1968 Giro d'Italia

The 1968 Giro d'Italia was the 51st running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tour races. The Giro started in Campione d'Italia, on 20 May, with a 5.7 km (3.5 mi) stage and concluded in Naples, on 11 June, with a 235 km (146.0 mi) mass-start stage. A total of 130 riders from 13 teams entered the 22-stage race, which was won by Belgian Eddy Merckx of the Faema team. The second and third places were taken by Italians Vittorio Adorni and Felice Gimondi, respectively.[1][2][3][4]

1968 Giro d'Italia
Race details
Dates20 May - 12 June
Stages22 + Prologue
Distance3,917.3 km (2,434 mi)
Winning time108h 42' 27"
Results
Winner  Eddy Merckx (BEL) (Faema)
  Second  Vittorio Adorni (ITA) (Faema)
  Third  Felice Gimondi (ITA) (Salvarani)
Points  Eddy Merckx (BEL) (Faema)
  Mountains  Eddy Merckx (BEL) (Faema)
  Team Faema

Teams

At the route's announcement on 21 March, the organizers announced twelve teams of ten would participate;[5] however, one more team (Peugeot) was later invited.[6][7][8] Each team sent a squad of ten riders so the Giro began with a peloton of 130 cyclists.[6][7] Out of the 130 riders that started this edition of the Giro d'Italia, a total of 98 riders made it to the finish in Naples where eight riders were subsequently disqualified for testing positive for drugs leaving the general classification tally at 90 riders.[9] The starting peloton consisted of 70 Italians, 16 Belgians, 15 Frenchmen, 11 Spanish, 7 Swiss, four Germans, three Dutch, two Danes, one English, and one Luxembourgian rider.[10] The presentation of the teams – where each team's roster and manager were introduced in front the media and local dignitaries – took place on 20 May, in the Campione d'Italia at 9:30 AM local time.[11]

The teams entering the race were:[6][7]

Pre-race favorites

The starting peloton did include the previous year's winner Felice Gimondi.[8] Eddy Merckx was confirmed to participate with his Faema team.[8] Eight-time Grand Tour winner Jacques Anquetil did not participate in the race because of a dispute over pay.[8][12][13]

Route and stages

The race route was revealed to the public on 21 March 1968 by race director Vincenzo Torriani.[5][14][15] The starting date of the event was moved from 18 or 19 May to the 20th because of the general election taking place within Italy that ended on 19 May.[5][16] The race was broadcast by RAI throughout Italy.[8] l'Unita writer Gino Sala's felt the route was geared towards climbers, referencing the inclusion of Tre Cime di Lavaredo which had been the previous year and eliminated several riders.[14] Former racer Cino Cinelli felt the Tre Cime di Lavaredo would be the decisive stage, while three time champion Gino Bartali felt the Spanish would benefit from the route.[14] The average length of the stages was 178 km (111 mi).[14] The second individual time trial, in San Marino, was seen as an important stage as it featured inclines of 5-6%.[14] Gianni Motta commented that "I've never seen so many mountains in a row one after another."[14] Four mountains approached or exceeded 2,000 m (6,562 ft): Monte Grappa, Tre Cime di Lavadero, Rocca di Cambio, and Blockhaus.[5] Following the route's unveil, El Mundo Deportivo author Juan Plans Bosch wrote that the Giro would always be second to the Tour de France as it was the first premier bike race, while he felt the Giro had better "historical and geographical illustrations."[5]

To begin race festivities there was a parade through the streets of Campione d'Italia before the prologue started during the night.[5] The race started with a 5.7 km (4 mi) prologue, which consisted of a 2.875 km (2 mi) circuit being crossed twice.[11] The times from this stage were not included in the final times for the general classification, but were just done to determine the first person to wear the race leader's maglia rosa (English: pink jersey).[9] This was the first Giro d'Italia to have a prologue to open the race.[9] The 130 starting riders were divided into thirteen groups of ten, with each group of ten contesting the course at the same time.[9] The times of the fastest riders from each group were put together and the fastest of those times was the rider that would wear the first pink jersey.[9] The route finished for the first time in Naples near Mount Vesuvius along the Mediterranean Ocean.[5]

