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By Barry Boyce, CyclingRevealed Historian |
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San Marino TT
The 1979 Giro d’Italia was a Classics Italian Battle. Giro organizers again this year designed a race with less climbing stages and 5 time trials. The race route encouraged the great rivalry between Moser and Saronni to thrive.
Francesco Moser and Giuseppe Saronni butted head on the 8 km prologue time trial with Moser squeezing out a slim 3 second lead.
The early stages saw Moser and Saronni glued to each other, trading minor time gains through stage 7. Moser’s lead stood at 26” at the start of the 28 km ITT from Rimini to San Marino.
Francesco Moser was the master of the time trial but Saronni had other ideas for San Marino. The inspired young Italian 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.
Through the remaining 11 stages the battle raged. Each 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 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 |
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)
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GdI May 17 to June 06, 1979 |
| 3,301 Km |
1. Giuseppe SARONNI (Ita) 89h29'18" |
| 2. Francesco Moser (Ita) +2'09" |
| 3.
Bernt Johansson (Swe) +3'13" |
Starters: 130 |
Finishers: 111 |
Average Speed: 36.887 km/h |
GdI 1980
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Return to the Race Snippets ToC |
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