Miguel Poblet is dead

[Descender]

One day before this year's edition of the race he came close to winning in 1958, Spanish sprinter Miguel Poblet died today at age 85.

He won Milan-Sanremo twice, his local Volta a Catalunya also two times and was the first rider and one of only three riders to ever win stages in all three GTs in the same year (1956).

 

[Carols]

One day before this year's edition of the race he came close to winning in 1958, Spanish sprinter Miguel Poblet died today at age 85.

He won Milan-Sanremo twice, his local Volta a Catalunya also two times and was the first rider and one of only three riders to ever win stages in all three GTs in the same year (1956).

R.I.P. 200+ career wins and 26 GT stage wins. One of the best and most unheralded/forgotten sprinters to have raced!

 

[movingtarget]

Another one gone. I have heard about him but never knew much about his palmares. Obviously was a great rider.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

May He Rest In Peace.

 

[icefire]

Van Looy didn't want him in his team for Milano-Sanremo in 1957, so he registered for the race as a free rider and got his first win.

 

[Forunculo]

RIP

He was in very bad state two days ago, I guess the outcome was inevitable.

IIRC he was the first spanish great cycling rider

The first of many who came after.


"Adeu" (Goodbye in catalan) Miguel

 

[icefire]

Definitely the first and best Spaniard in 1-day races before Freire.

But the first great cyclist from Spain, IMHO, is Vicente Trueba, first winner of the KOM in the Tour (1933), 6th in the final GC, and the only rider who didn't miss the time control in any stage of that edition.

 

[Echoes]

The first great Spanish star for me is Mariano Cañardo:

3 Catalunya 1926
2 Catalunya 1927
10 Basque Country 1927
Catalunya 1928
3 Basque Country 1928
Catalunya 1929
5 Basque Country 1929
Catalunya 1930
Basque Country 1930
St Basque Country 1930
7 Worlds 1930
2 Catalunya 1931
Catalunya 1932
7 Worlds 1933
9 France 1934
10 Worlds 1934
Catalunya 1935
2 Vuelta 1935
10 Vuelta 1936
Catalunya 1936
6 France 1936
St France 1937
16 France 1938
Catalunya 1939
3 Catalunya 1940

In the twenties, Pais Vasco was an international stage race.

By the way, by 1957, Van Looy wasn't a big star yet.

Poblet was much much more than a mere sprinter, and his GT stage are small things compared to his other achievements ...

Miguel Poblet would also tell a delightful anecdote about Bahamontes:
In 1948 I started the Tour of Madrid which I was a favourite of. At the start of the last climb, I attacked... and I was surprised to see a little whippersnapper in city shoes and on a kaput bike in my wheel. A little bit further on the climb I could only let him go. That's when I learned his name: Federico Martin Bahamontes.

 

[Descender]

Yeah we know, we know, a bunch of GT stage wins is nothing compared to a seventh place in the Classic of You-name-it. We get it.

 

[jens_attacks]

may he rest in peace