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By Barry Boyce, CyclingRevealed Historian
GdI May 18 - June 9, 1966 |
3,976 Km |
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Finishers: 83 |
Average Speed: 35.774 km/h |
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Motta Holds off a Stellar Field
The popularity of the Giro continued to soar in 1966 with millions of fans (tifosi) lining the race routes. The start list for the 1966 Giro d’Italia was outstanding. The Giro again had a foreign departure, this time from Monte Carlo in Monaco. The race’s Grande Partenza (Grand Depart) was in celebration of Monte Carlo’s hundredth anniversary.
SPECIAL NOTE: The Giro organizers award the first Points Classification. This award was to reward the most consistently high finisher on each stage.
Gianni Motta scored two mountain stage wins to gain enough time for the 1966 Giro victory.
SPECIAL NOTE: Italo Zilioli is rapidly gaining the nickname “Italy’s Eternal Second” or “Italian Poulidor.”
Teams:
The ten teams that took part in the race were:
- Sanson
- Legnano-Pirelli
- Ford France-Hutchinson
- Bianchi-Mobylette
- Dr. Mann-Grundig
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- Molteni-Hutchinson
- Filotex-Fiorelli
- Mainetti
- Salvarani
- Vittadello
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Classification Leadership:
The race leader on each stage wore the Maglia Rosa (Pink Jersey).
The Mountain Classification: the climbs were ranked in first, second, and third categories. Climbing points awarded by crossing the summit of a climb first.
- Category 1 awarded 5 places (50, 40, 30, 20, and 10 points),
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- Category 2 got 3 places (40, 30, 20, and 10 points),
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- Category 3 (30, 20, and 10 points).
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The new Points Classification, which did not award its daily leader a jersey, was for riders given points for finishing a stage in the top fifteen. The Trofeo Uomo Dreher was awarded to winner of the Points Classification.
Race Summary:
Stage 1: The first stage was crucial to the entire race. The day’s primary obstacle was the Colle San Bartolomeo. Midway up the climb Anquetil still had the front group under control when a tifosi (Italian fan) wanted to give Anquetil a glass bottle of water. The fan tripped and fell, breaking the bottle just under Anquetil’s wheels. Both tires were punctured. Luckily Anquetil had a teammate with him. He switched wheels with his teammate and began what Zilioli described as a “crazy chase.” At this point, the front group was unaware of Anquetil’s misfortune.
A break of 22 riders went over the San Bartolomeo about 100 meters in front of Anquetil. But he could not catch the leaders. The leaders descended at top speed arriving at the bottom twenty seconds ahead of Anquetil.
The front group now realized that Anquetil was chasing and decided to attack. Anquetil continued a desperate chase for ten kilometers only to remain 15 seconds behind the leaders. Finally realizing that he would not re-connect, Anquetil stopped his pursuit. He finished a little more than three minutes after stage winner Vito Taccone. Anquetil believed he could not win the Giro, he decided to devote his effort to teammate Julio Jimenez.
Stage 3: The third stage was an insanely fast “wind-aided” average speed to Genoa. Near the end of the stage the pack entered a dark tunnel, where Gimondi had a puncture. In the poor light his slow wheel change cost him 1’30” and his shot at the stage win. Severino Andreoli won the stage.
Stage 5: race leader Jimenez maintained his leadership. De Rosso answered an attack and was able to get into a breakaway. The time gained moved him into second place at 43 seconds, but Motta stayed close to the Spaniard, in fourth place, 1’17” seconds back.
Stage 8: When the eighth stage entered the final kilometers Anquetil’s teammate Vin Denson chased down a breakaway group including Marino Basso and Bruno Mealli. As the riders roared through the narrow streets with their overhanging balconies, the Neapolitans threw garbage down on the foreign riders. Denson said he smelled horrible after the stage. Throughout the race Denson said he had to ride next to Jimenez to protect him from the sometimes overly zealous tifosi (Italian fans).
Stage 13: 46 km ITT Parma-Parma, the race leader, Jimenez, was a pure climber but was a poor time-trialist. After the thirteenth stage he had lost 4’36”. The Maglia Rosa passed over to Vittorio Adorni.
Stage 15: Adorni ran into trouble on the fifteenth stage, which went over the heavy, difficult roads of northern Lombardy. The peloton blew up into small groups scattered all over the course. Jimenez was first into Brescia, followed by Gianni Motta, Zilioli, Maurer and Anquetil 30 seconds behind. Adorni was 1’30” back. Motta took the lead by a slim 7 seconds over Adorni.
