xx 54th Giro d'Italia 1971 (Italy)

 
   
 

By Barry Boyce, CyclingRevealed Historian

 

GdI May 20 - June 10, 1971
3,567 Km

Starters: 100

Finishers: 75
Average Speed: 36.597 km/h

 

 

First Swede to Win the Giro

The 1971 Giro d'Italia was the 54th edition of Italy’s Grand Tour.

Route Map

Start List

General Classification

Gosta Pettersson enjoyed great fitness and became the first rider from Sweden to win the Giro.

SPECIAL NOTE: The race was televised in an hourly program each day. Radio also broadcasted each stage daily.

Pre-Race Favorites:

On January 15, 1971, a statement that defending champion Eddy Merckx would not participate in the Giro for the first time in four years. The Belgian would turn his focus to preparing for the Tour de France, which he hoped to win for the third consecutive year.

The Giro start list featured three previous winners:

1. SCIC’s Franco Balmamion (Giro champion 1962 and 1963),

2. Salvarani's Felice Gimondi (Giro champion 1965 and 1967),

3. Gianni Motta (Giro champion 1966), also riding for Salvarani.

Teams:

The ten teams that took part in the race were:

  • Cosatto
  • GBC-Zimba
  • Kas-Kaskol
  • Ferretti
  • Dreher
  • Hertekamp-Magniflex
  • Molteni
  • Filotex
  • SCIC
  • Salvarani

Doping:

Daily doping controls were conducted following each stage finish. The punishment for testing positive was a ten-minute time penalty, and they had their stage results voided.

Race officials announced on May 26 that Gianni Motta had tested positive for ephedrine (a decongestant and bronchodilator) on stage 6. Motta denied the use of a doping product and stated he had used his grandmother's herbs to help with his fatigue. Motta was declassified days later after a dope positive in this stage.

GBC-Zimba’s Lucillo Lievore, the last placed rider in the GC, also tested positive and received a ten-minute time penalty.

Race Summary:

Prologue: The race started at 13:45 local time in front of the Piazza Sant'Oronzo with a 10 km Prologue: Team Time Trial from Lecce to Brindisi. Estimates had over 200,000 fans (tifosi) watched the TTT along the course. Team Salvarani won the TTT by three seconds over Molteni, however the time did not count towards the General Classification.

Stage 1: Molteni’s sprinter Marino Basso won the stage into Bari, making Basso the race leader.

Stage 2: 260 km from Bari to Potenza, the second stage went through the hills of Puglia and Basilicata and Gimondi did not perform well. He was struggling and trying to disguise his distress. He would ride in the middle of the peloton hoping the pace would be easy. In Potenza Team Salvarani finished the stage poorly, Gimondi suffered a crippling time loss (9’41”) and teammate Gianni Motta was positive at doping control.

Stage 5: Ugo Colombo took the Maglia Rosa (Pink Jersey) on the fifth stage hilltop finish at Gran Sasso. He finished ninth on the stage but gained 8’16” on race leader Enrico Paolini.

Stage 12: The first of two Individual Time Trials was held from Desenzano dei Garda to Salo. Pettersson and van Springel turned in excellent times. Davide Boifava won the 28-kilometer race with Pettersson fourth at +1’03” behind Boifava. Race leader Michelotto was well back in 25th place, +1’43” behind Pettersson.

The GC was tightening as the tough Alpine and Dolomite stages approached. Riders who lost time early in the race were beginning to come back into contention:

1. Claudio Michelotto

2. Aldo Moser +2’13”

3. Gosta Pettersson +4’37”
4. Ugo Colombo +5’36”
5. Giancarlo Paolini +6’27”
6. Herman van Springel +6’38”

Stage 17 (Cima Coppi): The seventeenth stage, 206 km from Tarviso to Grossglockner (Austria), featured major ascents of the Galberg Sattel, Felbertauern Tunnel, and twice up the Grossglockner. The Cima Coppi of the 1971 Giro was the second ascent of the Austrian giant the Grossglockner. Pierfranco Vianelli was the first to the summit of the Grossglockner (winning on both ascents) to win the stage and the Cima Coppi.

