1997 Giro d'Italia

1997 Giro stage results with running GC:

Saturday, May 17: Stage 1, Venezia - Venezia (Lido circuit), 128 km

1. Mario Cipollini: 2hr 38min 17sec
2. Nicola Minali s.t.
3. Endrio Leoni s.t.
4. Filippo Meloni s.t.
5. Mirko Rossato s.t.
6. Marcel Wüst s.t.
7. Gabriele Balducci s.t.
8. Angel Edo s.t.
9. Gabriele Missaglia s.t.
10. Serguei Outschakov s.t.

GC after Stage 1:

1. Mario Cipollini: 2hr 38min 5sec
2. Nicola Minali @ 4sec
3. Endrio Leoni @ 8sec

Sunday, May 18: Stage 2, Mestre - Cervia, 211 km

1. Mario Cipollini: 5hr 9min 47sec
2. Jan Svorada s.t.
3. Endrio Leoni s.t.
4. Maurizio Tomi s.t.
5. Gabriele Balducci s.t.
6. Massimo Apollonio s.t.
7. Gabriele Missaglia s.t.
8. Glen Magnusson s.t.
9. Mariano Piccoli s.t.
10. Evgeni Berzin s.t.

GC after Stage 2:

1. Mario Cipollini:7hr 47min 40sec
2. Endrio Leoni @ 16sec
3. Jan Svorada s.t.

Monday, May 19: Stage 3, Santarcangelo di Romagna (Scrigno headquarters) - San Marino 18 km individual time trial (cronometro)

Major ascent: San Marino

1. Pavel Tonkov: 31min 42sec
2. Evgeni Berzin @ 21sec
3. Roberti Petito @ 32sec
4. Luc Leblanc @ 37sec
5. Piotr Ugrumov @ 53sec
6. Ivan Gotti @ 55sec
7. Gabriele Colombo @ 1min 2sec
8. Andrea Noè @ 1min 13sec
9. Giuseppe Guerini @ 1min 16sec
10. Juan Carlos Dominguez @ 1min 22sec
11. Marco Pantani @ 1min 23sec
12. Nicola Miceli @ 1min 24sec
13. Paolo Savoldelli @ 1min 35sec
14. Enrico Zaina @ 1min 36sec
15. Michele Coppolillo @ 1min 41sec
16. Wladimir Belli @ 1min 43sec
17. Gianni Faresin @ 1min 47sec
18. Serguei Gontchar @ 1min 48sec
19. Giuseppe Di Grande @ 2min 0sec
20. Vlaldislav Bobrik s.t.

GC after Stage 3:

1. Pavel Tonkov: 8hr 20min 5sec
2. Evgen Berzin @ 1sec
3. Roberto Petito @ 12sec
4. Luc Leblanc @ 37sec
5. Gabriele Colombo @ 42sec
6. Piotr Ugrumov @ 53sec
7. Ivan Gotti @ 55sec
8. Andrea Noé @ 1min 13sec
9. Enrico Zaina @ 1min 16sec
10. Giuseppe Guerini s.t.

Tuesday, May 20: Stage 4, San Marino - Arezzo, 156 km

Major ascents: Urbino, Valico di Bocca Seriola

1. Mario Cipollini: 3hr 57min 58sec. 39.33 km/hr
2. Endrio Leoni s.t.
3. Angel Edo s.t.
4. Glenn Magnusson s.t.
5. Fabio Baldato s.t.
6. Mirko Rossato s.t.
7. Gabriele Missaglia s.t.
8. Mario Traversoni s.t.
9. Marcel Wüst s.t.
10. Mariano Piccoli s.t.

GC after stage 4:

1. Pavel Tonkov: 12hr 18min 3sec
2. Evgeni Berzin @ 1sec
3. Roberto Petito @ 12sec
4. Luc Leblanc @ 37sec
5. Piotr Ugrumov @ 53sec
6. Ivan Gotti @ 55sec
7. Andrea Noé @ 1min 13sec
8. Enrico Zaina @ 1min 16sec
9. Giuseppe Guerini s.t.
10. Juan Carlos Dominguez @ 1min 22sec
11. Marco Pantani @ 1min 23sec
12. Nicola Miceli @ 1min 24sec

Wednesday, May 21: Stage 5, Arezzo - Terminillo, 215 km

Major ascents: Greccio, Terminillo

1. Pavel Tonkov: 6hr 14min 58sec
2. Luc Leblanc s.t.
3. Marco Pantani s.t.
4. Ivan Gotti s.t.
5. Michele Coppolillo @ 2sec
6. Leonardo Piepoli @ 18sec
7. Andrea Noè s.t.
8. Aleksandr Shefer @ 29sec
9. Gilberto Simoni @ 47sec
10. Roberto Petito @ 49sec

