Pedro Delgado, nicknamed "Perico Delgado," has been one of the most recognized cyclists in the Spanish scene. With a professional career that lasted from 1982 to 1994, Perico Delgado is one of the greatest references in national cycling, not only for all the victories he achieved during his active years but also for how he changed this sport in Spain after his arrival. If you want to learn more about this famous cyclist, keep reading because here we tell you 10 things about Perico Delgado that you should know.
1. When and where was Perico Delgado born?
Perico Delgado was born on April 15, 1960, in Segovia. He is the third of four siblings and suffered health problems throughout his childhood. He was continuously ill until, at 12 years old, he experienced the worst crisis: due to hepatitis, he was bedridden and unable to get up for three months. However, this would be his last relapse, as from that moment on, he never experienced those health problems again.
2. Did you know he was the pioneer of Spanish cycling?
In the 1990s, Spanish cycling experienced a tremendous boom; however, before this decade, cycling was not a widely followed sport in our country. It was thanks to Perico Delgado that this sport gained new importance, as during the second half of the 1980s, the cyclist managed to achieve some of the most notable victories in this sport in Spain.
3. His parents didn't want him to continue with cycling
On more than one occasion, Perico Delgado's parents asked him to quit cycling and continue with the nursing career he had already started. For his parents, this sport was not something serious, and they assured the cyclist that he would never make a living from it.
He was the third child among his four siblings: Marisa, Victoria, and Julio. During his student years, he was not brilliant but managed to pass his grades while balancing them with cycling training. No one in his family was involved in cycling, and the first memory he has about this world is his neighbor and friend Jode's bicycle, which he left around the whole neighborhood. It is worth highlighting the legendary duel between Perico and Stephen Roche that ended with the Irishman's victory by 40 seconds. Furthermore, in 2001 he was awarded the Royal Order of Sporting Merit with the Grand Cross category. Perico keeps his most important awards on a shelf and the rest in a closet. Finally, it should be noted that the cyclist actively collaborates with several associations and donates money to others every month. He married Ludivina Blanco in 1992 and is the father of three children: Álvaro, Pablo, and Pedro. Although Perico acknowledges that the years have passed him by and that in the last stage of his career the effort did not yield the results he wanted, he is happy with his 13 years as a cyclist.
4. What is Perico Delgado's favorite food?
For Perico Delgado, the most traditional dishes of Spanish cuisine are the best, and if he has to choose one in particular, then there is no meal that surpasses cocido, as he himself has admitted, this dish really drives him crazy, and it is very hard to find one that tastes bad.
5. When did this famous cyclist become better known?
Perico Delgado's fame undoubtedly increased with his participations in the Tour de France. Although he competed in this race 11 times, he only achieved victory in 1988, thus becoming the third Spaniard to win the Tour. Previous attempts failed due to various setbacks such as the collapse he suffered in the 1983 race, the clavicle fracture in 1984, or the announcement during the race of his mother's death in 1986.
It is worth highlighting the legendary duel between Perico and Stephen Roche that ended with the Irishman's victory by 40 seconds. Furthermore, in 2001 he was awarded the Royal Order of Sporting Merit with the Grand Cross category. Perico keeps his most important awards on a shelf and the rest in a closet. Finally, it should be said that the cyclist actively collaborates with several associations and donates money to others every month.
6. In which other races did Pedro Delgado participate?
Besides the Tour de France, Pedro Delgado also participated in other competitions such as the Giro d'Italia, in which he took part twice but did not manage to finish among the top. Additionally, he won the Vuelta a España twice. Delgado has accumulated more than half a million kilometers ridden on the bicycle throughout his years as a cyclist.
7. In which teams did Perico Delgado compete professionally?
Professionally, this cyclist was part of four different teams between 1982 and 1994, the years he competed at this level. Reynolds, Seat-Orbea, PDM, and Reynolds/Banesto were, in chronological order, the teams that hosted him. Reynolds/Banesto was the team he spent the most time with, as he spent the last 6 years of his sporting career there.
8. Did you know that this cyclist was a roommate of another famous athlete?
In 1992, Perico Delgado was a roommate of the also well-known cyclist Miguel Induráin. However, the Navarrese athlete asked to change rooms and stop sharing with Delgado. The reasons? Perico had no weight problems and could eat anything, whereas Induráin, who had to control his weight gain, maintained a strict diet and had a very hard time when he arrived at his room and saw the big differences between their meals.
9. What did Perico Delgado do after his cycling career?
After retiring from professional cycling, Perico Delgado became a sports commentator and has participated in various talk shows and programs. In 1995, he joined TVE to commentate on the grand cycling tours and accompanied Pedro González - until his passing - and later Carlos de Andrés in the broadcasts of the most important championships, where, besides commenting on the competition, he also shared anecdotes from his life during his cycling career.
On the other hand, in the broadcasts of the Vuelta a España, the legendary cyclist also has two segments: ‘Los pericopuertos’ in which he himself, on a bicycle, analyzes each of the mountain passes that the cyclists competing in the race must go through. The other segment is about road safety and is aimed at traveling while complying with road regulations.
10. Did you know that Pedro Delgado participated in a television contest?
In 2020, Perico Delgado participated in the TVE culinary program ‘Masterchef celebrity’, and although the former cyclist admitted he had no idea how to cook, he stayed in the reality show until the 5th episode when he was eliminated in the elimination test. In this edition, he shared the stage with other well-known national figures such as Lucía Dominguín, Ainhoa Arteta, and sports journalist Gonzalo Miró.
Although Perico assumes that the years have taken their toll on him and that in the last stage of his career the effort didn't yield the results he wanted, he is happy about his 13 years as a cyclist.
Perico Delgado made a very forgotten sport visible in 1980s Spain. With a friendly personality and a desire to improve, this cyclist is an example of humility and talent who, after more than 25 years without competing professionally, is still talked about as the legendary cyclist who became the third Spaniard to win the Tour de France.
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