1998 Vuelta a España

The 53rd edition of the Vuelta a España was held 5 to 27 September 1998 and began in Córdoba and ended in Madrid. The 1998 Vuelta had 22 stages over 3,774 km (2,345 mi) with the winning average speed of 40.262 km/h (25.018 mph). Spaniard Abraham Olano took the leader's jersey after the first individual time trial with 41 seconds over Frenchman Laurent Jalabert.[1] Olano's lead in the mountains decreased each stage as teammate José María Jiménez marked Olano's rivals and took several stage wins in the process until Jiménez took the jersey from Olano on the final mountain stage to Alto de Navacerrada with Olano in third place at 38 seconds.[2] On the following day's individual time trial, Olano took back the lead to win the only Grand Tour of his career.[3][4][5]

1998 Vuelta a España
Race details
Dates6–27 September
Stages22
Distance3,774 km (2,345 mi)
Winning time93h 44' 08"
Results
Winner  Abraham Olano (ESP) (Banesto)
  Second  Fernando Escartín (ESP) (Kelme–Costa Blanca)
  Third  José María Jiménez (ESP) (Banesto)
Points  Fabrizio Guidi (ITA) (Team Polti)
Mountains  José María Jiménez (ESP) (Banesto)
Sprints  Giancarlo Raimondi (ITA) (Brescialat–Liquigas)
  Team Banesto

The race also saw the astonishing comeback of Lance Armstrong after he was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer in 1996. Armstrong's fourth-place finish was stripped by USADA in 2012 due to doping.[6]

Teams
Main article: List of teams and cyclists in the 1998 Vuelta a España

A total of 22 teams were invited to participate in the 1998 Vuelta a España. Seventeen of the competing squads were Trade Team I teams, four teams were Trade Team II teams, while the other team was Trade Team III. Each team sent a squad of nine riders, so the Vuelta began with a peloton of 198 cyclists, a total of 108 riders made it to the finish in Madrid.

The 22 teams invited to the race were:[7]

Trade Team I teams

Trade Team II teams

Trade Team III teams

Stages
Stage characteristics and winners
Stage Date Course Distance Type Winner
1 5 September Córdoba 161.7 km (100 mi) Hilly stage  Markus Zberg (SUI)
2 6 September Córdoba to Cádiz 234.6 km (146 mi) Flat stage  Jeroen Blijlevens (NED)
3 7 September Cádiz to Estepona 192.6 km (120 mi) Flat stage  Jaan Kirsipuu (EST)
4 8 September Málaga to Granada 173.5 km (108 mi) Hilly stage  Fabrizio Guidi (ITA)
5 9 September Olula del Río to Murcia 165.5 km (103 mi) Flat stage  Jeroen Blijlevens (NED)
6 10 September Murcia to Xorret de Catí 201.5 km (125 mi) Mountain stage  José María Jiménez (ESP)
7 11 September Alicante to Valencia 185 km (115 mi) Flat stage  Giovanni Lombardi (ITA)
8 12 September Palma de Mallorca 181.5 km (113 mi) Hilly stage  Fabrizio Guidi (ITA)
9 13 September Alcúdia 39.5 km (25 mi) Individual time trial  Abraham Olano (ESP)
14 September Province of Barcelona Rest day
10 15 September Vic to Estación de Pal (Andorra) 199.3 km (124 mi) Mountain stage  José María Jiménez (ESP)
11 16 September Andorra la Vella (Andorra) to Cerler 186 km (116 mi) Mountain stage  José María Jiménez (ESP)
12 17 September Benasque to Jaca, Canfranc International station 187 km (116 mi) Hilly stage  Gianni Bugno (ITA)
13 18 September Sabiñánigo 208.5 km (130 mi) Hilly stage  Andrei Zintchenko (RUS)
14 19 September Biescas to Zaragoza 145.5 km (90 mi) Flat stage  Marcel Wüst (GER)
15 20 September Zaragoza to Soria 178.7 km (111 mi) Flat stage  Andrei Zintchenko (RUS)
16 21 September Soria to Laguna Negra de Neila 143.7 km (89 mi) Mountain stage  José María Jiménez (ESP)
17 22 September Burgos to León 188.5 km (117 mi) Flat stage  Marcel Wüst (GER)
18 23 September León to Salamanca 223 km (139 mi) Flat stage  Fabrizio Guidi (ITA)
19 24 September Ávila to Segovia 170.4 km (106 mi) Mountain stage  Roberto Heras (ESP)
20 25 September Segovia to Alto de Navacerrada 206 km (128 mi) Mountain stage  Andrei Zintchenko (RUS)
21 26 September Fuenlabrada 39 km (24 mi) Individual time trial  Alex Zülle (SUI)
22 27 September Madrid 163 km (101 mi) Flat stage  Markus Zberg (SUI)
Total 3,774 km (2,345 mi)

