1981 Giro d'Italia
64th edition: May 13 - July 7
Results, stages with running GC, photos and history
1980 Giro | 1982 Giro | Giro d'Italia Database | 1951 Giro Quick Facts | 1981 Giro d'Italia Final GC | Stage results with running GC | The Story of the 1981 Giro d'Italia |
3,895 km ridden at an average speed of 37.15 km/hr
130 starters and 104 classified finishers
For much of the race, the 1981 Giro d'Italia was very close and after stage 19 to San Vigilio di Marebbe, the top four were only 30 seconds apart. The next day Giovanni Battaglin became the leader by 50 seconds with good ride on the Tre Cime di Lavaredo ascent. He cemented his victory in the final stage with an excellent time trial in Verona.
This was the peak of Battaglin's career. In April of 1982 he suffered a terrible crash from which he never properly recovered.
1981 Giro d'Italia Complete Final General Classification:
Giovanni Battaglin (Inoxpran) 104hr 50min 36sec- Tommy Prim (Bianchi) @ 38sec
- Giuseppe Saronni (Gis Gelati) @ 50sec
- Silvano Contini (Bianchi) @ 2min 59sec
- Josef Fuchs (Cilo-Aufina) @ 3min 19sec
- Roberto Visentini (Sammontana) @ 5min 37sec
- Alfio Vandi (Selle San Marco-Sider) @ 9min 32sec
- Beat Breu (Cilo-Aufina) @ 10min 2sec
- Claudio Bortolotto (Santini-Selle Italia) @ 10min 12sec
- Giambattista Baronchelli (Bianchi) @ 12min 1sec
- Giuseppe Faraca (Hoonved) @ 13min 54sec
- Mario Beccia (Santini-Selle Italia) @ 15min 31sec
- Leonardo Natale (Magniflex) @ 16min 11sec
- Dietrich Thurau (Kotter's-GBC) @ 19min 45sec
- Antonio D'Alonzo (Selle San Marco-Sider) @ 25min 10sec
- Eduardo Chozas (Gemeaz Cusin-Zor) @ 25min 56sec
- Jørgen Marcussen (Inoxpran) @ 26min 38sec
- Alessandro Pozzi (Sammontana) @ 28min 47sec
- Erwin Leinhard (Cilo-Aufina) @ 29min 35sec
- Luciano Loro (Inoxpran) @ 30min 7sec
- Francesco Moser (Famcucine) @ 31min 24sec
- Knut Knudsen (Bianchi) @ 31min 46sec
- Alberto Minetti (Famcucine) @ 37min 45sec
- Giancarlo Casiraghi (Magniflex) @ 38min 51sec
- George Mount (Sammontana) @ 39min 20sec
- Godi Schmutz (Cilo-Aufina) @ 39min 53sec
- Serge Demierre (Cilo-Aufina) @ 40min 8sec
- Bruno Leali (Inoxpran) @ 41min 3sec
- Franco Conti (Selle San Marco-Sider) @ 47min 22sec
- Riccardo Magrini (Santini-Selle Italia) @ 49min 9sec
- Sergio Parsani (Bianchi) @ 49min 27sec
- Guillermo De La Pena (Gemeaz Cusin-Zor) @ 49min 55sec
- Alfredo Chinetti (Inoxpran) @ 50min 11sec
- Claudio Torelli (Famcucine) @ 50min 20sec
- Roberto Ceruti (Gis Gelati) @ 50min 44sec
- Palmiro Masciarelli (Famcucine) @ 51min 25sec
- Miguel-Maria Lasa (Gemeaz Cusin-Zor) @ 52min 51sec
- Glauco Santoni (Famcucine) @ 53min 41sec
- Stefan Mutter (Cilo-Aufina) @ 54min 32sec
- Amilcare Sgalbazzi (Inoxpran) @ 56min 18sec
- Pedro Munoz (Gemeaz Cusin-Zor) @ 58min 17sec
- Alfonso Dal Pian (Inoxpran) @ 58min 41sec
- Moreno Argentin (Sammontana) @ 1hr 0min 6sec
- Per Bausager (Inoxpran) @ 1hr 0min 26sec
- Maurizio Piovani (Gis Gelati) @ 1hr 0min 34sec
- Jean-Philippe Vandenbrande (Safir-Galli) @ 1hr 2min 52sec
- Leonardo Mazzantini (Famcucine) @ 1hr 3min 0sec
- Valerio Lualdi (Gis Gelati) @ 1hr 4min 18sec
- Bruno Wolfer (Bianchi) @ 1hr 7min 46sec
- Silvano Cervato (Santini-Selle Italia) @ 1hr 8min 21sec
- Ennio Vanotti (Bianchi) @ 1hr 8min 27sec
- Simone Fraccaro (Gis Gelati) @ 1hr 8min 51sec
- Ueli Sutter (Cilo-Aufina) @ 1hr 10min 58sec
- Luciano Borgognoni (Hoonved) @ 1hr 12min 17sec
- Alessio Antonini (Santini-Selle Italia) @ 1hr 15min 48sec
- Pierangelo Bincoletto (Sammontana) @ 1hr 18min 41sec
- Tullio Bertacco (Sammontana) @ 1hr 20min 34sec
- Alf Segersall (Bianchi) @ 1hr 23min 39sec
- Salvatore Maccali (Sammontana) @ 1hr 23min 41sec
- Luciano Rui (Hoonved) @ 1hr 26min 22sec