Stage 20 (Cima Coppi): Passo Pordoi was included in the 20th stage. It was a 215 km stage that climbed the Passo Pordoi, Falzarego, Tre Croci, Cibiana, and Duran passes. The first rider to clear the summit of Pordoi was Franco Bitossi of the Filotex team.
Stage 22: Through the closing stages Motta and Jimenez battle pedal stroke for pedal stroke. The young Gianni Motta rode into Milan for the Giro victory. Motta’s consistent riding also gave him the first ever Points Classification award.
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Stage 1 Monte Carlo-Diano Marina, 149 km |
Vito Taccone (Ita) |
Vito Taccone (Ita) |
Stage 2 Imperia-Monesi, 60 km |
Julio Jimenez (Spa) |
Julio Jimenez (Spa) |
Stage 3 Diano Marina-Genova, 120 km |
Severino Andreoli (Ita) |
Julio Jimenez (Spa) |
Stage 4 Genova-Viareggio, 241 km |
Giovanni Knapp (Ita) |
Julio Jimenez (Spa) |
Stage 5 Viareggio-Chianciano Terme, 222 km |
Vendramino Bariviera (Ita) |
Julio Jimenez (Spa) |
Stage 6 Chianciano Terme-Rome, 226 km |
Raffaele Marcoli (Ita) |
Julio Jimenez (Spa) |
Stage 7 Rome-Rocca di Cambio, 158 km |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Julio Jimenez (Spa) |
Stage 8 Rocca di Cambio-Napoli, 238 km |
Marino Basso (Ita) |
Julio Jimenez (Spa) |
Stage 9 Napoli-Campobasso, 210 km |
Vincent Denson (GBr) |
Julio Jimenez (Spa) |
Stage 10 Campobasso-Giulianova, 221 km |
Dino Zandegu (Ita) |
Julio Jimenez (Spa) |
Stage 11 Giulianova-Cesenatico, 229 km |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Julio Jimenez (Spa) |
Stage 12 Cesenatico-Reggio Emilia, 206 km |
Dino Zandegu (Ita) |
Julio Jimenez (Spa) |
Stage 13 Parma-Parma, 46 km ITT |
Vittorio Adorni (Ita) |
Vittorio Adorni (Ita) |
Stage 14 Parma-Arona, 267 km |
Franco Bitossi (Ita) |
Vittorio Adorni (Ita) |
Stage 15 Arona-Brescia, 196 km |
Julio Jimenez (Spa) |
Gianni Motta (Ita) |
Stage 16 Brescia-Bezzeca, 143 km |
Franco Bitossi (Ita) |
Gianni Motta (Ita) |
Stage 17 Riva del Garda-Lvco Terme, 239 km |
Gianni Motta (Ita) |
Gianni Motta (Ita) |
Stage 18 Levico Terme-Bolzano, 137 km |
Michele Dancelli (Ita) |
Gianni Motta (Ita) |
Stage 19 Bolzano-Moena, 100 km |
Gianni Motta (Ita) |
Gianni Motta (Ita) |
Stage 20 Moena-Belluno, 215 km |
Felice Gimondi (Ita) |
Gianni Motta (Ita) |
Stage 21 Belluno-Vittoria Veneto, 181 km |
Pietro Scandelli (Ita) |
Gianni Motta (Ita) |
Stage 22 Brescia-Firenze, 295 km |
Rene Binggeli (Sui) |
 Gianni Motta (Ita)
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Mountain Classification |
Franco Bitossi (Ita) |
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Points Classification |
Gianni Motta (Ita) |
General Classification:
Final General Classification |
Rank |
Rider |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Gianni MOTTA (Ita)  |
Molteni-Hutchinson |
111h10'48" |
2 |
Italo Zilioli (Ita) |
Sanson |
+3'57" |
3 |
Jacques Anquetil (Fra) |
Ford France-Hutchinson |
+4'40" |
4 |
Julio Jimenez (Spa) |