Stage 18: The penultimate eighteenth stage from Lienz (Austria) to Falcade had Pettersson joining a four-rider breakaway with Felice Gimondi, Herman Van Springel, and Francisco Galdos. Gimondi won the stage, but the breakaway’s time gain 9’41” distanced race leader Claudio Michelotto and put Pettersson in the Maglia Rosa.

Stage 19: Michelotto abandoned the Giro on stage 19.

Stage 20b: Pettersson increased the overall GC lead in the final time trial. The ‘Pride of Sweden’ Gosta Pettersson rode into Vigorelli Velodrome in Milan for the prestigious 1971 Giro d’Italia victory.

Stage and Distance

Stage Winner

Race Leader

Prologue Lecce-Brindisi, 10 km TTT

SALVARANI

Stage 1 Brindisi-Bari, 175 km

Marino Basso (Ita)

Marino Basso (Ita)

Stage 2 Bari-Potenza, 260 km

Enrico Paolini (Ita)

Enrico Paolini (Ita)

Stage 3 Potenza-Benevento, 177 km

Ercole Gualazzini (Ita)

Enrico Paolini (Ita)

Stage 4 Benevento-Pescasseroli, 203 km

Guerrino Tosello (Ita)

Enrico Paolini (Ita)

Stage 5 Pescas.-Gran Sasso d'Italia, 198 km

Vicente Lopez-Carril (Spa)

Ugo Colombo (Ita)

Stage 6 L'Aquila-Orvieto, 163 km

Domingo Perurena (Ita)

Ugo Colombo (Ita)

Stage 7 Orvieto-San Vincenzo, 220 km

Felice Gimondi (Ita)

Aldo Moser (Ita)

Stage 8 S Vincenzo-Casciana Terme, 203 km

Romeno Tumellero (Ita)

Claudio Michelotto (Ita)

Stg 9 Casc Terme-Forte dei Marmi, 141 km

Marino Basso (Ita)

Claudio Michelotto (Ita)

St 10 F Marmi-Sestola Pian dl Falco, 123 km

Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa)

Claudio Michelotto (Ita)

Stg 11 Sestola-Mantova/St Lubiam, 199 km

Marino Basso (Ita)

Claudio Michelotto (Ita)

Stg 12 Desenzano del Garda-Salo, 28 km ITT

Davide Boifava (Ita)

Claudio Michelotto (Ita)

Stage 13 Salo-Sottomarina, 218 km

Patrick Sercu (Bel)

Claudio Michelotto (Ita)

Stage 14 Sottomarina -Bibione, 170 km

Patrick Sercu (Bel)

Claudio Michelotto (Ita)

Stage 15 Bibione-Ljubljana (Slo), 201 km

Franco Bitossi (Ita)

Claudio Michelotto (Ita)

Stage 16 Ljubljana (Slo)-Tarvisio, 100 km

Dino Zandegu (Ita)

Claudio Michelotto (Ita)

St 17 Hermagor-Grossglockner (Aut), 206 km

Franco Vianelli (Ita)

Claudio Michelotto (Ita)

Stage 18 Lienz (Aut)-Falcade, 195 km

Felice Gimondi (Ita)

Gosta Pettersson (Swe)

Stage 19 Falcade-Ponte di Legno, 182 km

Lino Farisato (Ita)

Gosta Pettersson (Swe)

Stage 20a Ponte di Legno-Lainate, 185 km

Giacinto Santambrogio (Ita)

Gosta Pettersson (Swe)

Stage 20b Lainate-Milan, 20 km ITT

Ole Ritter (Den)

Pink jersey Gosta Pettersson (Swe)

Mountain Classification

Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa)

Points Classification
RedJersey Marino Basso (Ita)

General Classification:

Final General Classification

Rank

Rider

Team

Points

1

Gosta PETTERSSON (Swe) Pink jersey

Ferretti

97h24'03"

2

Herman Van Springel (Bel)

Molteni

+2'04"

3

Ugo Colombo (Ita)

Filotex

+2'35"

4

Francisco Galdos (Spa)

Kas-Kaskol

+4'27"

