Publisher's Synopsis
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. This book is 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.