Society

Farewell to Ángel Arroyo, the cyclist who reached the Tour podium and shone in Aragón

Ángel Arroyo, one of the great names in Spanish cycling during the 1980s and runner-up in the 1983 Tour de France, died on Sunday at the age of 70. The rider from Ávila also left a significant mark on Aragón, where he won two stages of the Vuelta a Aragón and finished second overall in two other editions.
Farewell to Ángel Arroyo, the cyclist who reached the Tour podium and shone in Aragón

His sporting connection with the Aragonese stage race was especially significant in 1984 and 1987. In the first of those editions, he won a stage and finished second overall, behind only José Recio. Three years later, he followed virtually the same script, claiming another stage victory and a second-place finish, this time behind Anselmo Fuerte.

SECOND IN THE 1983 TOUR DE FRANCE

Born in El Barraco (Ávila) in 1956, Arroyo spent much of his career with teams such as Moliner Vereco, Zor and Reynolds. It was with the latter team that he achieved the greatest success of his career, finishing second in the 1983 Tour de France, behind only Laurent Fignon.

That result made him one of the cyclists who restored international prominence to Spanish cycling before the arrival of Pedro Delgado and Miguel Indurain's major victories. In that same Tour, he also won a stage, cementing his status as one of the leading Spanish riders of his generation.

His career was also marked by the 1982 Vuelta a España, which he initially finished as the winner before receiving a sanction that cost him the overall victory. After retiring, he remained involved in cycling in his hometown, where his influence helped develop a generation of riders that would later include José María Jiménez, Paco Mancebo and Carlos Sastre.

About this article: Originally published in Spanish by AragonDigital.es and—following a selection process by our journalists—made available to the international audience of AragonDaily.com. Both newspapers belong to companies within the ARAGON DIGITAL GROUP.