Before the Tour I compiled a list of Ireland's Tour De France achievements. So I suppose it's only fair I do a Vuelta one this week.
The Vuelta is considered the third most important Grand Tour, after the Tour and Giro, but that doesn't diminish what is a very impressive Irish palmarés in the event.
In summary there have been 8 starters, 8 finishers, 1 Overall win, 2 Race Leaders (the colour of the leaders jersey has changed over the years), 4 Points wins and 4 Stage winners with 20 stage wins between them.
Let's hope Nicolas Roche and Dan Martin can add to this list in 2013. |
| Shay Elliott leads La Vuelta, 1962 |
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| Sean Kelly on his way to overall victory, 1988 |
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| Philip Deignan wins into Ávila, 2009 |
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| Dan Martin leads Nicolas Roche as he powers to stage victory in La Covatilla, 2011 |
| Year | Rider | Team | Achievements | Result |
| 1962 | Shay Elliott | Saint Raphael-Helyet | winner stage 4 (141km, Valencia - Benidorm), Race Leader for 9 days 2nd overall Points Classification | 3rd overall @ 07' 17" |
| 1963 | Shay Elliott | Saint Raphael | winner stage 13 (252km, Tarragona - Valencia) | 41st overall @ 1h 02' 14" |
| 1978 | Alan McCormack | Old Lords-Splendor | 55th overall @ 1h 44' 44" | |
| 1979 | Sean Kelly | Splendor | winner stage 1 (156km, Jeréz de la Frontera - Sevilla) winner stage 8A (145km, Sedaví - Benicasim) | Abandoned |
| 1980 | Sean Kelly | Splendor | winner stage 1 (155km, La Manga - Benidorm) winner stage 2 (170km, Benidorm - Cullera)
winner stage 14 (162km, Vigo - Ourense)
winner stage 17 (138km, Léon - Valladolid)
winner stage 19 (84km, Madrid - Madrid)
Winner Points Classification Winner Sprints Classification | 4th overall @ 03' 31" |
| 1985 | Sean Kelly | Kas-Miko-Skil | winner stage 2 (262km, Zamora - Ourense) winner stage 10 (209km, Sabiñánigo - Tremp) winner stage 18 (200km, Alcalá de Henares - Palazuelos de Eresma (Destilerias DYC)) Winner Points Classification | 9th overall @ 07' 52" |
| 1986 | Sean Kelly | Kas | winner stage 10 (193km, San Isidro - Palencia) winner stage 13 (148km, Palazuelos de Eresma (Destilerias DYC) - Collado Villalba) Winner Points Classification Winner Mixed Class | 3rd overall @ 05' 19" |
| 1987 | Sean Kelly | Kas-Miko | winner stage 1 (219km, Benidorm - Albacete) winner stage 3 (34.8km, Valencia - Valencia) Race Leader for 4 days | Abandoned |
| Martin Earley | Fagor-Larios | 22nd overall @ 27' 15" | ||
| 1988 | Sean Kelly | Kas-Canal10-Mavic | winner stage 11 (217km, Santander - Valdezcaray) winner stage 20 (30km, Las Rozas - Collado Villalba) Race Leader for 2 days Winner Points Classification Winner Mixed Class | 1st Overall |
| Martin Earley | Kas-Canal10-Mavic | 19th overall @ 25' 27" | ||
| 1992 | Stephen Roche | Carrera Jeans | 15th overall @ 22' 40" | |
| 1993 | Martin Earley | Festina-Lotus | Abandoned | |
| 2007 | Philip Deignan | AG2R-Prevoyance | 71st overall @ 1h 39' 07" | |
| 2008 | Nicolas Roche | Credit Agricole | 13th overall @ 13' 41" | |
| 2009 | Philip Deignan | Cervelo Test Team | winner stage 18 (165km, Talavera de la Reina - Ávila) | 9th overall @ 11' 08" |
| Daniel Martin | Garmin-Slipstream | 53rd overall @ 1h 26' 13" | ||
| 2010 | Philip Deignan | Cervelo Test Team | Abandoned | |
| Nicolas Roche | AG2R-La Mondiale | 6th overall @ 05' 03" | ||
| 2011 | Daniel Martin | Garmin-Cervelo | winner stage 9 (183km, Villacastín - La Covatilla (Sierra de Bejar)) | 13th overall @ 07' 22" |
| Nicolas Roche | AG2R-La Mondiale | 16th overall @ 10' 25" | ||
| 2012 | Nicolas Roche | AG2R-La Mondiale | 12th overall @ 17' 50" |