- Claudio Savini (Selle San Marco-Sider) @ 1hr 26min 24sec
- Fiorenzo Aliverti (Hoonved) @ 1hr 26min 43sec
- Enrico Maestrelli (Selle San Marco-Sider) @ 1hr 26min 51sec
- Pierino Gavazzi (Magniflex) @ 1hr 28min 26sec
- Giovanni Mantovani (Hoonved) @ 1hr 33min 11sec
- Fritz Werhli (Cilo-Aufina) @ 1hr 33min 57sec
- Claudio Corti (Sammontana) @ 1hr 34min 31sec
- Benedetto Patellaro (Hoonved) @ 1hr 34min 49sec
- Giuliano Biatta (Inoxpran) @ 1hr 34min 58sec
- Francesco Masi (Magniflex) @ 1hr 35min 20sec
- Bertrand Vigouroux (SAfir-Galli) @ 1hr 39min 51sec
- Walter Clivati (Selle San Marco-Sider) @ 1hr 40min 55sec
- Giovanni Moro (Hoonved) @ 1hr 41min 51sec
- Daniel Gisiger (Cilo-Aufina) @ 1hr 42min 21sec
- Sergio Santimaria (Selle San Marco-Sider) @ 1hr 44min 21sec
- Antonio Bevilacqua (Gis Gelati) @ 1hr 47min 53sec
- Luciano Rabottini (Santini-Selle Italia) @ 1hr 49min 49sec
- Corrado Donadio (Selle San Marco-Sider) @ 1hr 55min 4sec
- Giuseppe Passuello (Gis Gelati) @ 1hr 59min 53sec
- Fiorenzo Favero (Santini-Selle Italia) @ 2hr 0min 32sec
- John Trevorrow (Safir-Galli) @ 2hr 6min 15sec
- Gaetano Baronchelli (Bianchi) @ 2hr 6min 31sec
- Piero Ghibaudo (Famcucine) @ 2hr 10min 59sec
- Aldo Donadello (Bianchi) @ 2hr 11min 45sec
- Mario Noris (Magniflex) @ 2hr 13min 51sec
- Giuseppe Martinelli (Santini-Selle Italia) @ 2hr 19min 0sec
- Raniero Gradi (Sammontana) @ 1hr 19min 32sec
- Giovanni Renosto (Magniflex) @ 2hr 24min 38sec
- Flavio Miozzo (Selle San Marco-Sider) @ 2hr 25min 49sec
- Roy Schuiten (Kotter's-GBC) @ 2hr 29min 34sec
- Leonardo Bevilacqua (Gis Gelati) @ 2hr 29min 45sec
- Thierry Bolle (Cilo-Aufina) @ 2hr 30min 17sec
- José-Luis Lopez-Cerron (Gemeaz Cusin-Zor) @ 2hr 30min 33sec
- Jean-Marie Wampers (Santini-Selle Italia) @ 2hr 36min 36sec
- Tranquillo Andreetta (Santini-Selle Italia) @ 2hr 39min 13sec
- Gianluigi Zuanel (Gis Gelati) @ 2hr 40min 1sec
- Benny Schepmans (Safir-Galli) @ 2hr 41min 19sec
- Willy Sprangers (Safir-Galli) @ 2hr 42min 7sec
- Rudi Weber (Kotter's-GBC) @ 2hr 44min 24sec
- Hans-Peter Jakst (Kotter's-GBC) @ 2hr 45min 6sec
- Dante Morandi (Famcucine) @ 2hr 49min 40sec
- Eugenio Herranz (Gemeaz Cusin-Zor) @ 3hr 5min 28sec
- Paolo Rosola (Magniflex) @ 3hr 7min 34sec
- Stefan Schropfer (Kotter's-GBC) @ 3hr 28min 34sec
Points Competition:
Giuseppe Saronni (Gis Gelati): 215 points- Tommy Prim (Bianchi): 1233
- Giovanni Mantovani (Hoonved): 127
- Francesco Moser (Famcucine): 117
- Silvano Contini (Bianchi): 112
Climbers' Competition:
Claudio Bortolotto (Santini-Selle Italia): 510 points- Beat Breu (Cilo-Aufina): 500
- Benedetto Patellaro (Hoonved): 290
- Giovanni Battaglin (Inoxpran): 265
- Leonardo Natale (Magniflex): 180
Young Rider:
Giuseppe Faraca (Hoonved) 105hr 5min 30sec- Alberto Minetti (Famcucine) @ 23min 51sec
- George Mount (Sammontana) @ 25min 26sec
- Moreno Argentin (Sammontana) @ 46min 12sec
- Giuseppe Saronni (Gis Gelati) @ 40min 40sec
Team Classification:
- Bianchi: 313hr 55min 8sec
- Cilo-Aufina @ 25min 1sec
- Inoxpran @ 44min 32sec
1981 Giro stage results with running GC:
Time bonuses for each stage: 30 seconds for 1st, 20 for second and 10 seconds for third place.
Wednesday, May 13: Prologue, Trieste 6 km individual time trial
- Knut Knudsen: 7min 46sec
- Francesco Moser @ 1sec
- Gregor Braun @ 5sec
- Daniel Gisiger @ 9sec
- Giuseppe Saronni s.t.
- Claudio Torelli @ 13sec
- Dietrich Thurau s.t.
- Silvano Contini @ 14sec
- Roberto Visentini @ 15sec
- Tommy Prim @ 16sec
Thursday, May 14: Stage 1A, Trieste - Bibione, 100 km
- Guido Bontempi: 2hr 25min 16sec
- Giovanni Mantovani s.t.
- Pierino Gavazzi s.t.
- Dietrich Thurau s.t.
- Serge Demierre s.t.
- Giovanni Moro s.t.
