# 1984 Vuelta a España

The 39th Edition Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain), a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 Grand Tours, was held from 17 April to 6 May 1984. It consisted of 19 stages covering a total of 3,593 km, and was won by Éric Caritoux of the Skil–Sem cycling team. It was one of the most surprising grand tour victories in cycling history as Caritoux, a virtual unknown who was part of a lineup that was thrown together at the last minute, won by the closest margin in history.
Caritoux, a second year professional, had shown his climbing talent earlier that year by winning the stage up the Mont-Ventoux of the 1984 Paris–Nice but he did not enter the 1984 Vuelta a España thinking of the overall classification.
On stage 8 Roger De Vlaeminck, one of the oldest riders professionally, won the first Vuelta stage of his career which gave him a stage win in all three grand tours. Fourteen years earlier he won his first grand tour stage during the 1970 Tour de France and had won 22 Giro stages in between. On the 12th stage to Lagos de Covadonga an area in Asturias which includes one of the most important climbs of the Vuelta, Caritoux finished second behind the German Raimund Dietzen. Caritoux took the leader's jersey from Pedro Delgado. Alberto Fernández was 32 seconds behind Caritoux in the general classification at that stage. Fernández had been third the year previously in the Vuelta a España and in the Giro d'Italia. On the stage 14 mountain time trial, Caritoux lost five seconds. Caritoux lost further time in the final individual time trial but still managed to finish the race with a slender lead of six seconds over Fernández, the smallest margin in the history of the Vuelta a España, and also the smallest ever seen in a Grand Tour. Fernández died later on in 1984.

## Teams

Thirteen teams were invited by the race organizers to participate in the 1984 edition of the Vuelta a España, six of which were based outside of Spain. Each team sent a squad of ten riders, meaning that the race started with a peloton of 130 cyclists. From the riders that began the race, 97 made it to the finish in Madrid.
The teams entering the race were:
| Alfa Lum Hueso Del Tongo Dormilón | Tuc Gis Kelme Orbea Reynolds | Safir Skil Teka Tönissteiner Zor |

## Route and stages

Covering a total of 3,489 km (2,168 mi), it included three individual time trials, and thirteen stages with categorized climbs that awarded mountains classification points. Two of these thirteen stages had summit finishes: stage 7, to Rassos de Peguera; and stage 12, to Lagos de Enol. Another stage with a mountain-top finish was stage 14, which consisted of a climbing time trial to Monte Narasco. The organizers chose to include no rest days. When compared to the previous year's race, the race was 91 km (57 mi) longer and contained the same amount of time trials, stages, and rest days.
Stage characteristics and winners :
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Type | Winner |
| P | 17 April | Jerez de la Frontera | 6.6 km (4 mi) | | Individual time trial | Francesco Moser (ITA) |
| 1 | 18 April | Jerez de la Frontera to Málaga | 272 km (169 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Noël Dejonckheere (BEL) |
| 2 | 19 April | Málaga to Almería | 202 km (126 mi) | | Plain stage | Guido Van Calster (BEL) |
| 3 | 20 April | Mojácar to Elche | 204 km (127 mi) | | Plain stage | Jozef Lieckens (BEL) |
| 4 | 21 April | Elche to Valencia | 197 km (122 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Noël Dejonckheere (BEL) |
| 5 | 22 April | Valencia to Salou | 245 km (152 mi) | | Plain stage | Jozef Lieckens (BEL) |
| 6 | 23 April | Salou to Sant Quirze del Vallès | 113 km (70 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Michel Pollentier (BEL) |
| 7 | 24 April | Sant Quirze del Vallès to Rasos de Peguera | 184 km (114 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Éric Caritoux (FRA) |
| 8 | 25 April | Cardona to Zaragoza | 269 km (167 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Roger De Vlaeminck (BEL) |
| 9 | 26 April | Zaragoza to Soria | 159 km (99 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Orlando Maini (ITA) |
| 10 | 27 April | Soria to Burgos | 148 km (92 mi) | | Plain stage | Palmiro Masciarelli (ITA) |
| 11 | 28 April | Burgos to Santander | 182 km (113 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Francesco Moser (ITA) |
| 12 | 29 April | Santander to Lagos de Covadonga | 199 km (124 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Raimund Dietzen (FRG) |
| 13 | 30 April | Cangas de Onís to Oviedo | 170 km (106 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Guido Van Calster (BEL) |
| 14 | 1 May | Lugones to Monte Naranco | 12 km (7 mi) | | Individual time trial | Julián Gorospe (ESP) |
| 15 | 2 May | Oviedo to León | 121 km (75 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Antonio Coll (ESP) |
| 16 | 3 May | León to Valladolid | 138 km (86 mi) | | Plain stage | Daniël Rossel (BEL) |
| 17 | 4 May | Valladolid to Segovia | 258 km (160 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | José Recio (ESP) |
| 18a | 5 May | Segovia to Torrejón de Ardoz | 145 km (90 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Jesus Suárez Cuevas (ESP) |
| 18b | 5 May | Torrejón de Ardoz | 33 km (21 mi) | | Individual time trial | Julián Gorospe (ESP) |
| 19 | 6 May | Torrejón de Ardoz to Madrid | 139 km (86 mi) | | Plain stage | Noël Dejonckheere (BEL) |
| | Total | Total | 3,593 km (2,233 mi) | 3,593 km (2,233 mi) | 3,593 km (2,233 mi) | 3,593 km (2,233 mi) | 3,593 km (2,233 mi) |

