article by Nicholas Pucci
When he showed up at the start of the 57th edition of the Giro d’Italia on 16 May 1974, very few thought that Eddy Merckx could be ousted from the throne he had sat on for the previous two years. To tell the truth, however, his season didn’t start in the best way, to the point that in the spring, which had never happened to him since he turned professional in 1965, he did not win any prestige classicshaving in fact missed the Milan-San Remo, already won 5 times, thanks to bronchitis, and having been “solo” third in the Tour of Flanders, behind Cees Bal and Frans Veerbeck, second in Ghent-Wevelgem, slipped into the sprint by the British Barry Hoban, and fourth in Paris-Roubaix, who greeted Roger De Vlaeminck’s second success. Nonetheless, the Belgian plays the role of favorite in the Corsa Rosa, finding on his way opponents who respond not only to the name of Felice Gimondiwrapped in the rainbow jersey of world champion and solo winner in Sanremo, e Manuel Fuentefresh winner of the Vuelta, main rivals in a race full of mountains, or of Francesco Moser and Giovanni Battaglintwo other rampants defending the colors of Filotex and of Jolly Ceramica, but also that, completely unexpected, of a young neo-professional not yet 21 years old, Gianbattista Baronchelliwinner of the Tour de l’Avenir and the Giro Baby the year before, who in jersey Scic is destined to mark an unforgettable page in the history of cycling. Even entering, forcefully, in the Guinness Book of Records.
It starts from the Vatican Cityand it is the Belgian Wilfried Reyboruck, winner at the finish line in Formia, who wears the first pink jersey, arriving two days later in Sorrento out of time and thus leaving the scene, in tears, undermined in the standings by Fuente who attacks on the ramps of Monte Faito, makes a vacuum, and reaches the finish line with a margin of 33″ over Baronchelli, Moser and Battaglin, with Merckx, in turn delayed by 42″forced to mend a gap downhill that had become wider uphill.
Franco Bitossi, first in Foggia and Macerata, Roger De Vlaeminck, very fast on the finish line of Sapri, Pierino Gavazzi and Ugo Colombo, who make the stages of Taranto and Chieti their own, carve out an important showcase in a Giro d’Italia that turns south , but in the ninth stage, when you go up again on Monte Carpegna, here is Fuente, absolutely irrepressible when the road rears up, under a pouring rain again outperforms the competition, detaching Merckx by 1’05” and the rest of the favorites by 1’44 ”, reinforcing his position as leader of the general classification. And between two other successes by Patrick Sercu, already victorious in Pompeii on the second day, in Modena and Forte dei Marmi, Fuente replies in the morning stage of 27 May which foresees the arrival at high altitude at Ciocco, trimming another 41″ on Merckx for a classification, in the evening and in the middle of the Giro, which sees the Spaniard in the lead with an advantage of 2’21” over the “cannibal“, 3’00” on an indomitable Costantino Conti and 3’08” on the surprising Baronchelli, always hooked up to the best uphill riders, who in turn precedes Battaglin, Gimondi and De Vlaeminck by a few seconds.
24 hours after the schedule provides the only timed stage of the Corsa Rosa, 40 kilometers in Forte dei Marmi, and it is the propitious opportunity for Merckx not only to finally win his first stage, but also to gain significantly in the standings over his direct competitors in the pink jersey, returning in the evening just 18″ from Fuente, with Baronchelli, Gimondi and Moser (respectively seventh, sixth and second at the finish line) occupying third, fourth and fifth provisional places. Waiting for the Dolomites, where the race will probably be decided.
But before that happens, blood forces the Giro d’Italia to stop, when nn the morning of 28 May a bomb exploded in the very central Piazza della Loggia in Bresciacausing the death of 8 people and the wounding of another 102. The race direction, which initially had scheduled the rest day immediately after the Sanremo stage, brings it forward to May 29, after which it starts again and, once the victory has been celebrated by Enrico Paolini in Pietra Ligure, we go towards Sanremo, on a rainy day which prevents runners from passing over Passo del Ceppo, also climbing Colle Langan and Passo Ghimbegna twice. AND here the history of the Giro is written, because Fuente, who decided to go on the defensive by sending his teammate Lopez-Carrill ahead and limiting himself to checking his rivals in the standings, when he has to respond to Baronchelli’s attack, followed at a distance by Merckx and Gimondi, remains on the pedals, prey to a dramatic hunger crisis that sees him reach the finish line, exhausted and without strength, a good 10 minutes and 19 seconds after Giuseppe Perletto, who wins with 21″ over Wladimiro Panizza, 40″ over Baronchelli and 2’18” over Gimondi, Merckx, Moser, Battaglin, De Vlaeminck and Bitossi, thus dropping out of the standings. Which in the evening reads: Merckx new pink jersey, Gianbattista second at 35″, Gimondi third at 2’23”, Moser fourth at 2’31”, De Vlaeminck fifth at 2’33”.
With the Belgian new master of the race, one might think that the dispute is closed, despite the slim margin on Baronchelli, in his first year as a professional and on his first appearance, obviously, on the roads of the Giro d’Italia, but if Fuente, who wants to redeem himself, detaches everyone again on the ramps of Monte Generoso, on the day when Gimondioutdistancing Merckx, not at ease uphill and also delayed by a pedal closing problem, climbs back to second place, at just 33″ from the star of the Molteniimplying that he will try to break the bank in the toughest stage of the Corsa Rosa, the one with arrival at the Tre Cime di Lavaredothe best is yet to happen.
Just that day, June 6, 1974, a sort of D-day of the Giro d’Italia, the scene takes over Gianbattista Baronchellichampion in the making, from the Bergamo area of Pumenengo where he was born on 6 September 1953, who, in response to the usual attack by Fuente, undoubtedly the strongest when the road climbs, second behind his teammate Lazcano in the Como-Iseo stage when he anticipates Merckx of 13″, in turn, after the race also passed under the rain on the Forcella climb, Colle Rest and Passo della Mauria, he sows the pink jersey, when there are 2 kilometers to go to the finish line of the Tre Cime. It’s here, with Fuente who wins his fifth stage in blissful solitude, pandemonium ensues, or almost, with Merckx who is unable to resist Baronchelli’s attempt, he clings to the handlebars, seems to be in crisis, but right in the last meters, with an effort huge, he manages to keep the pink jersey for just 12 seconds.
There would still be thetappone” the day after, between Misurina and Bassano del Grappa, 194 kilometers with the ascents of Falzarego, Valles, Rolle and Monte Grappa, the last ascent of the Giro d’Italia, to throw the Belgian champion from the throne, but if Fuente , as usual, he tries from afar by detaching everyone right on Monte Grappa, This time Merckx keeps Baronchelli and Gimondi at bay, indeed, towards the top he recovers a good part of the 2’40” delay timed by the Spaniard, he climbs the hill with only 35″, he returns downhill and at the finish line not only imposes his greatest speed, but also puts the seal on his fifth Giro d’Italia.
Exactly as Alfredo Binda and Fausto Coppi were able to dobut this time what an effort to keep up with the beardless Baronchelli. The breath of 12″, still today the narrowest margin between first and second place ever. You said little,”GB hat“!