- Luciano Borgognoni s.t.
- Pierangelo Bincoletto s.t.
- Dante Morandi s.t.
- Giuseppe Faraca s.t.
GC after Stage 1A:
- Guido Bontempi
Thursday, May 14: Stage 1B: Lignano - Bibione 15 km team time trial (cronometro a squadre)
- Hoonved (Aliverti, Beilacqua, Bombini, Borgognoni, Faraca, Mantovani, Moro, Patellaro, Rui, Zappi) 17min 33sec
- Famcucine (Moser, Barone, Braun, Masciarelli, Minetti, Morandi, Santoni, Torelli) @ 2sec
- Cilo-Aufina (Bolle, Breu, Demierre, Fuchs, Gisiger, Lienhard, Mutter, Schmutz, Sutter, Wehrli) @ 3sec
- Sammontana (Visentini, Bincoletto, Gradi) @ 10sec
- Inoxpran (Battaglin, Bausager, Bontempi, Chinetti, Leali, Moro, Marcussen, Sgalbazzi) @ 19sec
- Santini-Selle Italia (Beccia, Bortolotto, Andreeta, Favero, Magrini, Rabottini, Wampers) @ 22sec
- Gis Gelati (Saronni, Fraccaro, Lualdi, Panizza, Piovani) @ 23sec
- Kotter's-GBC (Thurau, Betz, Jakst, Loos, Fossato) @ 23sec
- Magniflex (Amadori, Casiraghi, Noris, Gavazzi, Johansson, Lanzoni, Masi, Natale, Renosto, Rosola) @ 30sec
- Bianchi (G.B. Baronchelli, Contini, Parsani, Knudsen, Prim, Segersall) @ 36sec
GC after Stage 1B:
- Francesco Moser: 2hr 51min 9sec
- Gregor Braun @ 4sec
- Daniel Gisiger @ 6sec
- Claudio Torelli @ 12sec
- Guido Bontempi @ 14sec
- Stefan Mutter @ 17sec
- Joseph Fuchs, Dante Morandi @ 19sec
- Ueli Sutter @ 20sec
- Roberto Visentini @ 21sec
Friday, May 15: Stage 2, Bibione - Ferrara, 211 km
- Paolo Rosola: 5hr 14min 10sec
- Gregor Braun s.t.
- Dante Morandi s.t.
- Giovanni Mantovani s.t.
- Jean-Philippe Vandenbrande s.t.
- John Trevorrow s.t.
- Alessio Antonini s.t.
- Flavio Zappi s.t.
- Giuseppe Saronni s.t.
- Beat Breu s.t.
GC after stage 2:
- Gregor Braun: 8hr 5min 3sec
- Francesco Moser @ 16sec
- Daniel Gisiger @ 22sec
- Dante Morandi @ 25sec
- Claudio Torelli @ 28sec
- Guido Bontempi @ 30sec
- Stefan Mutter @ 33sec
- Joseph Fuchs @ 35sec
- Ueli Sutter 2 36sec
- Roberto Visentini @ 37sec
Saturday, May 16: Stage 3, Bologna - Recanati, 255 km
- Giuseppe Saronni: 7hr 10min 14sec
- Francesco Moser s.t.
- Giovanni Mantovani s.t.
- Sergio Santimaria s.t.
- Claudio Corti s.t.
- Godi Schmutz s.t.
- Serge Demierre s.t.
- Tommy Prim s.t.
- Silvano Contini s.t.
- Antonio Bevilacqua s.t.
GC after Stage 3:
- Francesco Moser: 15hr 15min 13sec
- Gregor Braun @ 4sec
- Giuseppe Saronni @ 16sec
- Daniel Gisiger @ 26sec
- Joseph Fuchs @ 39sec
- Ueli Sutter @ 40sec
- Roberto Visentini @ 41sec
- Luciano Borgognoni @ 42sec
- Giuseppe Faraca @ 44sec
- Giovanni Mantovani @ 47sec
Sunday, May 17: Rest Day (giorno di riposo)
Monday, May 18: Stage 4, Recanati - Lanciano, 214 km
- Mario Beccia: 5hr 50min 56sec
- Moreno Argentin @ 3sec
- Godi Schmutz s.t.
- Fiorenzo Aliverti s.t.
- Pedro Munoz s.t.
- Enrico Maestrelli s.t.
- Giuseppe Faraca @ 5sec
- Giambattista Baronchelli s.t.
- Serge Demierre @ 10sec
- Pierino Gavazzi @ 12sec
GC after Stage 4:
- Francesco Moser: 21hr 6min 21sec
- Gregor Braun @ 4sec
- Giuseppe Saronni @ 16sec
- Godi Schmutz @ 32sec
- Giuseppe Faraca @ 37sec
- Joseph Fuchs @ 39sec
- Ueli Sutter @ 40sec
- Roberto Visentini @ 41sec
- Luciano Borgognoni, Fiorenzo Aliverti @ 42sec
Tuesday, May 19: Stage 5, Marina San Vito - Rodi Garganico, 180 km
- Giuseppe Saronni: 5hr 2min 50sec
- Francesco Moser s.t.
- Serge Demierre s.t.
- Giambattista Baronchelli s.t.
- Silvano Contini s.t.
- Knut Knudsen s.t.
- Claudio Torelli s.t.
- Leonardo Mazzantini s.t.
- Alfredo Chinetti s.t.
- Tommy Prim s.t.