## Classification leadership

Three different jerseys were worn during the 1984 Vuelta a España. The leader of the general classification – calculated by adding the stage finish times of each rider, and allowing time bonuses for the first three finishers on mass-start stages – wore a golden jersey. This classification is the most important of the race, and its winner is considered as the winner of the Vuelta.
For the points classification, which awarded a light blue jersey to its leader, cyclists were given points for finishing a stage in the top 15; additional points could also be won in intermediate sprints. The green jersey was awarded to the mountains classification leader. In this ranking, points were won by reaching the summit of a climb ahead of other cyclists. Each climb was ranked as either first, second or third category, with more points available for higher category climbs. The leader of the mountains classification wore a green jersey.
Although no jersey was awarded, there was also one classification for the teams, in which the stage finish times of the best three cyclists per team were added; the leading team was the one with the lowest total time.
The rows in the following table correspond to the jerseys awarded after that stage was run.
Classification leadership by stage :
| Stage | Winner | General classification | Points classification | Mountains classification | Team classification |
| P | Francesco Moser | Francesco Moser | Francesco Moser | not awarded | Reynolds |
| 1 | Noël Dejonckheere | Francesco Moser | Noël Dejonckheere | Angel Camarillo | Reynolds |
| 2 | Guido Van Calster | Francesco Moser | Guido Van Calster | Angel Camarillo | Reynolds |
| 3 | Jozef Lieckens | Francesco Moser | Guido Van Calster | Angel Camarillo | Reynolds |
| 4 | Noël Dejonckheere | Francesco Moser | Noël Dejonckheere | Felipe Yáñez | Reynolds |
| 5 | Jozef Lieckens | Francesco Moser | Noël Dejonckheere | Felipe Yáñez | Teka |
| 6 | Michel Pollentier | Francesco Moser | Noël Dejonckheere | Felipe Yáñez | Teka |
| 7 | Éric Caritoux | Pedro Delgado | Noël Dejonckheere | Felipe Yáñez | Teka |
| 8 | Roger De Vlaeminck | Pedro Delgado | Noël Dejonckheere | Felipe Yáñez | Teka |
| 9 | Orlando Maini | Pedro Delgado | Noël Dejonckheere | Felipe Yáñez | Teka |
| 10 | Palmiro Masciarelli | Pedro Delgado | Noël Dejonckheere | Felipe Yáñez | Teka |
| 11 | Francesco Moser | Pedro Delgado | Guido Van Calster | Felipe Yáñez | Teka |
| 12 | Raimund Dietzen | Éric Caritoux | Guido Van Calster | Felipe Yáñez | Teka |
| 13 | Guido Van Calster | Éric Caritoux | Guido Van Calster | Felipe Yáñez | Teka |
| 14 | Julián Gorospe | Éric Caritoux | Guido Van Calster | Felipe Yáñez | Teka |
| 15 | Antonio Coll | Éric Caritoux | Guido Van Calster | Felipe Yáñez | Teka |
| 16 | Daniel Rossel | Éric Caritoux | Guido Van Calster | Felipe Yáñez | Teka |
| 17 | José Recio | Éric Caritoux | Guido Van Calster | Felipe Yáñez | Teka |
| 18a | Jesús Suárez Cueva | Éric Caritoux | Guido Van Calster | Felipe Yáñez | Teka |
| 18b | Julián Gorospe | Éric Caritoux | Guido Van Calster | Felipe Yáñez | Teka |
| 19 | Noël Dejonckheere | Éric Caritoux | Guido Van Calster | Felipe Yáñez | Teka |
| Final | Final | Éric Caritoux | Guido Van Calster | Felipe Yáñez | Teka |

