The Giro d’Italia returns to Padua today with a stage suitable for sprinters. This afternoon the pink race will arrive in a city rich in history and love for cycling. In the recent era the Giro made a stop in the City of the Saint on 20 May 1978 and Francesco Moser sprinter version won ahead of Pierino Gavazzi and Luciano Borgognoni. Two days earlier the following communication had arrived from Belgium: “Eddy Merckx has decided to cease his competitive activity”. Instead in the sprint of the San Marcello Pistoiese – Padova (253 kilometres) of the 2000 Giro d’Italia the imaginative Ivan Quaranta won ahead of Jan Svorada, with the favorite Mario Cipollini in 3rd place. It was May 23rd, exactly 24 years have passed since Ivan’s victory in Prato della Valle, the enormous square in Padua. At that time Quaranta had become the bête noire of the great Mario, emperor of sprinters.
The 2000 Giro began with a prologue in Rome after Pope Wojtyla’s blessing to Marco Pantani and the other protagonists. Already in the first road stage, Rome – Terracina (14 May 2000) of 129 kilometres, Quaranta from Crema triumphed in the sprint ahead of Zanotti and De Jongh. In the subsequent stages for sprinters, Re Leone Cipollini and Jan Svorada won.
The long San Marcello Pistoiese – Padova match followed Francesco Casagrande’s victory over Abetone. The Florentine had won the pink jersey by ousting Josè Gutierrez. Everyone predicted Cipollini as the winner in the Prato della Valle square, also because his Saeco-Valli & Valli was a battleship for preparing for sprints. Re Leone had forerunners of the caliber of Pavel Padrnos, Biagio Conte, Giuseppe Calcaterra, Mario Scirea. They were the “Red Guards” (nickname identical to that of Rik Van Looy’s squires in the 1960s).
Instead, Ivan Quaranta belonged to Mobilvetta and did not have an equally equipped train. “Competing with Cipollini’s train – assures Ivan, born in Crema on 14 December 1974, resident for many years in Vaiano Cremasco – it was impossible for any team, not just my Mobilvetta. I had two men in particular which allowed me to stay in the top positions, close to the Saeco train without excessive energy expenditure: Mario Manzoni and Alberto Ongarato. In the event of a breakaway needing to be neutralized in order to guarantee the solution to the sprint, Saeco made available at least two riders to follow the pace of the group. We at Mobilvetta at the time made Mirko Gualdi or Domenico Gualdi available”.
Ongarato was very motivated in San Marcello Pistoiese – Padua, being from the province of Sant’Antonio. “About 5 kilometers from the finish – continues Quaranta, who earned the nickname “Cheetah” for his successes in the Giro – there was a sudden slowdown near a roundabout. I found myself around thirtieth position, practically too far behind to hope to win. Ongarato slowed down and with great stubbornness brought me back to the top positions at the bend following the bridge 800 meters from the finish line. Thanks to Alberto I found myself over the bridge in eighth position, Cipollini was sixth, in the wake of his formidable companions. In front of us was Svorada who was very dangerous for the sprint.”
The large group faced another bend to enter Prato della Valle. “That curve caused slowdown and worked in my favor. At the exit I sprinted decisively, Svorada and Cipollini were unable to catch up to me. A beautiful victory, in a fantastic setting.”
Cipollini in particular didn’t have a great time. “Mario – adds Ivan – in the sprints in which he could exit the train at very high speed 200 or 250 meters from the finish line he was practically unbeatable. If, however, the straight was preceded by some roundabouts or slowdown situations, being more cumbersome to express maximum power, it could also have been beaten, although it happened a few times”.
In the history of the Giro d’Italia, Ivan Quaranta boasts six stage victories. At the 1999 Giro d’Italia he triumphed in the first stage, Agrigento – Modica, on 15 May. First Ivan, second Jeroen Blijlevens, third Cipollini.
“Unforgettable – underlines Quaranta, who in 1992, as a junior, became World Speed Champion in Atena – the best day of my career. Before lining up at the start of the ’99 Giro I had won several races outside Italy. I didn’t expect to triumph in the Giro on the first day. For me, ’99 was the first Giro of my career. The day after the victory in Modica we went to Noto for the start of the second stage. The shop windows were all pink, and I admired the beauty of the leader’s jersey. I didn’t realize that I was the leader! I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears.”
At the 1999 Giro the “Ghepardo” also won the Cesenatico stage, in the Pirate Pantani’s lair. In the 99s and 2000s he competed for Mobilvetta, and in 2001 for Alexia Alluminio. At the 2001 Giro he won the Avellino – Nettuno and Erbusco – Parma stages. Ivan Quaranta is currently responsible for the sprinters within the national track team. He is a close collaborator of coach Marco Villa. Ivan is the father of Samuel, a promising sprinter, most likely a professional at MBH-Colpack from January 2025. Regarding the city of Padua, at the 2009 Giro he hosted the start of the fourth stage with arrival in San Martino di Castrozza (1st Stefano Garzelli).
