by Carol McGann
The next day with the Tonale and Gardena didn’t change things.
The last Dolomite day was the tappone with the Pinei, Nigra, Pordoi, Fedaia and then a second climb to finish at the top of the Pordoi. Chioccioli escaped on the second ascent of the Pordoi, the pass Coppi had used several times to clinch Giro victories. That fact wasn’t lost on the history-conscious tifosi. Chioccioli may not have liked being called “Coppino” but he cemented the image of the campionissimo in their minds with his masterful attack on Coppi’s climb that took another 38 seconds from Chiappucci.
The relentless Lejarreta crashed and with a time loss of over six minutes, his spirited pursuit of Coppino was over. Chioccioli’s nearest competitor now was Chiappucci, almost three minutes down. It was too much for Fignon, who was not only struggling to reach the condition he had enjoyed a couple of years ago, he was in the midst of a complete breakdown in his relationship with Cyrille Guimard. He was among the day’s seven abandons.
The final obstacle to the year’s fuoriclasse (outstanding champion) rider was a 66-kilometer time trial at Casteggio, near Parma. Incredibly, the man of the mountains was also superb against the clock (though the day’s course did have a climb). Chioccioli flattened everyone; his nearest challenger Bugno was almost a minute slower. After nearly a decade of trying (his first Giro ride was 1982 where he came in 25th), Franco Chioccioli had won the Giro d’Italia in commanding fashion. There was no doubt he was by far the strongest man in the race. One of his first requests after the final stage in Milan was for everyone to stop calling him “Coppino”. That didn’t happen.
Final 1991 Giro d’Italia General Classification: 1. Franco Chioccioli (Del Tongo-MG): 99 hours 35 minutes 43 seconds
2. Claudio Chiappucci (Carrera Jeans) @ 3 minutes 48 seconds
3. Massimiliano Lelli (Ariostea) @ 6 minutes 56 seconds
4. Gianni Bugno (Gatorade-Chateau d’Ax) @ 7 minutes 49 seconds
5. Marino Lejarreta (ONCE) @ 10 minutes 23 seconds
Climbers’ Competition: 1. Iñaki Gastón (Clas-Cajastur): 75 points
2. Claudio Chiappucci (Carrera Jeans): 69
3. Franco Chioccioli (Del Tongo-MG): 57
Points Competition: 1. Claudio Chiappucci (Carrera Jeans): 283 points
2. Franco Chioccioli (Del Tongo-MG): 239
3. Mario Cipollini (Del Tongo-MG): 191
Chioccioli’s win with a dominance that seemed to come out of nowhere wasn’t without controversy. French racer Erwann Menthéour was among those who accused the 1991 Giro champion as well as future Giro winner Evgeni Berzin of using the new performance improving drug EPO.
In July Bugno and Chiappucci ran into a Spanish buzz-saw that splintered their Tour ambitions. Using the classic Anquetil strategy of defensive riding in the mountains combined with absolute mastery in the time trials, Miguel Induráin won the 1991 Tour with a quiet, seemingly effortless ride that left the fans speechless and his competitors helpless.
By any measure Bugno’s 1991 season was still excellent: a fourth in the Giro (with three stage wins), second in the Tour, victory in the Clásica San Sebastián, and Italian and World Road Championships.
Chapter 4
1992–1997: Foreigners Dominate and Cycling Enters its Most Troubled Time Ever
1992. Something strange was afoot. Some riders from a few teams, specifically Spanish and Italian squads, seemed to display an inexplicable superiority over other riders and teams that should have been on the same level. Greg LeMond said that in 1990 his “Z” team was among the most powerful in the world. Yet, in a remarkable turnabout, the same “Z” riders could not keep up with the best teams in 1991 Tour. A new drug had entered the pharmacopoeia of the competitive cyclist, EPO. Without EPO, it was nearly impossible for a racing cyclist of the 1990s to compete effectively, so great was EPO’s performance improvement. Hematocrit is the measure of the percentage of blood volume occupied by red blood cells, which the body uses to feed oxygen to the muscles. Normal men of European descent have a hematocrit in the low- to mid-40s. It declines slightly as a response to the effects of training. It does not increase during a stage race, as many racers accused of its use would assert over the next decade—it goes down. Exceptional people exceed these hematocrit values by a significant amount. Damiano Cunego, winner of the 2004 Giro, through a twist of genetic fate, is said to have a natural hematocrit of about 53.