5

Pierfranco Vianelli (Ita)

Dreher

+6'41"

6

Silvano Schiavon (Ita)

Dreher

+7'27"

7

Felice Gimondi (Ita)

Salvarani

+7'30"

8

Antoon Houbrechts (Bel)

Salvarani

+9'39"

9

Wladimiro Panizza (Ita)

Cosatto

+13'13"

10

Giovanni Calvacanti (Ita)

Filotex

+14'22"

11

Enrico Paolini (Ita)

SCIC

+14'41"

12

Vicente Lopez-Carril (Spa)

Kas-Kaskol

+19'08"

13

Lino Farisato (Ita)

Ferretti

+19'46"

14

Donato Giuliani (Ita)

Filotex

+23'05"

15

Enrico Maggioni (Ita)

Cosatto

+23'13"

16

Marinus 'Rini" Wagtmans (Ned)

Molteni

+26'52"

17

Aldo Moser (Ita)

GBC-Zimba

+27'53"

18

Giancarlo Polidori (Ita)

SCIC

+33'02"

19

Luis Zubero (Ita)

Kas-Kaskol

+38'16"

20

Gianni Motta (Ita)

Salvarani

+41'39"

21

Roger Swerts (Bel)

Molteni

+43'09"

22

Italo Zilioli (Ita)

Ferretti

+45'48"

23

Franco Bitossi (Ita)

Filotex

+51'58"

24

Ole Ritter (Den)

Dreher

+55'18"

25

Arturo Pecchielan (Ita)

GBC-Zimba

+55'26"

26

Davide Boifava (Ita)

SCIC

+59'18"

27

Vittorio Urbani (Ita)

Dreher

+1h01'11"

28

Fabrizio Fabbri (Ita)

Cosatto

+1h01'25"

29

Jose-Luis Uribezubia (Spa)

Kas-Kaskol

+1h04'18"

30

Renato Laghi (Ita)

Filotex

+1h08'31"

31

Andres Gandarias (Spa)

Kas-Kaskol

+1h10'30"

32

Roberto Poggiali (Ita)

Salvarani

+1h15'26"

33

Francisco Gabica (Spa)

Kas-Kaskol

+1h12'28"

34

Domingo Perurena (Spa)

Kas-Kaskol

+1h16'48"

35

Guerrino Tosello (Ita)

Molteni

+1h18'44"

36

Albert Van Vlierberghe (Bel)

Ferretti

+1h28'18"

37

Jesus Manzaneque (Spa)

Kas-Kaskol

+1h28'53"

38

Roberto Sorlini (Ita)

Cosatto

+1h30'44"

39

Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa)

Kas-Kaskol

+1h31'53"

40

Carlo Chiappano (Ita)

SCIC

+1h32'10"

41

Louis Pfenninger (Sui)

GBC-Zimba

+1h32'34"

42

Marino Basso (Ita)

Molteni

+1h33'05"

43

Angelo Bassini (Ita)

SCIC

+1h35'07"

44

Franco Mori (Ita)

SCIC

+1h36'34"

45

Adriano Passuello (Ita)

Dreher

+1h38'03"

46

Bernard Vifian (Sui)

GBC-Zimba

+1h40'01"

47

Mario Lanzafame (Ita)

Cosatto

+1h41'17"

48

Romano Tumellero (Ita)

Molteni

+1h41'29"

49

Ernie De Blaere (Bel)

Hertekamp-Magniflex

+1h42'44"

50

Ottavio Crepaldi (Ita)

Salvarani

+1h45'07"

51

Sture Pettersson (Swe)

Ferretti

+1h45'54"

52

Dino Zandegu (Ita)

Salvarani

+1h49'08"

53

Giancarlo Bellini (Ita)

Molteni

+1h49'19"

54

Noel Van Clooster (Bel)

Hertekamp-Magniflex

+1h50'27"

55

Luigi Sgarbozza (Ita)

GBC-Zimba

+1h51'56"

56

Silvano Ravagli (Ita)

Hertekamp-Magniflex

+1h53'09"

57

Giacinto Santambrogio (Ita)

Molteni

+1h55'58"