GC after Stage 5:

1. Pavel Tonkov: 18hr 32min 49sec
2. Luc Leblanc @ 41sec
3. Ivan Gotti @ 1min 7sec
4. Roberto Petito @ 1min 13sec(?)
5. Marco Pantani @ 1min 31sec
6. Andrea Noè @ 1min 43sec
7. Michele Coppolillo @ 2min 9sec
8. Paolo Savoldelli @ 2min 40sec
9. Leonardo Piepoli @ 2min 49sec
10. Aleksandr Shefer @ 3min 5sec

Thursday, May 22: Stage 6, Rieti - Lanciano, 210 km

Major ascents: Valico Sella di Corno, Valico di Trincee, Chieti

1. Roberto Sgambelluri: 5hr 9min 57sec
2. Dario Frigo s.t.
3. Michele Coppolillo s.t.
4. Tobias Steinhauser s.t.
5. Fabi Baldato @ 16sec
6. Marcel Wüst s.t.
7. Dimitri Konyshev s.t.
8. Wladimir Belli s.t.
9. Roberto Moretti s.t.
10. Massimiliano Gentili s.t.

GC after Stage 6:

1. Pavel Tonkov: 23hr 43min 2sec
2. Luc Leblanc @ 41sec
3. Ivan Gotti @ 1min 7sec
4. Roberto Petito @ 1min 13sec
5. Marco Pantani @ 1min 31sec
6. Andrea Noé @ 1min 43sec
7. Michele Coppolillo @ 1min 49sec
8. Paolo Savoldelli @ 2min 40sec
9. Leonardo Piepoli @ 2min 49sec
10. Aleksandr Shefer @ 3min 5sec

Friday, May 23: Stage 7, Lanciano - Mondragone, 210 km

Major ascents: Valico della Forchetta Palena, Svincolo Rionero Sannitico

1. Marcel Wüst: 5hr 15min 40sec
2. Mirko Rossato s.t.
3. Endrio Leoni s.t.
4. Glenn Magnusson s.t.
5. Mario Traversoni s.t.
6. Mario Manzoni s.t.
7. Daniele Contrini s.t.
8. Gabriele Balducci s.t.
9. Jürgen Werner s.t.
10. Fabio Baldato s.t.

GC after Stage 7:

1. Pavel Tonkov: 28hr 58min 42sec
2. Luc Leblenc @ 41sec
3. Ivan Gotti @ 1min 7sec
4. Roberto Petito @ 1min 13sec
5. Marco Pantani @ 1min 31sec
6. Andrea Noè @ 1min 43sec
7. Michele Coppolillo @ 1min 49sec
8. Paolo Savoldelli @ 2min 40sec
9. Leonardo Piepoli @ 2min 49sec
10. Aleksandr Shefer @ 3min 5sec

Saturday, May 24: Stage 8, Mondragone - Cava de' Tirreni, 212 km

Marco Pantani crashed on the descent of the Valico di Chiunzi and abandoned

Major ascents: Moiano, Colle di Fontanelle, Valico di Chiunzi

1. Mario Manzoni: 5hr 20min 9sec
2. Stefano Giraldi @ 23sec
3. Maurizio Molinari @ 25sec
4. Giampaolo Mondini s.t.
5. Mariano Piccoli @ 35sec
6. Denis Zanette s.t.
7. Nicola Loda s.t.
8. Andrea Vatteroni s.t.
9. Andrea Paluan s.t.
10. Andrea Brognara s.t.

GC after Stage 8:

1. Pavel Tonkov: 34hr 32min 52sec
2. Luc Leblanc @ 41sec
3. Ivan Gotti @ 1min 7sec
4. Roberto Petito @ 1min 13sec
5. Andrea Paluan @ 1min 39sec
6. Andrea Noè @ 1min 43sec
7. Michele Coppolillo @ 1min 49sec
8. Paolo Savoldelli @ 2min 40sec
9. Leonardo Piepoli @ 2min 49sec
10. Aleksandr Shefer @ 3min 5sec

Sunday, May 25: Stage 9, Cava de' Tirreni - Castrovillari, 232 km

Major ascents: Scorzo, Casalbuono, Valico di Fortino, Valico di Cerri, Pian della Menta, Valico di Campo Tenese

1. Dimitri Konyshev: 6hr 14min 18sec
2. Mariano Piccoli s.t.
3. Roberto Petito s.t.
4. Massimiliano Gentili s.t.
5. Marco Vergnani s.t.
6. Paolo Savoldelli s.t.
7. Martin Hvastija s.t.
8. Nicola Loda s.t.
9. Alessio Barbagli s.t.
10. Paolo Lanfranchi s.t.

