Bernardo Ruiz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bernardo Ruiz

Personal information
Full name	Bernardo Ruiz
Born	(1925-01-08) 8 January 1925 (age 100) Orihuela, Spain
Team information
Current team	Retired
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	All-rounder
Major wins
1948 Vuelta a España

Bernardo Ruiz Navarrete (born January 8, 1925) is a famous Spanish former professional cyclist. He won the main race and the climbing competition at the 1948 Vuelta a España. He was also the first Spaniard to win two stages in one Tour de France (in 1951). The next year, he was the first Spaniard to finish in the top three overall at the Tour. In 1955, he became the first Spaniard to win a stage in the Giro d'Italia.

Early Life and Challenges

Bernardo Ruiz was born in Orihuela, Spain. His family supported the Communist Party. Because of their political views, his family faced difficulties after the Spanish Civil War. His father was not allowed to have a formal job. He also had to report to the police often.

Since his father could not find work, the family had to find other ways to make money. They would grind flour and take it to Valencia to sell. They used a donkey and cart for transport.

One of Ruiz's older brothers had to join the Blue Division. This was a Spanish Army group that fought with the German Army in World War II.

How Cycling Began for Bernardo

Ruiz's brother was injured during the war but survived. He received a special payment because of his injury. This money helped him lend Ruiz enough to buy his first bicycle. Ruiz bought the bike to replace their family donkey, which had died in an accident. The bike became their new way to transport goods.

Ruiz once joined a bike race by accident. He saw a group of riders and decided to follow them. He did not know it was a competition! As a teenager, he won the Valencia regional championships. This race was organized by the government's only legal party at the time. After his success, the difficulties his family faced because of their political views ended.

A Professional Cycling Career

In 1945, at age 20, Ruiz won the Volta a Catalunya. This was Spain's most important bike race then. It was his first race outside his home region. This win helped him start his professional cycling career. That same year, he raced in the Vuelta a España for the first time. He finished 23rd. He said riding that race was "terrifying."

Three years later, in 1948, he won the entire Vuelta a España. He took the lead after another rider had problems with flat tires. After the race, Ruiz was supposed to get his winner's trophy from the leader of Spain, Francisco Franco. The ceremony was at a new stadium. But Ruiz left because he would have had to wait three hours for a football game to finish.

Racing in the Tour de France

In 1949, Ruiz raced in the Tour de France with the Spanish national team. However, they faced problems from Spanish people living outside of Spain. Because of this, Ruiz and his teammates left the race early. They went to compete in another race instead. Spain was not invited back to the Tour de France the next year.

In 1951, a Spanish team, including Ruiz, was invited again. Ruiz won two stages in that Tour. These were the first stage wins for Spain since the Civil War. He finished ninth overall in the race.

The next year, in the 1952 Tour, Ruiz finished third overall. He was behind two other great cyclists, Fausto Coppi and Stan Ockers. Ruiz later said he could not have beaten Coppi. But he felt he lost out on second place because he was too careful going downhill. He worried about his tires getting too hot.

Life After Racing

After he stopped racing, Ruiz became a directeur sportif. This is like a team manager for cyclists. He managed the Faema team, where he worked with Federico Bahamontes. It was interesting because Ruiz and Bahamontes had even fought each other before! But Ruiz said they learned to "tolerate one another."

Bernardo Ruiz's Legacy

Bernardo Ruiz raced when Spain was going through tough economic times. He had to use heavy equipment. He is one of the few cyclists to complete all three major cycling races, called Grand Tours, in one season. He did this three times! Only two other riders have done it more often. During his career, he raced in a total of 21 Grand Tours. He also completed 12 Grand Tours in a row.

A writer named Alasdair Fotheringham called Ruiz "an accidental pioneer." This means Ruiz helped open the way for Spanish professional cycling after the Civil War. His success on the world stage showed what Spanish cyclists could do. He helped pave the way for other famous Spanish riders like Federico Bahamontes.

Bernardo Ruiz will turn 100 years old on January 8, 2025.

Major Results

See also

In Spanish: Bernardo Ruiz para niños