| |
By Barry Boyce, CyclingRevealed Historian
GdI May 21 - June 11, 1972 |
3,725 Km |
|
Finishers: 69 |
Average Speed: 36.120 km/h |
|
|
The Cannibal Romps
The 1972 Giro d'Italia celebrated the 55th running of Italy’s Grand Race.
After a one-year absence two-time winner of the Giro d’Italia Eddy “the Cannibal” Merckx return to Italy in 1972. Merckx entered the Giro wearing the Rainbow Jersey as the reigning World Road Race Champion.
Teams:
The ten teams that took part in the race were:
- De Gribaldy-Magniflex
- GBC-Sony
- Kas-Kaskol
- Ferretti
- Dreher
|
- Molteni
- Filotex
- SCIC
- Salvarani
- Zonca
|
Pre Race Note:
Race director Vincenzo Torriani reported that Belgium had expressed interest in hosting the 1972 start of the Giro, but the correspondence arrived too late in the process to be logistically considered. Belgium would receive strong consideration for the 1973 Grand Depart. Venice would host the 1972 start.
Race Summary:
Stage 7: Merckx was at the top of his game in the 1972 Giro. He attacked early on the seventh stage, 151 km from Cosenza to Catanzano. He was joined defending Giro champion Gosta Pettersson on a long breakaway, which gained 4’15” on his main rivals. Merckx took the race lead and never looked back.
Stage 17 (Cima Coppi): The Stelvio Pass was named the Cima Coppi in 1972. This was the first time for the full ascent. Scheduling of the monstrous climb came on the seventeenth stage, an 88 km route from Livigno to the Passo dello Stelvio. The ascent was from the northern side. When the races passed to 20 km “to go” sign, Spanish climber Jose Manuel Fuente launched a solo attack. Pushing a huge gear (54-18) on the climb, he soloed for a thirty-two second stage win and won the prestigious Cima Coppi.
Stage 20: The Belgian’s superb time-trialing and excellent climbing left the others fighting for second place in the GC. Spaniard Jose-Manuel Fuente mounted a brave and relentless fight, but no one could get close to Merckx in 1972. Eddy Merckx cruised into Milan to take the 1972 Giro d’Italia victory. Jose-Manuel Fuente finished second 5’30” behind Merckx.
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Stage 1 Venice-Mestre, 196 km |
Marino Basso (Ita) |
Marino Basso (Ita) |
Stage 2 Ravenna-Fermo, 212 km |
Gianni Motta (Ita) |
Marino Basso (Ita) |
Stg 3 Porto Sn Giorgio-Francavilla, 205 km |
Ugo Colombo (Ita) |
Ugo Colombo (Ita) |
Stage 4a Francavilla-Block Haus, 48 km |
Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Stage 4b Block Haus-Foggia, 210 km |
Wilmo Francioni (Ita) |
Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Stage 5 Foggia-Montesano, 238 km |
Fabrizio Fabbri (Ita) |
Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Stage 6 Montesano-Cosenza, 190 km |
Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel) |
Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Stage 7 Cosenza-Catanzaro, 151 km |
Gosta Pettersson (Swe) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stg 8 Catanzaro-Reggio di Calabre, 160 km |
Attilio Benfatto (Ita) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 9 Messina-Circuit Peloritani, 110 km |
Albert Van Vlierberghe (Bel) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 10 Rome-Monte Argentario, 166 km |
Italo Zilioli (Ita) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