58

Oliviero Morotti (Ita)

Dreher

+1h56'15"

59

Diego Moser (Ita)

GBC-Zimba

+2h00'13"

60

Attilio Rota (Ita)

Dreher

+2h01'57"

61

Pietro Campagnari (Ita)

Ferretti

+2h04'34"

62

Piero Dallai (Ita)

Cosatto

+2h07'24"

63

Attilio Benfatto (Ita)

SCIC

+2h08'43"

64

Wilmo Francioni (Ita)

Ferretti

+2h09'32"

65

Selvino Poloni (Ita)

Cosatto

+2h10'04"

66

Arnaldo Caverzasi (Ita)

Filotex

+2h12'05"

67

Emilio Casalini (Ita)

Salvarani

+2h13'39"

68

André Poppe (Bel)

Hertekamp-Magniflex

+2h16'38"

69

Patrick Sercu (Bel)

Dreher

+2h20'37"

70

Pietro Guerra (Ita)

Salvarani

+2h32'01"

71

Giorgio Favaro (Ita)

Molteni

+2h42'56"

72

Alberto Della Torre (Ita)

Filotex

+2h54'03"

73

Giuseppe Fezzardi (Ita)

Dreher

+2h56'36"

74

Eddy Reyniers (Bel)

Hertekamp-Magniflex

+3h11'18"

75

Lucillo Lievore (Ita)

GBC-Zimba

+3h18'19"

 

Final Mountains Classification

Rank

Rider

Team

Points

1

Jose MANUEL FUENTE (Spa)

Kas-Kaskol

360

2

Pierfranco Vianelli (Ita)

Dreher

270

3

Primo Mori (Ita)

Salvarani

190

4

Lino Farisato (Ita)

Ferretti

170

5

Vicente Lopez-Carril (Spa)

Kas-Kaskol

140

6

Andrés Gandarias (Spa)

Kas-Kaskol

110

7

Giancarlo Polidori (Ita)

SCIC

100

8

Selvino Poloni (Ita)

Cosatto

80

9t

Felice Gimondi (Ita)

Salvarani

70

Guerrino Tosello (Ita)

Molteni

11

Roberto Sorlini (Ita)

Cosatto

60

12t

Giovanni Calvacanti (Ita)

Filotex

50

Davide Boifava (Ita)

SCIC

Marino Basso (Ita)

Molteni

Ole Ritter (Den)

Dreher

13

Gianni Motta (Ita)

Salvarani

40

14t

Attilio Rota (Ita)

Dreher

30

Giacinto Santambrogio (Ita)

Molteni

Antoon Houbrechts (Bel)

Salvarani

Giancarlo Bellini (Ita)

Molteni

Herman Van Springel (Bel)

Molteni

Gosta Pettersson (Swe)

Ferretti

 

Final Points Classification

Rank

Rider

Team

Points

1

Marino BASSO (Ita) RedJersey

Filotex

181

2

Patrick Sercu (Bel)

Dreher

148

3

Felice Gimondi (Ita)

Salvarani

139

4

Ole Ritter (Den)

Dreher

136

5

Albert Van Vlierberghe (Bel)

Ferretti

116

6

Franco Bitossi (Ita)

Filotex

96

7t

Gosta Pettersson (Swe)

Ferretti

92

Dino Zandegu (Ita)

Salvarani

9

Gianni Motta (Ita)

Salvarani

85

10

Herman Van Springel (Bel)

Molteni

84

11

Marinus 'Rini" Wagtmans (Ned)

Molteni

78

12

Luigi Sgarbozza (Ita)

GBC-Zimba

78

13

Lino Farisato (Ita)

Ferretti

74

14

Roger Swerts (Bel)

Molteni

73

15

Giancarlo Polidori (Ita)

SCIC

73

16

Selvino Poloni (Ita)

Cosatto

55

17

Pierfranco Vianelli (Ita)

Dreher

54

18t

Davide Boifava (Ita)

SCIC

51

Guerrino Tosello (Ita)

Molteni

20

Antoon Houbrechts (Bel)

Salvarani

50

 

GdI 1970

GdI 1972

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