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2001

2000
Edition number 54 of Vuelta a España showed a very high level of competitiveness as in previous editions. In order to prove it, we just have to check the high average speed of the winner, almost 39.5 kilometres an hour. In the middle of the summer, at the beginning of the race, the weather was really hot, but as the riders moved towards the North of the country, they had to stand a rainy and windy weather during some stages, that is why we could say that climatology did not help the participants in this Vuelta because of its continuous changes. Despite all that and following the prevailing trend of modern cycling, high speed and extraordinary average were protagonist in this edition.

Jan Ullrich was the unexpected winner of this Spanish Vuelta; unexpected because he was going through a very bad season: he could not take part in Le Tour de France and then was forced to risk all his effort both in Vuelta a España and in The World Championship. He did perfectly right in the former and almost as good in the latter since he achieved the World time trial but he could not win in the flat stages. We could see two Spanish riders together with Ullrich on the podium; one of them was the unexpected Igor González de Galdeano and the other Spanish rider was Roberto Heras who, being a constant rider, confirmed his possibilities.

The route, very balanced, not only influenced in the result of the race, but also reinforced Ullrich´s victory and also the victories of the best riders, as every specialist won in their own ground. Igor González de Galdeano started winning the time trial in the Prologue and repeated his victory in one of the mountainous stages. Meanwhile, on the areas of flat ground and bearing a stifling heat, the sprinter Marce Wust stood out from the rest of the riders: he achieved three of four stages, three of them consecutively. Winner in the edition of 1998 and favorite for the final victory in 1999, Abraham Olano won the second time trial stage and obtained the Gold Jersey. This Gold Jersey was an innovation of Vuelta 99 to distinguish the leader in the Overall Standings.

Olano had been injured in a previous fall and, though he could resist, he was unable to keep his leadership in favor of Ullrich and, therefore , he was forced to abandon. From then on, the German rider did not give up his leadership in the Overall Standings until the end of the race in Madrid, in spite of the problems that González de Galdeano made him go through. Frank Vandenbroucke, who was enjoying a very good form, made almost what he wanted and the Spanish climbers tried to do their best in the mountain and they got it. Ullrich resisted as much as he could and, as good leaders usually do, rounded off the race with a victory in the last time trial stage. This Vuelta a España meant a sort of resurrection for Ullrich and, at the same time, he turned the race into a glorious event: more than four minutes of difference between him and Galdeano and almost six minutes of advantage regarding Heras.

Not only did José María Jiménez win the steep stage of L´angliru, but he was also leader in the mountain. The Southafrican rider, Robert hunter, in his first public debut, won one of the stages and was leader in the Sprints Standings. The brilliant rider Vandenbroucke won two stages and he was also leader in the Per Point Overall Standings. Banesto was the winner in the Team Standings thanks to the work carried out by Jiménez, Beltrán, Piépoli and the rest of riders.