Ford France-Hutchinson |
+5'44" |
5 |
Felice Gimondi (Ita) |
Salvarani |
+6'47" |
6 |
Franco Balmamion (Ita) |
Sanson |
+7'27" |
7 |
Vittorio Adorni (Ita) |
Salvarani |
+8'00" |
8 |
Franco Bitossi (Ita) |
Filotex-Fiorelli |
+9'24" |
9 |
Vito Taccone (Ita) |
Vittadello |
+11'42" |
10 |
Rolf Maurer (Sui) |
Filotex-Fiorelli |
+20'28" |
11 |
Dino Zandegu (Ita) |
Bianchi-Mobylette |
+24'04" |
12 |
Silvano Schiavon (Ita) |
Legnano-Pirelli |
+26'00" |
13 |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Molteni-Hutchinson |
+26'43" |
14 |
Marcello Mugnaini (Ita) |
Filotex-Fiorelli |
+27'18" |
15 |
Renzo Fontona (Ita) |
Mainetti |
+30'52" |
16 |
Graziano Battistini (Ita) |
Vittadello |
+31'47" |
17 |
Joseph Huysmans (Bel) |
Dr. Mann-Grundig |
+37'36" |
18 |
Ugo Colombo (Ita) |
Filotex-Fiorelli |
+38'34" |
19 |
Imerio Massignan (Ita) |
Bianchi-Mobylette |
+39'10" |
20 |
Michele Dancelli (Ita) |
Molteni-Hutchinson |
+48'35" |
21 |
Flaviano Vicentini (Ita) |
Legnano-Pirelli |
+49'16" |
22 |
Roberto Poggiali (Ita) |
Bianchi-Mobylette |
+59'20" |
23 |
Angelo Ottaviani (Ita) |
Vittadello |
+1h04'50" |
24 |
Franco Bodrero (Ita) |
Legnano-Pirelli |
+1h05'58" |
25 |
Bruno Mealli (Ita) |
Bianchi-Mobylette |
+1h11'42" |
26 |
Giancarlo Ferretti (Ita) |
Sanson |
+1h12'36" |
27 |
Albano Negro (Ita) |
Bianchi-Mobylette |
+1h18'30" |
28 |
Mario Maino (Ita) |
Bianchi-Mobylette |
+1h20'55" |
29 |
Lino Farisato (Ita) |
Mainetti |
+1h22'48" |
30 |
Pietro Scandelli (Ita) |
Molteni-Hutchinson |
+1h27'00" |
31 |
Carlo Chiappano (Ita) |
Sanson |
+1h32'16" |
32 |
André Messelis (Bel) |
Dr. Mann-Grundig |
+1h33'18" |
33 |
Marino Fontana (Ita) |
Mainetti |
+1h33'43" |
34 |
Pietro Partesotti (Ita) |
Salvarani |
+1h34'09" |
35 |
Arnaldo Pambianco (Ita) |
Salvarani |
+1h34'35" |
36 |
Giovanni Knapp (Ita) |
Vittadello |
+1h34'48" |
37 |
Carmine Preziosi (Ita) |
Bianchi-Mobylette |
+1h35'03" |
38 |
Ambrogio Portalupi (Ita) |
Vittadello |
+1h40'37" |
39 |
Luciano Armani (Ita) |
Salvarani |
+1h44'13" |
40 |
Vic Denson (GBr) |
Ford France-Hutchinson |
+1h45'51" |
41 |
Jean Stablinski (Fra) |
Ford France-Hutchinson |
+1h49'45" |
42 |
Renzo Baldan (Ita) |
Vittadello |
+1h59'22" |
43 |
Francesco Miele (Ita) |
Bianchi-Mobylette |
+1h59'25" |
44 |
Luciano Sambi (Ita) |
Legnano-Pirelli |
+2h02'58" |
45 |
Gianpaolo Cucchietti (Ita) |
Sanson |
+2h03'27" |
46 |
Emilio Casalini (Ita) |
Legnano-Pirelli |
+2h05'04" |
47 |
Egidio Cornale (Ita) |
Mainetti |
+2h06'27" |
48 |
Marino Basso (Ita) |
Mainetti |
+2h09'32" |
49 |
Bruno Centomo (Ita) |
Legnano-Pirelli |
+2h10'03" |
50 |
Giorgio Destro (Ita) |
Mainetti |
+2h15'22" |
51 |
Angelo Bugini (Ita) |
Legnano-Pirelli |
+2h16'30" |
52 |
Antoine Houbrechts (Bel) |
Dr. Mann-Grundig |
+2h19'01" |
53 |
Vendramino Bariviera (Ita) |
Sanson |
+2h20'22" |
54 |
Antonio Bailetti (Ita) |
Bianchi-Mobylette |
+2h21'15" |
55 |
Mario Da Dalt (Ita) |
Sanson |
+2h21'53" |
56 |
Raffaele Marcoli (Ita) |
Sanson |
+2h25'33" |
