Sport Lisboa e Benfica (cycling team) was a cycling team of the multisports club Sport Lisboa e Benfica, from Lisbon, Portugal.
| Active departments of S.L. Benfica |
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|---|---|---|
| Football | Futsal | Basketball |
| Roller hockey | Handball | Volleyball |
| Rugby union | Cycling | Athletics |
| Beach soccer | Judo | Triathlon |
| Swimming | Boxing | Gymnastics |
| Table tennis | Archery | Golf |
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Cycling was the second sports department established within Sport Lisboa e Benfica, and along with football, is one of only two sports referenced in the club logo. The sport was in activity from 1906 to 1941, 1947 to 1978, 1999 to 2000, and once again for two seasons in 2007 and 2008.
In 1931 the Portuguese cycling legend José Maria Nicolau won the Volta a Portugal and helped Benfica to win the Volta as a team. Benfica won the Volta once again in 1932. In 1934, Benfica won the Volta for the third time with Nicolau being the overall winner, beating his rival Alfredo Trindade from Sporting Lisbon. After some years without success, Benfica won another Volta as a team in 1939. The benfiquistas had to wait until 1947 (due to the end of the cycling section in 1941) to see once again one of their cyclists winning the Volta. It was José Martins, who also helped Benfica to win the Volta as a team. In 1963, after a period of FC Porto's dominance, Benfica won its sixth Volta a Portugal, but had to wait two more years to see a Benfica cyclist winning the Volta. It was Peixoto Alves, who was succeeded by Francisco Valada one year later and another team win. In 1968 Américo Silva won the Volta, but Benfica failed to win it as a team. That happened in 1974, when Benfica won its eighth Volta (and due to the cycling section's end in 1978 the last one for a long time) and its cyclist Fernando Mendes the seventh individual Volta for a Benfica cyclist. Two years later, in 1976, Firmino Bernardino won the last Volta for Benfica before its end in 1978. It was the Spanish cyclist David Plaza, the first foreigner to win a Volta for Benfica, who won the last individual Volta for Benfica in 1999. It was the same year that Benfica won its ninth and so far last Volta a Portugal. Another Spanish Benfica cyclist, Melcior Mauri, won the Volta ao Algarve In 2007, the newly created Benfica cycling team around superstar José Azevedo won the Tour du Luxembourg. In 2008, Ruben Plaza won the Vuelta a Valencia.
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