Mariano Cañardo

Mariano Cañardo Lacasta (5 February 1906 to 21 June 1987) was a Spanish professional road racing cyclist, born in Olite, Navarra, and nicknamed the Catalan of Olite. Orphaned in 1919, he moved to Barcelona with his sister and discovered the bicycle there. He was a professional from 1926 until 1943 and won a record seven editions of the Volta a Catalunya, four Spanish national championship titles and a stage of the 1937 Tour de France. In 1930 he became the first Spaniard to win the Tour of the Basque Country, and in 1935 he finished second overall to Gustaaf Deloor in the first Vuelta a España, winning stage 5. After retiring he worked as a sports director and race organizer, led the Catalan Cycling Federation from 1969 to 1974, and received the Medalla Forjadors in 1987.