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By Barry Boyce, CyclingRevealed Historian
GdI May 17 to June 06, 1979 |
3,301 Km |
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(* 130, KAS declined invitation) |
Finishers: 111 |
Average Speed: 36.887 km/h |
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San Marino ITT
The 1979 Giro d’Italia was a Classics Italian Battle. Giro organizers this year designed a race with fewer climbing stages and five (5!) Individual Time Trials. The race route encouraged the great rivalry between Francesco Moser and Giuseppe Saronni to thrive.
Since Italy was smarting from a string of foreign Giro winners, race director Vincenzo Torriani designed the 1979 racecourse to favor Saronni and Moser. This would be the flattest postwar Giro and Torriani put in five Individual Time Trials.
Teams:
The fourteen teams entering * the race were:
- Bianchi-Faema
- Gis Gelati
- CBM Fast-Gaggia
- GBC-Galli-Castelli
- Sapa Assicurazioni
- Sanson-Gelati-Luxor TV
- Mecap-Hoonved
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- Magniflex-Famcucine
- SCIC-Bottecchia
- Mobilificio San Giacomo
- Peugeot-Esso-Michelin
- Willora-Piz Buin-Bonanza
- Zonca-Santin
- KAS (declined invitation *)
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* Spanish Federation forced Spanish team KAS to decline their invitation in favor of racing in the Vuelta a Espana.
Special Race Award:
Again, this year the Fiat Ritmo Classification, which was created to honor Juan Manuel Santisteban (Spa), who passed away after a crash in the 1976 Giro. There were designated intermediate-sprint lines during the longer Giro stages. The winner of the intermediate sprint (“race within a race”) during each stage received a Fiat Ritmo!
Race Summary:
Prologue: Moser and Saronni butted heads early on the 8 km Prologue Time Trial with Moser squeezing out a slim three second lead.
Stage 1 to 7: The early stages saw Moser and Saronni glued to each other’s wheels, trading minor time gains through stage 7.
Stage 8: at the start of the 28 km ITT from Rimini toSan Marino Moser’s race lead stood at +26”. Francesco Moser was the master of the time trial but inspired young Italian had other ideas. Saronni finished the 28 km ITT in 45’56” and gained 1’24” seconds on Moser. Saronni took the race leader’s Maglia Rosa away from Moser.
Stage 17 (Cima Coppi): The seventeenth stage, 194 km from Pieve di Cadore to Trento, had two major climbs, the Falzarego and Passo Pordoi (Cima Coppi), but it should be noted that the two passes came a significant distance from the stage’s finish line. Italian Leonardo Natale rode first across the summit of the Pordoi and took the Cima Coppi. Francesco Moser won the stage in his hometown, Trento. Natale finished in 16th place on the stage, 25’01” behind the stage winner.
Stage 11 to 19: Through the remaining eleven stages the battle raged. Each rider would gain and lose precious second, but neither could shake the other. On the strength of his San Marino TT Giuseppe Saronni rode into Milan for the Giro victory 2’09” ahead of Italian superstar Francesco Moser.
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Prologue Firenze, 8 km ITT |
Francesco Moser (Ita) |
Francesco Moser (Ita) |
Stage 1 Firenze-Perugia, 156 km |
Mario Beccia (Ita) |
Francesco Moser (Ita) |
Stage 2 Perugia-Castelgandolfo, 204 km |
Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel) |
Francesco Moser (Ita) |
Stage 3 Caserta-Napoli, 31 km ITT |
Francesco Moser (Ita) |
Francesco Moser (Ita) |
