Luis Herrera

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Luis Herrera bigraphy, stories - Colombian racing cyclist

Luis Herrera : biography

May 4, 1961 –

Luis Alberto "Lucho" Herrera Herrera known as "el jardinerito" (the little gardener) (born May 4, 1961 in Fusagasugá, Colombia) is a retired Colombian road racing cyclist. Herrera was a professional from 1985 to 1992 but had a successful amateur career before that in Colombia.

He entered his first Vuelta a Colombia in 1981 where he finished 16th overall and 3rd in the New Rider competition. Although he abandoned his second Vuelta a Colombia in 1982, he won Colombia’s second major stage-race the Clásico RCN. In 1983 Herrera won Clásico RCN again as well as two stages and finishing second overall to Alfonso Florez Ortiz in the 1983 Vuelta a Colombia. In 1984 he would win the Vuelta a Colombia, the Clásico RCN as well as winning stage 17 to Alpe d’Huez in the 1984 Tour de France, becoming the first Colombian to win a stage of the race. He would win the Vuelta a Colombia and the Clásico RCN four times each but his greatest achievement was in 1987, when he won the Vuelta a España, the first South American to win a Grand Tour. Herrera also won the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré in 1988 and 1991 and five "King of the Mountains" jerseys from the three Grand Tours.

Luis Herrera is the second rider to win the "King of the Mountains jersey in all three Grand Tours. The first was Federico Bahamontes of Spain.

Major accomplishments

Tour de France
27th overall (1984)

1st, Stage 17
7th overall (1985)

1st, Stage 11
1st, Stage 14
Winner 20pxmountains classification
22nd overall (1986)
5th overall (1987)

Winner 20pxmountains classification
6th overall (1988)
19th overall (1989)
Giro d’Italia
mountains classification (1989)
Vuelta a España
20px1st overall (1987)
mountains classification (1987, 1991)
Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
1st overall (1988, 1991)

Grand Tours overall classification results timeline

Grand Tour 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992
alt=gold jersey Vuelta WD 1 20 12 13 WD
alt=Pink jersey Giro 18 8
alt=Yellow jersey Tour 27 7 22 5 6 19 31

WD = Withdrew