Dates 8–30 September Distance 3,012 km (1,872 mi) Winner Ángel Casero (ESP) | Stages 21 Winning time 70h 49' 05 Second Óscar Sevilla (ESP) | |
The 56th Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain), a long-distance stage race and one of the 3 Grand Tours, was held from September 8 to September 30, 2001. It consisted of 21 stages covering a total of 3,012 km, and was won by Ángel Casero of the Festina cycling team at a speed of 42.534 km/h.
This edition of the Vuelta was notable for its final-stage time trial, during which Casero overcame a 25-second lead held by Óscar Sevilla of Kelme–Costa Blanca to win, while American Levi Leipheimer of U.S. Postal Service managed to move past both teammate Roberto Heras and Juan Miguel Mercado to take third and become the first American ever to achieve a podium finish in the Vuelta. Additionally, Guido Trenti became the first American ever to win a stage in the race.