Federico Bahamontes Former Spanish cyclist and professional road racer. Date of Birth: 09.07.1928 Country: Spain

Biography of Federico Martín Bahamontes

Federico Martín Bahamontes was a former Spanish cyclist. He was born in 1928 in Santo Domingo-Caudilla, Toledo, Spain. His father, Julian Bahamontes, originally from Cuba, suffered during the Spanish Civil War and moved the family to Madrid, Spain to protect them.

In Madrid, Bahamontes' father struggled to find stable employment and ended up working on a construction site, manually breaking large stones all day. Eventually, he used the money he earned to open a vegetable store. Meanwhile, Federico lived in dreams of becoming a cyclist. His idol and later friend, Julián Berrendero Martín, was a famous cyclist who had won the Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain) in 1941 and 1942.

In the early 1940s, Bahamontes saved up enough money to buy his first bicycle and began training diligently. On July 18, 1947, during an amateur race in Madrid, the young and unknown cyclist wearing a baseball jersey surpassed all the favorites and won the race. Federico Bahamontes became known as the "Eagle from Toledo."

In 1953, Bahamontes, now dressed in racing gear, won the Tour of Asturias race, even though he was not yet a professional. The Spanish Cycling Federation confirmed his candidacy to participate in the prestigious Tour de France. Before the race, the team's head coach approached him and said, "Just do what you can." While he didn't win, Bahamontes managed to unsettle his fellow racers, who constantly watched his number on his back.

His exceptional talent in climbing mountains was soon noticed by his coach. During most of the race, Bahamontes leaned forward deeply, constantly changing the position of his hands on the handlebars. This allowed him to conserve energy and focus on maintaining speed. Many experts agreed that his riding style didn't resemble that of a professional, but it served him well during races.

In 1957, Bahamontes finished second in the Vuelta a España and won the Giro d'Italia. In 1959, he finally became the champion of the Tour de France and the King of the Mountains, as he finished all the mountain stages in the first position. However, in 1960, his hopes for a repeat victory were shattered due to problems within the Spanish cycling team. He had to withdraw from the race after several stages. A memorable photograph captures Bahamontes, with his head resting on his hands, waiting for a car to take him back home.

Unfortunately, there was a disagreement and rivalry between Bahamontes and Jacques Anquetil, the two team leaders. Both desired victory and acted selfishly towards each other. Anquetil, being a versatile cyclist who excelled in both mountain and regular stages, had an advantage over Bahamontes. The latter consistently lagged behind his "comrade" in the final stages.

Bahamontes participated in the Tour de France for the last time in 1965 but failed to finish the race. That marked the end of his professional career. Currently, Federico Bahamontes owns a store where he sells bicycles and motorcycles. Every day, he receives letters, some addressed to his name, others adorned with drawings of an eagle, as the postal service knows who the recipient is.