Miguel Induráin Larraya, the most crack cyclist in Spain

Who is Miguel Induráin?
After winning 5 Tours de France and an admirable professional career of more than 20 years, Miguel Induráin Larraya is recognized worldwide as the best Spanish cyclist of all time and one of the most outstanding athletes in the entire country, for his debut, impetus and desire to excel in sports over the years.

And it is that his sporting career has been truly incredible! He has been the only Spaniard to win the Tour de France on 5 consecutive occasions, from 1991 to 1995. In those years he also took the Giro d'Italia twice, in '92' and '93'. In 1994, the hourly record (the greatest distance traveled on a bike in this time) was accredited for two months. He has also been credited for winning the world time trial championship in 1995 and becoming Olympic time trial champion in 96'.

Why is Miguel Induráin so recognized?
His great competitive spirit and sportsmanship led him to overcome all the obstacles that stood in his way, and lead a race that would leave an indelible mark on Spanish cycling and on sport worldwide. Currently, at 56 years of age, the Cycling Hall of Fame (Cycling Hall of Fame) places him in 5th place as one of the best cyclists in history along with Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault , Jacques Anquetil and Fausto Coppi.

For their part, specialist judges from the Tour de France itself positioned him as the 8th best in the history of this competition. In addition, he has received many awards for his career over the years, including the Prince of Asturias Award for sports. A real cycling star!

FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH CYCLING

Miguel Induráin Larraya was born on July 16, 1964 in Villava (Navarra), about four kilometers from Pamplona. At the age of 10, he received his first bicycle as a gift, with which he could easily travel 20km to Alzórriz (his mother's original town). A first encounter with cycling that would motivate him to participate in local competitions in his hometown less than a year later, even if the prizes at that time were as simple as a sandwich and a soda.

Despite the fact that he began as a child in different sports disciplines, he discovered in him at a young age a passion for cycling that would lead him to officially join the Villavé Cycling Club in 1976, although he had already participated since before in races with them on a test basis. In 1978 he received his first card from the Spanish Cycling Federation, adopting this discipline as a way of life. With this team that obtained 20 victories before moving to the youth category; This skill made him the boy with the most future in Navarre cycling at that time.

In 1984 he won the Spanish Amateur Championship after signing for the Reynolds team. This catapulted him into his professional career, as it put him in the crosshairs of professionals in the cycling world.

PROFESSIONAL CAREER

Since when has Miguel Induráin Larraya been cycling?

he really entered his professional career in 1984, after his signing with the then “Reynolds”, which later became Banesto. His first debut took place on September 7 of that year, when at that time a “stagiaire” was typically held as a test, to test the professionalism of young cycling promises. A year later he stood out in the Vuelta de España becoming the youngest to wear the yellow jersey in the tour, despite not finally winning on that occasion.

In 1989, Miguel Induráin Larraya became the first and only Spanish cyclist to win the International Critérium at that time and the Paris-Nice (Paris-Nice) also known as the Carrera del Sol. Together with Banesto, which he finally joined in 1990 -after its change of structure-, Induráin Larraya began to channel his greatest successes and excel in the world of cycling.

Starting in 1991, he won numerous victories and prizes in short races, and then the conquest of his first Tour de France. From then on until 1996 he prevailed with great success as one of the best Spanish cyclists, earning his place among the great competitors of the sport with a serious, concentrated, very safe and practically impeccable style, although powerful against the clock.

Miguel Induráin Larraya knew how to maneuver each feat in an ingenious, professional and very talented way. His unprecedented mark of 5 consecutive Tours de France made him stand out in a special way from the rest, remaining in the history of French competition. In addition, he was greatly admired for debuting as a champion in the Giro d'Italia, looking in this 5-year period as one of the most invincible cyclists of the decade. In fact, one of his most characteristic skills was that the cyclist always stood out greatly in the time trial stages in his competitions, a skill that on many occasions earned him his victories.

However, in 1996 he was already beginning to show a little less focus on the competition. At that time it was already beginning to be rumored that the cyclist would retire as a professional from the sport.

Finally, Miguel Induráin Larraya officially announced his retirement from cycling in January 1997: “Today, January 2, 1997, I want to publicly announce my retirement from cycling” he said ' Miguelón' -as his fans in Spain called him- when he formally announced his retirement from cycling.

He highlights his good treatment with the press and he is admired throughout Spanish cycling as well as in his hometown of Villava where a square, a sports center and a sculpture have been dedicated to him.

Despite the fact that once he has abandoned cycling, he does not say much publicly if he participates in various sporting events or has been seen going to cycling races.

