Camila Vega
The Vuelta a España is a legendary race in the cycling calendar, as is its history. The Latinos who have won the Vuelta a España are part of a select list.
Winning this race involves almost a month of grueling and exhausting competition, which is why the victory is so satisfying. In honor of their efforts and results, we bring you all the Latin American winners of the Vuelta a España.
Latinos who have won the Vuelta a España in the history of the race
Victories
Lucho Herrera – 1987
In 1987 the first Latin American won the Vuelta a España. We’re talking about Colombian Lucho Herrera, who claimed victory in the 42nd edition in Madrid. That year, 179 cyclists started the race, but only 88 finished.
Lucho Herrera had an astonishing average speed of 37.143 km/h. In stage 11 of the Lagos de Covadonga, the Colombian won the yellow jersey, which he kept until the end. Thus, this cyclist became the first Colombian cyclist, and at the same time, the first Latin American and non-European cyclist to win the Vuelta a España.
Nairo Quintana – 2016
In its 71st edition, a second Latin American and Colombian won the Vuelta a España. It was Nairo Quintana, who is still competing and will compete in the Vuelta this year.
That time, the Colombian not only won the general classification, but also the young rider classification with a total time of 83 h 31 min and 28 s. As if that wasn’t enough, he beat his rival Chris Froome.
Runners-up
Fabio Parra – 1989
Two years after his teammate Lucho Herrera was crowned in Madrid, Fabio Parra was on the podium of the Vuelta a España in second place. This was his highest result in all the Grand Tours he has participated in. In the 1988 Tour de France he finished third.
Richard Carapaz – 2020
This is the only non-Colombian Latin American cyclist on our list. Two years ago, in 2020, Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz finished runner-up in this Vuelta.
Third place
Pacho Rodriguez – 1985
We have reached the last place on the podium occupied by Latin American winners of the Vuelta a España. Here, we find Pacho Rodríguez, the Colombian who for the first time reached the final podium in Madrid, two years before Lucho Herrera. This cyclist competed between 1984 and 1991.
Óscar de Jesús Vargas – 1989
Oscar de Jesus Vargas, Fabio Parra’s compatriot, shared the podium with him the same year Parra finished second. This was the first time that two Colombians shared the podium in the Vuelta a España. In addition to the podium, he placed 3rd in the mountain classification and the combination classification.
Esteban Chaves – 2016
The second time two Colombians stood on the podium in the same year was in 2016, when Nairo Quintana won the race. Esteban Chaves took third place, 4 minutes and 8 seconds behind the winner. In the penultimate stage, he made a surprise attack, taking the podium from Spaniard Alberto Contador.
Miguel Ángel López – 2018
Finally, Miguel Ángel López is the most recent Latin American winner of the Vuelta a España to reach third place in 2018. He was 2 minutes and 04 seconds behind leader Simon Yates. That same year, he also reached third position in the Giro d’Italia, which put him at the top among Latin American cyclists that year.