Classification leadership
Classification leadership by stage
Stage Winner General classification
 Points classification
 Mountains classification
 Sprints rider classification
 Team classification
1 Markus Zberg Markus Zberg Markus Zberg Francisco Cerezo Giancarlo Raimondi Mapei–Bricobi
2 Jeroen Blijlevens
3 Jaan Kirsipuu Laurent Jalabert Jaan Kirsipuu Laurent Jalabert
4 Fabrizio Guidi Fabrizio Guidi Giovanni Lombardi
5 Jeroen Blijlevens Jeroen Blijlevens Lotto–Mobistar
6 José María Jiménez José María Jiménez Banesto
7 Giovanni Lombardi Giancarlo Raimondi
8 Fabrizio Guidi
9 Abraham Olano Abraham Olano Laurent Jalabert ONCE
10 José María Jiménez José María Jiménez Banesto
11 José María Jiménez
12 Gianni Bugno
13 Andrei Zintchenko Fabrizio Guidi
14 Marcel Wüst
15 Andrei Zintchenko
16 José María Jiménez
17 Marcel Wüst
18 Fabrizio Guidi
19 Roberto Heras
20 Andrei Zintchenko José María Jiménez
21 Alex Zülle Abraham Olano
22 Markus Zberg
Final Abraham Olano Fabrizio Guidi José María Jiménez Giancarlo Raimondi Banesto

Final standings
Legend
Denotes the winner of the general classification Denotes the leader of the mountains classification
Denotes the leader of the points classification Denotes the winner of the sprints classification

General classification
Final general classification (1–10)
Rank Rider Team Time
1  Abraham Olano (ESP) Banesto 93h 44' 08"
2  Fernando Escartín (ESP) Kelme–Costa Blanca + 1' 23"
3  José María Jiménez (ESP) Banesto + 2' 12"
DSQ  Lance Armstrong (USA) U.S. Postal Service + 2' 18"
5  Laurent Jalabert (FRA) ONCE + 2' 37"
6  Roberto Heras (ESP) Kelme–Costa Blanca + 2' 58"
7  Álvaro González de Galdeano (ESP) Euskaltel–Euskadi + 5' 51"
8  Alex Zülle (SUI) Festina–Lotus + 6' 05"
9  Marco Serpellini (ITA) Brescialat–Liquigas + 8' 58"
10  Marcos Serrano (ESP) Kelme–Costa Blanca + 10' 17"

Points classification

Final points classification (1–10)
Rank Rider Team Points
1  Fabrizio Guidi (ITA) Team Polti 206
2  Laurent Jalabert (FRA) ONCE 158
3  José María Jiménez (ESP) Banesto 127
4  Marcel Wüst (GER) Festina–Lotus 124
5  Markus Zberg (SUI) Post Swiss Team 115
6  Roberto Heras (ESP) Kelme–Costa Blanca 108
7  Fernando Escartín (ESP) Kelme–Costa Blanca 102
8  Giancarlo Raimondi (ITA) Brescialat–Liquigas 102
9  Andrei Zintchenko (RUS) Vitalicio Seguros 101
10  Abraham Olano (ESP) Banesto 96

Mountains classification

Final mountains classification (1–10)
Rank Rider Team Points
1  José María Jiménez (ESP) Banesto 184
2  Laurent Jalabert (FRA) ONCE 93
3  Fernando Escartín (ESP) Kelme–Costa Blanca 92
4  Roberto Heras (ESP) Kelme–Costa Blanca 75
5  Alex Zülle (SUI) Festina–Lotus 62
6  Richard Virenque (FRA) Festina–Lotus 60
7  José Luis Rubiera (ESP) Kelme–Costa Blanca 59
8  Santiago Blanco (ESP) Vitalicio Seguros 56
9  Oscar Camenzind (SUI) Mapei–Bricobi 54
10  Juan Carlos Vicario (ESP) Estepona en Marcha–Brepac 48

Sprints classification

Final sprints classification (1–10)
Rank Rider Team Time
1  Giancarlo Raimondi (ITA) Brescialat–Liquigas 53
2  Fabrizio Guidi (ITA) Team Polti 40
3  José Luis Rubiera (ESP) Kelme–Costa Blanca 29
4  Laurent Jalabert (FRA) ONCE 27
5  Mirko Gualdi (ITA) Team Polti 14
6  Andrei Zintchenko (RUS) Vitalicio Seguros 12
7  Mariano Piccoli (ITA) Brescialat–Liquigas 11
8  Roberto Sgambelluri (ITA) Brescialat–Liquigas 10
9  Richard Virenque (FRA) Festina–Lotus 9
10  Fabrice Gougot (FRA) Casino–Ag2r 9

Team classification

Final team classification (1–10)
Rank Team Time
1 Banesto 281h 14' 43"
2 Kelme–Costa Blanca + 8' 58"
3 Festina–Lotus + 28' 59"
4 Vitalicio Seguros + 46' 10"
5 Euskaltel–Euskadi + 1h 04' 17"
6 ONCE + 1h 06' 36"
7 Avianca–Telecom + 1h 41' 49"
8 Casino–Ag2r + 2h 30' 29"
9 Brescialat–Liquigas + 2h 48' 23"
10 Post Swiss Team + 3h 07' 14"

References
  1. "Vuelta a Espana, Stage 9 Report". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 2007-12-16.
  2. "Vuelta a Espana, Stage 20 Report". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 2007-12-16.
  3. "Vuelta a Espana, Stage 21 Report". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 2007-12-16.
  4. "www.cyclingnews.com presents". Autobus.cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 2012-08-24.
  5. http://hemeroteca-paginas.mundodeportivo.com/EMD03/HEM/1998/09/28/MD19980928-050.pdf
  6. http://www.usada.org/media/sanction-armstrong8242012
  7. "Historia". la Vuelta. Archived from the original on 2017-08-18. Retrieved 2018-07-21.
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