José Manuel Fuente, a Spanish cyclist renowned as one of the top climbers of his generation, solidified his reputation by dominating the Giro d’Italia's mountain classification, winning it four consecutive times from 1971 to 1974.
Fuente competed professionally from 1970 to 1976, frequently going head-to-head with legendary cyclists like Eddy Merckx and Luis Ocaña. His greatest achievements in the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France came in fierce competition against them. He finished as runner-up in the 1972 Giro d’Italia and took third place in the 1973 Tour de France.
Surprisingly, Fuente won only two stages in the Tour de France, both in 1971—the 14th and 15th stages. However, one of these wins was particularly memorable, as it coincided with the infamous crash of Luis Ocaña on the treacherous Col de Menté.
Statistically, Fuente’s success was more significant in the Giro d’Italia. Alongside his four mountain titles, he also claimed nine stage victories and wore the prestigious maglia rosa (pink jersey) as the race leader on multiple occasions in 1972 and 1974.
Fuente’s dominance extended to the Vuelta a España, where he won the overall title twice, in 1972 and 1974, during an era when the Spanish grand tour took place in spring before the Giro d’Italia. In his victorious 1972 Vuelta, he also won the mountains and combination classifications. Throughout his four appearances in the Vuelta, Fuente claimed three stage wins.