article by Nicola Pucci
When the 49th edition of the Giro d’Italia starts from Monte Carlo on 18 May 1966in the presence of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace, with the nocturnal presentation of the teams broadcast on Eurovision as part of the city’s centenary celebrations, the dominant reason for the race is obvious: the 32-year-old Jacques Anquetil will succeedalready winner in 1960 and 1964 (as well as second in 1959 and 1961) and with five successes in the Tour de France, to counter the challenge launched by the young talents of Italian cycling, namely Felice Gimondi (triumphant in the last edition of the Grande Boucle and dominator at Paris-Roubaix in the spring), Gianni Motta ed Italo Zilioli (second in the Corsa Rosa in the previous two years)?
Ready, set, and right in the first stagewhich takes the runners to Diano Marina and dresses Vito Taccone with the insignia of the record, the French champion faces the misfortune of a puncture caused by an unwary spectator along the ramps of Colle di San Bartolomeo, which penalizes him by over 3 minutes at the finish line, putting it in the difficult position of already having to recover a heavy margin. What if the day afterin the short fraction of just 60 kilometers which ends uphill in Monesi, Spanish Julio JimenezAnquetil’s teammate at Ford, wins solo and takes the pink jersey, towards Genoa, in a stage conditioned by strong winds, Gimondi is also the victim of an accident in the tunnel, which costs him over a minute and a half on the finish line on the best riders.
The stages that take runners south deliver a fair share of glory to second-rate athletes, such as Giovanni Knapp, Vendramino Bariviera, Raffaele Marcoli and Vincent Denson, with the German Rudi Altig imposing himself in the high-altitude finish in Rocca di Cambio and in Cesenatico, Dino Zandegù who in turn achieved a double in Giulianova and Reggio Emilia, and the neo-professional Marino Basso who turns out to be a particularly fast wheel in Naples. What if Jimenez holds the leader’s jersey without worries for 11 dayswith only Guido De Rosso and Vito Taccone recovering in the standings after the Chianciano Terme stage, with Gianni Motta, Vittorio Adorni, Franco Balmamion and Italo Zilioli immediately behind, here the Parma time trial on May 30th, the 13th stage of the series which ends at the Salvarani factory, gives wings to Adorni, who wins with 27″ on Anquetil, usually a wrath of God against time, leaves Jimenez at 4 ’36” and in the evening he celebrates the pink jersey, with 47″ on Motta, 1’13” on De Rosso, 2’02” on Altig and 2’34” on Zilioli, with Gimondi and Anquetil, almost sworn enemies, at over 3 minutes.
On the outcome of the Giro d’Italia the dispute between Ford France and Ford Italia has a significant impact, to the point that it is rumored that Anquetil was paid not to win the race and if anything let Gimondi lose it, which could defraud him, in the event of victory, of his role as the first star of world cycling. AND if Jacques doesn’t really seem to be doing everything to return to competing for the record, he nevertheless seems to orient his preferences towards Gianni Motta, in case an Italian wins the Giro.
In the meantime Adorni spends the rest day in the pink jersey and holds the insignia of leader in Aronain a stage that includes the climb of Mottarone and gives success to “crazy Heart” Franco Bitossi, but nn the stage that ends in Brescia the peloton falls apart, Jimenez is first on arrival with 30″ on a small group that includes Motta, Zilioli, the Swiss Rolf Maurer and Anquetil and 1’34” on Adorni, forced to give up the jersey pink to the rider from Cassano d’Adda for just 7″.
The race is open, with the Dolomites looming on the horizon, and after Bitossi granted an encore to Bezzecca, thehe 17th stage, which along the 239 kilometers that lead from Riva del Garda to Levico Terme programs the climb on the dirt road of the Vetriolo Pass, confirms Jimenez as the strongest climber in the group, who takes off with Motta, very capable of holding his own in climb and then prevail at the finish line. The rivals are more than 1’30” late, and now the captain of the team is Molteniin his third year of professionalism but already winner of the 1964 Giro di Lombardia and on the lowest step of the podium at the 1965 Tour de France, puts a serious threat on the final victory.
With five stages still to go, the ranking reads: Motta first, Jimenez at 1’56”, Altig at 3’39”, Zilioli at 3’44” and Bitossi at 3’57”, with Balmamion, Anquetil, Taccone, Gimondi and Adorni completing the top-ten with a delay longer than 4 minutes.
And if the fraction that ends in Bolzano, with the climb of Passo Palade, does not bring changes to the ranking, the 100 kilometers between Bolzano and Moena, in the rain and after passing Passo di Lavazé and Costalunga, strengthen Motta’s lead, first under the banner after having outpaced his opponents and having beaten Anquetil and Zilioli in a three-man sprint, who went up ranked third respectively (4’29” late for the Frenchman) and second place (3’46” is the margin to be recovered for the captain of the Sanson). The Belluno stage is missing, which will force the riders to face the ramps of Pordoi, Falzarego, Tre Croci, Cibiana and Duranbut realistically Motta seems truly unassailable.
Effectively, almost nothing happens, because if it is true that Gimondi, with a display of pride that honors his class as a now beaten champion, takes off and only reaches the finish line with a 26″ lead and climbing up to fifth place in the standings, Motta, Zilioli, Anquetil, Jimenez, Balmamion and Adorni are a small groupall showing up together at the finish line needed by Gianni, who the following day in Vittorio Veneto will even gain a few more seconds, to seal the final victory.
The 49th edition of the Giro d’Italia goes to the archives, with Motta (awarded in Milan by Claudia Cardinale), Zilioli (second for the third time in a row) and Anquetil making up the final podium and accompanied for the first time by a singing demonstration, the Girofestivalpresented by Mike Buongiorno e destined to enter the memorable history of the Corsa Rosa.