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By Barry Boyce, CyclingRevealed Historian |
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Visentini Delivers the Victory
The big favorite for the Giro d’Italia victory in 1986 was American Greg LeMond. He had finish third in 1985 and came to the race with great fitness. Joining LeMond on the list of favorites were former Giro champions Francesco Moser and Giuseppe Saronni.
The early stages on the narrow roads of Sicily saw multiple crashes. Greg LeMond met with disaster on stage 2 when he was involved in a crash only 8 km from the finish and lost 1’38” to the other contenders.
A critical point in the race came on the stage 12, a 46 km ITT. Both LeMond and Moser had lost valuable time on the first 11 stages and need to excel in the time trial to take back lost time. Race leader Giuseppe Saronni and Roberto Visentini were the targets of the LeMond and Moser.
Moser had a bad day finishing 10th and lost additional time to the contenders. LeMond had a brilliant start and lead the stage at the halfway check point. LeMond would lose his concentration when 2 Italian rider sat on his wheel illegally drafting the flying American. Instead of continuing LeMond complained to Italian race officials to no avail. By the finish rapidly rising contender Visentini gained 33 second on the American with the race leader Saronni gaining 10 seconds.
Opportunities were running out for LeMond to gain time on the contenders. Paul Koechli, LeMond’s coach, set the strategy for a stage 16 attack on the Passo San Marco. The plan work and LeMond escaped the peloton, but Visentini was able to hold the American’s wheel. The gap to the race leader over the summit was in excess of 2 minutes. By the stage finish LeMond was second, Visentini was third. The time gain for Visentini was 2’04”, the Maglia Rosa passed to his shoulders. LeMond climbed into fourth place in the GC.
Over the remaining 6 stages Visentini rode brilliantly, covering all attacks and suffering only minor time losses to Moser and Saronni n the Cremona time trial.
Team Carrera’s Roberto Visentini rode into the finishing City of Merano to claim a well-deserved Giro d’Italia victory.
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Prologue Palermo, 1 km ITT |
Urs Freuler (Sui) |
Urs Freuler (Sui) |
Stage 1 Palermo-Sciacca, 140 km |
Sergio Santimaria (Ita) |
Sergio Santimaria (Ita) |
Stage 2 Sciacca-Catania, 259 km |
Jean-Paul Van Poppel (Ned) |
Jean-Paul Van Poppel (Ned) |
Stage 3 Catania-Taormina, 50 km TTT |
DEL TONGO |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Stage 4 Villa Sangiovanni-Nicotera, 115 km |
Gianbattista Baronchelli (Ita) |
Gianbattista Baronchelli (Ita) |
Stage 5 Nicotera-Cosenza, 194 km |
Greg Lemond (USA) |
Gianbattista Baronchelli (Ita) |
Stage 6 Cosenza-Potenza, 251 km |
Roberto Visentini (Ita) |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Stage 7 Potenza-Baia Domizia, 257 km |
Guido Bontempi (Ita) |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Stage 8 Cellole-Avezzano, 160 km |
Franco Chioccioli (Ita) |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Stage 9 Avezzano-Rieti, 172 km |
Acacio Da Silva (Por) |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Stage 10 Rieti-Pesaro, 235 km |
Guido Bontempi (Ita) |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Stage 11 Pesaro-Castiglion del Lago, 207 km |
Guido Bontempi (Ita) |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Stage 12 Sinalunga-Siena, 46 km ITT |
Lech Piasecki (Pol) |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Stage 13 Siena-Sarzana, 175 km |
Jean-Paul Van Poppel (Ned) |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Stage 14 Savona-Sauze d'Oulx, 236 km |
Martin Earley (Ire) |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Stage 15 Saulze d'Oulx-Erba, 260 km |
Dag-Erik Pedersen (Den) |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Stage 16 Erba-Foppolo, 143 km |
Pedro Munoz (Spa) |
Roberto Visentini (Ita) |
Stage 17 Foppolo-Piacenza, 196 km |
Guido Bontempi (Ita) |
Roberto Visentini (Ita) |
Stage 18 Piacenza-Cremona, 36 km ITT |
Francesco Moser (Ita) |
Roberto Visentini (Ita) |
Stage 19 Cremona-Pejo Terme, 211 km |
Johan Van der Velde (Ned) |
Roberto Visentini (Ita) |
Stage 20 Pejo Bassano del Grappa, 179 km |
Guido Bontempi (Ita) |
Roberto Visentini (Ita) |
Stage 21 Bassano del Grappa-Bolzano, 234 km |
Acacio Da Silva (Por) |
Roberto Visentini (Ita) |
Stage 22 Merano-Merano, 108.6 km |
Eric Van Lancker (Bel) |
 Roberto Visentini (Ita)
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Mountain Classsification |
 Pedro Munoz (Spa)
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Points Classification |
 Guido Bontempi (Ita)
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GdI May 12 to June 2, 1986 |
| 3,858 Km |
1. Roberto VISENTINI (Ita) 102h33'56" |
| 2. Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) +1'02" |
| 3. Francesco Moser (Ita) +2'14" |
Starters: 171 |
| Finishers: 143 |
Average Speed: 37.615 km/h |
GdI 1987
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