Have you heard of the Tour De France? In case you haven’t heard yet, it is one of the most prestigious cycling events in the globe. Many athletes around the world would gather to join the much-anticipated annual event. Among the scores of cyclist who tried out for the competition happens to be
Miguel Indurain. Learn more about this man who made record-breaking triumphs in the competition.
Miguel Indurain hails from a village in Pamplona where he rode his first
bicycle given as a birthday present when he turned ten. Growing up in a simple family, he had to work in the fields to replace his secondhand Olmo bike when it was stolen. In less than a decade, he grew up to become the youngest cyclist to win the National Road Championship in Spain at 18. He triumphed when he rode for the Tour de I’Avenir at 20, too.
Also known as “Big Mig,” Miguel Indurain had the built of a champion standing 1.88m and weighing 80kg. In the same way, he has an excellent cardiac output of 50l per minute, not to mention 7.8l lung capacity. He also exhibited a strong heart with a resting pulse of 28 BPM ideal to defy challenging mountain stages. In 1987, he was able to reach 78kg in order to become an all-round rider.
Inspired by popular athlete Bernard Hinault, he groomed himself as another athletic hero to next generation cyclists. In July 1978, he started competing as an amateur cyclist although he was able to bring home victory on his second race. Consequently, he continued making historical triumphs in the world of cycling since his first winning moment.
Employing the strategy popularized by Jacques Anquetil, he ruled Tour de France and Giro D’Italia in the 1990’s. He rode the race winning time trials and holding on while in the mountains. No wonder, he became the first Olympian who won the first Time Trial Event in the Olympics back in 1996. Prior to the
Olympic event, he also triumphed in the 1995 World Championship Time Trial.
Among his many victorious cycling tournaments, Miguel Indurain was well-renowned for winning the Tour de France for five consecutive times from 1991 to 1995. He also won the Giro D’Italia for two consecutive years from 1992 to 1993 in the same period. That explains why he became an ultimate Grand Tour rider in the 1990’s having triumphed in seven cycling tournaments.
In some World Championship Road Race though, he had to take the back seat. He bagged second place in some competitions such as 1993 and 1995 World Championship Road Race as well as the 1991 Vuelta a Espana. He also grabbed the third place in the 1991 World Championship Race and 1994 Giro d’Italia. Nonetheless, he became a champ in the San Sebastian Classic.
In January 1997, Miguel Indurain stepped down for his retirement. A year after his retirement, he established Miguel Indurain Foundation for the promotion of cycling in Navarra, Spain. Big Mig continued riding for cyclotourist events worldwide, as well.
Related articles:
