Federico Bahamontes, the first Spaniard to win the Tour de France (1959), a race in which he is also remembered as one the best climbers in history has died at the age of 95.
He earned his nom de guerre the 'Eagle of Toledo', given to him by a French journalist, crowned six times the King of the Mountains in the Tour de France. In all he won 11 mountain stages on the Grand Tours: seven in the Tour, three in the Vuelta and one in the Giro d'ltalia. When Lucien Van Impe later equaled his record of six king of the mountains titles at the 1983 Tour, he made a point of not surpassing his idol by trying to claim a seventh. While others faltered in the heat he revelled in the searing heat. Bahamontes extraordinary ability in the mountains, he said was to his first job working in the market in Toledo.
"To deliver to clients I had a small cart which I filled with 120 kg of fruit and vegetables. I did this pushing for four years in the streets. It is at that time that I gained the heart and body of a climber. On the slopes, I pushed the cart on the tips of my toes like I then did on the pedals."
-Federico Bahamontes
Bahamontes’ greatest win would come in the 1959 Tour de France when he won the overall title ahead of Henry Anglade. His victory in the mountain time trial up Puy de Dome, (where he was faster than Michael Woods last month), put him closer to the yellow jersey. Bahamontes moved into the lead for good in Grenoble after escaping with Carly Gaul. He twice more featured in the Tour de France podium; second in 1963, third in 1964. And, he was let down by his lack of ability in the descending, in the days when stage finishes on the summits were rare. But, when the road climbed that’s where he soared... as the 'Eagle of Toledo.'
With Henry Anglade, 1959 TdF
2022
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