GC after Stage 9:

1. Pavel Tonkov: 40hr 47min 10sec
2. Luc Leblanc @ 41sec
3. Ivan Gotti @ 1min 7sec
4. Roberto Petito @ 1min 9sec
5. Andrea Paluan @ 1min 39sec
6. Andrea Noè @ 1min 43sec
7. Michele Coppolillo @ 1min 49sec
8. Paolo Savoldelli @ 2min 40sec
9. Leonardo Piepoli @ 2min 49sec
10. Aleksander Shefer @ 3min 5sec

Monday, May 26: Stage 10, Castrovillari - Taranto, 195 km

1. Mario Cipollini: 5hr 10min 6sec
2. Endrio Leoni s.t.
3. Fabio Baldato s.t.
4. Marcel Wüst s.t.
5. Mario Traversoni s.t.
6. Mario Manzoni s.t.
7. Gabriele Missaglia s.t.
8. Enrico Cassani s.t.
9. Glenn Magnusson s.t.
10. Angel Edo s.t.

GC after Stage 10:

1. Pavel Tonkov: 45hr 57min 16sec
2. Luc Leblanc @ 41sec
3. Ivan Gotti @ 1min 7sec
4. Roberto Petito @ 1min 9sec
5. Andrea Paluan @ 1min 39sec
6. Andrea Noè @ 1min 43sec
7. Michele Coppolillo @ 1min 49sec
8. Paolo Savoldelli @ 2min 40sec
9. Leonardo Piepoli @ 2min 49sec
10. Aleksandre Shefer @ 3min 5sec

Tuesday, May 27: Rest day (giorno di riposo)

Wendesday, May 28: Stage 11, Lido di Camaiore (circuito della Versilia), 155 km

Major ascents: Colli di Pedrona x 3

1. Gabriele Missaglia: 3hr 36min 24sec
2. Andrea Vatteroni s.t.
3. Mirko Celestino s.t.
4. Massimo Podenzana s.t.
5. Francisco Cabello @ 15sec
6. Marco Fincato s.t.
7. Daniele De Paoli s.t.
8. Cristiano Frattini s.t.
9. Mario Cipollini s.t.
10. Alessandro Spezialetti s.t.

GC after Stage 11:

1. Pavel Tonkov: 49hr 34min 40sec
2. Luc Leblanc @ 41sec
3. Ivan Gotti @ 1min 7sec
4. Roberto Petito @ 1min 9sec
5. Andrea Paluan @ 1min 39sec
6. Andrea Noè @ 1min 43sec
7. Paolo Savoldelli @ 2min 40sec
8. Leonardo Piepoli @ 2min 49sec
9. Aleksandr Shefer @ 3min 5sec
10. Gilberto Simoni @ 3min 14sec

Thursday, May 29: Stage 12, La Spezia - Varazze, 214 km

Major ascents: Passo del Bracco, Campi, Passo del Faiallo, Monte Beigua

1. Giuseppe Di Grande: 5hr 47min 14sec
2. Marcos Antonio Serrano s.t.
3. Aleksandr Shefer s.t.
4. Axel Merckx s.t.
5. Leonardo Piepoli s.t.
6. Wladimir Belli @ 12sec
7. Giuseppe Guerini s.t.
8. Luc Leblanc s.t.
9. Ivan Gotti s.t.
10. Pavel Tonkov s.t.

GC after Stage 12:

1. Pavel Tonkov: 55hr 22min 6sec
2. Luc Leblanc @ 41sec
3. Ivan Gotti @ 1min 7sec
4. Andrea Noè @ 1min 49sec
5. Leonardo Piepoli @ 2min 37sec
6. Aleksandr Shefer @ 2min 49sec
7. Paolo Savoldelli @ 2min 51sec
8. Giuseppe Di Grande @ 3min 38sec

Friday, May 30: Stage 13, Varazze - Cuneo, 150 km

Major ascent: Tetti di Montezemola

1. Glenn Magnusson: 3hr 25min 4sec
2. Mirko Rossato @ 1sec
3. Mario Cipollini s.t.
4. Mario Traversoni s.t.
5. Fabio Baldato s.t.
6. Mariano Piccoli s.t.
7. Nicola Loda s.t.
8. Endrio Leoni s.t.
9. Manuele Scopsi s.t.
10. Enrico Cassani s.t.

