Luis Herrera

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Luis Herrera
Personal information
Full name Luis Alberto Herrera
Nickname Lucho
El jardinerito de Fusagasugá
Date of birth April 4, 1961 (1961-04-04) (age 47)
Country Flag of Colombia Colombia
Team information
Current team Retired
Discipline Road
Role Rider
Rider type Climbing specialist
Amateur team(s)
1981
1982
1983
1984
Valyin de Pereira
Lotería de Boyacá
Leche La Gran Vía
Varta Nacional A
Professional team(s)
1985-1990
1991-1992
Café de Colombia
Ryalco Postobon
Major wins
Vuelta a España (1987), 2 stages
King of the Mountains (1987, 1991)

Tour de France, 3 stages

King of the Mountains (1985, 1987)

Giro d'Italia, 3 stages

King of the Mountains (1989)

Dauphiné Libéré (1988, 1991)
Clásico RCN (1982, 1983, 1984, 1986)
Vuelta a Colombia (1984, 1985, 1986, 1988)

Infobox last updated on:
January 10, 2007
For the former president of Venezuela, see Luis Herrera Campins. For the footballer, see Luis Fernando Herrera.

Luis Alberto "Lucho" Herrera also known as "el jardinerito" (the little gardener) (born May 4, 1961 in Fusagasugá, Colombia) is a retired Colombian road racing cyclist. Herrera was a professional from 1985 to 1992 but he had a successful amateur career before that in Colombia. He entered his Vuelta a Colombia in 1981 where he finished the race 16th overall and 3rd in the New Rider competition.[1] Although he abandoned his second Vuelta a Colombia in 1982, he won Colombia's second major stage-race the Clásico RCN. In 1983 Herrera won Clásico RCN again as well as winning two stages and finishing second overall to Alfonso Florez Ortiz in the 1983 Vuelta a Colombia.[2] In 1984 he would win the Vuelta a Colombia, the Clásico RCN as well as winning stage 17 to Alpe d'Huez in the 1984 Tour de France, becoming the first Colombian to win a stage of the race. He would win the Vuelta a Colombia and the Clásico RCN four times each in total but his greatest achievement was in 1987, when he won the overall of the Vuelta a España, becoming the first Colombian and South American to win a Grand Tour. Herrera also won the prestigious stage-race the Dauphiné Libéré in 1988 and 1991 and five "King of the Mountains" jerseys from the three Grand Tours.

Luis Herrera is only the second rider in history to win the "King of the Mountains jersey in all three Grand Tours. The first rider to do so was Federico Bahamontes of Spain, the renowned "Eagle of Toledo".

[edit] Major accomplishments

Tour de France
27th overall (1984)
1st, Stage 17
7th overall (1985)
1st, Stage 11
1st, Stage 14
Winner King of the Mountains (polka dot jersey)
22nd overall (1986)
5th overall (1987)
Winner King of the Mountains (polka dot jersey)
6th overall (1988)
19th overall (1989)
Giro d'Italia
King of the Mountains (maglia verde) (1989)
Vuelta a España
1st overall (1987)
King of the Mountains (green jersey) (1987, 1991)
Dauphiné Libéré
1st overall (1988, 1991)

[edit] References

  1. ^ 31a Vuelta a Colombia 1981. Retrieved on 2007-10-20.
  2. ^ 33a Vuelta a Colombia. Retrieved on 2007-10-20.

[edit] External links

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Álvaro Pino
Winner of the Vuelta a España
1987
Succeeded by
Seán Kelly