# 1973 Vuelta a España

The 28th Edition Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain), a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 26 to May 13, 1973. It consisted of 17 stages covering a total of 3,061 km, and was won by Eddy Merckx of the Molteni cycling team. As Merckx had already won several editions of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia with his win in the Vuelta, he became the third cyclist after Jacques Anquetil and Felice Gimondi to win all three grand tours in his career. Merckx went on to win the 1973 Giro d'Italia and became the first cyclist to win the Vuelta-Giro double. Merckx also won the points classification and José Luis Abilleira won the mountains classification. With Merckx finishing first, Ocaña second and Thévenet third the podium of the 1973 Vuelta contained one previous winner and two future winners of the Tour de France making it one of the best podiums in the history of the race, according to the official race website. Merckx won six stages in this edition and Gerben Karstens won four.

## Teams

A total of eight teams were invited to participate in the 1973 Vuelta a España. Each team sent a squad of ten riders, which meant that the race started with a peloton of 80 cyclists. 62 cyclists reached the finish in San Sebastián.
The teams entering the race were:
| KAS Bic La Casera Molteni | Peugeot-B.P. Coelima-Benfica | Monte Verde Rokado |

## Route and stages

Stage characteristics and results :
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Type | Winner |
| P | 26 April | Calp to Calp | 5 km (3 mi) | | Individual time trial | Eddy Merckx (BEL) |
| 1 | 27 April | Calp to Murcia | 187 km (116 mi) | | | Pieter Nassen (BEL) |
| 2 | 28 April | Murcia to Albacete | 156 km (97 mi) | | | Gerben Karstens (NED) |
| 3 | 29 April | Albacete to Alcázar de San Juan | 146 km (91 mi) | | | Pieter Nassen (BEL) |
| 4 | 30 April | Alcázar de San Juan to Cuenca | 169 km (105 mi) | | | Jos Deschoenmaecker (BEL) |
| 5 | 1 May | Cuenca to Teruel | 191 km (119 mi) | | | Gerben Karstens (NED) |
| 6a | 2 May | Teruel to La Pobla de Farnals | 150 km (93 mi) | | | Roger Swerts (BEL) |
| 6b | 2 May | La Pobla de Farnals | 5 km (3 mi) | | Team time trial | Molteni |
| 7 | 3 May | La Pobla de Farnals to Castellón de la Plana | 165 km (103 mi) | | | Gerben Karstens (NED) |
| 8 | 4 May | Castellón de la Plana to Calafell | 245 km (152 mi) | | | Eddy Merckx (BEL) |
| 9a | 5 May | Calafell to Barcelona | 80 km (50 mi) | | | Juan Manuel Santisteban (ESP) |
| 9b | 5 May | Barcelona to Barcelona | 37.9 km (24 mi) | | Individual time trial | Jacques Esclassan (FRA) |
| 10 | 6 May | Barcelona to Empuriabrava | 171 km (106 mi) | | | Eddy Merckx (BEL) |
| 11 | 7 May | Empuriabrava to Manresa | 225 km (140 mi) | | | Bernard Thévenet (FRA) |
| 12 | 8 May | Manresa to Zaragoza | 259 km (161 mi) | | | Gerben Karstens (NED) |
| 13 | 9 May | Mallén to Irache [es] | 175 km (109 mi) | | | Domingo Perurena (ESP) |
| 14 | 10 May | Irache [es] to Bilbao | 182 km (113 mi) | | | Juan Zurano (ESP) |
| 15a | 11 May | Bilbao to Torrelavega | 154 km (96 mi) | | | Eddy Peelman (BEL) |
| 15b | 11 May | Torrelavega to Torrelavega | 17.4 km (11 mi) | | Individual time trial | Eddy Merckx (BEL) |
| 16 | 12 May | Torrelavega to Miranda de Ebro | 203 km (126 mi) | | | Eddy Merckx (BEL) |
| 17a | 13 May | Miranda de Ebro to Tolosa, Gipuzkoa | 127 km (79 mi) | | | Eddy Peelman (BEL) |
| 17b | 13 May | Hernani to San Sebastián | 10.5 km (7 mi) | | Individual time trial | Eddy Merckx (BEL) |
| | Total | Total | 3,016.8 km (1,875 mi) | 3,016.8 km (1,875 mi) | 3,016.8 km (1,875 mi) | 3,016.8 km (1,875 mi) | 3,016.8 km (1,875 mi) |