GC after Stage 13:

1. Pavel Tonkov: 58hr 47min 11sec
2. Luc Leblanc @ 41sec
3. Ivan Gotti @ 1min 7sec
4. Andrea Noè @ 1min 49sec
5. Leonardo Piepoli @ 2min 37sec
6. Aleksandr Shefer @ 2min 49sec
7. Paolo Savoldelli @ 2min 51sec
8. Giuseppe Di Grande @ 2min 38sec

Saturday, May 31: Stage 14, Racconigi - Breuil Cervinia, 240 km

Major ascents: Champremier, Col de Saint Pantaleon, Il Cristallo

1. Ivan Gotti: 7hr 6min 32sec. 33.761 km/hr
2. Nicola Miceli @ 39sec
3. Stefano Garzelli @ 1min 20sec
4. José Jaime Gonzalez @ 1min 46sec
5. Pavel Tonkov s.t.
6. Leonardo Piepoli s.t.
7. Aleksandr Shefer s.t.
8. Axel Merckx s.t.
9. Daniele De Paoli @ 3min 12sec
10. Giuseppe Guerini @ 3min 14sec

GC after Stage 14:

1. Ivan Gotti: 65hr 54min 38sec
2. Pavel Tonkov @ 51sec
3. Luc Leblanc @ 3min 2sec
4. Leonardo Piepoli @ 3min 28sec
5. Aleksandr Shefer @ 3min 40sec
6. Nicola Miceli @ 3min 45sec
7. Axel Merckx @ 5min 52sec

Sunday, June 1: Stage 15, Verrès - Borgomanero, 173 km

Major ascent: Mattarone

1. Alessandro Baronti: 4hr 59min 23sec. 38.532 km/hr
2. Filippo Casagrande s.t.
3. Paolo Savoldelli s.t.
4. Riccardo Forconi @ 3sec
5. Andrea Noè @ 50sec
6. Paolo Bettini s.t.
7. Giuseppe Di Grande s.t.
8. Daniele De Paoli s.t.
9. Wladimir Belli s.t.
10. Luc Leblanc s.t.

GC after Stage 15:

1. Ivan Gotti: 70hr 24min 51sec
2. Pavel Tonkov @ 51sec
3. Luc Leblanc @ 3min 2sec
4. Aleksandr Shefer @ 3min 40sec
5. Nicola Miceli @ 3min 45sec
6. Giuseppe Guerini @ 6min 17sec
7. Giuseppe Di Grande @ 7min 56sec
8. Wladimir Belli @ 8min 17sec
9. Axel Merckx @ 9min 42sec
10. Serguei Gontchar @ 10min 26sec

Monday, June 2: Stage 16, Borgomanero - Dalmine, 158 km

1. Fabiano Fontanelli: 3hr 29min 5sec. 45.34 km/hr
2. Fabio Roscioli s.t.
3. Angelo Lecchi s.t.
4. Alberto Volpi s.t.
5. Glenn Magnusson s.t.
6. Mirko Rossato s.t.
7. Mario Cipollini s.t.
8. Marcel Wüst s.t.
9. Mario Traversoni s.t.
10. Mario Manzoni s.t.

GC after Stage 16:

1. Ivan Gotti: 73hr 53min 56sec
2. Pavel Tonkov @ 51sec
3. Luc Leblanc @ 3min 2sec
4. Aleksandr Shefer @ 3min 40sec
5. Nicola Miceli @ 4min 7sec
6. Giuseppe Guerini @ 6min 17sec
7. Giuseppe Di Grande @ 7min 56sec
8. WLladimir Belli @ 8min 17sec
9. Axel Merckx @ 9min 42sec
10. Serguei Gontchar @ 10min 26sec

Tuesday, June 3: Stage 17, Dalmina - Verona (circuito delle Torricelle), 200 km

Ascents: Torricelle x 5

1. Mirko Gualdi: 4hr 27min 41sec. 44.829 km/hr
2. Alessandro Pozzi s.t.
3. José Jaime Gonzalez s.t.
4. Mariano Piccoli @ 31sec
5. Marco Vergnani s.t.
6. Cristian Gasperoni s.t.
7. Andrea Brognara s.t.
8. Gianni Faresin s.t.
9. Stefano Finesso s.t.
10. Viatcheslav Djavanian @ 1min 31sec

GC after Stage 17:

1. Ivan Gotti: 78hr 27min 23sec
2. Pavel Tonkov @ 51sec
3. Luc Leblanc @ 3min 2sec
4. Aleksandr Shefer @ 3min 40sec
5. Nicola Miceli @ 4min 7sec
6. Giuseppe Guerini @ 6min 17sec
7. Giuseppe Di Grande @ 7min 56sec
8. Wladimir Belli @ 8min 17sec
9. Axel Merckx @ 9min 42sec
10. Serguei Gontchar @ 10min 26sec

Wednesday, June 4: Stage 18, Beselga di Pinè - Cavalese 40 km individual time trial (cronometro)

