Best wishes Francesco Moser, your best time trial of your career turns 40 today. It’s the time trial that made you become a “modern hero of an ancient sport”.
In fact, on 10 June 1984 Francesco triumphed in the Soave-Verona individual time trial, 42 kilometres, and in the final ranking of the Giro d’Italia. That edition of the pink race started on May 17th from Lucca and ended with the time trial from Soave to the Verona Arena.
Here is the final ranking: 1st Moser, 2nd Laurent Fignon at 1’03”, 3rd Moreno Argentin at 4’26”, 4th Marino Lejarreta at 4’33”, 5th Johan Van Der Velde at 6’56” , 7th Gibi Baronchelli at 7’48”.
Francesco Moser – born in Palù di Giovo (Trento) on 19 June 1951 – as well as being the Italian rider with the highest number of victories in his career, 278, he is also the one who he achieved more successes in the Giro d’Italia time trials. Francesco triumphed in 12 individual time trials in the pink race, Eddy Merckx is second in the ranking with 7 victories, Filippo Ganna and Jacques Anquetil are paired with 6 successes. Logically they are all champions who have also achieved victories in the road stages in the Grand Tours.
The Soave-Verona of the 1984 Giro caused a sensation throughout the world as if it were a third hour record by the champion from Palù di Giovo. In fact, in January of that year Francesco had set the hour record twice, with 50.808 and 51,151 kilometers. He had made the 2 attempts assisted by Equipe Enervit which certainly changed the end of his career. Moser won the Six Days of Milan in February paired with Pijnen and subsequently, without participating in the “run-in” Tirreno-Adriatico, he triumphed by separation in the Milan – Sanremo, then in the Giro dell’Etna, then in the time prologue of Jerez de la Frontera and in the Santander stage of the Vuelta a Espana.
On the eve of the Giro the Trentino rider was among the favourites. Many, however, gave the Frenchman Fignon a better chance of victory. winner the year before the Tour de France and well supported by the Renault-Elf squadron. Time trial prowess worked in Francesco’s favor at the 1984 Giro.
The race organized by La Gazzetta dello Sport started with a 5 kilometer time prologue in Lucca that Francesco designed by Gis won with 11″ over Silvestro Milani from Bergamo. However, the following day in the first stage, the team time trial from Lucca to Pietrasanta Marina, 55 kilometres, the Renault-Elf won and Fignon wore the pink jersey. Not everything had gone smoothly in the Gis from Lucca to Versilia without it being a defeat. Fignon remained in the pink jersey until the fifth stage, on 22 May, from Numana to Block Haus where the surprising Moreno Argentin won ahead of Moser, 2 seconds behind. Fignon arrived late on the Abruzzo mountain and Francesco took possession of the rose again. The next day Moser performed as a sprinter winning the Chieti – Foggia. Francesco and the GIS controlled the situation magnificently.
On Saturday 2 June there was the 38 kilometer time trial from Certosa di Pavia to Milan (arrival in via Arona, next to the Vigorelli). The spectacular Moser punctured halfway through the test, despite this the time trial was triumphant for him. First Moser, 2nd at 53” Roberto Visentini, 3rd at 1’27” Fignon.
The Frenchman was 2’07” behind Francesco in the general classification. But the Giro did not end next to Vigorelli. On June 8th Fignon was relentless in the Selva di Val Gardena – Arabba, he won the stage and took the pink jersey from Francesco. There remained the last terrible round of June 10ththe most classic of the “in or out”, the Soave-Verona. The Frenchman faced it with a 1’21” advantage over Moser in the general classification. Despite the grandeur of the Renault team and the Cicli Gitane company (a brand still owned by Renault), Fignon showed up at the starting meeting point in Soave with a light bike but with a frame with traditional lines, and above all without lenticular wheels.
Francesco had a bike with his light blue “Moser” brand, a frame with revolutionized lines and lenticulars, a type he launched in great cycling on the occasion of the two hour records in Mexico. The Italian, supported by an immense crowd, pedaled at an average of 50.977, edging out 2’24” from Fignon. In the final classification Moser beat the Frenchman by 1’03”. There were those who accused the Trentino man of having decisively exploited the “thrust” of the air movement of the helicopter blades at low altitude for the TV shots. In reality the helicopter also followed Fignon.
Certainly that Giro was designed for riders like Moser, with 85 kilometers of individual time trials and few mountains. Francesco lived up to expectations thanks to his preparation for the hour record which also extended his career. Francesco happy May 10th, happy anniversary.
