Vuelta a Espana 1981

The 36th Edition Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain), a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the three grand tours, was held from 21 April to 10 May 1981. It consisted of 19 stages covering a total of 3,446 km (2,141 mi), and was won by Giovanni Battaglin of the Inoxpran cycling team.

Regis Clere won the prologue of the race and kept the leader’s jersey until the mountain time trial where on the very long climb to Sierra Nevada, Giovanni Battaglin won the stage and took over the leader’s jersey. The only threat to Battaglin’s lead was Pedro Muñoz.

The entire Teka team withdrew from the race withdrawing potential favourites Marino Lejarreta and Alberto Fernández. Battaglin and his Inoxpran team withstood the challenge from the Spanish and brought Battaglin to his first grand tour victory. Three days later after Battaglin’s triumph in Spain, he began the 1981 Giro d’Italia which he would win becoming the second rider after Eddy Merckx to win the Vuelta-Giro double.

1981 Vuelta a España

Race details
Dates	21 April – 10 May
Stages	19
Distance	3,446 km (2,141 mi)
Winning time	98h 04′ 49″
Results
Winner  Giovanni Battaglin (ITA) (Inoxpran) Second  Pedro Muñoz Machín Rodríguez (ESP) (Zor-Helios) Third  Vicente Belda (ESP) (Kelme–Gios) Points  Francisco Javier Cedena (ESP) (Colchon C.R.) Mountains  José Luis Laguía (ESP) (Reynolds) Sprints  Hugues Grondin (FRA) (Manzaneque) Team Zor
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Route

List of stages

Stage	Date	Course	Distance	Type		Winner
P	21 April	Santander – Santander	6.3 km (4 mi)		Individual time trial	Régis Clère (FRA)
1	22 April	Santander – Avilés	221 km (137 mi)			Guido Bontempi (ITA)
2	23 April	Avilés – León	159 km (99 mi)			Alfredo Chinetti (ITA)
3	24 April	León – Salamanca	195 km (121 mi)			Guido Bontempi (ITA)
4	25 April	Salamanca – Cáceres	206 km (128 mi)			Celestino Prieto (ESP)
5	26 April	Cáceres – Mérida	152 km (94 mi)			Heddie Nieuwdorp [fr] (NED)
6	27 April	Mérida – Seville	199 km (124 mi)			Jos Lammertink (NED)
7	28 April	Écija – Jaén	181 km (112 mi)			Juan Fernández (ESP)
8a	29 April	Jaén – Granada	100 km (62 mi)			José María Yurrebaso [fr] (ESP)
8b	29 April	Granada – Sierra Nevada	30.5 km (19 mi)		Individual time trial	Giovanni Battaglin (ITA)
9	30 April	Baza – Murcia	204 km (127 mi)			Imanol Murga (ESP)
10	1 May	Murcia – Almussafes	223 km (139 mi)			Kim Andersen (DEN)
11	2 May	Almussafes – Peniscola	193 km (120 mi)			Jesús Suárez Cueva (ESP)
12	3 May	Peniscola – Esparreguera	217 km (135 mi)			Frédéric Vichot (FRA)
13	4 May	Esparreguera – Rasos de Peguera	187 km (116 mi)			Vicente Belda (ESP)
14	5 May	Gironella – Balaguer	197 km (122 mi)			José Luis López Cerrón [fr] (ESP)
15a	6 May	Balaguer – Alfajarín	146 km (91 mi)			Pedro Muñoz Machín (ESP)
15b	6 May	Zaragoza – Zaragoza	11.3 km (7 mi)		Individual time trial	Régis Clère (FRA)
16	7 May	Calatayud – Torrejón de Ardoz	209 km (130 mi)			Álvaro Pino (ESP)
17	8 May	Torrejón de Ardoz – Segovia	150 km (93 mi)			Miguel María Lasa (ESP)
18	9 May	Segovia – Los Ángeles de San Rafael [es]	175 km (109 mi)			Ángel Arroyo (ESP)
19	10 May	Madrid – Madrid	84 km (52 mi)			Francisco Javier Cedena (ESP)
	Total		3,446 km (2,141 mi)

Final standings

General classification

Final general classification (1–10)

Rank	Rider	Team	Time
1	Giovanni Battaglin (ITA)	Inoxpran	98h 04′ 49″
2	Pedro Muñoz Machín Rodríguez (ESP)	Zor-Helios	+ 2′ 09″
3	Vicente Belda (ESP)	Kelme-Gios	+ 2′ 29″
4	Jorgen Marcussen (DEN)	Inoxpran	+ 3′ 33″
5	Antonio Coll (ESP)	Colchon C.R.	+ 4′ 26″
6	Ángel Arroyo (ESP)	Zor-Helios	+ 4′ 30″
7	José Luis Laguía (ESP)	Reynolds-Galli	+ 6′ 05″
8	Faustino Rupérez (ESP)	Zor-Helios	+ 7′ 09″
9	Régis Clère (FRA)	Miko-Mercier	+ 7′ 23″
10	Miguel María Lasa (ESP)	Zor-Helios	+ 10′ 54″

Team classification

Final team classification

Rank	Team	Time
1	Zor Helios	294h 09′ 15″
2	Inoxpran	+ 17′ 14″
3	Colchon CR	+ 43′ 04″
4	Kelme	+ 1h 05′ 01″
5	Miko Mercier	+ 1h 19′ 31″
6	Reynolds	+ 1h 48′ 41″
7	H.B.	+ 2h 06′ 31″
8	Manzaneque	+ 2h 30′ 41″

Points classification

Final points classification

Rank	Rider	Team	Points
1	Francisco Javier Cedena (ESP)	Colchon	211
2	Jesus Suarez Cueva (ESP)	Kelme	137
3	Miguel Maria Lasa (ESP)	Zor	134

Mountains classification

Final mountains classification

Rank	Rider	Team	Points
1	José Luis Laguia (ESP)	Reynolds	144
2	Vicente Belda (ESP)	Kelme	98
3	José Luis López Cerrón [fr] (ESP)	Zor	69
4	Giovanni Battaglin (ITA)	Inoxpran	60
5	Pedro Muñoz Machín Rodríguez (ESP)	Zor	57

Sprints classification

Final sprints classification

Rank	Rider	Team	Points
1	Hugues Grondin (FRA)	Manzaneque	21
2	Miguel Acha (ESP)	Reynolds	12
3	Jesus Suarez Cueva (ESP)	Kelme	10