Aitor Garmendia

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Aitor Garmendia Road cycling
To person
Full name Aitor Garmendia Arbilla
Date of birth March 3, 1968
nation SpainSpain Spain
discipline Street
Driver type Tourists, time trialists
To the team
Current team End of career
function driver
Team (s)
1990–1995
1996–1997
1998–2000
2001–2003
2003 		Banesto
ONCE
Banesto
Team Coast
Team Bianchi
Most important successes

Volta ao Alentejo 1997
Vuelta a Aragón 1997, 1998
Vuelta a Galicia 1997
Vuelta a Castilla y León 1998

Last updated: December 21, 2011

Aitor Garmendia (born March 3, 1968 in Isasondo ) is a former Spanish cyclist .

Career

Aitor Garmendia began his career as a professional cyclist in March 1990 with the Spanish racing team Banesto around the former Tour de France winner Pedro Delgado . In his first year as a professional, Garmendia was able to claim his first victory when he won the Gran Premio de Llodio . At the Grand Prix Midi Libre , he also showed his time trial qualities with a second place in the prologue. His best place in the overall ranking of a tour was fifth place in the Aragon Tour this year .

Garmendia stayed with Team Banesto until 1995. In the 1992 season he took part in his first major country tour, the Tour de France , and was one of the helpers in Miguel Indurain 's second overall victory. But Garmendia itself was also able to draw attention to itself with a sixth place in the prologue time trial in San Sebastian . He finally reached Paris in 108th place. Garmendia had to give up the Tour of France the following year after the fifth stage.

Garmendia had to wait until 1994 for his second professional win when he won the GP a Capital in Portugal . Previously, the Spaniard had narrowly missed success several times, for example in his second stage place at the Tour du Limousin 1992 or second overall at the GP a Capital twelve months before his victory there.

Garmendia used his strengths as a time trialist in 1994 and 1995 to win a bronze medal at the Spanish championship. In 1994 he also celebrated his greatest career success to date with victory on the seventh stage of the Tour of Catalonia , an individual time trial . The season was rounded off by three more podium finishes on sections of various races and second place in the overall ranking of the Vuelta a Murcia .

In 1995 Garmendia was again successful, especially in Spanish races. He was able to win the Subida a Txitxarro and a stage of the Vuelta a Castilla y León , where he was also second in the overall standings. He also placed on the podium in the overall standings at the Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme and the Vuelta a Aragón . He finished the 1995 Tour de France in 95th place and was an assistant in Indurain's fifth victory.

For the 1996 season Garmendia switched to the Spanish competitor ONCE . Here, too, the Basque showed himself to be successful at the Prueba Villafranca de Ordizia and on a stage of the Vuelta a Aragón , where he took second place in the overall standings. At the Tour de France 1996 he achieved 35th place, the best place in this race in his entire career.

1997 was the most successful year in Garmendia's career: he was able to record seven wins. After a stage win, he also secured the overall victory at the Volta a Galicia . He did the same with the Volta ao Alentejo in Portugal, the Vuelta a Galega and the Vuelta a Aragón . There was also a stage win at the Critérium International in France . He also helped his team-mate Alex Zülle to win the 1997 Vuelta a España . He also reached the finish line in the Tour de France .

For the 1998 season Garmendia then returned to Banesto. He was part of the team that led Abraham Olano to victory in the Vuelta a España , but had to give up the race after the eleventh stage. Again the Basque was successful at the Vuelta a Aragón , where he finished a part of the day in second, won one and finally took the overall victory. He was also able to finish the Vuelta a Castilla y León as the overall winner thanks to a stage success.

In the two following years Garmendia could not build on his previous successes and only got one victory at the Euskal Bizikleta 2000. At the Ruta del Sol and the Vuelta a Aragón , he was on the podium in the same season.

In 2001 Garmendia then moved to the German team Coast . There he won the bronze medal at the Spanish championships in his first season and was second on the Germany tour and the peace drive . He had to leave his home tour, the Vuelta a España , after stage 13.

The following year, the Basque celebrated his first victory for Coast when he prevailed on the third stage of the Germany tour in Schonach . Again he finished second there in the overall ranking as well as in the Peace Tour and the Tour of Catalonia , where he won the third stage. After two unsuccessful attempts, he was finally able to finish the Vuelta a España again.

In 2003, the Coast team ran into financial difficulties and from May on they called themselves Team Bianchi . As a helper to Jan Ullrich , Garmendia made his last tour of France in 2003 and reached Paris in 70th. He also drove the Vuelta one last time. After the dissolution of Team Bianchi, Garmendia could not find a new employer for 2004 and in December 2003 announced his retirement from active cycling.

successes

1990
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
2000
2002

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ cyclingnews.com v. December 28, 2003

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Garmendia, Aitor
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Aitor Garmendia Arbilla
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Spanish cyclist
DATE OF BIRTH March 3, 1968
PLACE OF BIRTH Isasondo , Spain