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Date: 26 May 2007 14:01:16
From: Bob Schwartz
Subject: Tre Cime di Lavaredo
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The Giro has only been to Tre Cime di Lavaredo a few times, finishing
at the Auronzo Shelter . The 1974 stage finishing here was one of the
Giro's most memorable.
1967 - The Giro visited here in 1967 after the road was first improved.
Felice Gimondi was the hero of Italian cycling and he made good on
the stage, followed by Merckx and Motta. An indication of the
difficulty of this stage comes from the results, which were
canceled due to the number of riders that received pushes on the
climb, an all too common practice in Italy at the time. 1967 was
Merckx' first entry into the Giro, and he had already taken two stages
including the stage 12 climb to Block Haus. This Giro would mark
one of the few crossing points of the two most prominent Grand Tour
riders of the time. Jacques Anquetil would stand on a Grand Tour
podium for the last time, finishing 3rd in Milan behind Gimondi.
Merckx held third position until falling ill and coughing up time on
the Tonale. He would finish 9th, and was getting an idea that he
might have some success in stage races.
1968 - This was the year that Merckx first rode for an Italian team,
and it is this experience that he credits with launching his career as
a dominant stage racer. Riding for Faema he would win Paris-Roubaix
before turning his attention to the Giro. Merckx took the stage from
Gorinza to Tre Cime di Lavaredo with an ease that surely disturbed
his rivals. That Giro marked his first win in a Grand Tour, 5 minutes
ahead of his teammate Adorni and 9 ahead of Gimondi.
1974 - Things were different for Merckx this year. Bronchitis damaged
his early season to the point that this marks one of the few seasons
where he did not take a single classic. He entered the Giro as the
defending champion and four time victor. The difficult stage to Tre Cime
di Lavaredo would come late in the race.
Making his debut in the Giro was the rising Italian star Baronchelli.
While it was Fuente that got to the shelter first, the real story was
happening further on down the mountain. Since 1968 Merckx had never
reached this part of a Giro without being in total control. Attacked in
awful weather by Baronchelli and Gimondi he would be hard pressed to
salvage 33 seconds lead over his old rival and a mere 12 seconds over
his new one. This remains one of the closest Giros ever (Magni defeated
Cecchi by 11 seconds in 1948) and marked the 5th and last win in the
Giro for Merckx.
1981 - The Dolomite climb again stood near the end of the Giro. The
diminutive Swiss climber Beat Breu took the stage, while Giovanni
Battaglin battled Tommy Prim for the pink jersey. The Giro finished with
a time trial in Verona that year, and Battaglin held 38 seconds on Prim
at the end of it.
1989 - Winning the Giro-Tour double has always been one of the most
prestigious feats in the world of cycling. 1989 would see a lot of drama
in these two events, with the first act coming on the road from Padova
to Tre Cime di Lavaredo on Stage 13 of the Giro. Luis Herrera made his
name in the mountains, and one of those mountains was this one in the
Dolomites. Behind him the struggle was between riders like Laurent
Fignon, Andy Hampsten, Erik Breukink, and Flavio Giupponi. And further
behind Greg Lemond was struggling also in the rain and cold. No one was
paying much attention.
Fignon was the best in that year's Giro. As he looked forward to the
Tour no doubt he could imagine adding his name to the very short list of
great riders to win the sport's two premier events in the same year.
Bob Schwartz
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Date: 27 May 2007 14:28:49
From: sergio
Subject: Re: Tre Cime di Lavaredo
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On 27 Mag, 23:12, Bob Schwartz <bob.schwa...@REMOVEsbcglobal.net >
> It'll be as interesting watching the support cars as the race.
You mean the engines overheating on the ascent?
Or just a little help.
Sergio
Pisa
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Date: 28 May 2007 01:10:17
From: Bob Schwartz
Subject: Re: Tre Cime di Lavaredo
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sergio wrote:
> On 27 Mag, 23:12, Bob Schwartz <bob.schwa...@REMOVEsbcglobal.net>
>> It'll be as interesting watching the support cars as the race.
>
> You mean the engines overheating on the ascent?
> Or just a little help.
That was a reference to the conversations between Yates and
Pieper that made it possible for Savoldelli to get the help
he needed to hold off Di Luca and Simoni.
Bob Schwartz
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Date: 27 May 2007 09:52:12
From:
Subject: Re: Tre Cime di Lavaredo
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On May 27, 3:01 pm, Bob Schwartz <bob.schwa...@REMOVEsbcglobal.net >
wrote:
> What was a Giro worth back then?
What's a pink jersey worth now? Think during the last two kilometers
today Basso's sister's boyfriend was reminding himself that the pink
jersey automatically gets tested?
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Date: 27 May 2007 16:12:41
From: Bob Schwartz
Subject: Re: Tre Cime di Lavaredo
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rechungREMOVETHIS@gmail.com wrote:
> On May 27, 3:01 pm, Bob Schwartz <bob.schwa...@REMOVEsbcglobal.net>
> wrote:
>> What was a Giro worth back then?
>
> What's a pink jersey worth now? Think during the last two kilometers
> today Basso's sister's boyfriend was reminding himself that the pink
> jersey automatically gets tested?
