Pic of the Day 1 February, 2009 Équipe Espagne, 1949 Tour de France
(Speaking of Julian Berrendero...)
For the 1949 Tour de France the Spanish National Team included six riders, and one of them, Julian Berrendero, had also been a member of Spain's last Tour team in 1938. But after eleven years away from the Tour, Berrendero and his teammates were ill-prepared for constant attacks and high tempo of the French and Belgian riders during the opening stages. On the first day Bernardo Capo finished outside the time limit and was eliminated. Dalmacio Langarica, Emilio Rodriguez, and Bernard Ruiz abandoned on Stage 5 - the same day Berrendero finished outside the time limit and was also eliminated. And finally, on Stage 6, the sole remaining Spaniard Jose Serra climbed off his bike and abandoned just a few kilometers after the start.
1949 would be Berrendero's final racing season. The Spaniards would not field a team again until 1951, with Bernardo Ruiz dominating a mountainous stage 10 and finishing 9th overall in Paris.
http://www.wooljersey.com/
Aldo Ross
Middletown, Ohio, USA