Madrid (Spain): Federico Bahamontes, the celebrated Spanish cyclist, passed away on Tuesday. He was 95.
Recognised as the first Spaniard to win the Tour de France in 1959, with subsequent second and third-place finishes in 1963 and 1964 respectively, and claiming the best climber’s jersey six times, Bahamontes earned the moniker “Eagle of Toledo.”
Carlos Velazquez, the Mayor of Toledo, announced the news of his demise, Xinhua reported.
Bahamontes also holds the distinction of being the first cyclist to win the mountain jersey in all three Grand Tours: France, Italy, and Spain. In 2013, a panel organized by the ‘L’Equipe’ sports newspaper dubbed him the greatest climber in Tour de France history.
“We deeply mourn the passing of Federico Martin Bahamontes, the Eagle of Toledo: an iconic figure in sports who raised our city’s name to unparalleled heights. The first Spaniard to win the Tour de France, he is etched in the annals of our nation’s sports history with 74 wins,” expressed Velazquez.
The mayor also shared that Bahamontes owned a cycle shop in Toledo and declared two days of official mourning in his memory.
–IANS
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