Dates 22 April – 11 May Winning time 88h 23' 21" Second Pedro Torres (ESP) | Distance 3,225 km (2,004 mi) Winner Faustino Rupérez (ESP) | |
Stages 19 stages + Prologue, including 1 split stages | ||
The 35th Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain), a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 22 to May 11, 1980. It consisted of 20 stages covering a total of 3225 km, and was won by Faustino Rupérez of the Zor cycling team.
Roberto Visentini won the prologue of the race and kept the leader's jersey for the first five days of the race. Sean Kelly finished second in the prologue and won the next two stages but did not get to wear the leader's jersey. On the first mountain stage, Faustino Rupérez came solo to the finish and took the leader's jersey which he kept until the end of the race. Pedro Torres put in an attack on the penultimate stage on the climb to Puerto de la Morcuera. However Rupérez together with Miguel Mari Lasa bridged up to Torres half way to Alto de Cotos and the leader's jersey was safe. Rupérez won the race ahead of Torres and Claude Criquielion. Criquielion's Splendor teammate Kelly won five stages of the race, the points jersey and finished fourth overall. Marino Lejarreta finished the race fifth overall. Juan Fernández won the Mountains competition.