GC after Stage 5:
- Francesco Moser: 26hr 8min 51sec
- Giuseppe Saronni @ 6sec
- Gregor Braun @ 24sec
- Godi Schmutz @ 52sec
- Serge Demierre @ 56sec
- Joseph Fuchs @ 59sec
- Roberto Visentini @ 1min 1sec
- Fiorenzo Aliverti, Dietrich Thurau, Knut Knudsen @ 1min 12sec
Wednesday, May 20: Stage 6, Rodi Garganico - Bari, 225 km
- Giuseppe Saronni: 6hr 19min 0sec
- Peter Kehl s.t.
- Paolo Rosola s.t.
- Benny Schepmans s.t.
- Stefan Mutter s.t.
- Pierino Gavazzi s.t.
- Dietrich Thurau s.t.
- Mario Noris s.t.
- Alberto Minetti s.t.
- Palmiro Masciarelli s.t.
GC after Stage 6:
- Giuseppe Saronni: 32hr 27min 27sec
- Francesco Moser @ 24sec
- Gregor Braun @ 48sec
- Godi Schmutz @ 1min 16sec
- Serge Demierre @ 1min 20sec
- Joseph Fuchs @ 1min 23sec
- Roberto Visentini @ 1min 25sec
- Fiorenzo Aliverti @ 1min 26sec
- Dietrich Thurau, Knut Knudsen @ 1min 36sec
Thursday, May 21: Stage 7, Bari - Potenza, 143 km
Major ascent: Macchia Rossano
- Palmiro Masciarelli: 3hr 48min 1sec
- Sergio Sanitmaria s.t.
- Claudio Bortolotto s.t.
- Wladimiro Panizza s.t.
- Alfio Vandi s.t.
- Luciano Loro @ 4sec
- Beat Breu @ 6sec
- Pierino Gavazzi @ 30sec
- Giambattista Baronchelli s.t.
- Serge Demierre s.t.
GC after Stage 7:
- Giuseppe Saronni: 36hr 15min 58sec
- Francesco Moser @ 24sec
- Godi Schmutz @ 1min 16sec
- Serge Demierre @ 1min 20sec
- Beat Breu @ 1min 21sec
- Joseph Fuchs, Claudio Bortolotto @ 1min 23sec
- Roberto Visentini, Fiorenzo Aliverti @ 1min 26sec
- Wladimiro Panizza @ 1min 33sec
Friday, May 22: Stage 8, Sala Consilina - Cosenza, 202 km
Major ascents: Cerri, Mormannio
- Moreno Argentin: 5hr 23min 13sec
- Enrico Maestrelli s.t.
- Bruno Leali s.t.
- Pierino Gavazzi @ 56sec
- Giovanni Mantovani s.t.
- Giuseppe Martinelli s.t.
- Giambattista Baronchelli s.t.
- Serge Demierre s.t.
- Dietrich Thurau s.t.
- Giovanni Renosto s.t.
GC after Stage 8:
- Giuseppe Saronni: 41hr 40min 27sec
- Francesco Moser @ 24sec
- Bruno Leali @ 46sec
- Godi Schmutz @ 1min 16sec
- Serge Demierre @ 1min 20sec
- Beat Breu @ 1min 21sec
- Joseph Fuchs, Claudio Bortolotto @ 1min 23sec
- Roberto Visentini @ 1min 25sec
- Fiorenzo Aliverti @ 1min 26sec
Saturday, May 23: Stage 9, Cosenza - Reggio Calabria, 230 km
Major ascents: Crocetta, San Elia
- Sergio Parsani: 6hr 49min 33sec
- Palmiro Masciarelli s.t.
- Serge Demierre s.t.
- Giovanni Mantovani s.t.
- Giuseppe Martinelli s.t.
- Giuseppe Saronni s.t.
- Dante Morandi s.t.
- Pierino Gavazzi s.t.
- Stefan Mutter s.t.
- Dietrich Thurau s.t.
GC after Stage 9:
- Giuseppe Saronni: 48hr 20min 42sec
- Franesco Moser @ 24sec
- Bruno Leali @ 46sec
- Serge Demierre @ 1min 10sec
- Godi Schmutz @ 1min 16sec
- Beat Breu @ 1min 21sec
- Joseph Fuchs, Claudio Bortolotto @ 1min 23sec
- Roberto Visentini @ 1min 25sec
- Fiorenzo Aliverti @ 1min 26sec
Sunday, May 24: Rest Day (giorno di riposo)
Monday, May 25: Stage 10, Roma - Cascia, 166 km
Major ascents: Terminillo, Chiavano
- Giambattista Baronchelli: 4hr 43min 7sec
- Claudio Bortolotto @ 3sec
- Silvano Contini s.t.
- Alfio Vandi @ 5sec
- Giovanni Battaglin s.t.
- Tommy Prim @ 7sec
- Mario Beccia @ 51sec
- Joseph Fuchs @ 54sec
- Giuseppe Saronni s.t.
GC after Stage 10:
- Giuseppe Saronni: 53hr 4min 43sec
- Claudio Bortolotto @ 12sec
- Giambattista Baronchelli 2 31sec
- Alfio Vandi, Silvano Contini @ 49sec
- Giovanni Battaglin @ 50sec
- Tommy Prim @ 1min 4sec
- Joseph Fuchs @ 1min 23sec
- Roberto Visentini @ 1min 32sec
- Beat Breu @ 1min 33sec
Tuesday, May 26: Stage 11, Cascia - Arezzo, 199 km
- Giovanni Renosto: 5hr 18min 43sec
- Enrico Marstrelli @ 1sec
- Thierry Bolle @ 2sec
- Claudio Torelli s.t.
- Emanuele Bombini s.t.
- Aldo Donadello s.t.