1. Serguei Gontchar: 47min 18sec
2. Evgeni Berzin @ 1min 8sec
3. Bruno Boscardin @ 1min 31sec
4. Pavel Padrnos @ 1min 54sec
5. José Luis Rubiera @ 2min 6sec
6. Denis Zanette @ 2min 27sec
7. Pavel Tonkov @ 2min 30sec
8. Paolo Savoldelli @ 2min 33sec
9. Giuseppe Guerini s.t.
10. Germano Pierdomenico @ 2min 36sec
11. Ivan Gotti @ 2min 44sec
12. Michelangelo Cauz @ 2min 54sec
13. Alexei Sivakov @ 2min 55sec
14. Marco Fincato @ 3min 1sec
15. Giuseppe Di Grande @ 3min 7sec
16. Jaime Hernandez @ 3min 13sec
17. Roberto Petito @ 3min 17sec
18. Michele Poser s.t.
19. Stefano Garzelli @ 3min 22sec
20. Marco Velo @ 3min 23sec

GC after Stage 18

1. Ivan Gotti: 79hr 17min 25sec
2. Pavel Tonkov @ 37sec
3. Luc Leblanc @ 4min 6sec
4. Aleksandr Shefer @ 5min 19sec
5. Nicola Miceli @ 5min 48sec
6. Giuseppe Guerini @ 6min 6sec
7. Serguei Gontchar @ 7min 42sec
8. Giuseppe Di Grande @ 8min 19sec
9. Wladimir Belli @ 10min 30sec
10. Axel Merckx @ 11min 14sec

Thursday, June 5: Stage 19, Predazzo - Falzes, 222 km

Major ascents: Passo di Constalunga, Passo di Pinei, Passo di Sella, Passo Pordoi, Passo di Campolongo, Passo Furcia, Valico di Riomolino, Falzes

1. José Luis Rubiera: 7hr 0min 2sec
2. Roberto Conti @ 3min 6sec
3. Giuseppe Guerini s.t.
4. Ivan Gotti @ 3min 8sec
5. José Jaime Gonzalez s.t.
6. Andrea Noé @ 3min 33sec
7. Stefano Garzelli @ 4min 1sec
8. Pavel Tonkov @ 4min 3sec
9. Roberto Petito s.t.
10. Dario Frigo s.t.
11. Marcos Serrano s.t.
12. Wladimir Belli @ 5min 2sec
13. Dimitri Konyshev @ 5min 39sec
14. Nicola Miceli @ 5min 53sec
15. Francesco Secchiari s.t.
16. Paolo Savoldelli s.t.
17. Serguei Gontchar s.t.
18. Giuseppe Di Grande s.t.
19. Alexandre Moos s.t.
20. Torsten Schmidt @ 7min 18sec

GC after Stage 19:

1. Ivan Gotti: 86hr 20min 35sec
2. Pavel Tonkov @ 1min 32sec
3. Giuseppe Guerini @ 6min 0sec
4. Nicla Miceli @ 8min 33sec
5. Serguei Gontchar @ 10min 27sec
6. Giuseppe Di Grande @ 11min 4sec
7. Wladimir Belli @ 12min 44sec
8. Marcos Serrano @ 14min 0sec
9. Stefano Garzelli @ 14min 42sec
10. José Luis Rubiera @ 15min 9sec

Friday, June 6: Stage 20, Brunico - Passo del Tonale (Val di Sole), 176 km

Major ascents: Terento, Passo Mendola, Passo del Tonale

1. José Jaime Gonzalez: 4hr 53min 3sec
2. Massimo Podenzana @ 1min 43sec
3. Felice Puttini @ 2min 10sec
4. Gabriele Missaglia @ 3min 2sec
5. Fausto Dotti s.t.
6. Germano Pierdomenico @ 4min 2sec
7. Bruno Boscardin @ 4min 50sec
8. Evgeni Berzin @ 5min 34sec
9. Alessandro Baronti @ 7min 41sec
10. Andrea Noè @ 10min 10sec

GC after Stage 20:

1. Ivan Gotti: 91hr 15min 48sec
2. Pavel Tonkov @ 1min 32sec
3. Giuseppe Guerini @ 6min 0sec
4. Serguei Gontchar @ 10min 27sec
5. Nicola Miceli @ 10min 40sec
6. Giuseppe Di Grande @ 11min 4sec
7. Wladimir Belli @ 12min 44sec
8. Marcos Serrano @ 14min 0sec
9. Stefano Garzelli @ 14min 42sec
10. José Luis Rubiera @ 17min 16sec

Saturday, June 7: Stage 21, Malè (Val di Sole) - Edolo, 238 km

Major Ascents: Campo Carlo Magno, Roncone, Goletto di Cadino, Aprica, Passo di Mortirolo

