José Manuel Fuente facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
José Manuel Fuente

Personal information
Full name	José-Manuel Fuente Lavandera
Nickname	El Tarangu
Born	(1945-09-30)September 30, 1945 Limanes, Spain
Died	July 18, 1996(1996-07-18) (aged 50) Oviedo, Spain
Team information
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	Climber
Major wins
Grand Tours Tour de France 2 individual stages (1971) Giro d'Italia Mountains classification (1971, 1972, 1973, 1974) 9 individual stages (1971, 1972, 1973, 1974) Vuelta a España General classification (1972, 1974) Mountains classification (1972) Combination classification (1972) 3 individual stages (1972, 1974) Stage races Tour de Suisse (1973)

José Manuel Fuente Lavandera (born September 30, 1945 – died July 18, 1996) was a professional road cyclist from Spain. He was especially known for being a fantastic climbing specialist, meaning he was great at riding bikes up steep mountains.

His family nickname was "El Tarangu," which is an old word from the Asturian language in Spain. It means a strong and determined person. José Manuel Fuente was certainly known for his strength and character on the bike! He was one of the best climbers of his time.

A Champion Cyclist

José Manuel Fuente raced professionally from 1970 to 1976. He won the Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain) twice, in 1972 and 1974. This is one of the three biggest cycling races in the world, called Grand Tours.

He also won the "King of the Mountains" title four times in a row at the Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy). This title goes to the rider who earns the most points by being the first to reach the top of mountain climbs.

Rivalries and Famous Races

Fuente often competed against other famous cyclists of his era, like Eddy Merckx and Luis Ocaña. In 1972, after winning the Vuelta a España, Fuente had an exciting battle with Eddy Merckx in the 1972 Giro d'Italia.

Fuente actually wore the pink jersey, which is given to the leader of the race, for a few days. But Merckx, a very strong rider, managed to take it back. On a tough mountain stage to Bardonecchia, Fuente attacked, trying to get ahead. Merckx slowly caught up and even won that stage. It was a thrilling race to watch!

Life After Cycling

Sadly, José Manuel Fuente had to stop racing in 1975 because of serious kidney problems. After he retired from cycling, he opened a successful bike shop in Oviedo, Spain.

In 1988, he became a directeur sportif (a team manager) for the CLAS cycling team. He held this job for about a year. José Manuel Fuente passed away in 1996 at the age of 50, after a long fight with his kidney disease.

Major Achievements

Here are some of José Manuel Fuente's most important wins and achievements:

Grand Tour Results

This table shows how José Manuel Fuente finished in the biggest cycling races, called Grand Tours.

Grand Tour	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975
Vuelta a España	16	54	1	—	1	DNF
Giro d'Italia	—	39	2	8	5	18
Tour de France	—	72	—	3	—	DNF

See also

In Spanish: José Manuel Fuente para niños