A curiosity that you surely did not know about the cyclist is that unlike many other athletes he does not have his own autobiography. However, some books have been published that tell their entire journey. The answer that Induráin gave regarding the autobiographies was the following: “The great ones have it, those who are not so great and the little ones who want to appear great too. No, I don't like those things. People already know very well what my career and my story have been like. And that's it, it doesn't catch my attention”

OTHER COMPETITIONS THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER

What has Miguel Induráin Larraya won?

Miguel Induráin Larraya won several laps in one-week stages and one-day classics. Among them, the ones that stand out the most are the Volta a Cataluña in 1988, 1991 and 1992; Paris-Nice in 1989 and 1990; the Clásica de San Sebastián in 1990; the Spanish Road Championship in 1992 and the Dauphiné Libéré in 1995 and 1996.

Here is the complete list of the competitions in which Miguel Induráin Larraya participated throughout his professional career:

• 1984

1 stage of the Tour of the Future.
Iberdrola Trophy (amateur)

• 1985

2 stages of the Tour of the Future

• 1986

Tour of the Future (plus 2 stages)

• 1987

Vuelta a los Valles Mineros (plus 3 stages)
Trophy C.F de Navarra
2 stages of the Catalan Week
Ascent to Txitxarro (plus 1 stage)

• 1988

Volta a Catalunya (plus 1 stage)
1 stage of the Tour of Cantabria
1 stage of the Tour of Galicia

• 1989

Paris-Nice
International Criterium (plus 1 stage)
1 stage of the Tour de France

• 1990

Paris-Nice (plus 1 stage)
Clásica de San Sebastián
1 stage of the Tour de France
3rd in the Spanish Road Championship

• 1991

Tour de Vaucluse, (plus 1 stage)
2nd in the Vuelta España
2 stages of the Basque Bicycle
Tour de France, (plus 2 stages)
Volta a Cataluña, (more 1 stage)
3rd in the Road Cycling World Championship
2nd in the FICP Ranking

• 1992

1 stage of the Tour de Romandie
Giro d'Italia (plus 2 stages)
Spanish Road Championship
Tour de France (plus 3 stages)
1 stage of the Castilla y León Trophy
Volta a Catalunya
Circuit de l'Aulne
FICP Ranking

• 1993

1 stage of the Tour of Murcia
Giro d'Italia (plus 2 stages)
2 stages of the Tour of the Mining Valleys
Tour de France (plus 2 stages)
2nd in the World Championship Road Cycling
2nd in the Spanish Road Championship
Castilla y León Trophy (plus 1 stage)
Clásica de los Puertos.
UCI ranking

• 1994

1 stage of the Tour of the Valencian Community
Tour de l'Oise (plus 1 stage)
3rd in the Giro d'Italia
Tour de France (plus 1 stage)
1 stage of the Castilla y León Trophy
Hour record: 53.040 km
Spanish record 5 km — 5 min 43,947 s
Spanish record 10 km — 11 min 20,097 s
Spanish record 20 km — 22 min 38,510 s
2nd in the UCI Ranking

• 1995

1 stage of the Tour of Aragón
1 stage of the Tour of the Mining Valleys
Tour of La Rioja, (1 stage)
2 stages) of the Tour of Asturias
Midi Libre
Dauphiné Libéré (1 stage)
Tour de France (2 stages)
2nd in the World Road Championship
World Time Trial Championship
Vuelta a Galicia (1 stage)
3rd in the UCI Ranking

• 1996

Tour of Alentejo (2 stages)
Tour of Asturia (1 stage)
Basque Bike (1 stage)
Dauphiné Libéré (2 stages)
Gold Medal Olympic Time Trial Olympic Championship.

AWARDS AND AWARDS FOR MIGUEN INDURAIN LARRAYA

What awards has Miguel Induráin Larraya received?

Miguel Induráin Larraya was awarded for his exploits and his legacy with the following awards:

• 1992

Gold Mendrisio
Golden Bicycle
Prince of Asturias Award

• 1993

Bicicleta de Oro Athlete of the year 1993 (United Press International)
Best Spanish athlete of the 20th century (El Mundo Deportivo)

• 1995

Olympic Rings black
IOC silver Olympic Order

• 1997

Olympic Rings black
Gold and diamond medal of the Royal Spanish Cycling Federation
Olympic Order of the Spanish Olympic Committee
Gold Medal of Sports Merit of Navarra
Legendary Brand 1

• 2002

Universal Spanish Award

Miguel Induráin is undoubtedly one of the most cracks in cycling in history and one of the most cracks in Spanish sport. Today he is still involved in sports talks and supporting foundations, so he is not 100% away from the sport despite being retired.

he is always recognized as a true cycling champion. To this day he is admired for his dedication and his skills in the sport, and for carrying the name of Spain very high in world cycling.