# 1991 Vuelta a España

The 46th Edition Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain), a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the three grand tours, was held from 29 April to 19 May 1991. It consisted of 21 stages covering a total of 3,215.5 km (1,998 mi), and was won by Melcior Mauri of the ONCE cycling team.

## Race preview and favorites

Miguel Induráin, Laudelino Cubino and Anselmo Fuerte were the Spanish favourites for the race. Defending champion Marco Giovannetti was also a favourite together with Steven Rooks, Raúl Alcalá and the Colombians Fabio Parra and Luis ‘Lucho’ Herrera.
In the end Melcior Mauri was the revelation of the race and beat the future winner of the Tour de France Miguel Induráin in all the time trials. Indurain was forced to ride an aggressive race in the mountain stages but Mauri was able to defend his lead.

## Route and stages

Stages and winners :
| Stage | Date | Course | Winner | General Classification leader |
| 1 | 29 April | Mérida (TTT) | Melcior Mauri (ESP) | Melcior Mauri (ESP) |
| 2a | 30 April | Mérida to Cáceres | Michel Zanoli (NED) | Anselmo Fuerte (ESP) |
| 2b | 30 April | Montijo to Badajoz (TTT) | ONCE (ESP) | Anselmo Fuerte (ESP) |
| 3 | 1 May | Badajoz to Seville | Jesper Skibby (DEN) | Herminio Díaz Zabala (ESP) |
| 4 | 2 May | Seville to Jaén | Jesus Cruz Martin (ESP) | Melcior Mauri (ESP) |
| 5 | 3 May | Linares to Albacete | Uwe Raab (GER) | Melcior Mauri (ESP) |
| 6 | 4 May | Albacete to Valencia | Jean-Paul van Poppel (NED) | Melcior Mauri (ESP) |
| 7 | 5 May | Palma de Mallorca | Jesper Skibby (DEN) | Melcior Mauri (ESP) |
| 8 | 6 May | Cala d'Or (ITT) | Melcior Mauri (ESP) | Melcior Mauri (ESP) |
| 9 | 7 May | Sant Cugat del Vallès to Lloret de Mar | Jean-Paul van Poppel (NED) | Melcior Mauri (ESP) |
| 10 | 8 May | Lloret de Mar to Andorra la Vella, Andorra | Guido Bontempi (ITA) | Melcior Mauri (ESP) |
| 11 | 9 May | Andorra la Vella, Andorra to Pla-de-Beret | Stage cancelled | Melcior Mauri (ESP) |
| 12 | 10 May | Bossòst to Cerler | Ivan Ivanov (URS) | Melcior Mauri (ESP) |
| 13 | 11 May | Benasque to Zaragoza | Jean-Paul van Poppel (NED) | Melcior Mauri (ESP) |
| 14 | 12 May | Ezcaray to Valdezcaray (ITT) | Fabio Parra (COL) | Melcior Mauri (ESP) |
| 15 | 13 May | Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Santander | Guido Bontempi (ITA) | Melcior Mauri (ESP) |
| 16 | 14 May | Santander to Lagos de Covadonga | Luis Herrera (COL) | Melcior Mauri (ESP) |
| 17 | 15 May | Cangas de Onís to Alto del Naranco | Laudelino Cubino (ESP) | Melcior Mauri (ESP) |
| 18 | 16 May | León to Valladolid | Antonio Miguel Díaz (ESP) | Melcior Mauri (ESP) |
| 19 | 17 May | Valladolid (ITT) | Melcior Mauri (ESP) | Melcior Mauri (ESP) |
| 20 | 18 May | Palazuelos de Eresma | Jesús Montoya (ESP) | Melcior Mauri (ESP) |
| 21 | 19 May | Collado Villalba to Madrid | Jean-Paul van Poppel (NED) | Melcior Mauri (ESP) |

## Race overview

The opening stage consisted, on this occasion, of a three-man team time trial. The winning trio consisted of ONCE's Melcior Mauri, Anselmo Fuerte and Herminio Díaz-Zabala. Coupled with ONCE's win in the following day's Team Time Trial, meant the leader's jersey alternated between these three riders for the first week of the race. The team time trial would turn out to have a large impact as Induráin lost almost two minutes to Mauri on this stage.
Stage 8, a 47 km (29 mi) individual time trial, was the first decisive stage of the Vuelta. Riders such as Laudelino Cubino and Anselmo Fuerte lost most of their chances that day. Mauri increased his lead by winning the stage, a little less than a minute ahead of Induráin.
The Pyrenean stages were awaited with anticipation, to see if ONCE's Catalunyan rider would be capable of withstanding the high mountains. However, the queen stage ending at Pla de Beret had to be suspended due to adverse weather. Russian rider Ivan Ivanov won the 12th stage to the mountaintop ski resort at Cerler, but Mauri held on, losing less than a minute to Induráin.
Stage 14 was a mountain time trial finishing at the ski station in Valdezcaray, where Parra and Herrera set the leading times. Mauri once again put in a good performance, gaining more time on Induráin and leading the general classification ahead of his teammate Lejarreta, Echave and Induráin.
The third and final week of the race featured two high mountain stages in the Cordillera Cantábrica mountain range: the historic ascensions to the Alto del Naranco and the Covadonga Lakes. Herrera and Cubino took the stages, but Mauri managed to hang on. Mauri lost some time, but not enough to lose his overall lead. At this point he was the leader and there was still one time trial to go.
Mauri didn't disappoint, winning the Valladolid time trial ahead of Induráin by over a minute to seal his Vuelta win. He would never again perform at such a high standard. Induráin finished second overall, and Lejarreta third.

## Results
### Final General Classification

| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Melcior Mauri | ONCE | 82h 48' 07s |
| 2 | Miguel Induráin | Banesto | a 2' 52s |
| 3 | Marino Lejarreta | ONCE | a 3' 11s |
| 4 | Federico Echave | CLAS–Cajastur | a 3' 54s |
| 5 | Fabio Parra | Amaya Seguros | a 5' 38s |
| 6 | Pello Ruiz Cabestany | CLAS–Cajastur | a 6' 50s |
| 7 | Raúl Alcalá | PDM–Concorde | a 6' 57s |
| 8 | Piotr Ugrumov | Seur | a 10' 43s |
| 9 | Steven Rooks | Buckler | a 12' 09s |
| 10 | Oliverio Rincón | Kelme | a 12' 11s |
| 11 | Eduardo Chozas | ONCE | |
| 12 | Tom Cordes | PDM–Ultima–Concorde | |
| 13 | Luis Herrera | Ryalco–Postobón | |
| 14 | Ignacio Gaston Crespo | CLAS–Cajastur | |
| 15 | Laudelino Cubino Gonzalez | Amaya | |
| 16 | Jon Unzaga Bombín | Seur | |
| 17 | Udo Bölts | Telekom-Mercedes-Merckx | |
| 18 | Marco Giovannetti | Gatorade-Chateau d'Ax | |
| 19 | Ivan Ivanov | Seur | |
| 20 | Fernando Martinez De Guerenu | Puertas Mavisa | |
| 21 | Francisco Javier Mauleón | CLAS–Cajastur | |
| 22 | Alvaro Meija Castrillon | Ryalco–Postobón | |
| 23 | Jesus Montoya Alarcon | Amaya | |
| 24 | Fabrice Philipot | Banesto | |
| 25 | Gerardo Moncada | Ryalco–Postobón | |