1. Pavel Tonkov: 7hr 13min 36sec
2. Ivan Gotti @ 1sec
3. Wladimir Belli s.t.
4. José Luis Rubiera @ 1min 33sec
5. Andrea Noè s.t.
6. Nicola Miceli s.t.
7. Giuseppe Guerini s.t.
8. Giuseppe Di Grande s.t.
9. Daniele De Paoli @ 2min 0sec
10. Serguei Gontchar s.t.
11. Marcos Serrano s.t.
12. Felix Garcia s.t.
13. Stefano Garzelli @ 3min 19sec
14. Paolo Savoldelli @ 4min 44sec
15. Marco Fincato s.t.
16. Massimiliano Gentili s.t.
17. Dario Frigo @ 4min 48sec
18. Leonardo Calzavara @ 6min 25sec
19. Marco Velo s.t.
20. Marcello Siboni s.t.

GC after Stage 21:

1. Ivan Gotti: 98hr 29min 17sec
2. Pavel Tonkov @ 1min 27sec
3. Giuseppe Guerini @ 7min 40sec
4. Nicola Miceli @ 12min 20sec
5. Serguei Gontchar @ 12min 44sec
6. Wladimir Belli @ 12min 48sec
7. Giuseppe Di Grande @ 12min 54sec
8. Marcos Serrano @ 16min 7sec
9. Stefano Garzelli @ 18min 8sec
10. José Luis Rubiera @ 18min 56sec

Sunday, June 8: 22nd and Final Stage, Boario Terme - Milano, 165 km

1. Mario Cipollini: 4hr 24min 41sec
2. Glenn Magnusson s.t.
3. Luca Mazzanti s.t.
4. Nicola Loda s.t.
5. Marcel Wüst s.t.
6. Mariano Piccoli s.t.
7. Denis Zanette s.t.
8. Zbigniew Spruch s.t.
9. Alexei Sivikov s.t.
10. Martin Hvastija s.t.

1997 Giro d'Italia Complete Final General Classification

The Story of the 1997 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, eBook or audiobook. The Amazon link here will make the purchase easy.

Not having a reliable test for EPO, the UCI set 50 percent as the ceiling for a rider’s hematocrit. A finding of more than 50 percent was not to be considered a doping positive, because at the time there was no reliable way to detect synthetic EPO and therefore it couldn’t be proven to be the cause of a high hematocrit. A rider found to be over the 50 percent threshold was declared unhealthy and immediately suspended for 15 days, which would, the line went, allow him to become well enough to resume racing. The ruling had a perverse effect. Any rider hoping to be competitive had to dope himself up to the 50 percent threshold. Conconi takes credit for suggesting this rule to the UCI, but he had actually advanced a 54 percent hematocrit as an appropriate upper level.

Fifty percent was settled on because it was thought riders would be less likely to die in their sleep. Looking back at this, it all seems crazy. At the Tour of Romandie, Chiappucci was snared by the limit when he was found with a 50.8 percent hematocrit. The two-week suspension kept him out of the Giro.
Pantani’s spring program didn’t shrink from hard racing and even took him to the brutal northern European Classics, where he did well enough, including a fifth in the Flèche Wallonne and good placings in other races. Pulling out of the Tour of Romandie, he complained that his form was still lagging and that he would never again be the rider he had been two years before. He said he had tried to race too much too soon after his accident and was circumspect about his own prospects.

The 1997 Giro looked like a climber’s race. There were two time trials totaling 58 kilometers, the first one in stage three having a hard ascent at the end. Four stages with hilltop finishes, including a devastatingly difficult penultimate stage in the mountains, made it certain that a rouleur would not be triumphant in Milan. No prologue time trial was scheduled; the first stage would be sixteen laps up and down Venice’s Lido beach.

Because the Giro organization had botched the sale of the television rights by demanding insanely high prices, large areas of Europe either didn’t get the 1997 Giro at all or had to pay for it. Also, many riders with Tour ambitions decided to avoid tiring themselves in such a hard race. The result was a rather attenuated field with none of the world’s top-ten rated riders planning to contest la corsa rosa. There was talk that the status of the Giro had fallen even below that of the Tour of Switzerland.

Even so, the race still had plenty of good riders. Tonkov had won the Tour of Romandie. Enrico Zaina, who earlier had been Chiappucci’s gregario, was now free to race on his own account since Chiappucci was suspended. Frenchman Luc Leblanc was in good shape, having won the Giro del Trentino. The consensus was that if Pantani had returned to good form, the race would be between him and Tonkov.