St 11 Mt Argentario-Forte d Marmi, 242 km |
Miguel-Maria Lasa (Spa) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 12a Forte dei Marmi, 40 km ITT |
1st section Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
|
Stage 12b Forte dei Marmi, 40 km ITT |
2nd section Roger Swert (Bel) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 13 Forte dei Marmi-Savona, 200 km |
Wilmo Francioni (Ita) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 14 Savona-Bardonecchia, 256 km |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 15 Circuit Parabiajo, 168 km |
Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 16 Parabiajo-Livigno, 256 km |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 17 Livigno-Passo Stelvio, 88 km |
Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 18 Solda-Asiago, 223 km |
Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 19a Asiago-Arco, 163 km |
Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 19b Circuit Arco, 18 km ITT |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 20 Arco-Milan, 185 km |
Enrico Paolini (Ita) |
 Eddy Merckx (Bel)
|
|
Mountain Classification |
Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
|
Points Classification |
 Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel) |
General Classification:
Final General Classification |
Rank |
Rider |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Eddy MERCKX (Bel)  |
Molteni |
103h04'04" |
2 |
José-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
+5'30" |
3 |
Francisco Galdos (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
+10'39" |
4 |
Vicente Lopez-Carril (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
+11'17" |
5 |
Wladimiro Panizza (Ita) |
Zonca |
+13'00" |
6 |
Gosta Pettersson (Swe) |
Ferretti |
+13'09" |
7 |
Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel) |
Dreher |
+13'52" |
8 |
Felice Gimondi (Ita) |
Salvarani |
+14'05" |
9 |
Miguel-Maria Lasa (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
+14'19" |
10 |
Santiago Lazcano (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
+17'42" |
11 |
Ole Ritter (Den) |
Dreher |
+18'23" |
12 |
Silvano Schiavon (Ita) |
GBC-Sony |
+18'24" |
13 |
Marcello Bergamo (Ita) |
Filotex |
+19'42" |
14 |
Jose Pesarrodona (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
+21'05" |
15 |
Antoon Houbrechts (Bel) |
Salvarani |
+23'37" |
16 |
Roger Swerts (Bel) |
Molteni |
+32'22" |
17 |
Giovanni Cavalcanti (Ita) |
Filotex |
+39'00" |
18 |
Donato Giuliani (Ita) |
Filotex |
+40'54" |
19 |
Louis Pfenninger (Sui) |
Zonca |
+40'55" |
20 |
Frans Mintjens (Bel) |
Molteni |
+42'48" |
21 |
Jesus Manzaneque (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
+43'13" |
22 |
Giuseppe Perletto (Ita) |
Zonca |
+43'49" |
23 |
Ugo Colombo (Ita) |
Filotex |
+44'01" |
24 |
Silvano Ravagli (Ita) |
De Gribaldy-Magniflex |
+46'52" |
25 |
Joseph Huysmans (Bel) |
Molteni |
+47'03" |
26 |
Joseph De Schoenmacker (Bel) |
Molteni |
+48'17" |
27 |
Victor Van Schil (Bel) |
Molteni |
+49'30" |
28 |
Vittorio Urbani (Ita) |
De Gribaldy-Magniflex |
+49'56" |
29 |
Martin van den Bossche (Bel) |
Molteni |
+50'00" |
30 |
Josef Fuchs (Sui) |
Filotex |
+50'38" |
31 |
Roberto Poggiali (Ita) |
Salvarani |
+51'49" |
32 |
