Titans Fight, Mara Sprints to Victory
The 23rd Milan-San Remo Classicissima was held on March 30, 1930.
SPECIAL NOTE: Significantly on the start list was the thirty-seven-year-old Costante Girardengo, winner of six editions of M-SR (1918, 1921, 1923, 1925, 1926, 1928). ‘Gira’ was making a sensational comeback to racing.
The race started at 6:27 am in Milan. The rain that greeted the riders did not slow the pace through the "preme-sprints" (cash prizes awarded for sprint lines in the villages along the race route) across the plains of Lombardia.
Race Status:
The peloton began to split over the summit of the Passo Turchino (131 km / 287 km). Antonio Negrini (Gira’s Maino teammate) took the Grand Prix of the Mountains, a "climbing-preme" at the summit, and drove the pace on the descent toward the coast.
A bit of gamesmanship for the “two-Titan” of the race:
Costante Girardengo (Maino) attacked / Alfredo Binda (Lrgnano) followed,
when Binda did not work, Gira slowed… Binda in turn slowed,
Gira stopped to check his bike… Binda also made a short stop.
While the two played, Negrini, Domenico Piemontesi (Bianchi-Pirelli) and Luigi Giacobbe (Maino) rode away.
Arriving on the Italian Riviera, as the weather turned sunny, a 14-rider breakaway group formed
An aggressive pace saw the group split again, but a regrouping occurred in Arenzano (167 km / 287 km).
At the entrance to Varazze (191 km / 287 km) Girardengo and his teammate Rafaele Di Paco crashed. When Binda tried to move away, he had a crash of his own.
While the fallen riders recovered, Negrini, Giacobbe, and Luigi Marchisio (Legnano) broke away in Celle Ligure (195 km /287 km).
Pietro Fossati (Maino), Giuseppe Frascarelli (Isolati), Allegro Grandi (Bianchi), Michele Mara (Bianchi), and Learco Guerra (Maino) chased at 1'04", Girardengo followed a hundred meters behind the five chasers. He quickly caught the 5-rider chase group.
An unfortunate Binda, depressed from the crash, suffered several more punctures and abandoned in Spotorno (217 km / 287 km).
The leaders had a regrouping of eleven riders (7 were from Gira’s Maino team) at the check point in Loano (240 km / 287 km).
Team Maino had complete control of the race coming into Diano Marina (252 km / 287 km). Girardengo seemed ready to claim his 7th M-SR victory (?).
The results of a hard-fought race awaited in San Remo. Guerra (Maino) had team orders to start the long sprint with Di Paco (Maino) taking over for the final push to the line. But Michele Mara (Bianchi-Pirelli), Pio Caimmi (Gloria-Hutchinson) and Domenico Piemontesi (Bianchi-Pirelli) had other plans.
At the 100 meter mark the Mara, Pio Caimmi (Gloria), and Piemontesi sprinted past the fading the “Campionissimo.”
Bianchi's Michele Mara executed an excellent sprint and took the prestigious Milan-San Remo victory.
M-SR March 30, 1930 / 287 Km |
1.
Michele MARA (Ita) 9h43'00" |
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3.
Domenico Piemontesi (Ita)
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Starters: 143 / Finishers: 77  Average Speed : 29.485 km/h |
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M-SR 1929
M-SR 1931
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