Stage characteristics and winners[9][17][18]
Stage Date Course Distance Type Winner
P 20 May Campione d'Italia 5.7 km (4 mi) Individual time trial  Charly Grosskost (FRA)[N 1]
1 21 May Campione d'Italia to Novara 128 km (80 mi) Plain stage  Eddy Merckx (BEL)
2 22 May Novara to Saint-Vincent 189 km (117 mi) Stage with mountain(s)  Eddy Merckx (BEL)[N 2]
3 23 May Saint-Vincent to Alba 168 km (104 mi) Plain stage  Guido Reybrouck (BEL)
4 24 May Alba to Sanremo 162 km (101 mi) Stage with mountain(s)  Ward Sels (BEL)
5 25 May Sanremo to Sanremo 149 km (93 mi) Stage with mountain(s)  Italo Zilioli (ITA)
6 26 May Sanremo to Alessandria 223 km (139 mi) Stage with mountain(s)  José Antonio Momeñe (ESP)
7 27 May Alessandria to Piacenza 174 km (108 mi) Stage with mountain(s)  Guerrino Tosello (ITA)
8 28 May San Giorgio Piacentino to Brescia 225 km (140 mi) Stage with mountain(s)  Eddy Merckx (BEL)
9 29 May Brescia to Lido di Caldonazzo 210 km (130 mi) Stage with mountain(s)  Julio Jiménez (ESP)
10 30 May Trento to Monte Grappa 136 km (85 mi) Stage with mountain(s)  Emilio Casalini (ITA)
11 31 May Bassano del Grappa to Trieste 197 km (122 mi) Plain stage  Guido Reybrouck (BEL)
12 1 June Gorizia to Tre Cime di Lavaredo 213 km (132 mi) Stage with mountain(s)  Eddy Merckx (BEL)
13 2 June Cortina d'Ampezzo to Vittorio Veneto 163 km (101 mi) Stage with mountain(s)  Lino Farisato (ITA)
14 3 June Vittorio Veneto to Marina Romea 199 km (124 mi) Plain stage  Luigi Sgarbozza (ITA)
15 4 June Ravenna to Imola 141 km (88 mi) Plain stage  Marino Basso (ITA)
5 June Rest day
16 6 June Cesenatico to San Marino (San Marino) 49.3 km (31 mi) Individual time trial  Felice Gimondi (ITA)
17 7 June San Marino (San Marino) to Foligno 196 km (122 mi) Plain stage  Franco Bitossi (ITA)
18 8 June Foligno to Abbadia San Salvatore 166 km (103 mi) Stage with mountain(s)  Julio Jiménez (ESP)
19 9 June Abbadia San Salvatore to Rome 181 km (112 mi) Plain stage  Luciano Dalla Bona (ITA)
20 10 June Rome to Rocca di Cambio 215 km (134 mi) Stage with mountain(s)  Luis Pedro Santamarina (ESP)
21 11 June Rocca di Cambio to Blockhaus 198 km (123 mi) Stage with mountain(s)  Franco Bitossi (ITA)[N 3]
22 12 June Chieti to Naples 235 km (146 mi) Plain stage  Guido Reybrouck (BEL)
Total 3,917.3 km (2,434 mi)

Race overview

The race's twelfth stage saw heavy rain from the start of the stage in Gorizia, which turned to snow as the race began to elevate into the Dolomites.[19] Police lined the sides of the roads of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo as the riders passed through due to incidents that occurred on the slopes the previous year.[19] The leading group on the road had a ten-minute advantage on Eddy Merckx.[19] Merckx was able to traverse the ten-minute gap, win the stage, and take the lead of the race.[19][20]

Doping

At a presentation in Campione d'Italia, Torriani announced the measures for doping controls.[8] This was the first Giro d'Italia to administer tests in attempt to catch riders doping,[9][21] To determine whether a not tests would be administered, a set of twenty-two envelopes were made with each envelope having a slip of paper inside that read either "Yes" or "No".[8] Following the finish of each stage one envelope was opened, if it read "No," then all riders could leave immediately.[8] If it read "Yes," then riders with high placings on the stage and in the overall classification were tested.[8] The results from these tests, however, would be available fifteen days after the conclusion of the race.[8] On 15 June, the Italian Cycling Federation announced that nine riders had tested positive during the race. The riders were Gimondi, Motta, Franco Balmamion, Franco Bodrero, Raymond Delise, Peter Abt, Victor van Schil, Mariano Diaz, Joaquin Galera.[22][23][24][25][26] Balmamion was cleared of the charges as the substance found in his urine had not been officially banned.[27] Gimondi's ban was overturned on 13 July as he persuaded the authorities he had used Reactivan.[27] Years later, author John foot wrote "Doubts remain about how much the influence of Gimondi's fame and his ability to employ expensive lawyers and experts had on his case," casting further doubt on the legitimacy of Gimondi's claims of innocence.[27] The Tour de France organizers adopted the Giro's doping control scheme for their 1968 race.[28]

