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Vuelta a Espana 1973

1973 Vuelta a España
Race details
Dates 26 April – 13 May
Stages 17 stages + Prologue, including 4 split stages
Distance 3,061.8 km (1,903 mi)
Winning time 84h 40' 50""
Results
  Winner Eddy Merckx (BEL) (Molteni)
  Second Luis Ocaña (ESP) (Bic)
  Third Bernard Thévenet (FRA) (Peugeot-B.P.)
  Points Eddy Merckx (BEL) (Molteni)
  Mountains José Luis Abilleira (ESP) (La Casera)
  Combination Eddy Merckx (BEL) (Molteni)
  Sprints Eddy Merckx (BEL) (Molteni)
  Team La Casera  
← 1972 1974 →
  Winner Eddy Merckx (BEL) (Molteni)
  Second Luis Ocaña (ESP) (Bic)
  Third Bernard Thévenet (FRA) (Peugeot-B.P.)
  Points Eddy Merckx (BEL) (Molteni)
  Mountains José Luis Abilleira (ESP) (La Casera)
  Combination Eddy Merckx (BEL) (Molteni)
  Sprints Eddy Merckx (BEL) (Molteni)
  Team La Casera  

Teams

  • KAS
  • Bic
  • La Casera
  • Molteni
  • Peugeot-B.P.
  • Coelima-Benfica
  • Monte Verde
  • Rokado

Route and stages

Stage characteristics and results
Stage Date Course Distance Type Winner
P 26 April Calp to Calp 5 km (3 mi)   Individual time trial Eddy Merckx (BEL)
1 27 April Calp to Murcia 187 km (116 mi)     Pieter Nassen (BEL)
2 28 April Murcia to Albacete 156 km (97 mi)     Gerben Karstens (NED)
3 29 April Albacete to Alcázar de San Juan 146 km (91 mi)     Pieter Nassen (BEL)
4 30 April Alcázar de San Juan to Cuenca 169 km (105 mi)     Jos Deschoenmaecker (BEL)
5 1 May Cuenca to Teruel 191 km (119 mi)     Gerben Karstens (NED)
6a 2 May Teruel to La Pobla de Farnals 150 km (93 mi)     Roger Swerts (BEL)
6b La Pobla de Farnals 5 km (3 mi)   Team time trial Molteni
7 3 May La Pobla de Farnals to Castellón de la Plana 165 km (103 mi)     Gerben Karstens (NED)
8 4 May Castellón de la Plana to Calafell 245 km (152 mi)     Eddy Merckx (BEL)
9a 5 May Calafell to Barcelona 80 km (50 mi)     Juan Manuel Santisteban (ESP)
9b Barcelona to Barcelona 37.9 km (24 mi)   Individual time trial Jacques Esclassan (FRA)
10 6 May Barcelona to Empuriabrava 171 km (106 mi)     Eddy Merckx (BEL)
11 7 May Empuriabrava to Manresa 225 km (140 mi)     Bernard Thévenet (FRA)
12 8 May Manresa to Zaragoza 259 km (161 mi)     Gerben Karstens (NED)
13 9 May Mallén to Irache [es] 175 km (109 mi)     Domingo Perurena (ESP)
14 10 May Irache [es] to Bilbao 182 km (113 mi)     Juan Zurano (ESP)
15a 11 May Bilbao to Torrelavega 154 km (96 mi)     Eddy Peelman (BEL)
15b Torrelavega to Torrelavega 17.4 km (11 mi)   Individual time trial Eddy Merckx (BEL)
16 12 May Torrelavega to Miranda de Ebro 203 km (126 mi)     Eddy Merckx (BEL)
17a 13 May Miranda de Ebro to Tolosa, Gipuzkoa 127 km (79 mi)     Eddy Peelman (BEL)
17b Hernani to San Sebastián 10.5 km (7 mi)   Individual time trial Eddy Merckx (BEL)
  Total 3,016.8 km (1,875 mi)

