Dates 21 April – 10 May Distance 3,446 km (2,141 mi) | Stages 19 Winning time 98h 04' 49" | |
Second Pedro Muñoz Machín Rodríguez (ESP) | ||
The 36th Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain), a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 21 to May 10, 1981. It consisted of 19 stages covering a total of 3446 km, and was won by Giovanni Battaglin of the Inoxpran cycling team.
Regis Clere won the prologue of the race and kept the leader’s jersey until the mountain time trial where on the very long climb to Sierra Nevada, Giovanni Battaglin won the stage and took over the leader’s jersey. The only threat to Battaglin’s lead was Pedro Muñoz. The entire Teka team withdrew from the race withdrawing potential favourites Marino Lejarreta and Alberto Fernández. Battaglin and his Inoxpran team withstood the challenge from the Spanish and brought Battaglin to his first grand tour victory. Three days later after Battaglin’s triumph in Spain, he began the 1981 Giro d'Italia which he would win becoming the second rider after Eddy Merckx to win the Vuelta-Giro double.