The "Eagle of Toledo" died at the age of 95, as the city's mayor Carlos Velázquez announced.
Federico Bahamonte's first Spanish Tour de France winner
Bahamontes was regarded as an outstanding climber and won the Tour of France in 1959, something no Spaniard had ever achieved before. He made it onto the Tour de France podium twice more in 1963 and 1964, finishing second and third respectively.
Bahomontes made the city of Toledo famous, Velázquez wrote on Twitter: "The first Spaniard to win the Tour de France is part of our country's sporting history with more than 74 victories. Fede, adopted son of the city of Toledo, admired and loved, has touched us with his extraordinary climbing skills." Bahamontes won the mountain jersey six times in the Tour. A mark that was only later surpassed by Frenchman Richard Virenque.
Federico Bahamontes: The king of the mountains
Bahamontes once crossed many of the legendary Tour de France climbs, such as the Tourmalet or the Galibier, in the lead. However, he did not manage more than one overall victory. Partly because he lost too much time in the individual time trial.
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