In the 78 years since the running of the first Vuelta a Espana, Spain's national tour has survived a civil war, four decades of dictatorship, periods of economic and diplomatic isolation, desperate years when the country was close to famine, disruption through political violence, and finally the restoration of democracy and Spain's welcome into the European Community. The race has changed hands several times and been shifted from spring to late summer. It has seen the triumph of stars like Anquetil, Merckx, Hinault and Contador. It has given a range of other top cyclists such as Lucho Herrera and Sean Kelly the opportunity to taste the glory of winning a great stage race; there have also been the unknowns who came along and, out of the blue, surprised everybody by winning. And above all this history of the Vuelta recounts the story of the Spanish cyclists, whose lives reflect the incredible changes their country has undergone in those seventy-odd years. Viva la Vuelta! is also an account of a race trying to establish itself in an international calendar where the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia had the advantage of a clear head start.
At times the Vuelta has suffered from an inferiority complex, but its current organisers have approached their race with an innovative spirit, always on the look-out for new routes and mountains to climb, and seeking to create dynamic, fiercely contested stages. For many followers of cycle-racing, the most interesting and excitingly competitive racing of the three major tours in recent years has been in Spain.

Foreword by: Sean Kelly