The Ex-cyclist’s Mortal Remains Federico Martin Bahamontes -the first Spaniard to win the Tour de France, in 1959- is buried this Wednesday afternoon at the Toledo cemeteryafter the funeral that took place in the city’s cathedral, attended by family, friends, colleagues, cycling fans and authorities.
The Archbishop of Toledo, Francis Hillhas overseen the funeral with part of the cathedral chapter, in a religious ceremony attended by the president of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano Garcia-Pagethe mayor of Toledo, Carlos Velázquezthe Minister of Education, Culture and Sports, Lover Pastorand the cyclists Miguel Indurain, Pedro Delgado and Carlos SastreBesides others.
The mortal remains of ‘El Águila de Toledo’ were transferred from the burning chapel built in the Chapter House of the Council of the City of Toledo on a corpse where hung the four crowns sent by the Tour de France, the Vuelta a España, the Spanish Cycling Federation and the family of Martín Bahamontes, who died on Tuesday in Valladolid at the age of 95.
As it passed, the body received applause from fans in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, which separates the Town Hall from the primate cathedral, which repeated the coffin, covered with the flags of Toledo and Spain.
During the religious ceremony, the Archbishop of Toledo defined the virtues he values Federico Martin Bahamonteswhich according to the prelate makes “now the whole world remembers this great figure”, especially for “so many works in the mountains”.
The virtues he had in life mingled with the pain for his death with the joy of knowing that he was “a very loving person”considered the Archbishop Primate of Spain, who highlighted the “fundamental and faith” of the excicist, who is “diligent, diligent and capable of overcoming anything and reaching the end.”
These are the values that are now largely lost and that he showed, pointed out Cerro, who recorded Martín Bahamontes as an “extraordinary person”, who achieved almost everything that can be achieved in the field of sports and that “after many flights. goals reach the ultimate goal”.
Also Garcia-Page praised the figure of Martín Bahamontes, whom he had the “luck and honor” to face on many occasions when he was mayor of Toledo, the city where the former cyclist was born on July 9, 1928 in the town of Toledo of Santo Domingo -Caudilla, although he lived most of his life in the capital of the province.
García-Page assessed that Bahamontes “is a bicycle personality”although he qualified that he did not consider himself the most suitable to run it, but it was a virtue that was “obvious”, but also as a person, because he was a “very energetic and hyperactive” person, who showed a lot of work capacity until he comes of age.
“It’s always at the foot of the cannon”that organizes sporting events especially related to cycling and participation in them, emphasized the president of Castilla-La Mancha, who understands that the tribute paid to Martín Bahamontes after his death “is well deserved -must.”
After the funeral, the remains of Federico Martín Bahamontes were taken to Municipal Cemetery of Toledowhere the first Spanish winner of the Tour de France is buried, and which since his death has received the recognition of athletes, institutions, cycling fans and entities of various kinds.
Source: La Verdad
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