Classification Leadership

Two different jerseys were worn during the 1969 Giro d'Italia. The leader of the general classification – calculated by adding the stage finish times of each rider – wore a pink jersey. This classification is the most important of the race, and its winner is considered as the winner of the Giro.[29]

For the points classification, which awarded a red jersey to its leader,[30] cyclists were given points for finishing a stage in the top 15.[31] The mountains classification leader. The climbs were ranked in first and second categories. In this ranking, points were won by reaching the summit of a climb ahead of other cyclists. There were a total of nineteen categorized climbs, of which the highest one, the Cima Coppi, was the Tre Cime di Lavaredo.[32] Although no jersey was awarded, there was also one classification for the teams, in which the stage finish times of the best three cyclists per team were added; the leading team was the one with the lowest total time.[29]

Stage Winner General classification
 Points classification
 Mountains classification Team classification
P Charly Grosskost Charly Grosskost not awarded not awarded not awarded
1 Eddy Merckx Eddy Merckx Eddy Merckx Faema
2 Eddy Merckx[N 2] Julio Jiménez
3 Guido Reybrouck Michele Dancelli
4 Ward Sels Guido Reybrouck
5 Italo Zilioli Julio Jiménez & Eddy Merckx
6 José Antonio Momeñe Eddy Merckx
7 Guerrino Tosello Mariano Díaz
8 Eddy Merckx
9 Julio Jiménez Julio Jiménez
10 Emilio Casalini
11 Guido Reybrouck
12 Eddy Merckx Eddy Merckx Eddy Merckx
13 Lino Farisato
14 Luigi Sgarbozza
15 Marino Basso
16 Felice Gimondi
17 Franco Bitossi
18 Julio Jiménez
19 Luciano Dalla Bona
20 Luis Pedro Santamarina
21 Franco Bitossi[N 3]
22 Guido Reybrouck
Final Eddy Merckx Eddy Merckx Eddy Merckx Faema

Final standings
Legend
     Denotes the winner of the General classification      Denotes the winner of the Points classification

General classification
Final general classification (1–10)[9][33][34][35]
Rank Name Team Time
1  Eddy Merckx (BEL) Faema 108h 42' 27"
2  Vittorio Adorni (ITA) Faema + 5' 01"
3  Felice Gimondi (ITA) Salvarani + 9' 05"
4  Italo Zilioli (ITA) Filotex + 9' 17"
5  Willy Vanneste (BEL) Bic + 10' 43"
DSQ  Gianni Motta (ITA)[N 2] Molteni + 12' 23"
6  Michele Dancelli (ITA) Pepsi Cola + 12' 33"
7  Franco Balmamion (ITA) Molteni + 15' 43"
8  Francisco Gabica (ESP) Fagor + 16' 59"
9  Franco Bitossi (ITA) Filotex + 19' 02"
10  Julio Jiménez (ESP) Bic + 19' 51"

Points classification

Final points classification (1–5)[9][33][34][35]
Name Team Points
1  Eddy Merckx (BEL) Faema 198
2  Franco Bitossi (ITA) Filotex 138
3  Michele Dancelli (ITA) Pepsi Cola 132
DSQ  Gianni Motta (ITA)[N 2] Molteni 122
4  Marino Basso (ITA) Molteni 122
5  Guido Reybrouck (BEL) Faema 115
6  Felice Gimondi (ITA) Salvarani 96
7  Vittorio Adorni (ITA) Faema 88
8  Italo Zilioli (ITA) Filotex 73
9  Julio Jiménez (ESP) Bic
10  Vito Taccone (ITA) Germanvox 60

