# 1981 Vuelta a España

The 36th Edition Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain), a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the three grand tours, was held from 21 April to 10 May 1981. It consisted of 19 stages covering a total of 3,446 km (2,141 mi), and was won by Giovanni Battaglin of the Inoxpran cycling team.
Regis Clere won the prologue of the race and kept the leader's jersey until the mountain time trial where on the very long climb to Sierra Nevada, Giovanni Battaglin won the stage and took over the leader's jersey. The only threat to Battaglin's lead was Pedro Muñoz. The entire Teka team withdrew from the race withdrawing potential favourites Marino Lejarreta and Alberto Fernández. Battaglin and his Inoxpran team withstood the challenge from the Spanish and brought Battaglin to his first grand tour victory. Three days later after Battaglin's triumph in Spain, he began the 1981 Giro d'Italia which he would win becoming the second rider after Eddy Merckx to win the Vuelta-Giro double.

## Route

List of stages :
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Type | Winner |
| P | 21 April | Santander – Santander | 6.3 km (4 mi) | | Individual time trial | Régis Clère (FRA) |
| 1 | 22 April | Santander – Avilés | 221 km (137 mi) | | | Guido Bontempi (ITA) |
| 2 | 23 April | Avilés – León | 159 km (99 mi) | | | Alfredo Chinetti (ITA) |
| 3 | 24 April | León – Salamanca | 195 km (121 mi) | | | Guido Bontempi (ITA) |
| 4 | 25 April | Salamanca – Cáceres | 206 km (128 mi) | | | Celestino Prieto (ESP) |
| 5 | 26 April | Cáceres – Mérida | 152 km (94 mi) | | | Heddie Nieuwdorp (NED) |
| 6 | 27 April | Mérida – Seville | 199 km (124 mi) | | | Jos Lammertink (NED) |
| 7 | 28 April | Écija – Jaén | 181 km (112 mi) | | | Juan Fernández (ESP) |
| 8a | 29 April | Jaén – Granada | 100 km (62 mi) | | | José María Yurrebaso (ESP) |
| 8b | 29 April | Granada – Sierra Nevada | 30.5 km (19 mi) | | Individual time trial | Giovanni Battaglin (ITA) |
| 9 | 30 April | Baza – Murcia | 204 km (127 mi) | | | Imanol Murga (ESP) |
| 10 | 1 May | Murcia – Almussafes | 223 km (139 mi) | | | Kim Andersen (DEN) |
| 11 | 2 May | Almussafes – Peñíscola | 193 km (120 mi) | | | Jesús Suárez Cueva (ESP) |
| 12 | 3 May | Peñíscola – Esparreguera | 217 km (135 mi) | | | Frédéric Vichot (FRA) |
| 13 | 4 May | Esparreguera – Rasos de Peguera | 187 km (116 mi) | | | Vicente Belda (ESP) |
| 14 | 5 May | Gironella – Balaguer | 197 km (122 mi) | | | José Luis López Cerrón [fr] (ESP) |
| 15a | 6 May | Balaguer – Alfajarín | 146 km (91 mi) | | | Pedro Muñoz Machín (ESP) |
| 15b | 6 May | Zaragoza – Zaragoza | 11.3 km (7 mi) | | Individual time trial | Régis Clère (FRA) |
| 16 | 7 May | Calatayud – Torrejón de Ardoz | 209 km (130 mi) | | | Álvaro Pino (ESP) |
| 17 | 8 May | Torrejón de Ardoz – Segovia | 150 km (93 mi) | | | Miguel María Lasa (ESP) |
| 18 | 9 May | Segovia – Los Ángeles de San Rafael | 175 km (109 mi) | | | Ángel Arroyo (ESP) |
| 19 | 10 May | Madrid – Madrid | 84 km (52 mi) | | | Francisco Javier Cedena (ESP) |
| | Total | Total | 3,446 km (2,141 mi) | 3,446 km (2,141 mi) | 3,446 km (2,141 mi) | 3,446 km (2,141 mi) |