- Fulvio Bertacco s.t.
- Erwin Leinhard s.t.
- Antonio D'Alonzo @ 6sec
- Glauco Santoni s.t.
GC after Stage 11:
- Giuseppe Saronni: 58hr 26min 17sec
- Claudio Bortolotto @ 22sec
- Giambattista Baronchelli @ 31sec
- Alfio Vandi, Silvano Contini @ 49sec
- Giovanni Battaglin @ 50sec
- Tommy Prim @ 1min 4sec
- Joseph Fuchs @ 1min 23sec
- Roberto Visentini @ 1min 32sec
- Beat Breu @ 1min 33sec
Wednesday, May 27: Stage 12, Arezzo - Livorno, 224 km
- Moreno Argentin: 6hr 9min 22sec
- Giuseppe Saronni @ 2sec
- Giovanni Mantovani s.t.
- Tommy Prim s.t.
- Pierino Gavazzi s.t.
- Claudio Bortolotto s.t.
- Benny Schepmans s.t.
- Serge Demierre s.t.
- Giambattista Baronchelli s.t.
- Giuseppe Martinelli s.t.
GC after Stage 12:
- Giuseppe Saronni: 64hr 35min 21sec
- Claudio Bortolotto @ 42sec
- Giambattista Baronchelli @ 51sec
- Alfio Vandi, Silvano Contini @ 1min 9sec
- Giovanni Battaglin @ 1min 10sec
- Tommy prim @ 1min 24sec
- Joseph Fuchs @ 1min 40sec
- Roberto Visentini @ 1min 52sec
- Beat Breu @ 1min 53sec
Thursday, May 28: Stage 13, Empoli - Montecatini 35 km individual time trial (cronometro)
- Knut Knudsen: 45min 10sec
- Roberto Vinsetini @ 1min 0sec
- Daniel Gisiger @ @ 1min 10sec
- Tommy Prim @ 1min 30sec
- Silvano Contini s.t.
- Roy Schuiten @ 1min 32sec
- Giovanni Battaglin @ 2min 0sec
- Serge Demierre @ 2min 15sec
- Giambattista Baronchelli @ 2min 35sec
- Francesco Moser @ 2min 37sec
- Giuseppe Saronni @ 2min 55sec
GC after Stage 13:
- Roberto Visentini: 65hr 23min 3sec
- Silvano Contini @ 7sec
- Tommy Prim @ 22sec
- Giuseppe Saronni @ 23sec
- Giovanni Battaglin @ 38sec
- Giambattista Baronchelli @ 54sec
- Joseph Fuchs @ 1min 51sec
- Claudio Bortolotto @ 2min 17sec
- Alfio Vandi @ 2min 21sec
- Knut Knudsen @ 2min 35sec
Friday, May 29: Stage 14, Montecatini - Salsomaggiore, 224 km
Major ascents: Cisa, Mille Pini
- Francesco Moser: 5hr 48min 56sec
- Silvano Contini @ 1sec
- Giovanni Battglin s.t.
- Claudio Bortolotto s.t.
- Luciano Rui s.t.
- Tommy Prim s.t.
- Jean-Philippe(?) Vandenbrande @ 1min 18sec
- Riccardo Magrini s.t.
- Dietrich Thurau s.t.
- Alfredo Chinetti s.t.
GC after stage 14:
- Silvano Contini: 7hr 12min 52sec
- Roberto Visentini @ 25sec
- Tommy Prim @ 35sec
- Giovanni Battaglin @ 41sec
- Giuseppe Saronni @ 48sec
- Giambattista Baronchelli @ 1min 19sec
- Joseph Fuchs @ 2min 16sec
- Claudio Bortolotto @ 2min 30sec
- Alfio Vandi @ 2min 46sec
- Knut Knudsen @ 3min 0sec
Saturday, May 30: Stage 15, Salsomaggiore - Pavia, 198 km
Major ascent: Penice
- Daniel Gisiger: 5hr 6min 48sec
- Gianarlo Casiraghi s.t.
- Sergio Parsani @ 19sec
- Giovanni Moro s.t.
- Giuseppe Passuello @ 2min 18sec
- Eugenio Herranz @ 2min 19sec
- Sergio Santimaria s.t.
- Salvatore Maccali s.t.
- Jean-Marie Wampers @ 11min 53sec
- Giovanni Mantovani @ 11min 54sec
GC after Stage 15:
- Silvano Contini: 76hr 33min 34sec
- Roberto Visentini @ 25sec
- Tommy Prim 2 35sec
- Giovanni Battaglin @ 41sec
- Giuseppe Saronni @ 48sec
- Giambattista Baronchelli @ 1min 19sec
- Joseph Fuchs @ 2min 16sec
- Claudio Bortolotto @ 2min 30sec
- Alfio Vandi @ 2min 46sec
- Knut Knudsen @ 3min 0sec
Sunday, May 31: Stage 16, Milano - Mantova, 173 km
- Claudio Torelli: 4hr 46min 35sec
- Dante Morandi s.t.
- Alfredo Chinetti s.t.
- Mario Noris s.t.
- Giuseppe Martinelli s.t.
- Giovanni Mantovani s.t.
- Pierangelo Bincoletto s.t.
- Giuseppe Passuello s.t.
- Joseph Fuchs s.t.