Mario Cipollini won the first two stages. His leadout train lost control of the race in the final kilometers of the first stage, yet Cipollini bored through a nearly nonexistent hole next to the barriers and emerged the winner of the first Pink Jersey. The next day he led the sprint out from far back and no one could come around him.

Mario Cipollini wins stage two in Cervia

Cipollini’s days in pink had to come to an end, and with the uphill time trial in San Marino, they ended immediately: the course’s eleven-percent gradient spelled certain doom for pure sprinters. Tonkov won the stage with Evgeni Berzin second, 21 seconds slower. Tonkov thought Berzin would have turned in a better time if he hadn’t been over-geared in the first half of the course. Pantani did well enough, losing 1 minute 23 seconds. Tonkov was now the leader and Berzin was second, a single second behind.

So far the Giro had enjoyed lovely weather. In stage five, when the race arrived in Abruzzo with its hilltop finish at Terminillo, the rain came. The pack was all together for the start of the fifteen-kilometer, eight-percent grade and Tonkov had his team keep the pace warm during the first kilometers of the ascent. But soon Pantani’s Mercatone Uno men decided the speed had to be increased and increase it they did. That effort had two surprising victims, Berzin (who got the hunger knock) and Ugrumov.

With about three kilometers to go the sun came out. Several riders attempted getaways, but Tonkov easily rode up to each attacking rider, including Pantani. His neutralizing efforts looked almost effortless, usually without his even getting out of the saddle.

After a final attack from Leblanc, Tonkov took the stage and further padded his lead. The General Classification stood thus:
1. Pavel Tonkov
2. Luc Leblanc @ 41 seconds
3. Ivan Gotti @ 1 minute 7 seconds
4. Roberto Petito @ same time
5. Marco Pantani @ 1 minute 31 seconds

Going southwest without any appreciable change to the standings, the Giro arrived on the Amalfi Road on the southern Italian coast. It was a piano day and while the peloton cruised down the Tyrrhenian coast, a group of non-contenders was allowed their day in the sun and finished fourteen minutes ahead of the disinterested pack. But the day profoundly affected the Giro’s outcome in another way; thirty kilometers before the finish Pantani hit a cat while descending the Valico di Chiunzi. He didn’t break any bones, but after getting badly bruised and losing twelve minutes, he abandoned.

After going all the way to the heel of Italy, the peloton spent its rest day transferring up to the Tuscan coast. The order of business when the Giro resumed was to boot four riders from the race, none of whom were in contention for the Overall, for excessive hematocrits.

Stage fourteen took the riders almost due north, sliding by the east side of Turin on the way to the Alps. It ended with a 2,100-meter-high sort-of mountaintop finish at Cervinia, on the Italian side of the Matterhorn. After they reached the summit, they had a two-kilometer downhill rush to the line.

On the penultimate climb, the San Pantaleon, things broke wide open. A small group of riders including Axel Merckx (Eddy Merckx’s son) had been off the front for a while. Out of nowhere Ivan Gotti exploded from what was left of the peloton. Stefano Garzelli of Mercatone Uno was the only rider to mark the move. Gotti bridged up to the Merckx group with astonishing ease while Tonkov did nothing, keeping his attention on his bête noire, Leblanc.

Still Tonkov did nothing and Leblanc, not wanting to hand the Giro over to Gotti through inaction, led the chase. The Gotti group went over the Pantaleon 23 seconds ahead of the maglia rosa.

The Gotti group flew down the Pantaleon like madmen and by they time they got themselves organized on the way to Cervinia, they had enlarged their advantage to 64 seconds. Gotti, knowing the stakes involved, singlehandedly dragged his group up the hill.

With six kilometers to go the race had turned into an exciting pursuit. Up front Gotti was pounding away for all he was worth with Nicola Miceli hanging onto his wheel. One hundred seconds back, feeling the Giro slipping from his grasp, Tonkov had only Leonardo Piepoli for company while Leblanc, unable to maintain the white-hot pace, was nowhere to be seen. Tonkov had gambled and lost. Leblanc was not Tonkov’s main challenger, it was Gotti.

Out of the saddle and digging deep, Gotti dropped Miceli and finished alone. Tonkov lost 1 minute 46 seconds. Leblanc had cracked badly, coming in 3 minutes 16 seconds after Gotti, who had profited hugely from Tonkov’s tactical blunder. The new General Classification was thus:
1. Ivan Gotti
2. Pavel Tonkov @ 51 seconds
3. Luc Leblanc @ 3 minutes 2 seconds
4. Leonardo Piepoli @ 3 minutes 28 seconds

Gotti’s lead shouldn’t have been a surprise. He had been second in the 1990 Girobio, fifth in the 1995 Tour (including two days in yellow) and fifth in the 1996 Giro. Yet he had not been invited to the Giro presentation with the other contenders, a fact that was clearly on his mind when he spoke to the press after the stage, feeling he had been unjustly forgotten. They certainly knew about him now.

