10 things about Perico Delgado that you might not know.
Pedro Delgado, nicknamed 'Perico Delgado', has been one of the most renowned cyclists on the Spanish scene. With a professional career that lasted between 1982 and 1994, Perico Delgado is one of the greatest references in national cycling, not only because of all the victories he achieved during his active years, but also because of how this sport changed in Spain after his arrival. If you want to know 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 throughout his childhood he suffered from health problems. He was continuously ill, until at the age of 12 he suffered his worst crisis: due to hepatitis he was in bed and unable to get up for three months. However, this would be his last relapse, since from that moment on he did not experience these health problems again.
2. Did you know that he was the forerunner of Spanish cycling?
In the 1990s, Spanish cycling experienced a tremendous boom, however, before this decade cycling was not a very popular sport in our country. It was thanks to Perico Delgado that this sport gained another importance, since during the second half of the 1980s the cyclist managed to win some of the most outstanding victories in this sport in Spain.
3. His parents didn't want him to continue cycling
On more than one occasion, Perico Delgado's parents asked him to stop cycling, and to continue with the nursing career that he had already started. For the 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 of his four siblings: Marisa, Victoria and Julio. During his student days he was not brilliant, but he managed to get his grades ahead while combining it with cycling training. No one in his family was dedicated to cycling and the first memory that comes to his mind about this world is the bicycle of his neighbor and friend Jode who left the whole neighborhood. It is worth noting the mythical duel between Perico and Stephen Roche that ended with the Irishman's victory by 40 seconds difference. In addition, in 2001 he was awarded the Royal Order of Sports Merit with the category of Grand Cross. 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 various associations and in others by donating money every month. He married Ludivina Blanco in 1992 and is the father of three children: Álvaro, Pablo and Pedro. Although Perico assumes that the years have passed for him and that in the last stage of his career the effort did not give the results he wanted, he is happy about his 13 years as a cyclist.
4. What is Perico Delgado's favorite food?
For Perico Delgado, the most traditional dishes of Spanish gastronomy are the best and if he has to choose one in particular, then there is no food that comes before stew, and as he himself has admitted, this dish really appeals to him. drives you crazy, and it's very hard to find one that tastes bad.
5. When did this famous cyclist become best known?
Perico Delgado's fame undoubtedly increased with his participation in the Tour de France.Despite having contested this race 11 times, he only achieved victory in 1988, thus becoming the third Spaniard to win the Tour. The previous times he could not achieve this goal due to different inconveniences such as the collapse he suffered in the 1983 race, the clavicle fracture in 1984 or the announcement in the middle of the race of the death of his mother in 1986.
It is worth noting the mythical duel between Perico and Stephen Roche that ended with the Irishman's victory by 40 seconds difference. In addition, in 2001 he was awarded the Royal Order of Sports Merit with the category of Grand Cross. Perico keeps his most important awards on a shelf and the rest in a closet. Finally, say that the cyclist actively collaborates with various associations and in others by donating money every month.
6. What other races did Pedro Delgado participate in?
In addition to the Tour de France, Pedro Delgado also participated in other competitions such as the Giro d'Italia in which he participated twice but failed to finish among the first. In addition, he also won the Tour of Spain twice. Delgado has more than half a million kilometers traveled on the bicycle throughout his years as a cyclist.
7. In which teams did Perico Delgado compete professionally?
Professionally, this cyclist was in four different teams between 1982 and 1994, the years that he competed on this scale. Reynolds, Seat-Orbea, PDM and Reynolds/Banesto were the host teams in chronological order. Reynolds/Banesto was the team in which he spent the longest, since he spent the last 6 years of his sports career.
8. Did you know that this cyclist was a roommate with another famous athlete?
In 1992, Perico Delgado was the roommate of the also well-known cyclist Miguel Induráin. However, the Navarrese athlete asked to change the room and stop sharing with Delgado. The reasons? Perico had no weight problems and could eat anything, however, Induráin, who had to control his weight gains, maintained a strict diet and had a very hard time when he got to his room and saw the big differences between the meals of both.
9. What did Perico Delgado do after his cycling days?
After leaving cycling professionally, Perico Delgado became a sports commentator and has participated in different gatherings and programs. In 1995, he joined TVE to comment on the great cycling tours and accompanied Pedro González -until his death- and later Carlos de Andrés on the broadcasts of the most important championships, in which, in addition to commenting on the competition, he also told anecdotes. of his life during his cycling stage.
On the other hand, in the broadcasts of the Tour of Spain, the legendary cyclist also has two sections: 'Los pericopuertos' in which he himself on a bicycle analyzes each of the ports through which each of the cyclists who are going to compete in the race must pass. The other is road safety and is aimed at traveling in compliance 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 assured that he had no idea of cooking, he remained in the reality until the 5th program when they expelled him in the elimination test. In this edition, he shared the set with other great well-known faces on the national scene such as Lucía Dominguín, Ainhoa Arteta or the sports journalist Gonzalo Miró.
Although Perico assumes that the years have passed for him and that in the last stage of his career his effort did not give the results he wanted, he is happy about his 13 years as a cyclist.
Perico Delgado knew how to make visible a much-forgotten sport in Spain in the 80s. With an affable personality and a desire to excel, this cyclist is an example of humility and talent who, after more than 25 years without competing professionally, is still spoken of as the mythical cyclist who managed to become the third Spaniard to win victory in the Tour de France.
