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By Barry Boyce, CyclingRevealed Historian |
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MERCKX !
A young Eddy Merckx raced in his first Giro d'Italia in 1967. Merckx scored 2 stage wins, finished 9th overall and 2nd in the Points Competition. In 1968 he moved to the next level.
SPECIAL NOTE: Giro organizers instituted the prologue time trial (a short “opening stage time trial) in 1968.
Merckx was impressive throughout, but his most dominating performance was on the stage 12 finishing climb of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. "That win was my most memorable," he reflected. "It is hard to make parallels back to my day but this was truly a difficult day," said Merckx. The 40 seconds time gain and stage win gave Merckx his first Maglia Rosa (race leader's jersey).
Eddy Merckx rolled across the finish line in Napoli and gained his first Grand Tour. The young Belgian completed his dominating performance by also winning the Points Jersey and the Mountain Prize
SPECIAL NOTE: A year after Tom Simpson’s death on Mont Ventoux, Giro officials started drug testing. 1966 Giro winner Gianni Motta was one of the 8 riders who tested positive and was disqualified for doping.
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Prologue Campione d'Italia, 5.7 km ITT |
Charly Grosskost (Fra) |
Charly Grosskost (Fra) |
Stage 1 Campione-Novara, 128 km |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 2 Novara-St Vincent, 189 km |
Gianni Motta (Ita) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 3 St Vincent-Alba, 168 km |
Guido Reybrouck (Bel) |
Michele Dancelli (Ita) |
Stage 4 Alba-San Remo, 162 km |
Edward Sels (Bel) |
Michele Dancelli (Ita) |
Stage 5 Circuito San Remo , 149 km |
Italo Zilioli (Ita) |
Michele Dancelli (Ita) |
Stage 6 San Remo-Alessandria, 223 km |
Jose Momene (Spa) |
Michele Dancelli (Ita) |
Stage 7 Alessandria-Piacenza, 174 km |
Guerrino Tosello (Ita) |
Michele Dancelli (Ita) |
Stage 8 San Giorgio-Brescia, 225 km |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Michele Dancelli (Ita) |
Stage 9 Brescia-Lido di Caldonazzo, 210 km |
Julio Jimenez (Spa) |
Michele Dancelli (Ita) |
Stage 10 Trento-Monte Grappa, 136 km |
Emilio Casalini (Ita) |
Michele Dancelli (Ita) |
Stage 11 Bassano del Grap.-Trieste, 197 km |
Guido Reybrouck (Bel) |
Michele Dancelli (Ita) |
Stage 12 Goriza-Tre C. Lavaredo, 213 km |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 13 C d'Ampezzo-Vitt. Veneto , 163 km |
Lino Farisato (Ita) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 14 Vitt Veneto-Marina Romea, 199 km |
Luigi Sgarbozza (Ita) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 15 Ravenna-Imola, 141 km |
Marino Basso (Ita) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 16 Cesenatico-San Marino, 43.9 km ITT |
Felice Gimondi (Ita) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 17 San Marino-Foligno, 196 km |
Franco Bitossi (Ita) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 18 Foligno-Abbadia S Salvatore, 166 km |
Julio Jimenez (Spa) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 19 Abbadia S Salvatore-Rome, 181 km |
Lucciano Dalla-Bona (Ita) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 20 Rome-Rocca di Cambio, 215 km |
Pedro Santamarina (Ita) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 21 Rocca Cambio-Blauk Haus, 198 km |
Franco Bodrero (Ita) |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
Stage 22 Chieti-Napoli, 235 km |
Guido Reybrouck (Bel) |
 Eddy Merckx (Bel)
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Mountain Classification |
Eddy Merckx (Bel) |
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Points Jersey |
 Eddy Merckx (Bel)
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GdI May 21 - June 12, 1968 |
| 3,917 Km |
1. Eddy MERCKX (Bel) 108h42'27" |
| 2. Vittorio Adorni (Ita) +5'01" |
| 3.
Felice Gimondi (Ita) +9'05" |
Starters: 130 |
| Finishers: 90 |
Average Speed: 36.031 km/h |
GdI 1969
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