## Final standings
### General classification

Final general classification (1–10) :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Giovanni Battaglin (ITA) | Inoxpran | 98h 04' 49" |
| 2 | Pedro Muñoz Machín Rodríguez (ESP) | Zor–Helios | + 2' 09" |
| 3 | Vicente Belda (ESP) | Kelme–Gios | + 2' 29" |
| 4 | Jørgen Marcussen (DEN) | Inoxpran | + 3' 33" |
| 5 | Antonio Coll (ESP) | Colchon C.R. | + 4' 26" |
| 6 | Ángel Arroyo (ESP) | Zor–Helios | + 4' 30" |
| 7 | José Luis Laguía (ESP) | Reynolds–Galli | + 6' 05" |
| 8 | Faustino Rupérez (ESP) | Zor–Helios | + 7' 09" |
| 9 | Régis Clère (FRA) | Miko–Mercier | + 7' 23" |
| 10 | Miguel María Lasa (ESP) | Zor–Helios | + 10' 54" |
Final general classification (11–25) :
| 11 | Eduardo Chozas (ESP) | Zor–Helios | + 12' 48" |
| 12 | Luciano Loro (ITA) | Inoxpran | + 13' 49" |
| 13 | José Antonio Cabrero (ESP) | Zor–Helios | + 16' 17" |
| 14 | Alfonso Dal Pian (ITA) | Inoxpran | + 17' 17" |
| 15 | Peter Zijerveld (NED) | HB Alarmsystemen | + 19' 55" |
| 16 | Angel De Las Heras (ESP) | Hueso-Manzaneque | + 22' 32" |
| 17 | Enrique Martínez Heredia (ESP) | Colchon C.R. | + 26' 16" |
| 18 | Juan Pujol Pages (ESP) | Colchon C.R. | + 27' 36" |
| 19 | Francisco Javier Cedena (ESP) | Colchon C.R. | + 29' 46" |
| 20 | Guillermo De La Pena (ESP) | Zor–Helios | + 30' 36" |
| 21 | Frédéric Vichot (FRA) | Miko–Mercier | + 31' 54" |
| 22 | Álvaro Pino (ESP) | Colchon C.R. | + 33' 24" |
| 23 | José Luis López Cerrón [fr] (ESP) | Zor–Helios | + 36' 30" |
| 24 | Amilcare Sgalbazzi (ITA) | Inoxpran | + 37' 49" |
| 25 | Anastasio Greciano (ESP) | Reynolds–Galli | + 44' 44" |

### Team classification

Final team classification :
| Rank | Team | Time |
| 1 | Zor Helios | 294h 09' 15" |
| 2 | Inoxpran | + 17' 14" |
| 3 | Colchon CR | + 43' 04" |
| 4 | Kelme | + 1h 05' 01" |
| 5 | Miko Mercier | + 1h 19' 31" |
| 6 | Reynolds | + 1h 48' 41" |
| 7 | H.B. | + 2h 06' 31" |
| 8 | Manzaneque | + 2h 30' 41" |

### Points classification

Final points classification :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Francisco Javier Cedena (ESP) | Colchon | 211 |
| 2 | Jesús Suárez Cueva (ESP) | Kelme | 137 |
| 3 | Miguel María Lasa (ESP) | Zor | 134 |

### Mountains classification

Final mountains classification :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | José Luis Laguía (ESP) | Reynolds | 144 |
| 2 | Vicente Belda (ESP) | Kelme | 98 |
| 3 | José Luis López Cerrón [fr] (ESP) | Zor | 69 |
| 4 | Giovanni Battaglin (ITA) | Inoxpran | 60 |
| 5 | Pedro Muñoz Machín Rodríguez (ESP) | Zor | 57 |

### Sprints classification

Final sprints classification :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Hugues Grondin (FRA) | Manzaneque | 21 |
| 2 | Miguel Acha (ESP) | Reynolds | 12 |
| 3 | Jesús Suárez Cueva (ESP) | Kelme | 10 |