I am hoping that on Wednesday the major players include DiLuca,
Simoni, Savoldelli, and a couple of guys willing to make deals.
The historical precedent there is for a rockin' stage.
It'll be as interesting watching the support cars as the race.
Bob Schwartz
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Date: 27 May 2007 09:15:48
From: sergio
Subject: Re: Tre Cime di Lavaredo
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On May 27, 3:01 pm, Bob Schwartz <bob.schwa...@REMOVEsbcglobal.net >
wrote:
> sergio wrote:
> > Rumor had it that GB Baronchelli in fact held back, and he
> > deliberately refrained from taking that Giro.
> Did he ever say what it cost Merckx? What was a Giro worth
> back then?
Godd suggestion for a direct question to pose.
I might drop by and ask, one of these days.
Sergio
Pisa
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Date: 27 May 2007 00:06:45
From: sergio
Subject: Re: Tre Cime di Lavaredo
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On 27 Mag, 08:22, rechungREMOVET...@gmail.com wrote:
> On May 27, 7:04 am, sergio <serva...@df.unipi.it> wrote:
>
> > Rumor had it that GB Baronchelli in fact held back, and he
> > deliberately refrained from taking that Giro.
>
> Lemond held back and deliberately refrained from taking the TdF in
> 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, ...
Not to dispute your source, mine is a former teammate of
Baronchelli's, who runs a bike shop here in town.
Believe it or not, as a rumor it is true.
Sergio
Pisa
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Date: 27 May 2007 09:40:09
From: Fred Fredburger
Subject: Re: Tre Cime di Lavaredo
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sergio wrote:
> On 27 Mag, 08:22, rechungREMOVET...@gmail.com wrote:
>> On May 27, 7:04 am, sergio <serva...@df.unipi.it> wrote:
>>
>>> Rumor had it that GB Baronchelli in fact held back, and he
>>> deliberately refrained from taking that Giro.
>> Lemond held back and deliberately refrained from taking the TdF in
>> 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, ...
>
> Not to dispute your source, mine is a former teammate of
> Baronchelli's, who runs a bike shop here in town.
> Believe it or not, as a rumor it is true.
>
His source is the best possible: Lemond himself.
BTW, fact is not really stranger than fiction.
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Date: 26 May 2007 23:22:37
From:
Subject: Re: Tre Cime di Lavaredo
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On May 27, 7:04 am, sergio <serva...@df.unipi.it > wrote:
> Rumor had it that GB Baronchelli in fact held back, and he
> deliberately refrained from taking that Giro.
Lemond held back and deliberately refrained from taking the TdF in
1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, ...
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Date: 26 May 2007 22:04:58
From: sergio
Subject: Re: Tre Cime di Lavaredo
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On 26 Mag, 21:01, Bob Schwartz <bob.schwa...@REMOVEsbcglobal.net >
> Making his debut in the Giro was the rising Italian star Baronchelli.
> While it was Fuente that got to the shelter first, the real story was
> happening further on down the mountain. Since 1968 Merckx had never
> reached this part of a Giro without being in total control. Attacked in
> awful weather by Baronchelli and Gimondi he would be hard pressed to
> salvage 33 seconds lead over his old rival and a mere 12 seconds over
> his new one. This remains one of the closest Giros ever ...
Rumor had it that GB Baronchelli in fact held back, and he
deliberately refrained from taking that Giro.
Sergio
Pisa
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Date: 27 May 2007 13:01:14
From: Bob Schwartz
Subject: Re: Tre Cime di Lavaredo
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sergio wrote:
> Rumor had it that GB Baronchelli in fact held back, and he
> deliberately refrained from taking that Giro.
Did he ever say what it cost Merckx? What was a Giro worth
back then?
Bob Schwartz
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Date: 26 May 2007 14:18:45
From: Howard Kveck
Subject: Re: Tre Cime di Lavaredo
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In article <2u%5i.3474$u56.1585@newssvr22.news.prodigy.net >,
Bob Schwartz <bob.schwartz@REMOVEsbcglobal.net > wrote:
> The Giro has only been to Tre Cime di Lavaredo a few times, finishing
> at the Auronzo Shelter . The 1974 stage finishing here was one of the
> Giro's most memorable.
(snipper of great bit of history)
Thanks again for posting this information, Bob. These are always well worth
reading.
--
tanx,
Howard
Never take a tenant with a monkey.
remove YOUR SHOES to reply, ok?
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Date: 27 May 2007 10:12:45
From: Bob Schwartz
Subject: Re: Tre Cime di Lavaredo
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Howard Kveck wrote:
> In article <2u%5i.3474$u56.1585@newssvr22.news.prodigy.net>,
> Bob Schwartz <bob.schwartz@REMOVEsbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
>> The Giro has only been to Tre Cime di Lavaredo a few times, finishing
>> at the Auronzo Shelter . The 1974 stage finishing here was one of the
>> Giro's most memorable.
>
> (snipper of great bit of history)
>
> Thanks again for posting this information, Bob. These are always well worth
> reading.
Well, it certainly is a venue that encourages epic racing.
The Giro should visit more frequently.
Bob Schwartz
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