- Jørgen Marcussen
GC after Stage 16:
- Silvano Contini: 81hr 21min 42sec
- Roberto Visentini @ 25sec
- Tommy Prim @ 35sec
- Giovanni Battaglin @ 41sec
- Joseph Fuchs @ 43sec
- Giuseppe Saronni @ 48sec
- Giambattista Baronchelli @ 1min 19sec
- Claudio Bortolotto @ 2min 30sec
- Alfio Vandi @ 2min 46sec
- Knut Knudsen @ 3min 0sec
Monday, June 1: Stage 17, Mantova - Borno, 215 km
Major ascents: San Fermo, Gallo, Clusole, Borno
- Benedetto Patellaro: 6hr 5min 5sec
- Faustino Ruperez @ 2min 55sec
- Claudio Bortolotto @ 4min 56sec
- Tommy Prim @ 4min 58sec
- Giuseppe Saronni @ 5min 23sec
- Giambattista Baronchelli s.t.
- Silvano Contini s.t.
- Roberto Visentini @ 5min 24sec
- Wladimiro Panizza s.t.
- Mario Beccia s.t.
- Giovanni Battaglin @ 5min 25sec
- Alfio Vandi s.t.
GC after Stage 17:
- Silvano Contini: 87hr 32min 10sec
- Tommy Prim @ 10sec
- Roberto Visentini @ 26sec
- Giovanni Battaglin @ 43sec
- Giuseppe Saronni @ 48sec
- Giambattista Baronchelli @ 1min 19sec
- Claudio Bortolotto @ 1min 53sec
- Joseph Fuchs @ 2min 4sec
- Alfio Vandi @ 2min 48sec
- Wladimiro Panizza @ 3min 29sec
Tuesday, June 2: Stage 18, Borno - Dimaro Val di Sole, 127 km
Major ascents: Vivone, Tonale
- Miguel-Maria Lasa: 3hr 39min 8sec
- Silvano Contini @ 1sec
- Leonardo Natale s.t.
- Eduardo Chozas @ 7sec
- Giambattista Baronchelli @ 21sec
- Tommy Prim @ 30sec
- Joseph Fuchs @ 33sec
- Giovanni Battaglin s.t.
- Giuseppe Saronni @ 35sec
- Alfio Vandi s.t.
GC after Stage 18:
- Silvano Contini: 91hr 10min 49sec
- Tommy Prim @ 59sec
- Giovanni Battaglin @ 1min 35sec
- Giuseppe Saronni @ 1min 42sec
- Giambattista Baraonchelli @ 1min 59sec
- Joseph Fuchs @ 2min 56sec
- Alfio Vandi @ 3min 42sec
- Roberto Visentini @ 5min 16sec
- Claudio Bortolotto @ 6min 53sec
- Beat Breu @ 8min 35sec
Wednesday, June 3: Rest Day (giorno di riposo)
Thursday, June 4: Stage 19, Dimaro - San Vigilio di Marebbe, 208 km
Major ascents: Palade, Furcia
- Giovanni Battaglin: 5hr 41min 2sec
- Giuseppe Saronni @ 10sec
- Joseph Fuchs @ 11sec
- Tommy Prim s.t.
- Roberto Visentini @ 17sec
- Beat Breu @ 25sec
- Claudio Bortolotto @ 41sec
- Erwin Lienhard @ 59sec
- Dietrich Thurau @ 1min 2sec
- Giambattista Baronchelli s.t.
GC after stage 19:
- Silvano Contini: 96hr 53min 3sec
- Giovanni Battaglin @ 3sec
- Tommy Prim @ 8sec
- Giuseppe Saronni @ 30sec
- Joseph Fuchs @ 1min 55sec
- Giambattista Baronchelli @ 1min 59sec
- Alfio Vandi @ 3min 42sec
- Roberto Visentini @ 4min 31sec
- Claudio Bortolotto @ 6min 22sec
- Beat Breu @ 7min 58sec
Friday, June 5: Stage 20, San Vigilio di Maregge - Tre Cime di Lavaredo, 100 km
Major ascents: Tre Croci, Tre Cime di Lavaredo
- Beat Breu: 2hr 48min 32sec
- Joseph Fuchs @ 10sec
- Giovanni Battaglin @ 42sec
- Leonardo Natale @ 52sec
- Guillermo De La Pena @ 56sec
- Giuseppe Saronni @ 1min 4sec
- Moreno Argentin s.t.
- Roberto Ceruti @ 1min 17sec
- Tommy Prim s.t.
- Roberto Visentini @ 1min 26sec
- Silvano Contini @ 2min 19sec
GC after Stage 20:
- Giovanni Battaglin: 99hr 42min 10sec
- Tommy Prim @ 50sec
- Giuseppe Saronni @ 59sec
- Joseph Fuchs @ 1min 10sec
- Silvano Contini @ 1min 44sec
- Roberto Visentini @ 5min 22sec
- Alfio Vandi @ 6min 13sec
- Beat Breu @ 6min 53sec
- Claudio Bortolotto @ 7min 18sec
- Giambattista Baronchelli @ 8min 43sec
Saturday, June 6: Stage 21, Auronzo - Arzignano, 197 km
- Pierino Gavazzi: 4hr 15min 22sec
- Giuseppe Saronni s.t.
- Francesco Moser s.t.
- Giovanni Mantovani s.t.
- Benny Schepmans s.t.
- Willy Vigouroux s.t.
- Dante Morandi s.t.
- Giuseppe Martinelli s.t.
- Jean-Philippe(?) Vandenbrande s.t.
- Paolo Rosola s.t.
