Zarrabeitia’s just reward

He may not win the Vuelta, but for 31-year-old Mikel Zarrabeitia, donning the golden jersey was eight years in the making. After all, the new overall leader after Wednesday’s first mountain stage has returned from enough setbacks to end several careers.

The Once rider enjoyed a first date with destiny at the top of Sierra Nevada. In 1994, he finished second at the top behind Tony Rominger and went on to secure second place overall in the Tour of Spain.

That’s when misfortune hit the young Zarrabeitia. Billed by the Spanish press as the next Miguel Indurain, the then-Banesto rider was hit by a car in training. Then in 1995, the Basque was at the wheel of his own vehicle when he suffered a life-threatening crash.

"In 1994, I had a lot of dreams and emotions," Zarrabeita told Spanish daily newspaper Marca. "But with all the things that happened during this time I understand that it was only that, emotions and dreams."

Ensuing back problems kept him off a bike for a year and-a-half. Thus began the slow road to recovery with ONCE. In 1997 he won several stages in Spanish races, but crashed out of the Tour de France. In the 2000 Vuelta, he lost part of a finger when he put his hand in the wheel because of a mechanical problem.

His return however is no fluke. In 2002, Zarrabeitia won Spain’s most prestigious early season stage race, the Bicicleta Vasca. But for the Vuelta, Oro is a bonus that’s not part of the overall game plan. "Beloki and Galdeano are the leaders," he tells Marca. "I am here to work for them."