Mountains classification

Final mountains classification (1–6)[33][36]
Name Team Points
1  Eddy Merckx (BEL) Faema 340
DSQ  Mariano Díaz (ESP) Fagor 210
3  Julio Jiménez (ESP) Bic 180
4  Giancarlo Polidori (ITA) Pepsi Cola 140
 Joaquín Galera (ESP) Fagor
6  Franco Bitossi (ITA) Filotex 90

Traguardi a sorpresa classification

Final traguardia a sorpresa classification (1–10)[37]
Name Team Points
1  Marino Basso (ITA) Molteni 22
2  Roberto Ballini (ITA) Max Meyer 15
3  Pietro Campagnari (ITA) Molteni 14
4  Luciano Armani (ITA) Faema 13
5  Giancarlo Polidori (ITA) Pepsi Cola 10
6  Julio Jiménez (ESP) Bic 8
 Luis Santamarina (ESP) Fagor
 Franco Bitossi (ITA) Filotex
9  Giuseppe Milioli (ITA) Germanvox-Vega 6
10  Italo Zilioli (ITA) Filotex 5
 Rem Stefanoni (ITA) Max Meyer
 Mariano Díaz (ESP) Fagor
 Lino Farisato (ITA) Faema
 Raymond Delisle (FRA)
 Claudio Michelotto (ITA) Max Meyer
 Daminiano Capodivento (ITA) G.B.C.
 Georges Vandenberghe (BEL) Smith's

Team classification

Final team classification (1–10)[33]
Team Points
1 Faema ?
2 Molteni ?
3 Fagor-Fargas ?
4 Pepsi Cola ?
5 Filotex ?
6 Bic ?
7 Salvarani ?
8 Max Meyer ?
9 Germanvox-Vega ?
10 Smith's ?

Minor classifications

Franco Bitossi (Filotex) won the traguardi tricolori classification and Merckx won the Trofeo dei Circuiti.[38]

gollark: "You can totally derive half a page of rules from that one sentence and snippets of 6-year-old banning-actual-site-features T&C!"
gollark: Ah, yes, *that*.
gollark: Birds.
gollark: I mean, I don't like waiting either, but I generally keep my offer up for a while... unless I see a better trade.
gollark: They should give me more than ~30 seconds to think?!

References

Footnotes
  1. The times from the first stage did not count towards the general classification, but were used to determine what rider would wear the race leader's maglia rosa on the first stage of the race.[9]
  2. The original stage winner, Gianna Motta, was found to have used performance enhancing drugs and his results were subsequently voided.
  3. The original stage winner, Franco Bodrero, was found to have used performance enhancing drugs and his results were subsequently voided.