Stage 4 Caserta-Potenza, 210 km |
Claudio Bortolotto (Ita) |
Francesco Moser (Ita) |
Stage 5 Potenza-Vieste Gargano, 223 km |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Francesco Moser (Ita) |
Stage 6 Vieste-Chieti, 260 km |
Bruno Wolfer (Sui) |
Francesco Moser (Ita) |
Stage 7 Chieti-Pesaro, 252 km |
Alan Van Heerden (Afs) |
Francesco Moser (Ita) |
Stage 8 Rimini-San Marino, 28 km ITT |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Stage 9 San Marino-Pistoia, 248 km |
Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel) |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Stage 10 Lerici-Portovenere, 25 km ITT |
Knut Knudsen (Nor) |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Stage 11 La Stage Spezia-Voghera, 212 km |
Bernt Johansson (Swe) |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Stage 12 Alessandria-St Vincent, 204 km |
Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel) |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Stage 13 Aosta-Meda, 229 km |
Dino Porrini (Ita) |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Stage 14 Meda-Boscochiesanuova, 212 km |
Bernt Johansson (Swe) |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Stage 15 Verona-Treviso, 121 km |
Giuseppe Martinelli (Ita) |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Stage 16 Treviso-Pieve di Cadore, 195 km |
Roberto Ceruti (Ita) |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Stage 17 Pieve di Cadore-Trento, 194 km |
Francesco Moser (Ita) |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Stage 18 Trento-Barzio, 245 km |
Amilcare Sgalbazzi (Ita) |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
Stage 19 Cesano Maderno-Milan, 44 km ITT |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
 Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
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Mountain Classification |
 Claudio Bortolotto (Ita)
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Points Classification |
 Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
General Classification:
Final General Classification |
Rank |
Rider |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Giuseppe SARONNI (Ita)  |
SCIC-Bottecchia |
89h29'18" |
2 |
Francesco Moser (Ita) |
Sanson-Luxor TV-Campagnolo |
+2'09" |
3 |
Bernt Johansson (Swe) |
Magniflex-Famcucine |
+3'13" |
4 |
Michel Laurent (Fra) |
Peugeot-Esso-Michelin |
+5'31" |
5 |
Silvano Contini (Ita) |
Bianchi-Faema |
+7'33" |
6 |
Mario Beccia (Ita) |
Mecap-Hoonved |
+7'50" |
7 |
Fausto Bertoglio (Ita) |
San Giacomo-Mobilificio |
+11'27" |
8 |
Joseph Fuchs (Sui) |
SCIC-Bottecchia |
+13'07" |
9 |
Gottfried 'Godi' Schmutz (Sui) |
Willora-Piz Buin-Bonanza |
+14'16" |
10 |
Roberto Visentini (Ita) |
CBM Fast-Gaggia |
+16'11" |
11 |
Marino Amadori (Ita) |
Sapa Assicurazioni |
+18'57" |
12 |
Bruno Wolfer (Sui) |
Zonca-Santini |
+19'44" |
13 |
Wladimiro Panizza (Ita) |
Sanson-Luxor TV-Campagnolo |
+21'17" |
14 |
Amilcare Sgalbazzi (Ita) |
Magniflex-Famcucine |
+21'51" |
15 |
Claudio Bortolotto (Ita) |
Sanson-Luxor TV-Campagnolo |
+23'31" |
16 |
Leonardo Natale (Ita) |
Sapa Assicurazioni |
+25'01" |
17 |
Ronald De Witte (Bel) |
Sanson-Luxor TV-Campagnolo |
+31'58" |
18 |
Carmelo Barone (Ita) |
Gis Gelati |
+35'07" |
19 |
Johan De Muynck (Bel) |
Bianchi-Faema |
+37'50" |
20 |
Simone Fraccaro (Ita) |
Sanson-Luxor TV-Campagnolo |
+38'04" |
21 |
Erwin Lienhard (Sui) |
Willora-Piz Buin-Bonanza |
+41'57" |
22 |
Franco Conti (Ita) |
San Giacomo-Mobilificio |
+42'24" |
23 |
Beat Breu (Sui) |
