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 figures in national cycling, not only for all the victories he achieved during his active years, but for how he changed this sport 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 constantly ill, until at the age of 12 he suffered the worst crisis: due to hepatitis he was bedridden 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 precursor 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 achieve some of the most outstanding victories in this sport in Spain.
3. His parents did not want him to continue cycling.
On more than one occasion, Perico Delgado's parents asked him to give up cycling and continue with the nursing career he had already started. For his parents, this sport was not a serious matter and they assured the cyclist that he would never be able to make a living from it.
He was the third child of four siblings: Marisa, Victoria and Julio. During his time as a student he was not brilliant, but he managed to get through his grades while combining it with cycling training. In his family no one was dedicated to cycling and the first memory that comes to mind about this world is the bicycle of his neighbour and friend Jode that left the whole neighbourhood in awe. It is worth mentioning the legendary duel between Perico and Stephen Roche that ended with the Irishman winning by 40 seconds. 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 cupboard. Finally, it should be noted that the cyclist collaborates actively 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 admits that the years have passed him by and that in the last stage of his career his efforts did not give him the results he wanted, he is happy with his 13 years as a cyclist.
4. Which 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 dish that can beat stew, and as he himself has admitted, this dish really drives him crazy, and it is very difficult 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 competed in this race 11 times, he only managed to win in 1988, thus becoming the third Spaniard to win the Tour.On previous occasions he was unable to achieve this goal due to various inconveniences such as the fainting he suffered in the 1983 race, the fracture of his collarbone in 1984 or the announcement during the race of his mother's death in 1986.
It is worth mentioning the legendary duel between Perico and Stephen Roche that ended with the Irishman's victory by 40 seconds. In addition, in 2001 he was awarded the Royal Order of Sports Merit in the category of Grand Cross. Perico keeps his most important awards on a shelf and the rest in a cupboard. Finally, to say The cyclist actively collaborates with several associations and donates money to others 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 Vuelta a España twice. Delgado has traveled more than half a million kilometers on the bike 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 in which he competed at this level. Reynolds, Seat-Orbea, PDM and Reynolds/Banesto were, in chronological order, the teams that welcomed him. Reynolds/Banesto was the team in which he spent the longest time, as he spent the last 6 years of his sporting career there.
8. Did you know that this cyclist was roommates with another famous athlete?
In 1992, Perico Delgado was 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, however, Induráin, who had to control his weight gain, maintained a strict diet and had a very bad time when he arrived at his room and saw the big differences between the meals of both.
9. What did Perico Delgado do after his time as a cyclist?
After leaving cycling professionally, Perico Delgado became a sports commentator and has participated in various talk shows and programmes. In 1995 he joined TVE to comment on the major cycling races and accompanied Pedro González - until his death - and later Carlos de Andrés in the broadcasts of the most important championships, in which, in addition to commenting on the competition, he also told 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 sections: 'The Pericle Ports' in which he himself on a bicycle analyses each of the mountain passes that each of the cyclists competing in the race must pass through. The other is about road safety and is aimed at driving 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 how to cook, he remained in the reality until the 5th program when he was expelled in the elimination test.In this edition she shared the set with other well-known faces on the national scene such as Lucía Dominguín, Ainhoa Arteta and sports journalist Gonzalo Miró.
Although Perico admits that the years have passed him by and that in the last stage of his career his efforts did not give him the results he wanted, he is happy with his 13 years as a cyclist.
Perico Delgado made a sport that was largely forgotten in Spain in the 1980s visible. With an affable personality and a desire to excel, this cyclist is an example of humility and talent. After more than 25 years without competing professionally, he is still talked about as the legendary cyclist who managed to become the third Spaniard to win the Tour de France.