To improve their performances, endurance athletes took to using synthetic EPO (erythopoietin), a drug mimicking the natural EPO the body makes to signal the body to produce red blood cells, thus raising their hematocrits. This is not without danger, because as the hematocrit rises, so does the blood’s viscosity. By the early- to mid-1990s endurance athletes were dying in their sleep because their lower resting heart rates couldn’t shove the red sludge through their blood vessels. In the early 1990s at least a dozen bicycle racers died in their sleep. Writer Jean-François Quinet put the number of dead athletes much higher, estimating that 80 riders (both amateurs and pros used the drug) perished as a consequence of EPO abuse.
I spoke to a mechanic who traveled with a top-flight Spanish pro team in the mid-1990s. What he saw frightened him. The racers slept with heart-rate monitors hooked up to alarms. If a sleeping rider’s pulse fell below a certain rate, the alarm went off, the rider was awakened, given aspirin and a saline injection to thin the blood and put on a trainer to get his heart rate up and blood flowing. This was clearly dangerous stuff at the doses racers were using and everyone knew it, but it had a gigantic payoff to the talented and lucky user. As La Gazzetta put it, there was a change in the hierarchy of some teams: the doctor was now more important than the director.
Nearly all of the top riders of the 1990s had accusations of EPO use leveled at them. Some have confessed and more than a few have had health problems ever since.
Miguel Induráin entered the Giro with the clear plan of riding conservatively, using it as training for the Tour. Fignon resigned himself to racing in the lesser capacity of road captain and advisor to Bugno’s Gatorade squad. Fignon was entered with teammates Giovannetti, Alberto Volpi and rising hope Ivan Gotti. Bugno took a pass on the May race to concentrate on preparing for the Tour.
Chioccioli hoped to repeat his dominating 1991 performance and Chiappucci, nicknamed “The Devil”, had followed up his second place in the Giro with third in the Tour, winning the climbers’ prize along the way.
Prologue specialist Thierry Marie was first in the 8-kilometer opening individual time trial in Genoa, beating Induráin by 3 seconds. The Spaniard’s supposed low-key ambitions were betrayed when he voiced disappointment at not having taken the maglia rosa at the gun. That must have frightened the other competitors who were hoping the ’91 Tour winner was just in Italy for a training ride and espresso.
Two stages later, the pretense was over as Chiappucci and Induráin, fighting for supremacy in the Giro’s first stages, blasted over the Scopetone, a climb just outside Arezzo where the stage finished. Maximilian Sciandri won the stage, but in the havoc of the climb, Marie was dropped, making Induráin the Pink Jersey.
Professional racers ride close together, much closer than amateur racing cyclists or enthusiasts on club rides. Because of this, they are constantly on the alert for trouble. Fignon explained that crashes in the pro peloton can involve a large portion of the pack if they can’t hear brakes being applied up ahead, and that is a common occurrence because the television helicopters like to fly low to get good pictures. The din of the rotors makes it impossible to hear what is going on and if a crash has occurred up ahead, the riders in the back can’t hear the brakes and the sound of the crashing bikes, and keep pedaling at race speed right into the catastrophe. During this third stage Induráin was so bothered by the television helicopter that he rode over to the race director’s car to complain about the danger.
The next day’s 38-kilom
eter time trial was Induráin’s. Of the competitors, the closest was Chiappucci, more than a minute slower. The form that had won the Tour the year before was present at the 1992 Giro.
Heading south, the race went through the Apennines over roads that weren’t challenging enough for anyone to mount an assault on the Pink Jersey, that opportunity presenting itself in stage nine, with a finish at the top of the Terminillo. The first serious attack came from the Latvian rider Piotr Ugrumov. Then Roberto Conti shot up the road and got a good gap, which he managed to keep for a while. Meanwhile Induráin, a bigger rider (6'2", 176 pounds or 1.88 meters, 79.8 kilograms) who didn’t change speed quickly on climbs, was getting his engine going. Finally, he came roaring up to Conti with Chiappucci, Hampsten, Giovannetti and Herrera hanging on to his wheel for dear life. Fignon couldn’t stay with him, neither could Chioccioli, whose short time in the sun as the master rider was over. With a kilometer to go, the Spaniard was still pulling his train up the mountain. Herrera, no danger in the General Classification, took off for the finish, but Chiappucci had to let the Induráin group go and gave up 30 seconds.
