# 1996 Vuelta a España

The 51st Edition Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain), a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the three Grand Tours, was held from 7 September to 29 September 1996. It consisted of 22 stages covering a total of 3,898 km (2,422 mi), and was won by Alex Zülle of the ONCE cycling team. This was the only time in cycling history that riders from Switzerland swept the Podium in a Grand Tour.
Five-time Tour de France winner Miguel Indurain started his home tour for the first time since finishing second in 1991, having just recently been dislodged at the Tour by Bjarne Riis. He was initially reluctant to start, but convinced by his team to do so after a strong performance during the time trial at the Olympic Games in Atlanta. However, Indurain would eventually abandon the race, which would prove to be the last of his career, on stage 13 while lying in third place overall, having been dropped by the rest of the race favourites on the first-category climb of the Fito pass.

## Route

List of stages :
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Type | Winner |
| 1 | 7 September | Valencia – Valencia | 162 km (101 mi) | | | Biagio Conte (ITA) |
| 2 | 8 September | Valencia – Cuenca | 210 km (130 mi) | | | Nicola Minali (ITA) |
| 3 | 9 September | Cuenca – Albacete | 167.2 km (104 mi) | | | Laurent Jalabert (FRA) |
| 4 | 10 September | Albacete – Murcia | 166.5 km (103 mi) | | | Tom Steels (BEL) |
| 5 | 11 September | Murcia – Almería | 208.4 km (129 mi) | | | Jeroen Blijlevens (NED) |
| 6 | 12 September | Almería – Málaga | 196.5 km (122 mi) | | | Fabio Baldato (ITA) |
| 7 | 13 September | Málaga – Marbella | 171.1 km (106 mi) | | | Fabio Baldato (ITA) |
| 8 | 14 September | Marbella – Jerez de la Frontera | 220.7 km (137 mi) | | | Nicola Minali (ITA) |
| 9 | 15 September | Jerez de la Frontera – Córdoba | 203.5 km (126 mi) | | | Nicola Minali (ITA) |
| | 16 September | | | | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day |
| 10 | 17 September | El Tiemblo – Ávila | 46.5 km (29 mi) | | Individual time trial | Tony Rominger (SUI) |
| 11 | 18 September | Ávila – Salamanca | 188 km (117 mi) | | | Marco Antonio Di Renzo (ITA) |
| 12 | 19 September | Benavente – Alto del Naranco | 188 km (117 mi) | | | Daniele Nardello (ITA) |
| 13 | 20 September | Oviedo – Lakes of Covadonga | 159 km (99 mi) | | | Laurent Jalabert (FRA) |
| 14 | 21 September | Cangas de Onís – Cabarceno Natural Park | 202.6 km (126 mi) | | | Biagio Conte (ITA) |
| 15 | 22 September | Cabárceno [es] – Alto Cruz de la Demanda (Ezcaray) | 220 km (137 mi) | | | Alex Zülle (SUI) |
| 16 | 23 September | Logroño – Sabiñánigo | 220.9 km (137 mi) | | | Nicola Minali (ITA) |
| 17 | 24 September | Sabiñánigo – Cerler | 165.7 km (103 mi) | | | Oliverio Rincón (COL) |
| 18 | 25 September | Benasque – Zaragoza | 219.5 km (136 mi) | | | Dimitri Konyshev (RUS) |
| 19 | 26 September | Getafe – Ávila | 217.1 km (135 mi) | | | Laurent Dufaux (SUI) |
| 20 | 27 September | Ávila – Palazuelos de Eresma (Destilerías DYC) | 209.5 km (130 mi) | | | Gianni Bugno (ITA) |
| 21 | 28 September | Segovia – Palazuelos de Eresma (Destilerías DYC) | 43 km (27 mi) | | Individual time trial | Tony Rominger (SUI) |
| 22 | 29 September | Madrid – Madrid | 157.6 km (98 mi) | | | Tom Steels (BEL) |
| | Total | Total | 3,898 km (2,422 mi) | 3,898 km (2,422 mi) | 3,898 km (2,422 mi) | 3,898 km (2,422 mi) | 3,898 km (2,422 mi) |

## General classification

| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Alex Zülle | ONCE | 97h 31' 46s |
| 2 | Laurent Dufaux | Festina | + 6' 23s |
| 3 | Tony Rominger | Mapei–GB | + 8' 29s |
| 4 | Roberto Pistore | MG Maglificio–Technogym | + 10' 13s |
| 5 | Stefano Faustini | AKI - Gipièmme | + 11' 21s |
| 6 | Georg Totschnig | Team Polti | + 11' 33s |
| 7 | Davide Rebellin | Team Polti | + 13' 16s |
| 8 | Andrea Peron | Motorola | + 14' 46s |
| 9 | Bobby Julich | Motorola | + 15' 10s |
| 10 | Fernando Escartín | Kelme-Artiach | + 18' 35s |
| 11 | Marcos Serrano | Kelme-Artiach | + 19' 19s |
| 12 | José María Jiménez | Banesto | + 20' 19s |
| 13 | Mauro Gianetti | Team Polti | + 21' 15s |
| 14 | Daniel Clavero | MX Onda | + 21' 49s |
| 15 | Daniele Nardello | Mapei–GB | + 22' 37s |
| 16 | Vladislav Bobrik | Gewiss Playbus | + 26' 00s |
| 17 | Axel Merckx | Motorola | + 27' 34s |
| 18 | Francisco Javier Mauleón | Mapei–GB | + 27' 38s |
| 19 | Laurent Jalabert | ONCE | + 27' 44s |
| 20 | Peter Meinert Nielsen | Team Telekom | + 29' 56s |
| 21 | Pascal Chanteur | Casino | |
| 22 | Fabian Jeker | Festina-Lotus | |
| 23 | Kai Hundertmarck | Team Telekom | |
| 24 | Ángel Casero | Banesto | |
| 25 | Massimo Apollonio | Scrigno–Blue Storm | |