Willora-Piz Buin-Bonanza |
+47'53" |
24 |
Valerio Lualdi (Ita) |
Bianchi-Faema |
+49'19" |
25 |
Patrick Perret (Fra) |
Peugeot-Esso-Michelin |
+50'43" |
26 |
Vincenzo De Caro (Ita) |
Mecap-Hoonved |
+52'29" |
27 |
Roberto Ceruti (Ita) |
Magniflex-Famcucine |
+58'06" |
28 |
Claudio Corti (Ita) |
Zonca-Santini |
+1h04'10" |
29 |
Alfredo Chinetti (Ita) |
SCIC-Bottecchia |
+1h08'19" |
30 |
Giuseppe Perletto (Ita) |
San Giacomo-Mobilificio |
+1h10'31" |
31 |
Bernard Thévenet (Fra) |
Peugeot-Esso-Michelin |
+1h10'53" |
32 |
Ennio Vanotti (Ita) |
Zonca-Santini |
+1h11'20" |
33 |
Roy Schuiten (Ned) |
SCIC-Bottecchia |
+1h11'54" |
34 |
Per Bausager (Den) |
Magniflex-Famcucine |
+1h15'35" |
35 |
Attilio Rota (Ita) |
Sanson-Luxor TV-Campagnolo |
+1h18'19" |
36 |
Gabriele Landoni (Ita) |
SCIC-Bottecchia |
+1h18'49" |
37 |
Corrado Donadio (Ita) |
CBM Fast-Gaggia |
+1h20'02" |
38 |
Alfonso Dal Pian (Ita) |
CBM Fast-Gaggia |
+1h23'34" |
39 |
Gregor Braun (Ger) |
Peugeot-Esso-Michelin |
+1h23'48" |
40 |
Marcel Tinazzi (Fra) |
Peugeot-Esso-Michelin |
+1h23'58" |
41 |
Fridolin Keller (Sui) |
Willora-Piz Buin-Bonanza |
+1h24'10" |
42 |
Phil Edwards (GBr) |
Sanson-Luxor TV-Campagnolo |
+1h24'23" |
43 |
Aldo Donadello (Ita) |
Bianchi-Faema |
+1h27'07" |
44 |
Yves Hezard (Fra) |
Peugeot-Esso-Michelin |
+1h27'10" |
45 |
Giuseppe Passuello (Ita) |
Gis Gelati |
+1h28'11" |
46 |
Walter Riccomi (Ita) |
SCIC-Bottecchia |
+1h29'07" |
47 |
Antonio D'Alonzo (Ita) |
Gis Gelati |
+1h29'42" |
48 |
Salvatore Maccali (Ita) |
Bianchi-Faema |
+1h30'40" |
49 |
Claudio Torelli (Ita) |
Zonca-Santini |
+1h31'49" |
50 |
Pierino Gavazzi (Ita) |
Zonca-Santini |
+1h36'23" |
51 |
Renato Laghi (Ita) |
CBM Fast-Gaggia |
+1h38'04" |
52 |
Tullio Bertacco (Ita) |
CBM Fast-Gaggia |
+1h40'45" |
53 |
Sergio Parsani (Ita) |
Bianchi-Faema |
+1h40'47" |
54 |
Annunzio Colombo (Ita) |
CBM Fast-Gaggia |
+1h41'21" |
55 |
Jean-Claude Fabbri (Ita) |
Magniflex-Famcucine |
+1h41'31" |
56 |
Walter Dusi (Ita) |
Sapa Assicurazioni |
+1h42'53" |
57 |
Alessio Antonini (Ita) |
San Giacomo-Mobilificio |
+1h44'39" |
58 |
Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke (Bel) |
Peugeot-Esso-Michelin |
+1h45'59" |
59 |
Silvano Cervato (Ita) |
Gis Gelati |
+1h47'11" |
60 |
Mario Fraccaro (Ita) |
Mecap-Hoonved |
+1h49'30" |
61 |
Luciano Rossignoli (Ita) |
Mecap-Hoonved |
+1h50'50" |
62 |
Roger Legeay (Fra) |
Peugeot-Esso-Michelin |
+1h52'25" |
63 |
Giancarlo Casiraghi (Ita) |
Sapa Assicurazioni |
+1h52'51" |
64 |
Vittorio Algeri (Ita) |
Sapa Assicurazioni |
+1h53'31" |
65 |
Giuseppe Fatato (Ita) |
San Giacomo-Mobilificio |
+1h55'30" |
66 |
Marcello Osler (Ita) |
Sanson-Luxor TV-Campagnolo |
+1h55'42" |
67 |
Stefano D'Arcangelo (Ita) |
Sapa Assicurazioni |
+1h56'09" |
68 |
Eugène Plet (Fra) |
Carlos-Galli Castelli-GBC |
+1h57'34" |
69 |
Francesco Masi (Ita) |
San Giacomo-Mobilificio |
+1h57'45" |
70 |
Willy De Geest (Bel) |
Gis Gelati |
+2h02'05" |
71 |
Aldo Parecchini (Ita) |
Bianchi-Faema |
+2h02'30" |
72 |
Leonardo Bevilacqua (Ita) |
Gis Gelati |
+2h03'30" |
73 |
Ignazio Paleari (Ita) |
Magniflex-Famcucine |
+2h03'44" |
74 |
Piero Falorni (Ita) |
Gis Gelati |
+2h04'02" |
75 |
Alan Van Heerden (Afs) |
Peugeot-Esso-Michelin |
+2h05'10" |
76 |
Dante Morandi (Ita) |
Mecap-Hoonved |
+2h06'27" |
77 |
Shane Bartley (Aus) |
Carlos-Galli Castelli-GBC |
+2h07'54" |
78 |
Sergio Santimaria (Ita) |
Mecap-Hoonved |
+2h08'39" |
79 |
Guy Sibille (Fra) |
Peugeot-Esso-Michelin |
+2h08'55" |
80 |
Renato Marchetti (Ita) |
Sanson-Luxor TV-Campagnolo |
+2h10'23" |
