First Mexican to ride the Tour de France still riding well
Sixteen years after retiring from the sport for the first time, Mexican Raúl Alcalá has shown he’s remained fit at 46 years of age by winning his national time trial championships. Alcalá left the top level of racing in 1994, and returned breifly four years later to race in his home Tour. He then came back to professional cycling in 2008, and competed in the Vuelta Chihuahua for Team Rica Burguer, but only finished the opening stage.
Alcalá became the first Mexican to ride the Tour de France in 1986 with the American 7-Eleven team. The following year he finished the race in the white jersey as the winner of the best young rider classification. He won two stages of the Tour de France during his eight participations, and finished in the top ten on three occasions.
Although Mexican, his role on the 7-Eleven team made him a key figure in American cycling history, with wins in the Coors International Bicycle Classic (1987), Tour de Trump (1990), and its successor the Tour DuPont (1993).