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José María Fuente, the last pure climber?

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Angliru

Angliru

Mar 10, 2009
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Thanks for the link rantanplan, and for all your other postings.:)

There's also an article I believe in the latest Pro Cycling mag, the one with Chris Froome on the cover. I was lucky enough to stumble upon the availability of a detailed history of the Vuelta a Espana (year by year) in English and in reading it and a 100th anniversary edition of the Tour de France I was able to learn a great deal about this great champion. A rider greatly respected by Merckx and the other great climbers of that era. Merckx is quoted as saying that Contador combined the characteristics of Fuentes and Ocana with none of their weaknesses. Fuentes was known for his relentless attacking nature, sometimes to his own detriment. Still his greatest misfortune professionally was having competed in the same era as Merckx.
 
rantanplan

rantanplan

Feb 20, 2011
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Angliru said:
Thanks for the link rantanplan, and for all your other postings.:)

There's also an article I believe in the latest Pro Cycling mag, the one with Chris Froome on the cover. I was lucky enough to stumble upon the availability of a detailed history of the Vuelta a Espana (year by year) in English and in reading it and a 100th anniversary edition of the Tour de France I was able to learn a great deal about this great champion. A rider greatly respected by Merckx and the other great climbers of that era. Merckx is quoted as saying that Contador combined the characteristics of Fuentes and Ocana with none of their weaknesses. Fuentes was known for his relentless attacking nature, sometimes to his own detriment. Still his greatest misfortune professionally was having competed in the same era as Merckx.
Click to expand...

Cheers Angliru for your comments

I think the main problem of Fuente was himself (he used to smoke, have no strategies...)

The article in Procycling is really good.

In summer Rouleaur published a excellent article about Ocaña as well
 
El Pistolero

El Pistolero

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rantanplan said:
Cheers Angliru for your comments

I think the main problem of Fuente was himself (he used to smoke, have no strategies...)

The article in Procycling is really good.

In summer Rouleaur published a excellent article about Ocaña as well
Click to expand...

eddyR6.jpg
 
Libertine Seguros

Libertine Seguros

Feb 20, 2010
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Well, Pozzovivo and Igor Antón are pure climbers too, but I guess we're talking about pure climbers who were genuine threats to win any GT they entered and who the big guys feared. Herrera was probably the last of that mould; Pantani and Simoni may have been riders you could class as pure climbers though.

El Tarangu was not the last pure climber, but for me he was the best. One of the all-time greats, a man who could put the fear of god into even Eddy Merckx in the mountains. Bickering over the title of 'last pure climber' is irrelevant; somebody could always emerge to reduce the title to meaningless by being a pure climber themselves. Maybe Quintana will be that man. But José Manuel Fuente is, and will remain, one of the finest examples of a rider who exemplifies what is great about our sport. The pain and suffering of one man against the mountains. The attacking, and the epic rides, reducing the field to rubble in his wake.
 
G

greenedge

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Angliru said:
Thanks for the link rantanplan, and for all your other postings.:)

There's also an article I believe in the latest Pro Cycling mag, the one with Chris Froome on the cover.Merckx is quoted as saying that Contador combined the characteristics of Fuentes and Ocana with none of their weaknesses. Fuentes was known for his relentless attacking nature, sometimes to his own detriment. Still his greatest misfortune professionally was having competed in the same era as Merckx.
Click to expand...

Yeah it was a great article. Just to disagree with the opening post what was Pantani then:confused:
 
E

Echoes

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Libertine Seguros said:
El Tarangu was not the last pure climber, but for me he was the best. One of the all-time greats, a man who could put the fear of god into even Eddy Merckx in the mountains.
Click to expand...

Merckx feared many climbers and that's normal. He was 70+ kg. Unlike people think he was not a climber himself. In a short race with a steep mountain top finish, he could not compete with the climbers. Torriani and Goddet knew that too well and didn't wait to be asked twice.
 
E

Echoes

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They both drew courses that were tailor-made for climbers like Fuente, in order to sink Merckx.

Goddet admitted it in his memoirs.

Short on ITT, short stages with mountain top finish (if possible short and steep climbs like Puy de Dôme).

Torriani's stages were sometimes ridiculous. In 1972, he drew a 48km stage to the Block Haus in the first part of the race and then a 88km stage to the Stelvio. Merckx needed much longer races in order to have his endurance speak. Torriani knew that of course. The two stages were of course won by Fuente ... who else?
 
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