1973 Vuelta a España to win the 1973 Giro d'Italia and became the first cyclist to win the Vuelta-Giro double. Merckx also won the points classification and José Luis Abilleira won the mountains classification. With Merckx finishing first, Ocaña second and Thévenet third the podium of the 1973 Vuelta contained one previous winner and two future winners of the Tour de France making it one of the best podiums in the history of the race, according to the official race website. Gerben Karstens won 4 stages in this Vuelta A total of eight teams were invited to participate in the 1973 Vuelta a España.
2013 Vuelta a España 2013 Vuelta a España The 2013 Vuelta a España was the 68th edition of the race. This Vuelta started in Galicia on August 24, 2013. The race spent 5 days in Galicia, then continued anticlockwise touring Spain through Castile and León, Extremadura, Andalusia, Aragon, Catalonia, La Rioja, Cantabria, and Asturias, before returning to Madrid for the finish on September 15. The Vuelta included excursions into two neighboring countries, Andorra and France. The top three stage winners received the following bonuses in the general classification: 10 seconds for winners of the stages, six seconds for runners-up, and four seconds for those