José Manuel Fuente
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | José-Manuel Fuente Lavandera |
| Nickname | El Tarangu |
| Born |
September 30, 1945 Limanes, Spain |
| Died |
July 18, 1996 (aged 50) Oviedo, Spain |
| Team information | |
| Discipline | Road |
| Role | Rider |
| Rider type | Climber |
| Professional team(s) | |
| 1969 | Pepsi-Cola |
| 1970 | Karpy Licor |
| 1971–1975 | Kas-Kaskol |
| 1976 | Bianchi-Campagnolo |
| Major wins | |
| Tour de Suisse (1973) | |
|
Infobox last updated on October 17, 2007 | |
José Manuel Fuente Lavandera (September 30, 1945 in Limanes, Spain – July 18, 1996 in Oviedo, Spain) was a professional road racing cyclist and noted climbing specialist.
Fuente was a professional from 1969 to 1976. He had the same nickname as his father and grandfather which was "El Tarangu" which is a word in the Asturian language for a man reputed for his strength and character.[1] Fuente was known as one of the greatest climbers of his generation. Fuente is a two-time winner of the Vuelta a España and won four consecutive climbers classification (or King of the Mountains) at the Giro d'Italia. He was rivals with the great cyclists of his time - Eddy Merckx and Luis Ocaña. He won the Vuelta a España in 1972, which at that time was held in late April and early May. Several weeks later in the 1972 Giro d'Italia, Fuente had a great battle with Eddy Merckx. Fuente took the maglia rosa early on in the race but Merckx took it back. On the mountain stage to Bardonecchia, Fuente put in an attack that put pressure on Merckx. Little by little, Merckx increased his pace and came back to Fuente and ended up winning the stage.[2] Health problems due to kidney disease forced Fuente to retire in 1975. After retirement Fuente opened a successful cycle business in Oviedo and in 1988 was appointed directeur sportif of the Clas team.[3] This lasted only a year, after which he was replaced in 1989 by Juan Fernadez. Fuente died following a long battle with kidney disease at age 50.[1]
Major results by year
- 1970
- Stage 9, Volta a Catalunya
- 1971
Mountains classification and stage 10, Giro d'Italia- Stage 14 and 15, Tour de France
- 1972 – KAS
Overall classification, mountains classification and stage 12, Vuelta a España- Mountains Classification, stage 4 and 17, 2nd overall classification, Giro d'Italia
- 1973 – KAS
- 2nd mountains Classification and 3rd overall classification, Tour de France
- Mountains classification, Giro d'Italia
- Overall classification, mountains classification and two stages, Tour de Suisse
- 1974 – KAS
- Overall classification and 2 stages Vuelta a España
- Mountains Classification, 5 stages, 5th overall classification, Giro d'Italia
References
- 1 2 "Jose Manuel Fuente RIP". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
- ↑ Merckx, Eddy (1972). Plus d'un Tour dans mon sac; Mes carnets de route 1972. Editions arts et voyages diffusion gamma.
- ↑ "CLAS - RAZESA". cyclebase.nl. Retrieved 2007-10-17.