Giuseppe Saronni Photo Gallery
Giuseppe Saronni Photo Gallery
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Major victories and high placings | Professonal teams | Photos |
Giuseppe Saronni (born September 22, 1957) was one of the 1980's standout riders with 193 victories. Most notably, he won the Giro d'Italia twice, in 1979 and 1983 as well as Milano-San Remo, Giro di Lombardia and the 1982 World Road Championships.
His career coincided with that of Francesco Moser, the other outstanding Italian racer of the era. Their's was cycling's last great rivalry. It was almost as intense as the Coppi-Bartali and Anquetil-Poulidor competitions for the fans' affection. The feud split Italy's passionate tifosi and raised both riders' profiles.
Giro boss Vincenzo Torriani wanted Italians to win the Giro d'Italia, so through the 1980s he designed race routes tailored to Saronni's and Moser's talents: easy on the climbing with lots of time trialing and stage win time bonuses. Saronni and Moser took three of Torriani's flattened Giri.
Americans particularly remember Saronni's 1982 ride at the Goodwood, England World Road Championships. Jonathan Boyer took off on a flyer and shortly before the finish Greg LeMond started chasing. But from behind, Saronni went by everyone like an arrow. It was an astonishing sprint that was so fast that Sean Kelly, himself a master sprinter, could not hold Saronni's wheel.
A glance below at Saronni's palmarès shows that after a superb 1983 with Giro d'Italia and Milano-San Remo wins, his career ran out of gas, though he continued to get top placings in high-value races. He retired in 1990 to become the manager of the Lampre professional cycling team.
Major victories and high placings:
1977:
- Giro di Sicilia
- GP Pantalica
- Tres Valli Varesine
- Giro del Veneto
- 2nd place Flèche Wallonne
- 2nd place Giro del Piemonte
- 2nd place Coppa Placci
- 3rd place Tirreno-Adriatico
1978:
- Tirreno-Adriatico
- Giro di Puglia
- Tour d'Indre et Loire
- GP Pantalica
- Coppa Agostoni
- 2nd place Milano-San Remo
- 2nd place Coppa Sabatini
1979:
- Giro d'Italia with 3 stage wins
- Championship of Zurich
- Critérium du Midi Libre
- Trofeo Baracchi (with Francesco Moser)
- Tre Velli Varisine
- GP Aargau-Gippingen
- GP Camaiore
- 2nd place Milano-San Remo
- 2nd place Flèche Wallonne
- 2nd place Blois-Chaville
- 2nd place Tirreno-Adriatico
1980:
- Italian Road Championship
- Flèche Wallone
- Giro di Puglia with 3 stage wins
- Trofeo Pantalica
- Tre Valli Varesine
- Coppa Bernocchi
- 2nd place Milano-San Remo
- 2nd place Giro di Toscana
- 2nd place Coppa Sabatini
- 3rd place Tour de Romandie
1981:
- GP Citta di Camaiore
- Coppa Bernocchi
- Giro della Romagna
- 2nd place World Road Championships
- 2nd place Tour de Romandie
- 3rd place Giro d'Italia with 3 stage wins
1982:
- World Professional Road Championship
- Giro di Lombardia
- Tour of Switzerland
- Tirreno-Adriatico
- Tour of Sardinia
- Giro del Trentino
- Trofeo Pantalica
- Coppa Agostoni
- Milano-Torino
- 3 stage wins Ruta del Sol
1983:
- Giro d'Italia with 3 stage wins
- Milano-San Remo
- 2nd place Liège-Bastogne-Liège
1984: no notable victoires
1985:
- Trofeo Pantalica
- 2nd place Tre Valli Varesine
- 3rd place Giro di Sicilia
1986:
- International Cycling Week
- Trofeo Baracchi (with Lech Piasecki)
- 2nd place Giro d'Italia
- 2nd place Giro di Puglia
- 3rd place World Road Championships
- 4th place Milano-San Remo
1987:
- Milano-Vignola
- 2nd place Trofeo Baracchi (with Lech Piasecki)
1988:
- Tre Valli Varesine
- Giro di Puglia
- Cronostafetta
- 2nd place Giro di Sicilia
- 2nd place Italian Road Championship
1989:
- 2nd place Giro della Romagna
- 2nd place Cronostafetta
1990:
- Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
1977-1979: SCIC
1980: Gis Gelati
1981: Gis Gelati-Campagnolo
1982: Del Tongo
1983-1985: Del Tongo-Colnago
1986-1988: Del Tongo
1989: Malvor-Sidi
1990: Diana-Colnago
Nickname: Beppe
Giuseppe Saronni riding stage the 8 time trial to San Marino in the 1979 Giro d'Italia.
Pink-clad Saronni leads Francesco Moser to Trento in stage 17 of the 1979 Giro d'Italia.
No one seems to be having fun in the 20th stage of the 1980 Giro d'Italia. Saronni is wearing the purple points classification leader's jersey and this should be on the Stelvio Pass.
Saronni in the Italian Champion's jersey breaking legs at the 1980 Coppa Placci.
Saronni wins a stage in the 1982 Giro d'Italia (beating pink-clad Bernard Hinault).
Saronni racing stage 17 of the 1982 Giro d'Italia.
Saronni won the 1982 World Championships at Goodwood, England.
Saronni at a war memeorial at the 1982 Giro della Romagna.
Saronni wins the 1982 Giro di Lombardia.
Saronni on the 1982 Giro di Lombardia podium.
Saronni (in pink) ready to start a stage at the 1983 Giro d'Italia.
Giuseppe Saronni rides the 1983 Giro d'Italia stage 13 time trial.
Saronni won the 1983 Giro. Here he is in the maglia rosa.
Saronni riding the 1983 GP Camaiore.
1984 Giro d'Italia stage 18: Saronni on the road to Merano.
Stage 22 of the 1984 Giro in Verona, Saronni grabs a soda.
Saronni looks a bit worse for the wear after finishing the 1985 Milano-San Remo.
On the Vigorelli Velodrome, Saronni finishes stage 2 of the 1985 Giro d'Italia.
Consumate professional that he is, Saronni carries his bike to the infield after finishing 1985 Giro stage 2.
Saronni (right) riding the 1985 Giro del Veneto.
Saronni signs an autograph at the start of the 1985 Milano-Vignola.
Saronni in pink at stage 10 of the 1986 Giro d'Italia.
Saronni climbs while wearing pink in the 1986 Giro d'Italia.
Saronni in stage 21 of the 1986 Giro d'Italia on his way to the stage finish in Bolzano.
Giuseppe Saronni at the 1986 Coppa Placci.
1987 Tirreno-Adriatico stage 4: There's something interesting up there.
Saronni descends a wet road in the 1987 Giro di Toscana.
Ready to ride the 1987 Giro d'Italia prologue.
Saronni riding to San Marino in stage 13 of the 1987 Giro d'Italia.
Saronni is first across the line in the 1987 Parma-Vignoli.
1988: Saronni wins an early season race in Lucera.
A cold day in the mountains. Saronni rides to Bormio in stage 14 of the 1988 Giro d'Italia.
Giuseppe Saronni edges out Guido Bontempi to win the 1988 Tre Valli Varesini.
Saronni at the start of the 1990 Milano-San Remo.
At the start of 1990 Giro Stage 1 in Bari.
Stage 10 of the 1990 Giro d'Italia, Saronni on his way to the finish in Cuneo.
In the Dolomites. Saronni riding to Aprica in stage 17 of the 1990 Giro d'Italia.
Old rivals, Giuseppe Saronni and Francesco Moser at the 1990 Milan-Torino.
And at the same race, Saronni with Gino Bartali.