## Classification leadership

Four different jerseys were worn during the 1973 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 combination classification awarded a red jersey to its leader.
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 | Combination classification | Team classification |
| P | Eddy Merckx | Eddy Merckx | not awarded | not awarded | not awarded | not awarded |
| 1 | Pieter Nassen | Eddy Merckx | Pieter Nassen | Domingo Perurena | not awarded | Rokado |
| 2 | Gerben Karstens | Gerben Karstens | Gerben Karstens | Domingo Perurena | Javier Elorriaga & Jean-Jacques Fussien | Rokado |
| 3 | Pieter Nassen | Gerben Karstens | Pieter Nassen | José Luis Abilleira | Jean-Jacques Fussien | Rokado |
| 4 | Jos Deschoenmaecker | José Pesarrodona | Pieter Nassen | José Luis Abilleira | Jean-Jacques Fussien | KAS |
| 5 | Gerben Karstens | José Pesarrodona | Gerben Karstens | José Luis Abilleira | Jean-Jacques Fussien | KAS |
| 6a | Roger Swerts | José Pesarrodona | Gerben Karstens | José Luis Abilleira | José Luis Galdamez | Molteni |
| 6b | Molteni | José Pesarrodona | Gerben Karstens | José Luis Abilleira | José Luis Galdamez | Molteni |
| 7 | Gerben Karstens | José Pesarrodona | Gerben Karstens | José Luis Abilleira | Eddy Merckx | Molteni |
| 8 | Eddy Merckx | José Pesarrodona | Gerben Karstens | José Luis Abilleira | Eddy Merckx | Molteni |
| 9a | Juan Manuel Santisteban | José Pesarrodona | Gerben Karstens | José Luis Abilleira | Eddy Merckx | Molteni |
| 9b | Jacques Esclassan | José Pesarrodona | Gerben Karstens | José Luis Abilleira | Eddy Merckx | Molteni |
| 10 | Eddy Merckx | José Pesarrodona | Gerben Karstens | José Luis Abilleira | Eddy Merckx | Molteni |
| 11 | Bernard Thévenet | Eddy Merckx | Gerben Karstens | José Luis Abilleira | Eddy Merckx | La Casera |
| 12 | Gerben Karstens | Eddy Merckx | Gerben Karstens | José Luis Abilleira | Eddy Merckx | La Casera |
| 13 | Domingo Perurena | Eddy Merckx | Gerben Karstens | José Luis Abilleira | Eddy Merckx | La Casera |
| 14 | Juan Zurano | Eddy Merckx | Gerben Karstens | José Luis Abilleira | Eddy Merckx | La Casera |
| 15a | Eddy Peelman | Eddy Merckx | Eddy Merckx | José Luis Abilleira | Eddy Merckx | La Casera |
| 15b | Eddy Merckx | Eddy Merckx | Eddy Merckx | José Luis Abilleira | Eddy Merckx | La Casera |
| 16 | Eddy Merckx | Eddy Merckx | Eddy Merckx | José Luis Abilleira | Eddy Merckx | La Casera |
| 17a | Eddy Peelman | Eddy Merckx | Eddy Merckx | José Luis Abilleira | Eddy Merckx | La Casera |
| 17b | Eddy Merckx | Eddy Merckx | Eddy Merckx | José Luis Abilleira | Eddy Merckx | La Casera |
| Final | Final | Eddy Merckx | Eddy Merckx | José Luis Abilleira | Eddy Merckx | La Casera |

## 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 Combination classification |

### General Classification

Final general classification (1–10) :
| Rank | Name | Team | Time |
| 1 | Eddy Merckx (BEL) | Molteni | 84h 40' 50" |
| 2 | Luis Ocaña (ESP) | Bic | + 3' 46" |
| 3 | Bernard Thévenet (FRA) | Peugeot-B.P. | + 4' 16" |
| 4 | José Pesarrodona (ESP) | KAS | + 5' 54" |
| 5 | Pedro Torres (ESP) | La Casera | + 7' 29" |
| 6 | Joaquim Agostinho (POR) | Bic | + 8' 15" |
| 7 | Agustín Tamames (ESP) | La Casera | + 9' 15" |
| 8 | Luis Balagué (ESP) | La Casera | + 12' 26" |
| 9 | Roger Swerts (BEL) | Molteni | + 13' 27" |
| 10 | Jesús Manzaneque (ESP) | La Casera | + 15' 01" |

### Points classification

Final points classification (1–3) :
| | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Eddy Merckx (BEL) | Molteni | 215.5 |
| 2 | Roger Swerts (BEL) | Molteni | 162.5 |
| 3 | Pieter Nassen (BEL) | Rokado | 154.5 |

### Mountains classification

Final mountains classification (1–4) :
| | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | José Luis Abilleira (ESP) | La Casera | 97 |
| 2 | Eddy Merckx (BEL) | Molteni | 83 |
| 3 | Luis Balagué (ESP) | La Casera | 60 |
| 4 | Pedro Torres (ESP) | La Casera | 50 |

### Combination classification

Final combination classification (1–3) :
| | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Eddy Merckx (BEL) | Molteni | 18 |
| 2 | José Luis Abilleira (ESP) | La Casera | 11 |
| 3 | José Luis Galdamez (ESP) | Coelima-Benfica | 6 |

### Team classification

Final team classification (1–8) :
| | Team | Time |
| 1 | La Casera | 254h 01' 59" |
| 2 | Bic | + 4' 44" |
| 3 | Molteni | + 6' 24" |
| 4 | KAS | + 11' 28" |
| 5 | Monte Verde | + 29' 01" |
| 6 | Coelima-Benfica | + 32' 03" |
| 7 | Peugeot-B.P. | + 32' 51" |
| 8 | Rokado | + 51' 22" |

### Intermediate sprints classification

Final intermediate sprints classification (1–10) :
| | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Eddy Merckx (BEL) | Molteni | 26 |
| 2 | Javier Elorriaga (ESP) | KAS | 24 |
| 3 | José Luis Galdamez (ESP) | Coelima-Benfica | 15 |
| 4 | Fernando Mendes (POR) | Coelima-Benfica | 10 |
| 5 | Eddy Peelman (BEL) | Rokado | 9 |
| 6 | José Luis Abilleira (ESP) | La Casera | 6 |
| 7 | Domingo Perurena (ESP) | KAS | 6 |
| 8 | Jan Van de Wiele (BEL) | Rokado | 6 |
| 9 | Joseph Bruyère (BEL) | Molteni | 5 |
| 10 | Roger Swerts (BEL) | Molteni | 5 |