Personal information | |
---|---|
Full name | Luis Alberto Herrera |
Nickname | Lucho El jardinerito de Fusagasugá |
Born |
Fusagasugá, Colombia |
May 4, 1961
Team information | |
Current team | Retired |
Discipline | Road |
Role | Rider |
Rider type | Climbing specialist |
Amateur team(s) | |
1981 | Valyin de Pereira |
1982 | Lotería de Boyacá |
1983 | Leche La Gran Vía |
1984 | Varta Nacional A |
Professional team(s) | |
1985-1990 | Café de Colombia |
1991-1992 | Ryalco Postobon |
Major wins | |
|
Luis Alberto "Lucho" Herrera Herrera, known as "El jardinerito" ("the little gardener") (born May 4, 1961 in Fusagasugá, Colombia), is a retired Colombian road racing cyclist. Herrera was a professional from 1985 to 1992 but had a successful amateur career before that in Colombia.
He entered his first Vuelta a Colombia in 1981 where he finished 16th overall and 3rd in the New Rider competition. Although he abandoned his second Vuelta a Colombia in 1982, he won Colombia's second major stage-race the Clásico RCN. In 1983 Herrera won Clásico RCN again as well as two stages and finishing second overall to Alfonso Florez Ortiz in the 1983 Vuelta a Colombia. In 1984 he would win the Vuelta a Colombia, the Clásico RCN as well as winning stage 17 to Alpe d'Huez in the 1984 Tour de France, becoming the first Colombian to win a stage of the race, and the first amateur cyclist to win a stage in the history of the Tour de France. He would win the Vuelta a Colombia and the Clásico RCN four times each but his greatest achievement was in 1987, when he won the Vuelta a España, the first South American to win a Grand Tour. Herrera also won the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré in 1988 and 1991 and five "King of the Mountains" jerseys from the three Grand Tours.