Toni Rominger. Stage 5, 1994.
Swiss rider Toni Rominger might have won the Tour de France, were it not for the peak of his career coinciding with the peak of Miguel Indurain’s career. Nevertheless Rominger won the 1995 Giro d’Italia and three editions of the Vuelta between 1993 and 1995.
In style Rominger was similar to Indurain; he had a huge engine that could be put to use in time-trials and on mountains. In 1994 the Swiss broke the hour record on the Bordeaux velodrome.
The 1994 edition of the Vuelta started in late April in Vallodolid. Rominger, riding for the legendary Mapei team, lined up as defending champion and outright favourite, and proved his status by winning the prologue in commanding fashion. On the 5th stage to Sierra Nevada Rominger extended his lead to almost two minutes when he rode away from fellow Swiss Alex Zulle, Spaniard Pedro Delgado and all the other contenders.
Wearing his yellow leader’s jersey and a simple peaked blue cap, with his team manager banging the side of the team car alongside, Rominger churned out a steady rhythm aboard his Colnago equipped with Dura-Ace components.
Over the remainder of the race Rominger won two time-trials and another two road stages. Naturally he held the yellow jersey all the way from Vallodolid to the finish in Madrid.