GC after Stage 21:
- Giovanni Battaglin: 103hr 57min 32sec
- Giuseppe Saronni @ 39sec
- Tommy Prim @ 50sec
- Joseph Fuchs @ 1min 10sec
- Silvano Contini @ 1min 44sec
- Roberto Visentini @ 5min 22sec
- Alfio Vandi @ 6min 13sec
- Beat Breu @ 6min 53sec
- Claudio Bortolotto @ 7min 18sec
- Giambattista Baronchelli @ 8min 43sec
Sunday, June 7: 22nd and Final Stage, Soave - Verona 42 km individual time trial (cronometro)
- Knut Knudsen: 51min 50sec
- Tommy Prim @ 1min 22sec
- Giovanni Battaglin @ 1min 24sec
- Giuseppe Saronni @ 1min 25sec
- Roberto Visentini @ 1min 29sec
- Claudio Torelli @ 1min 36sec
- Roy Schuiten @ 1min 46sec
- Daniel Gisiger @ 2min 5sec
- Franco Conti @ 2min 29sec
- Francesco Moser @ 2min 32sec
1981 Giro d'Italia Complete Final General Classification
The Story of the 1981 Giro d'Italia
This excerpt is from "The Story of the Giro d'Italia", Volume 2. If you enjoy it we hope you will consider purchasing the book, either print or electronic. The Amazon link here will make either purchase easy.
Giovanni Battaglin had been knocking on the door of greatness for almost a decade. Winner of the Girobio in 1972, he turned pro in 1973. In his first year as a pro he was third in the Giro; only Merckx and Gimondi could beat him. The next year he spent a couple of days in pink, but his promise dwarfed his results. Luciano Pezzi (Gimondi’s old director) is given a lot of the credit for reviving Battaglin’s career when Pezzi formed the Inoxpran team in 1979. That year Battaglin won the climbers’ prize in the Tour as well as several important late-season single-day races in Italy.
By the end of the season his form still held as he raced the World Championship road race in Valkenburg, Netherlands. He remains emphatic that he would have won the rainbow jersey if Jan Raas had not run him into the barriers in the sprint, a belief far from universally held among those who watched the race that day. In 1980 he came in third in the Giro and again won several significant single-day races.
In 1981 it all seemed to come together. Feeling that Saronni was the likely winner of the Giro, the Inoxpran team targeted the Vuelta, held in April at that time, which Battaglin won. Then, with only three days between the Vuelta’s end and the Giro’s prologue, he recalled, “The Vuelta ended on the Sunday and then the Giro started with a prologue time trial three days later. I came home from Spain, changed my suitcase and saw my wife and then we set off for the Giro. Can you imagine doing that today?”
Bianchi considered the Giro the core of its season and brought a lot of firepower to the race, including Baronchelli, Contini and Prim. Like the Petterssons a decade before, Prim had an extended career as a top amateur before turning pro late in 1979. He started his professional career with a bang, coming in fourth and winning the young rider’s jersey in the 1980 Giro, and just before the start of the 1981 Giro he won the Tour of Romandie.
Bianchi team director Giancarlo Ferretti decided to make all three riders protected team leaders, bringing to mind Frederick the Great’s aphorism, “He who defends everything defends nothing.”
If the 1979 Giro had been designed to create a Saronni/Moser dogfight, the 1981 edition with more good, hard climbing, but with three individual time trials (plus a prologue time trial), had Saronni written all over it. Battaglin and many other riders agreed that with all the time bonuses (30 seconds to the stage winners, even those of the time trials) skewing the race towards the rider who could mix it up in the sprints, the Giro organization had built a race for Saronni.
When the dust had cleared after the first two days of racing—a short prologue in Trieste, a 100-kilometer half-stage and a fifteen-kilometer team time trial—Moser was in pink by four seconds over Famcucine teammate Gregor Braun. Almost immediately Moser and Saronni were scrapping in the press. The dispute turned almost pathological when the judges took hours to decide who came in second in stage five, Moser or Swiss rider Serge Demierre. If Moser were second, he would gain the bonus time and keep the lead. Otherwise, the maglia rosa would migrate to, gulp, Saronni. Since the television cameras were waiting, both were awarded pink jerseys without waiting for the judges. The two had to share the podium and, of course, both bellowed and filed protests. Eventually Moser was awarded the second place and kept his lead. Nothing freshens up a Giro like a good polemica.
As the Giro raced down the eastern side of the peninsula, Battaglin’s criticism seemed to be validated. By the end of stage six in Bari, Saronni had won three stages, snarfing up a minute and a half of bonus time, putting him in the maglia rosa 24 seconds ahead of Moser.
The riders arrived in Reggio Calabria at the toe of Italy after three more days of racing, the standings more or less unchanged, even though the roads were hilly with no shortage of good, but less than epic climbs.
Stage ten, though, shook things up. After a transfer to Rome the race went over the Terminillo and then the less difficult Forca di Chiavano, a few kilometers from the finish in the remote Umbrian hill town of Cascia. Moser crashed descending the Chiavano, losing more than five minutes, while up ahead Baronchelli was winning the stage. Battaglin and Prim finished only a few seconds behind him but too far back to get any time bonuses. Saronni lost almost a minute on a day the climbers had taken control of the race.
The General Classification now:
1. Giuseppe Saronni
2. Claudio Bortolotto @ 12 seconds
3. Giambattista Baronchelli @ 31 seconds
4. Alfio Vandi and Silvano Contini @ 49 seconds
6. Giovanni Battaglin @ 50 seconds
7. Tommy Prim @ 1 minute 4 seconds
9. Roberto Visentini @ 1 minute 32 seconds
Knut Knudsen won the stage thirteen time trial in the Tuscan spa town of Montecatini, but the second-place rider who came in a full minute behind Knudsen became the Pink Jersey. Sammontana rider Roberto Visentini had enjoyed a scintillating amateur career before turning pro in 1978. Now he had the maglia rosa by seven seconds over Contini with Prim just 22 seconds behind and Saronni 23 seconds back. La Gazzetta thought Bianchi had the race firmly in its fist.