After a transfer back to Tuscany, it took two stages to bring the Giro to Bassano del Grappa and the Dolomites. Stage twelve went over the Staulanza, Giau and Falzarego passes, and at this point Induráin saw no point in wasting energy in offensive climbing. When an attack went off, he would slowly climb up to the attacker’s wheel. Chioccioli and Chiappucci (who seemed to have formed an alliance in an effort to destabilize the Spaniard) knew they had to gain time in the mountains because they were completely helpless in time trials against their powerful opponent. But with each acceleration, Induráin would calmly and easily close the gap with a pedaling cadence that was high for such a big man. Franco Vona won the stage with Induráin and Chiappucci together just three seconds behind.
The next day, with the Campolongo, Pordoi and Bondone ascents, it was more of the same. Induráin had things under control as few racers in cycling history ever have.
The third to last stage, with its four major rated climbs, was the last chance for Chiappucci and Chioccioli to take the Giro. Chiappucci was the first over almost all of the climbs and Chioccioli, displaying terrific form, hammered away. But Induráin was not to be dropped. Content to ride defensively, he continually marked his attackers. Chioccioli at least got a stage victory to show for his trouble while Induráin, Chiappucci and Lelli finished right with him in Verbania.
The three days in the Alps changed nothing. It was almost as if Induráin were deciding who would be allowed to win a stage: Giovannetti got the seventeenth, Udo Bölts won the next one and the unrelenting Chioccioli was victor in the nineteenth stage. Always, the maglia rosa was right next to any challengers to his supremacy.
The final stage was a 66-kilometer time trial into Milan. Of course Induráin won it, catching Chiappucci just meters before the finish. Induráin biographer Javier Gárcia Sánchez said that the gratuitous catch was intended to give Chiappucci a psychological blow for the upcoming Tour de France. If that had been his intention, it was a waste of energy; in the Tour Chiappucci was undaunted. His unsuccessful attempt to unseat Induráin with a brave and brilliant ride in the Tour’s Sestriere stage has become the stuff of legends.
This was Laurent Fignon’s final Giro ride. He finished 37th and went on to earn 23rd in the Tour, winning a single stage. He retired from racing the following year and in 2010 died after a brave fight against cancer.
Final 1992 Giro d’Italia General Classification: 1. Miguel Induráin (Banesto): 103 hours 36 minutes 8 seconds
2. Claudio Chiappucci (Carrera Jeans-Tassoni) @ 5 minutes 12 seconds
3. Franco Chioccioli (MG-Bianchi) @ 7 minutes 16 seconds
4. Marco Giovannetti (Gatorade-Chateau d’Ax) @ 8 minutes 1 second
5. Andy Hampsten (Motorola) @ 9 minutes 16 seconds
Climbers’ Competition: 1. Claudio Chiappucci (Carrera Jeans-Tassoni): 76 points
2. Roberto Conti (Ariostea): 45
3. Miguel Induráin (Banesto): 35
Points Competition: 1. Mario Cipollini (MG-Bianchi): 236 points
2. Miguel Induráin (Banesto): 208
3. Maximilian Sciandri (Motorola): 177
1993. This Giro had a good helping of foreign teams: Telekom from Germany; Motorola from the U.S.; Kelme, a Spanish team mostly made up of Colombians; GAN from France; Festina, registered in Andorra but with riders from all over; Artiach and Banesto from Spain. They would be competing in what was regarded as one of the hillier Giri in recent history. Bugno’s 1992 had been creditable with a third in the Tour and a second consecutive World Championship, but the days when he could win almost at will seemed to have passed.
