Félix Suárez

Cyclist Felix Suarez won the Spanish sprint title four years in succession 1971-74 but disappointed at the 1972 München Olympics when he was eliminated in his opening heat. Because there was no velodrome where he lived, Suárez practiced his sprinting on nearby roads and was later tempted into road racing. He enjoyed 49 wins and finished runner-up in the Spanish Road Race Championship in 1974.

His finest moment as an amateur came in 1975 when he was part of the Spanish team that won the silver medal in the road team time trial at the Mediterranean Games. He turned professional in 1976 and teamed up with Tour de France winner Luis Ocaña in the short-lived Suer-Ser team. Suárez’s best win as a professional was in capturing the Masferrer Trophy in 1976. He also competed in the Paris-Nice Classic that year.

After Super Ser, Suárez joined the smaller Novostil team until 1978 when a fractured skull, following a fall, ended his racing career. Prior to retiring he had enjoyed stage wins in the Vueltas a Levante and Aragón, and twice competed in the Vuelta de España (1977 and 1978), but never completed the race. His best stage finish was 29th in 1977. After retiring Suárez helped many young cyclists develop their talents. The municipal sports stadium in his home town of Cistérniga is named in his honour.