Arturo Pecchielan (Ita) |
Dreher |
+54'04" |
33 |
Giancarlo Bellini (Ita) |
Molteni |
+54'19" |
34 |
Fabrizio Fabbri (Ita) |
De Gribaldy-Magniflex |
+55'03" |
35 |
Michele Dancelli (Ita) |
SCIC |
+55'22" |
36 |
Lino Farisato (Ita) |
Ferretti |
+55'30" |
37 |
Georges Pintens (Bel) |
De Gribaldy-Magniflex |
+57'01" |
38 |
Franco Balmamion (Ita) |
SCIC |
+58'01" |
39 |
Enrico Paolini (Ita) |
SCIC |
+59'20" |
40 |
André Poppe (Bel) |
De Gribaldy-Magniflex |
+1h02'25" |
41 |
Tomas Pettersson (Swe) |
Ferretti |
+1h03'06" |
42 |
Mario Lanzafame (Ita) |
GBC-Sony |
+1h04'17" |
43 |
Kurt Rub (Sui) |
Zonca |
+1h06'45" |
44 |
Piero Dallai (Ita) |
De Gribaldy-Magniflex |
+1h07'41" |
45 |
Ludo Van Staeyen (Bel) |
De Gribaldy-Magniflex |
+1h07'41" |
46 |
Joseph Spruyt (Bel) |
Molteni |
+1h10'17" |
47 |
Emilio Casalini (Ita) |
Salvarani |
+1h10'40" |
48 |
Giacinto Santambrogio (Ita) |
Salvarani |
+1h12'22" |
49 |
Pierfranco Vianelli (Ita) |
Dreher |
+1h12'56" |
50 |
Renato Laghi (Ita) |
Filotex |
+1h13'03" |
51 |
Arnaldo Caverzasi (Ita) |
Filotex |
+1h13'51" |
52 |
Celestino Vercelli (Ita) |
SCIC |
+1h13'57" |
53 |
Joseph Bruyere (Bel) |
Molteni |
+1h14'50" |
54 |
Attilio Rota (Ita) |
Dreher |
+1h14'53" |
55 |
Attilio Benfatto (Ita) |
SCIC |
+1h14'59" |
56 |
Mario Anni (Ita) |
Ferretti |
+1h17'04" |
57 |
Albert Van Vlierberghe (Bel) |
Ferretti |
+1h18'10" |
58 |
Giancarlo Polidori (Ita) |
SCIC |
+1h18'39" |
59 |
Vittorio Cumino (Ita) |
Filotex |
+1h19'16" |
60 |
Guerrino Tosello (Ita) |
Salvarani |
+1h20'39" |
61 |
Mauro Vannucchi (Ita) |
De Gribaldy-Magniflex |
+1h22'38" |
62 |
Claudio Michelotto (Ita) |
GBC-Sony |
+1h26'09" |
63 |
Franco Mori (Ita) |
SCIC |
+1h26'29" |
64 |
Adriano Passuello (Ita) |
Dreher |
+1h27'35" |
65 |
Mauro Simonetti (Ita) |
Ferretti |
+1h29'44" |
66 |
Wilmo Francioni (Ita) |
Ferretti |
+1h32'52" |
67 |
Angelo Bassini (Ita) |
SCIC |
+1h51'34" |
68 |
Alberto Tazzi (Ita) |
De Gribaldy-Magniflex |
+1h56'24" |
69 |
Piero Spinelli (Ita) |
Filotex |
+2h10'16" |
Final Mountains Classification |
Rank |
Rider |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Jose MANUEL FUENTE (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
490 |
| 2 |
Pierfranco Vianelli (Ita) |
Dreher |
350 |
3 |
Primo Mori (Ita) |
Salvarani |
260 |
4 |
Lino Farisato (Ita) |
Ferretti |
150 |
5 |
Vicente Lopez Carril (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
100 |
6 |
Lino Farisato (Ita) |
Ferretti |
60 |
7t
|
Fabrizio Fabbri (Ita) |
Kas-Kaskol |
50 |
Santiago Lazcano (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
Silvano Schiavon (Ita) |
GBC-Sony |
Final Points Classification |
Rank |
Rider |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Roger DE VLAEMINCK (Bel)  |
Dreher |
264 |
2 |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Molteni |
244 |
3 |
Miguel Maria Lasa (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
182 |
4 |
Felice Gimondi (Ita) |
Salvarani |
167 |
5 |
Ole Ritter (Den) |
Dreher |
130 |
6 |
Roger Swerts (Bel) |
Molteni |
121 |
7 |
Michele Dancelli (Ita) |
Ferretti |
116 |
8 |
José Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
95 |
9 |
Albert van Vlierberghe (Bel) |
Ferretti |
82 |
10 |
Gosta Pettersson (Swe) |
Ferretti |
78 |
GdI 1973
Return to the Timeline ToC
Return to the Race Snippets ToC |
|