57 |
Adriano Durante (Ita) |
Salvarani |
+2h26'10" |
58 |
Giuseppe Fezzardi (Ita) |
Molteni-Hutchinson |
+2h30'31" |
59 |
Roberto Ballini (Ita) |
Filotex-Fiorelli |
+2h31'32" |
60 |
Marino Vigna (Ita) |
Vittadello |
+2h33'14" |
61 |
Paolo Mannucci (Ita) |
Filotex-Fiorelli |
+2h33'37" |
62 |
Jean Graczyk (Fra) |
Ford France-Hutchinson |
+2h33'53" |
63 |
Lucillo Lievore (Ita) |
Mainetti |
+2h34'31" |
64 |
Jan Nolmans (Bel) |
Dr. Mann-Grundig |
+2h37'04" |
65 |
René Binggeli (Sui) |
Molteni-Hutchinson |
+2h38'05" |
66 |
Pietro Campagnari (Ita) |
Mainetti |
+2h40'01" |
67 |
Jean Milesi (Fra) |
Ford France-Hutchinson |
+2h41'16" |
68 |
Pierre Everaert (Fra) |
Ford France-Hutchinson |
+2h43'10" |
69 |
Giuseppe Sartore (Ita) |
Sanson |
+2h46'40" |
70 |
Anatole Novak (Fra) |
Ford France-Hutchinson |
+2h54'44" |
71 |
Severino Andreoli (Ita) |
Vittadello |
+2h55'04" |
72 |
Giuseppe Grassi (Ita) |
Filotex-Fiorelli |
+2h56'27" |
73 |
Jozef Boons (Bel) |
Dr. Mann-Grundig |
+2h56'30" |
74 |
Aldo Pifferi (Ita) |
Vittadello |
+2h58'53" |
75 |
Gianpiero Macchi (Ita) |
Legnano-Pirelli |
+3h01'07" |
76 |
Mario Anni (Ita) |
Molteni-Hutchinson |
+3h06'21" |
77 |
Mario Minieri (Ita) |
Salvarani |
+3h07'06" |
78 |
Remo Stefanoni (Ita) |
Molteni-Hutchinson |
+3h08'14" |
79 |
Gerard Thielin (Fra) |
Ford France-Hutchinson |
+3h11'22" |
80 |
Renato Bonso (Ita) |
Mainetti |
+3h39'47" |
81 |
Giacomo Fornoni (Ita) |
Molteni-Hutchinson |
+3h43'14" |
82 |
Enrico Massignan (Ita) |
Bianchi-Mobylette |
+3h54'19" |
83 |
Paolo Gelli (Ita) |
Filotex-Fiorelli |
+4h11'23" |
Final Mountains Classification |
Rank |
Rider |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Franco Bitossi (Ita) |
Filotex-Fiorelli |
490 |
2 |
Julio Jiménez (Spa) |
Ford France-Hutchinson |
320 |
3 |
Gianni Motta (Ita) |
Molteni-Hutchinson |
160 |
4 |
Italo Zilioli (Ita) |
Sanson |
150 |
5 |
Silvano Schiavon (Ita) |
Legnano |
120 |
6 |
Ambrogio Portalupi (Ita) |
Vittadello |
110 |
7t |
Graziano Battistini (Ita) |
Vittadello |
80 |
Marcello Mugnaini (Ita) |
Filotex-Fiorelli |
9 |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Molteni-Hutchinson |
70 |
10t |
Flaviano Vicentini (Ita) |
Legnano |
60 |
Jacques Anquetil (Fra) |
Ford France-Hutchinson |
Final Points Classification |
Rank |
Rider |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Gianni Motta (Ita) |
Molteni-Hutchinson |
228 |
2 |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Molteni-Hutchinson |
162 |
3 |
Vito Taccone (Ita) |
Vittadello |
152 |
4 |
Franco Bitossi (Ita) |
Filotex |
147 |
5 |
Dino Zandegù (Ita) |
Bianchi-Mobylette |
134 |
6 |
Jacques Anquetil (Fra) |
Ford France-Hutchinson |
133 |
7 |
Felice Gimondi (Ita) |
Salvarani |
130 |
8 |
Jos Huysmans (Bel) |
Dr. Mann-Grundig |
119 |
9 |
Italo Zilioli (Ita) |
Sanson |
114 |
10t |
Vittorio Adorni (Ita) |
Salvarani |
106 |
Michele Dancelli (Ita) |
Molteni-Hutchinson |
GdI 1967
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