
19 17 May Valladolid (ITT)   Melcior Mauri (ESP)   Melcior Mauri (ESP)
20 18 May Palazuelos de Eresma   Jesús Montoya (ESP)   Melcior Mauri (ESP)
21 19 May Collado Villalba to Madrid   Jean-Paul van Poppel (NED)   Melcior Mauri (ESP)

Race overview

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The opening stage consisted, on this occasion, of a three-man team time trial. The winning trio consisted of ONCE's Melcior Mauri, Anselmo Fuerte and Herminio Díaz-Zabala. Coupled with ONCE's win in the following day's Team Time Trial, meant the leader's jersey alternated between these three riders for the first week of the race. The team time trial would turn out to have a large impact as Induráin lost almost two minutes to Mauri on this stage.

Stage 8, a 47 km (29 mi) individual time trial, was the first decisive stage of the Vuelta. Riders such as Laudelino Cubino and Anselmo Fuerte lost most of their chances that day. Mauri increased his lead by winning the stage, a little less than a minute ahead of Induráin.

The Pyrenean stages were awaited with anticipation, to see if ONCE's Catalunyan rider would be capable of withstanding the high mountains. However, the queen stage ending at Pla de Beret had to be suspended due to adverse weather. Russian rider Ivan Ivanov won the 12th stage to the mountaintop ski resort at Cerler, but Mauri held on, losing less than a minute to Induráin.

Stage 14 was a mountain time trial finishing at the ski station in Valdezcaray, where Parra and Herrera set the leading times. Mauri once again put in a good performance, gaining more time on Induráin and leading the general classification ahead of his teammate Lejarreta, Echave and Induráin.

The third and final week of the race featured two high mountain stages in the Cordillera Cantábrica mountain range: the historic ascensions to the Alto del Naranco and the Covadonga Lakes. Herrera and Cubino took the stages, but Mauri managed to hang on. Mauri lost some time, but not enough to lose his overall lead. At this point he was the leader and there was still one time trial to go.

Mauri didn't disappoint, winning the Valladolid time trial ahead of Induráin by over a minute to seal his Vuelta win. He would never again perform at such a high standard. Induráin finished second overall, and Lejarreta third.

Results

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Final General Classification

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Rank Rider Team Time
1   Melcior Mauri ONCE 82h 48' 07s
2   Miguel Induráin Banesto a 2' 52s
3   Marino Lejarreta ONCE a 3' 11s
4   Federico Echave CLAS–Cajastur a 3' 54s
5   Fabio Parra Amaya Seguros a 5' 38s
6   Pello Ruiz Cabestany CLAS–Cajastur a 6' 50s
7   Raúl Alcalá PDM–Concorde a 6' 57s
8   Piotr Ugrumov Seur a 10' 43s
9   Steven Rooks Buckler a 12' 09s
10   Oliverio Rincón Kelme a 12' 11s
11   Eduardo Chozas ONCE
12   Tom Cordes PDM–Ultima–Concorde
13   Luis Herrera Ryalco–Postobón
14   Ignacio Gaston Crespo CLAS–Cajastur
15   Laudelino Cubino Gonzalez Amaya
16   Jon Unzaga Bombín Seur
17   Udo Bölts Telekom-Mercedes-Merckx
18   Marco Giovannetti Gatorade-Chateau d'Ax
19   Ivan Ivanov Seur
20   Fernando Martinez De Guerenu Puertas Mavisa
21   Francisco Javier Mauleón CLAS–Cajastur
22   Alvaro Meija Castrillon Ryalco–Postobón
23   Jesus Montoya Alarcon Amaya
24   Fabrice Philipot Banesto
25   Gerardo Moncada Ryalco–Postobón

Notes

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  1. ^ The opening stage was competed as a three-man time trial.

References

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  1. ^ "46ème Vuelta a España 1991". Memoire du cyclisme (in French). Archived from the original on 11 August 2004.
  2. ^ "Vuelta Ciclista a España, Clasificaciones" (PDF). El Mundo Deportivo. 20 May 1991. p. 44. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 October 2021.
  3. ^ "Vuelta Ciclista a España, Clasificaciones" (PDF). El Mundo Deportivo. 20 May 1991. p. 45. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 October 2021.
  4. ^ "1991 » 46th Vuelta a Espana". procyclingstats.com. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
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