That ability was present in the returning Giro champion, Induráin, who had followed up his 1992 Giro win with a commanding Tour victory, putting him in the elite club of Giro/Tour winners Coppi, Merckx, Hinault and Roche. Induráin caught a lot of grief from his countrymen for taking a pass on the Vuelta to again ride the Giro. But at the time, the Giro was still ridden what might be called Italian style, with the riders going at a moderate tempo until the last hour, which was raced all out; perfect training for the Tour. Greg LeMond was also hoping the Giro might again bring him to top form.
The first day of racing was on the island of Elba, off the coast of Tuscany, where Napoleon had been sent for his first exile. It was a split-stage day with the first half an 85-kilometer road race to Portoferraio. Moreno Argentin left a small breakaway on the final climb and soloed in with a 34-second advantage on the field. What was most interesting about the stage was that once it was clear that Argentin’s break was looking good, Induráin had his team start bringing it back. Induráin was already riding the Giro as if he were the leader.
The afternoon 9-kilometer time trial was won by Maurizio Fondriest with Induráin only two seconds slower.
The General Classification: 1. Moreno Argentin
2. Maurizio Fondriest @ 36 seconds
3. Miguel Induráin @ 38 seconds
4. Eddy Seigneur @ 41 seconds
5. Gianni Bugno @ 44 seconds
Upon landing in the Tuscan coastal city of Grosseto, the Giro headed southeast. By the end of the third stage with its uphill finish in the small town of Scanno, the race was due east of Rome. Argentin’s Mecair team pulled a smart move. Rather than putting the team at the front to ride tempo all day to police the pack, Piotr Ugrumov was sent to join a break. The gambit was successful. Ugrumov jetted from the escape to a solo win. Induráin was forced to put his team to work controlling the break while Argentin’s Mecair riders sat in and enjoyed the ride, not needing to chase down their own teammate. Ugrumov was now in second place.
As the race headed south for three days of racing in Sicily under a terrible baking sun, the top of the leaderboard didn’t change. The race transferred to Montelibretti, near Rome, for a race to Fabriano in Le Marche. Again, no changes to the important standings nor any meaningful action.
That would end with the stage ten 28-kilometer individual time trial in Senigallia. Induráin simply smashed the other hopefuls, beating Argentin by a minute while Ugrumov lost 65 seconds. Bugno’s performance was poor enough to effectively remove him from contention.
The General Classification stood thus: 1. Miguel Induráin
2. Moreno Argentin @ 22 seconds
3. Piotr Ugrumov @ 53 seconds
4. Maurizio Fondriest @ 54 seconds
The next day’s stage went from the Adriatic coast to the hilltop town of Dozza, near Imola, and was ridden in a terrible downpour. A fuga di bidone was allowed to get a sizable gap; Fabiano Fontanelli led in the first of the scattered breaks 3 minutes 29 seconds ahead of the Induráin group. That led to a slightly reordered General Classification because some of the members of the break were not far down in time:
1. Bruno Leali
2. Miguel Induráin @ 6 seconds
3. Marco Giovannetti @ 13 seconds
4. Moreno Argentin @ 29 seconds
5. Piotr Ugrumov @ 1 minute 0 seconds
Leali and his Mercatone Uno team had their hands full defending the Pink Jersey. Stage twelve went to Asiago with a second-category climb in the way, and as soon as the racing started, so did the attacks, and they kept coming and coming. A small group did escape, but despite all of the day’s action, the contenders finished together.
After the stage, Stephen Roche said that there were two races, one for the maglia rosa, which was already partly conceded to Induráin, and one for the first Italian, something that is usually true of any national tour with a dominant foreigner. Some observers thought Induráin looked less than his usually all-powerful self, but to this writer he looked the same, not bothering to waste a single watt and content to let Leali’s Mercatone Uno squad do all the work of controlling the race.
Stage thirteen might not give him that luxury. It was the first Dolomite stage with two hard passes near the end of the day, the Passo di Eores and the Passo delle Erbe before arriving in Corvara. On the Eores a couple of small groups escaped and halfway up Andy Hampsten jumped, with Ugrumov and Massimiliano Lelli coming along for company. The three stayed together with Hampsten doing the lion’s share of the work and Lelli doing none. Further back, seeing that Ugrumov was the virtual Pink Jersey, Mercatone Uno worked like dogs to minimize the gap. Throughout most of the stage Leali remained glued like a limpet to Induráin.