Moser blew the race up the next day when it went over the Apennines to another spa town, Salsomaggiore. After being away for 173 kilometers, he soloed across the line more than a minute ahead of the Contini-led chase group containing Prim and Battaglin. Visentini’s group came in twelve seconds later but the remaining time bonuses were long gone, and gone to two of his main threats, Contini and Battaglin. Contini was back in pink with Visentini second, 25 seconds down.
Coming just before the Dolomites, stage seventeen was a transition stage with four rated climbs that broke things up. Prim squeezed out a half-minute from Saronni, Visentini, Contini and Battaglin, putting the Swede within 10 seconds of the Pink Jersey before stage eighteen’s ascents of the Vivione and Tonale.
Instead of losing his lead to the hungry sharks, Contini came in to the finish at Dimaro a half-minute ahead of the other contenders with a second place that also gave him a 20-second time bonus. Contini had nearly a full minute’s breathing room with two more brutal Dolomite stages to go.
Silvano Contini in pink
The Palade was stage nineteen’s appetizer for the Furcia Pass, where Battaglin successfully attacked. He was first over the top and held his lead for the five kilometers into San Vigilio di Marrebe. Saronni and Prim were only ten seconds behind and Visentini another seven seconds back. But Contini was getting ragged. He still held the lead, but after losing a minute he was in trouble. Battaglin had closed to within 3 seconds and Prim was just 8 seconds behind.
The race was a virtual tie going into the tappone (a Giro’s hardest stage), a crossing of the Tre Croci and a finish atop the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. Battaglin wasn’t going to mess around with mountains like these; he had his mechanic fit a triple crankset on his Pinarello for the Tre Cime ascent.
Swiss climber Beat Breu was first both over the Tre Croci and to the top of Tre Cime di Lavaredo. Fifty seconds later Battaglin made it to the top with Saronni fourteen seconds slower and Prim a half minute back. Baronchelli, who had announced his arrival at the top ranks of cycling on the Tre Cime ascent in 1974, lost over seven minutes.
Giovanni Battaglin
With a 42-kilometer time trial in Verona left to ride, the Dolomites had decided little. The top four riders seemed to be nearly equal in ability, with most observers thinking Saronni the likely final victor:
1. Giovanni Battaglin
2. Tommy Prim @ 50 seconds
3. Giuseppe Saronni @ 59 seconds
4. Josef Fuchs @ 1 minute 10 seconds
5. Silvano Contini @ 1 minute 44 seconds
Davide Boifava, Inoxpran’s director for the Giro, was worried that things might not exactly go according to Hoyle during the final time trial, especially since the tifosi were desperately hoping Saronni would win the Giro at the last moment with a fabulous ride. Boifava told Torriani that he had nothing against him, but he was going to have a car with a video camera follow Saronni. That way, Boifava said, if Battaglin were to lose, the loss would be a fair and just one. It leads one to believe Boifava, an experienced and knowledgeable pro, had neither faith that Torriani would keep his hands off the final results nor belief that Saronni’s Gis Gelati team would behave themselves.
As he had in Montecatini, Knudsen won the Verona ride against the clock. Prim took second, Battaglin was 2 seconds slower than the Swede and Saronni just a single second behind him.
Battaglin had won the Giro d’Italia and did what so far only Merckx had done: win the Vuelta and the Giro in the same year. Battaglin’s victory was a time-bonus win, Prim’s actual elapsed time was shorter than Battaglin’s.
American George Mount had electrified American cycling with his sixth place in the 1976 Olympic road race. At the invitation of Mike Neel, an American racing in Italy, he eventually signed with the Sammontana team of Roberto Visentini and Moreno Argentin. In Visentini’s service he rode to a commendable 25th place.
Giovanni Battaglin savors his victory
Final 1981 Giro d’Italia General Classification:
1. Giovanni Battaglin (Inoxpran) 104 hours 50 minutes 36 seconds
2. Tommy Prim (Bianchi-Piaggio) @ 38 seconds
3. Giuseppe Saronni (Gis Gelati) @ 50 seconds
4. Silvano Contini (Bianchi-Piaggio) @ 2 minutes 59 seconds
5. Josef Fuchs (Cilo-Aufina) @ 3 minutes 19 seconds
25. George Mount (Sammontana) @ 39 minutes 20 seconds
Climbers’ Competition:
1. Claudio Bortolotto (Santini-Selle Italia): 510 points
2. Beat Breu (Cilo-Aufina) 300
3. Benedetto Patellaro (Hoonved-Bottecchia): 290
Points Competition
1. Giuseppe Saronni (Gis Gelati): 215 points
2. Tommy Prim (Bianchi-Piaggio): 133
3. Giovanni Mantovani (Hoonved-Bottecchia): 127
A few months after reaching cycling’s heights, Battaglin’s career lay in shambles. In April of 1982 he crashed badly, breaking his collarbone, shoulder, hip and a vertebra. He said he should have taken a long time off in order to recuperate. Instead, just 20 days after the crash, he had the plaster casts removed and was soon racing, trying to get ready for the Tour. “I had to do it because the Inoxpran team was built around me and it could have folded if I hadn’t ridden the Tour.”
He said that instead of getting physiotherapy and making a proper recovery, he rushed back into the sport and was never the same again. After catching hepatitis during the 1984 Giro, he threw in the towel and retired to concentrate on his eponymous bicycle company.