Gino Bartali's Great Sprint
The 41st Milan-San Remo Classicissima was held on March 19, 1950.
The race rolled off at 8:30 am. Frenchman Dominique Canavese (Gitane) and Valeriano Zanazzi (Atala-Pirelli) attacked a passive pace and broke away to collect the “village premes” on the flat early kms of the plains of Lombardia. The two were caught in Casteggio (68 km / 282 km).
Race Status:
On the Turchino Pass (131 km / 282 km), Nedo Logli (Ganna) led over the summit with Vito Ortelli (Atala-Pirelli), Luciano Maggini (Taurea-Pirelli), Sergio Pagliazzi (Arbos-Talbot), Bruno Pontisso (Arbos-Talbot), Danilo Barozzi (Cimatti), Paolo Neri (La Perle), and Vittorio Seghezzi (Ganna). The peloton trailed at 1'33".
After the descent, few kilometers after Genova-Voltri (149 km / 282 km), the peloton came back together.
At the refueling station in Savona (189 km / 282 km), aggressively Belgian Frans Gielen (Garin-Wolber) and Livio Isotti (Arbos-Talbot) escaped and built a 3'00” advantage.
The duo rode well together down the Ligurian coast holding their solid lead.
The breakaway began to faulter when Isotti tried to escape solo on the Capo Cervo (246 km / 282 km). Fatigued from the effort Isotti and Gielen allowed the chasers to regain the front of the race.
On the climb of the Capo Berta (252 km / 282 km), Gino Bartali (Bartali-Gardiol) attacked when a puncture slowed Fausto Coppi (Bianchi).
Bartali’s move forced World Champion Rik Van Steenbergen (Mercier) to chase hard. In his wake Frenchman Edouard Fachleitner (France Sport) towed Coppi back to the leaders.
A regrouping occurred in the closing kms. For the first time in the post-war period the race would be determined with a sprint.
Fifty-three riders lined up for the sprint. Fausto Coppi led out the sprint for his Bianchi teammate Oreste Conte. At the 150-meter mark strong sprinter Van Steenbergen came off the wheels into the lead. Past 70-meter mark Gino Bartali used his superior closing speed to clearly cross the finish line for the M-SR victory.
Campionissimo Gino Bartali wins the sprint on the Via Roma.
Grand Italian Champion Gino Bartali (Ita) started the 1950 racing season in grand style by winning Milan-San Remo.
M-SR March 19, 1950 / 282 Km |
1.
Gino BARTALI (Ita) 7h18'52" |
2.
Nedo Logli (Ita) |
3.
Oreste Conte (Ita) |
Starters: 210 / Finishers: 121  Average Speed : 38.553 km/h |
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M-SR 1949
M-SR 1951
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