The Vuelta Ciclista a España and Andorra have maintained a close relationship for many years. The country of the Pyrenees has been the scene of some of the most memorable stages of the Spanish round, almost always as the end of the stage. The exhibition organized by Bici Lab Andorra “La Vuelta” shows this relationship through some bicycles, jerseys, objects and photographs that explain the historical evolution of the race and cycling itself. These are the five most emblematic pieces of said exhibition.
Lotus-Festina was the first major professional team with an Andorran license. He raced with a license from this country specifically in the 1993, 1994 and 1996 seasons. Cyclists of the stature of Udo Bolts, Ricard Virenque, Laurent Dufaux. Luc Leblanc, Alex Zülle and the sprinter Jean-Paul Van Poppel wore his jersey. The French bicycle brand Vitus collaborated with the team by providing its prestigious machines made to measure in aluminum and steel. In the exhibition we can see the bike of sprinter Jean-Paul Van Poppel from 1993.
Roberto Heras is the cyclist with the most victories in the Vuelta a España. The one from Béjar achieved victory in 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2005… The last three were achieved on the back of a carbon BH with which the Liberty Seguros-Wurth team ran, led by the controversial Manolo Sáiz. The model on display is the BH that Heras raced with in the last stage of the 2005 edition.
“La Ruta El Quijote”, promoted by the Government of Castilla la Mancha, was a sponsor of the Vuelta a España in the 2005 edition. That edition in which Roberto Heras achieved his fourth victory and in which a young Joaquim 'Purito' Rodríguez made himself known to the general public by achieving this jersey that accredited him as winner of the Mountain GP. The garment is preserved with the number that Purito wore in the race: number 197.
Over the years, cyclists' equipment has continued to evolve unstoppably. In the mid-60s of the 20th century, cyclist helmets were made from hardened leather and metal rivets. In slang they were known as “chichoneras” and, as they were not mandatory, very few professional cyclists wore them. This type of helmet remained more or less unchanged until the first plastic injection helmets appeared in the US in the 1990s.
A model that clearly shows what “racing” bikes were like at the dawn of professional cycling. The “mustache” handlebars are very characteristic of the time, as is the longer distance between the axles and the space to carry an inflator in case of a puncture (cyclists of that time could not receive assistance during the race). The weight of this 1925 Wanderer is around 15kg, almost double what a carbon bike weighs today. This piece is part of the Riberaygua collection.