## Final standings

Legend :
| Denotes the winner of the General classification | | Denotes the winner of the Mountains classification |
| Denotes the winner of the Points classification | Denotes the winner of the Points classification | Denotes the winner of the Points classification |

### General classification

Final general classification (1–10) :
| Rank | Name | Team | Time |
| 1 | Éric Caritoux (FRA) | Skil | 90h 08' 03" |
| 2 | Alberto Fernández Blanco (ESP) | Zor | + 6" |
| 3 | Raimund Dietzen (GER) | Teka | + 1' 33" |
| 4 | Pedro Delgado (ESP) | Reynolds | + 1' 43" |
| 5 | Edgar Corredor (COL) | Teka | + 3' 40" |
| 6 | Julián Gorospe (ESP) | Reynolds | + 4' 41" |
| 7 | José Patrocinio Jiménez (COL) | Teka | + 7' 10" |
| 8 | Vicente Belda (ESP) | Kelme | + 7' 14" |
| 9 | José Recio (ESP) | Kelme | + 7' 21" |
| 10 | Francesco Moser (ITA) | Tuc Gis | + 8' 41" |

### Points classification

Final points classification (1-10) :
| | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Guido Van Calster (BEL) | Del Tongo | 204 |
| 2 | Noël Dejonckheere (BEL) | Teka | 168 |
| 3 | Jozef Lieckens (BEL) | Safir | 138 |
| 4 | Francesco Moser (ITA) | Tuc Gis | 110 |
| 5 | Benny Van Brabant (BEL) | Tönissteiner | 102 |
| 6 | Jesús Suárez Cueva (ESP) | Hueso | 98 |
| 7 | Julián Gorospe (ESP) | Reynolds | 96 |
| 8 | Miguel Angel Iglesias (ESP) | Kelme | 90 |
| 9 | Éric Caritoux (FRA) | Skil | 88 |
| 10 | Raimund Dietzen (GER) | Teka | 82 |

### Mountains classification

Final mountains classification (1-5) :
| | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Felipe Yáñez (ESP) | Orbea | 81 |
| 2 | José Luis Laguía (ESP) | Reynolds | 59 |
| 3 | Éric Caritoux (FRA) | Skil | 50 |
| 4 | Vicente Belda (ESP) | Kelme | 49 |
| 5 | Alberto Fernández Blanco (ESP) | Zor | 40 |

### Team classification

Final team classification (1-5) :
| | Team | Time |
| 1 | Teka | 270h 24' 40" |
| 2 | Zor | + 9' 35" |
| 3 | Reynolds | + 20' 17" |
| 4 | Hueso | + 23' 58" |
| 5 | Skil | + 39' 25" |

### Intermediate sprints classification

Final intermediate sprints classification (1–5) :
| | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Jozef Lieckens (BEL) | Safir | 39 |
| 2 | Eddy Van Haerens (BEL) | Safir | 30 |
| 3 | Mariano Bayon (ESP) | Dormilon | 17 |
| 4 | Antonio Coll (ESP) | Teka | 12 |
| 5 | Palmiro Masciarelli (ITA) | Tuc Gis | 11 |

### Special sprints classification

Final special sprints classification (1–3) :
| | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Jesús Suárez Cueva (ESP) | Hueso | 35 |
| 2 | José Maria Caroz (ESP) | Dormilon | 19 |
| 3 | Daniël Rossel (BEL) | Tönissteiner | 15 |
| 4 | Jean-Claude Bagot (FRA) | Skil | 13 |
| 5 | Antonio Coll (ESP) | Teka | 8 |