Classification leadership

Classification leadership by stage
Stage Winner General classification Points classification Mountains classification Combination classification Team classification
P Eddy Merckx Eddy Merckx not awarded not awarded not awarded not awarded
1 Pieter Nassen Pieter Nassen Domingo Perurena Rokado
2 Gerben Karstens Gerben Karstens Gerben Karstens Javier Elorriaga & Jean-Jacques Fussien
3 Pieter Nassen Pieter Nassen José Luis Abilleira Jean-Jacques Fussien
4 Jos Deschoenmaecker José Pesarrodona KAS
5 Gerben Karstens Gerben Karstens
6a Roger Swerts José Luis Galdamez Molteni
6b Molteni
7 Gerben Karstens Eddy Merckx
8 Eddy Merckx
9a Juan Manuel Santisteban
9b Jacques Esclassan
10 Eddy Merckx
11 Bernard Thévenet Eddy Merckx La Casera
12 Gerben Karstens
13 Domingo Perurena
14 Juan Zurano
15a Eddy Peelman Eddy Merckx
15b Eddy Merckx
16 Eddy Merckx
17a Eddy Peelman
17b Eddy Merckx
Final Eddy Merckx Eddy Merckx José Luis Abilleira Eddy Merckx La Casera

Final standings

Legend
  Denotes the winner of the General classification   Denotes the winner of the Mountains classification
  Denotes the winner of the Points classification   Denotes the winner of the Combination classification

General Classification

Final general classification (1–10)
Rank Name Team Time
1 Eddy Merckx (BEL) Molteni 84h 40' 50""
2 Luis Ocaña (ESP) Bic + 3' 46""
3 Bernard Thévenet (FRA) Peugeot-B.P. + 4' 16""
4 José Pesarrodona (ESP) KAS + 5' 54""
5 Pedro Torres (ESP) La Casera + 7' 29""
6 Joaquim Agostinho (POR) Bic + 8' 15""
7 Agustín Tamames (ESP) La Casera + 9' 15""
8 Luis Balague (ESP) La Casera + 12' 26""
9 Roger Swerts (BEL) Molteni + 13' 27""
10 Jesús Manzaneque (ESP) La Casera + 15' 01""

Points classification

Final points classification (1–3)
  Rider Team Points
1 Eddy Merckx (BEL) Molteni 215.5
2 Roger Swerts (BEL) Molteni 162.5
3 Pieter Nassen (BEL) Rokado 154.5

Mountains classification

Final mountains classification (1–4)
  Rider Team Points
1 José Luis Abilleira (ESP) La Casera 97
2 Eddy Merckx (BEL) Molteni 83
3 Luis Balague (ESP) La Casera 60
4 Pedro Torres (ESP) La Casera 50

Combination classification

Final combination classification (1–3)
  Rider Team Points
1 Eddy Merckx (BEL) Molteni 18
2 José Luis Abilleira (ESP) La Casera 11
3 José Luis Galdamez (ESP) Coelima-Benfica 6

Team classification

Final team classification (1–8)
  Team Time
1 La Casera 254h 01' 59""
2 Bic + 4' 44""
3 Molteni + 6' 24""
4 KAS + 11' 28""
5 Monte Verde + 29' 01""
6 Coelima-Benfica + 32' 03""
7 Peugeot-B.P. + 32' 51""
8 Rokado + 51' 22""

Intermediate sprints classification

Final intermediate sprints classification (1–10)
  Rider Team Points
1 Eddy Merckx (BEL) Molteni 26
2 Javier Elorriaga (ESP) KAS 24
3 José Luis Galdamez (ESP) Coelima-Benfica 15
4 Fernando Mendes (POR) Coelima-Benfica 10
5 Eddy Peelman (BEL) Rokado 9
6 José Luis Abilleira (ESP) La Casera 6
7 Domingo Perurena (ESP) KAS
8 Jan Van de Wiele (BEL) Rokado
9 Joseph Bruyère (BEL) Molteni 5
10 Roger Swerts (BEL) Molteni

General classification(la roja)

Points classification(jersey verde)

Mountains classification(jersey puntos azules)

Young rider classification(jersey blanco)

Team classification(clasificación por equipos)

Combativity award
Patrick Cobb