81 |
Leonardo Mazzantini (Ita) |
Zonca-Santini |
+2h10'41" |
82 |
Josef Wehrli (Sui) |
Willora-Piz Buin-Bonanza |
+2h11'33" |
83 |
Enrico Guadrini (Ita) |
Zonca-Santini |
+2h13'00" |
84 |
Fiorenzo Favero (Ita) |
Sapa Assicurazioni |
+2h14'06" |
85 |
Armando Lora (Ita) |
SCIC-Bottecchia |
+2h15'02" |
86 |
Guido Frei (Ita) |
Willora-Piz Buin-Bonanza |
+2h16'06" |
87 |
Giuseppe Martinelli (Ita) |
San Giacomo-Mobilificio |
+2h16'10" |
88 |
Leone Pizzini (Ita) |
San Giacomo-Mobilificio |
+2h17'30" |
89 |
Orlando Maini (Ita) |
San Giacomo-Mobilificio |
+2h18'02" |
90 |
Guido Amrhein (Sui) |
Willora-Piz Buin-Bonanza |
+2h19'13" |
91 |
Thierry Bolle (Sui) |
Willora-Piz Buin-Bonanza |
+2h19'44" |
92 |
Alex Van Linden (Bel) |
Bianchi-Faema |
+2h22'42" |
93 |
Ronny Bossant (Bel) |
Gis Gelati |
+2h23'30" |
94 |
Roberto Sorlini (Ita) |
Mecap-Hoonved |
+2h24'13" |
95 |
Enrico Paolini (Ita) |
SCIC-Bottecchia |
+2h25'45" |
96 |
Maurizio Bertini (Ita) |
CBM Fast-Gaggia |
+2h26'18" |
97 |
Cesare Cipollini (Ita) |
San Giacomo-Mobilificio |
+2h27'19" |
98 |
Mario Noris (Ita) |
Sapa Assicurazioni |
+2h27'41" |
99 |
Willem Thomas (Bel) |
Carlos-Galli Castelli-GBC |
+2h30'25" |
100 |
Graziano Rossi (Ita) |
Magniflex-Famcucine |
+2h30'27" |
101 |
Urbain van der Flaas (Bel) |
Carlos-Galli Castelli-GBC |
+2h30'41" |
102 |
Piero Spinelli (Ita) |
Zonca-Santini |
+2h32'03" |
103 |
Louis Luyten (Bel) |
Carlos-Galli Castelli-GBC |
+2h37'08" |
104 |
Alessandro Bettoni (Ita) |
Sapa Assicurazioni |
+2h38'00" |
105 |
Bruno Vicino (Ita) |
Carlos-Galli Castelli-GBC |
+2h41'08" |
106 |
Alex Frei (Sui) |
Willora-Piz Buin-Bonanza |
+2h43'05" |
107 |
Giuliano Cazzolato (Ita) |
Mecap-Hoonved |
+2h45'14" |
108 |
Dino Porrini (Ita) |
Mecap-Hoonved |
+2h48'04" |
109 |
Paolo Rosola (Ita) |
Sapa Assicurazioni |
+2h48'38" |
110 |
Angelo Tosoni (Ita) |
CBM Fast-Gaggia |
+2h49'42" |
111 |
Bruno Zanoni (Ita) |
CBM Fast-Gaggia |
+3h00'50" |
Final Mountains Classification |
Rank |
Rider |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Claudio BORTOLOTTO (Ita) |
Sanson Gelati-Luxor TV |
495 |
2 |
Beat Breu (Sui) |
Willora-Piz Buin-Bonanza |
330 |
3 |
Bernt Johansson (Swe) |
Magniflex-Famcucine |
300 |
4 |
Mario Beccia (Ita) |
Mecap-Hoonved |
215 |
5t |
Mario Ceruti (Ita) |
Magniflex-Famcucine |
170 |
Amilcare Sgalbazzi (Ita) |
Magniflex-Famcucine |
Bruno Vicino (Ita) |
GBC-Galli-Castelli |
8t |
Leonardo Natale (Ita) |
Sapa Assicurazioni |
150 |
Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) |
SCIC-Bottecchia |
10 |
Francesco Moser (Ita) |
Sanson Gelati-Luxor TV |
130 |
Final Points Classification |
Rank |
Rider |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Giuseppe SARONNI (Ita) |
SCIC-Bottecchia |
275 |
2 |
Francesco Moser (Ita) |
Sanson Gelati-Luxor TV |
274 |
3 |
Bernt Johansson (Swe) |
Magniflex-Famcucine |
260 |
4 |
Mario Beccia (Ita) |
Mecap-Hoonved |
130 |
5 |
Michel Laurent (Fra) |
Peugeot-Esso-Michelin |
118 |
Final Neo-Pro Classification |
Rank |
Rider |
Team |
Time |
1 |
Silvano CONTINI (Ita)  |
Bianchi-Faema |
89h 36' 51" |
2 |
Roberto Visentini (Ita) |
CBM Fast-Gaggia |
+ 8' 38" |
3 |
Marino Amadori (Ita) |
Sapa Assicurazioni |
+ 11' 24" |
Final Fiat Ritmo Classification |
Rank |
Rider |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Angelo TOSONI (Ita)  |
Fiorella-Citroen |
46 |
2t |
Cesare Cipollini (Ita) |
San Giacomo-Mobilificio |
24 |
Walter Dusi (Ita) |
Sapa Assicurazioni |
Alessio Antonini (Ita) |
San Giacomo-Mobilificio |
GdI 1980
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