Citations
  1. "Perlas del "Giro"" [Giro's Pearls] (PDF). El Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo S.A. 13 June 1968. p. 18. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 March 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  2. "La <<grana>> del doping sta per scoppiare?" [The <<grain>> of doping is about to burst?] (PDF). l'Unità (in Italian). PCI. 12 June 1968. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  3. "Gimondi: <<Giuro, non è vero!>> Motta: <<C'è sotto qualcosa?>>" [Gimondi: << I swear, is not it! >> Motta: << There is something behind? >>] (PDF). l'Unità (in Italian). PCI. 17 June 1968. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  4. Paul Maunder (25 May 2018). "Part 6: Turning Through the Clouds". Soigneur. Archived from the original on 24 October 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  5. Juan Plans Bosch (22 March 1968). "El <<Giro>> de Italia de este Ano" [The <<Tour>> of Italy this year] (PDF). El Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo S.A. p. 11. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 October 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  6. "Partono in 129 (la Pepsi rinuncia al decimo)" [Start at 129 (Pepsi waiver to tenth)]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 20 May 1968. p. 3. Archived from the original on 28 December 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  7. "Partono in 130, Brand nella Pepsi" [Starting in 130, in the Pepsi Brand]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 21 May 1968. p. 3. Archived from the original on 28 December 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  8. Gianni Pignata (19 April 1968). "Un Giro con molte novita e con tanti campioni in lizza" [A Tour with many novelties and with so many champions in contention.]. La Stampa (in Italian). Editrice La Stampa. p. 13. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  9. Bill and Carol McGann. "1968 Giro d'Italia". Bike Race Info. Dog Ear Publishing. Archived from the original on 12 July 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  10. "Tredici squadre" [Thirteen Teams]. La Stampa (in Italian). Editrice La Stampa. 20 March 1968. p. 9. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  11. Gigi Boccacini (20 March 1968). "Sarà una corsa dura" [It will be a tough race]. La Stampa (in Italian). Editrice La Stampa. p. 9. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  12. "Gimondi fait figure de grand favori mais attention au Belge Eddy Merckx" [Gimondi is a big favorite, but beware of Belgian Eddy Merckx] (PDF). Feuille d'Avis de Neuchatel (in French). 20 May 1968. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 October 2019 – via RERO.
  13. "Le duel Gimondi-Merckx" [The Gimondi-Merckx duel] (PDF). Nouvelliste et Feuille d'Avis du Valais (in French). 20 May 1968. p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 October 2019 – via RERO.
  14. Gino Sala (22 March 1968). "Questo il <<Giro>> del '68" [This is the <<Giro>> of '68] (PDF). l'Unità (in Italian). PCI. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 April 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  15. "Ecco il Giro!" [A ride at high altitude]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 20 May 1968. p. 1, 5, & 10. Archived from the original on 17 October 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  16. Gianni Pignata (12 March 1968). "Il Giro d'Italia partira il 20 (o il 21) maggio" [The Tour of Italy will start the 20 (or 21) in May]. La Stampa (in Italian). Editrice La Stampa. p. 11. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  17. "Un Giro ad alta quota" [A ride at high altitude]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 20 May 1968. p. 3. Archived from the original on 28 December 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  18. "Questo il <<Giro>> del '68" [This is the <<Tour>> of '68] (PDF). l'Unità (in Italian). PCI. 22 March 1968. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  19. Fotheringham 2013, p. 55.
  20. Fotheringham 2013, p. 74.
  21. Foot 2011, p. 247.
  22. Foot 2011, p. 248.
  23. "Negen renners gebruikten in Giro doping" [Nine riders used doping in Giro]. Friese koerier (in Dutch). ANP. 17 June 1968. p. 7 – via Delpher.
  24. "Gimondi, Motta y Balmamion, entre otros, dopados en el <<Giro>>" [Gimondi, Motta and Balmamion, among others, doped in the << Giro >>] (PDF). El Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo S.A. 16 June 1968. p. 22. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  25. "De confirmarse los analisis, se esperan descalificaciones automaticas de los culpables" [If the analyzes are confirmed, automatic disqualifications of the culprits are expected] (PDF). El Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo S.A. 17 June 1968. p. 31. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  26. "Controllo-si anche per Balmamion" [Control-yes also for Balmamion]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 20 May 1968. p. 1, 10. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  27. Foot 2011, p. 250.
  28. Geoffrey Nicholson (23 June 1968). "Who will win the Tour this year? Have the British team a chance? Will drugs be an important factor?". The Observer. p. 18. Retrieved 18 October 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. Laura Weislo (13 May 2008). "Giro d'Italia classifications demystified". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Archived from the original on 17 June 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  30. "Trofeo Dreher Forte" [Dreher Forte Trophy]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 20 May 1969. p. 4. Archived from the original on 28 December 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  31. "Regolamento" [Regulation]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 19 May 1966. p. 9. Archived from the original on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  32. "Scatta il <<Giro>>: si decidera in salita" [Take the <<Tour>>: you decide uphill?]. La Stampa (in Italian). Editrice La Stampa. 20 March 1968. p. 9. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  33. "Clasificaciones" [Classifications] (PDF). El Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo S.A. 13 June 1968. p. 18. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 March 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  34. "Adorni punito per aver ingannato l'antidoping?" [Adorni punished for having deceived the doping?] (PDF). l'Unità (in Italian). PCI. 12 June 1968. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 December 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  35. "Il Giro in cifre" [The Tour in figures]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 12 June 1968. p. 6. Archived from the original on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  36. "Il Giro in cifre" [The Tour in figures]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 11 June 1968. p. 8. Archived from the original on 28 December 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  37. "TV a Sorpresa" [Surprise TV]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 12 June 1968. p. 6. Archived from the original on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  38. "Quattro vittorie per Merckx" [Four Victories for Merckx]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 12 June 1968. p. 6. Archived from the original on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2013.

Bibliography
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