Stephen Roche vs Roberto Visentini: “The Sappada Incident” Giro d’Italia 1987

Irishman Stephen Roche battled his Carrera teammate and defending Giro champion Roberto Visentini for the 1987 Giro d’Italia victory.

Roche and Visentini traded the race lead three times through the first fourteen stages. Stage 15 (The Sappada Incident), the race exploded in the Dolomites (Lido di Jesolo to Sappada), with a tired defending Giro champion Roberto Visentini in the Maglia Rosa. Roche joined the first breakaway of the day, despite team orders from director sportif Davide Boifava to return to the peloton. Boifava and an angry Visentini ordered Carrera team to chase their teammate’s breakaway.

Once caught Roche attacked again on the final climb towards Sappada. Visentini, visibly exhausted, went into crisis and ended up losing +6’50” to Roche. The Maglia Rosa returned to Roche.

SPECIAL NOTE: Roche's actions, taking the race lead away from Visentini and disobeying team commands, earned the hatred of the Italian tifosi.

Stage 16 (The Marmolada Massacre), the sixteenth stage included five categorized climbs (Croce Comelico, Gardena, Sella, Passo Pordoi, and the Marmolada) before concluding in the City of Canazei. The stage was very difficult for Roche, who was spit at and insulted during the stage by Italian tifosi. Aggressively trying to take back time Visentini tried multiple attacks on the slopes of the Marmolada, but Roche, who was helped by Robert Millar (GBr) and Eddy Scheppers (Bel) managed to hold the Visentini group. In the late kilometers Johan Van Der Velde (Ned) broke away on the descent of the Pordoi Pass and bridged the gap to the leaders. The Dutchman sprinted to his second consecutive stage in Canazei.

On the final mountain stage 21 Como to Pila, Visentini was dropped and crashed heavily (fracturing his wrist). He finished the stage but abandoned that evening. Roche had delivered the final nail to Visentini’s coffin.

The Irishman finished the race in style winning the ITT in St. Vincent and taking the Giro victory. Stephen Roche became the first Irishman to win the Giro d'Italia.

This Giro will be remembered for dramatic racing, the intense rivalry, and the bitter battles between two titans of the cycling world.

Note from Eddy O’Roarke: To this day, when talking about the Sappada Incident, Visentini still becomes apoplectic at hearing Roche's name.