The Giro turned east for its appointment with what were intended to be the deciding stages: a 40-kilometer time trial followed by three days in the Dolomites.

Normally, since Tonkov was the superior time trialist, Gotti’s lead might have been in danger. But just before the stage start the judges wouldn’t let Tonkov ride his time trial bike because it had a projection over the rear wheel the officials deemed an illegal fairing. Tonkov switched to his back-up bike, one he didn’t really like. The result? Tonkov was able to take back only fourteen seconds. The bike switch might actually have been a blessing because the hard-to-handle specialty time trial bikes proved to be lots of trouble on the technical, high-speed course. Both Alexandr Shefer (now lying in fourth place) and Leblanc were among those who crashed hard. Both riders abandoned.

Ivan Gotti in pink with Pavel Tonkov

At 5:30 in the morning, before the start of stage nineteen, NAS raided the hotel rooms of the MG-Technogym riders and found a large cache of dope. Among the finds were twenty boxes of anabolic steroids, three boxes of growth hormones and of course, EPO. At first team director Ferretti said the drugs were for his personal use, to help him improve his sexual performance. As we say out here in the Ozarks, that dog don’t hunt. It was later admitted that the drugs were for the riders’ use. The team left town that afternoon and the sponsors quit the sport at the end of the year.

Rain and six major climbs greeted the riders at the start of stage nineteen. Just listing what the peloton had to get over during its 222-kilometer Calvary is tiring: the Pinei, Sella, Pordoi, Campolongo, Furcia and the Riomolino with a final uphill grind to Falzes.

Tonkov, who crashed and remounted on the Campolongo, could not contain Gotti. On the Riomolino, Gotti, who had Leblanc teammate Giuseppe Guerini for company, had been hoping he would be able to work with and help Leblanc as a foil to Tonkov. With Leblanc now out, Guerini was given the go-ahead to work with Gotti and try to improve his own standing, then sixth place. Gotti was able to extend his lead by another 55 seconds.

The new General Classification shows it was a two-man race:
1. Ivan Gotti
2. Pavel Tonkov @ 1 minute 32 seconds
3. Giuseppe Guerini @ 6 minutes 0 seconds
4. Nicola Miceli @ 8 minutes 33 seconds

The stage nineteen seven-hour ordeal must have been enough. Even with stage twenty’s finish at the top of the Tonale, Tonkov made a few half-half hearted attacks which Gotti, content to merely stay with Tonkov, easily handled. A group of non-contenders was allowed to come in ten minutes ahead of the maglia rosa. Now it was down to just one last mountain stage, with three hard passes, including the Mortirolo.

Tired or not, Tonkov’s Mapei team wasn’t going down without a fight. They sent Gianni Bugno up ahead and then set a pace so hot that eventually nearly everyone was dropped. It was down to just Gotti and Tonkov as they caught Bugno on the Mortirolo.

The gradient rose to eighteen percent and on a switchback, a motorcycle fell over in front of Bugno. Now it was Gotti and Tonkov, the two best riders, riding side by side on the Mortirolo, one of the hardest ascents in cycling. Gotti tried several times to drop Tonkov, but the Russian stayed with him. It was thrilling duel. Finally Gotti took the front and it looked like Tonkov had thrown in the towel, but two kilometers from the summit there was a surprise. Wladimir Belli closed up to the two leaders and then led for the rest of the climb through a sea of fans lining the narrow road. The tifosi were sure an Italian was going to win the Giro and they weren’t going to miss it.

Tonkov won the three-up sprint, but with only the final ride into Milan remaining, the Giro was Gotti’s.

Ivan Gotti wins the 1997 Giro d'Italia

Final 1997 Giro d’Italia General Classification:
1. Ivan Gotti (Saeco): 102 hours 53 minutes 58 seconds
2. Pavel Tonkov (Mapei-GB) @ 1 minute 27 seconds
3. Giuseppe Guerini (Polti) @ 7 minutes 40 seconds
4. Nicola Miceli (Aki-Safi) @ 12 minutes 20 seconds
5. Serguei Gontchar (Aki-Safi) @ 12 minutes 44 seconds

Climbers’ Competition:
1. José Jaime González (Kelme-Costa Blanca): 99 points
2. Mariano Piccoli (Brescialat): 35
3. Roberto Conti (Mercatone Uno): 28

Points Competition:
1. Mario Cipollini (Saeco): 202 points
2. Dimitri Konyshev (Roslotto-ZG Mobili): 146
3. Glenn Magnusson (Amore & Vita): 145

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