{"id":13219,"title":"Beppe Saronni","description":"Discover the career of Giro d'Italia winner Giuseppe Saronni.","content":"<p><strong>Published in<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/cobbles-and-classics-stories\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>COBBLES &amp; CLASSICS<\/strong><\/a><\/p><p>Discover the career of Giro d'Italia winner Giuseppe 'Beppe' Saronni.<\/p><p>In association with <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/retro-cycling-prints\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Mick Searle Collection<\/strong><\/a>, we look back at the career of Italian cycling idol Giuseppe Saronni.<\/p><p style=\"text-align:center;\"><strong>Saronni at the 1983 World Championships<\/strong><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/hdw6bcjyhgxgnbxq1qtns1kciytjgf73eiefiwf3emmjuert.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" alt=\"\" title=\"82243885\" \/><em>Image credit: <\/em><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/retro-cycling-prints\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Mick Searle Collection<\/strong><\/a><\/p><h3 style=\"text-align:center;\"><strong>Strengths<\/strong><\/h3><p>Saronni excelled at just about everything. A magnificent sprinter and time triallist and an above-average climber. Perhaps not the very best at any one of these disciplines but there were few who could match his level across all three. Coupled with a tactical astuteness, he was a feared competitor.<\/p><h3 style=\"text-align:center;\"><strong>From<\/strong><\/h3><p>Novara, in the Piedmont region of North-West Italy. Forty kilometres west of Milano.<\/p><h3 style=\"text-align:center;\"><strong>Professional<\/strong><\/h3><p>Guiseppe rode as a professional from 1977 to 1990.<\/p><h3 style=\"text-align:center;\">Brief Palmares<\/h3><ul><li><p>Giro d'Italia 1979, 1983<\/p><\/li><li><p>World professional road race champion 1982<\/p><\/li><li><p>Milano San Remo 1983<\/p><\/li><li><p>Giro di Lombardia 1982<\/p><\/li><li><p>National champion 1980<\/p><\/li><\/ul><h3 style=\"text-align:center;\"><strong>Noted for<\/strong><\/h3><p>Throughout the majority of his career, Beppe Saronni endured an ongoing battle with fellow Italian Francesco Moser. Although some of their rivalry was hyped by the Italian media, they had a genuine distaste for one another.<\/p><blockquote><p>They would never have been friends<\/p><\/blockquote><p>In part, because they were both fighting for the same victories but also, as they both admit, they would never have been friends due to their different personalities.<\/p><h3 style=\"text-align:center;\">Animosity<\/h3><p>The Italian press were keen to ramp up the animosity between them as it sold more papers. Opposing journalists took sides as did some of the photographers. Even going as far as refusing to take pictures of the rival rider.<\/p><p>Journalists were known to invent insulting quotes that they would attribute to one or other of the two great champions with the hope of adding fuel to the fire.<\/p><p style=\"text-align:center;\"><strong>Saronni's rivalry with Moser was personal <\/strong><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/q8m0wuke68r25uwr1hfkbxgfoj0tdhix2nutay5i2kliahos.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" alt=\"\" title=\"82245133\" \/><em>Image credit: <\/em><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/retro-cycling-prints\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Mick Searle Collection<\/strong><\/a><\/p><p>The only place where the two riders were never direct competitors was on the cobbles of Northern Europe. Whilst Moser was born to glide across the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix and De Ronde van Vlaanderen, Saronni hated this style of race. Slightly surprisingly, as he had spent his formative cycling years, and even as a professional, riding cyclocross.<\/p><blockquote><p>More intent on humiliating his younger rival than winning<\/p><\/blockquote><p>They once rode the two-up time trial Trofeo Baracchi together. You can imagine the atmosphere before and after the race. Especially, as Moser seemed determined to make Saronni suffer at every point of the course. Moser was more intent on humiliating his younger rival than actually winning. Which of course they did.<\/p><h3 style=\"text-align:center;\">1979 Giro d'Italia<\/h3><p>Saronni's breakthrough win at the 1979 Giro d'Italia cemented his superstar status. It also set the scene for his rivalry with Moser. Between the two of them, they won six of the nineteen stages.<\/p><blockquote><p>Two years of unacceptable wins by Belgians<\/p><\/blockquote><p>After two years of unacceptable wins by Belgians Michel Pollentier and Johan De Muynck, the course was designed to guarantee an Italian winner. Few mountains and five time trials.<\/p><p>Moser led for the first seven stages before Giuseppe took over after the stage eight time trial. Moser announced that he would ride to ensure Saronni lost the race which prompted criticism from his mother for being unsporting. Saronni hung on to win overall by just over two minutes from Moser. He also pipped Moser by a single point to take the points jersey.<\/p><h3 style=\"text-align:center;\">Italian focus<\/h3><p>It was in the Italian races that Giuseppe was in his element. The vast majority of his 140 plus wins occurred on Italian soil. This included two overall victories at the Giro d'Italia, including 24 stage wins, the monuments Milano San Remo and Giro di Lombardia, and numerous Italian semi-classics.<\/p><p>He hardly troubled the Vuelta Espagna or Tour de France, finishing neither. This apparent unwillingness to target races outside Italy can be explained in part by his teams' sponsors.<\/p><blockquote><p>Cycling was still very parochial<\/p><\/blockquote><p>During the peak of his career, cycling was still very parochial. Very few of the sponsors could be considered global brands. They were only interested in their home market. There was little benefit to be gained if Saronni won races that the Italian media or public were not interested in.<\/p><p>Saronni did win stages at the Vuelta but never finished the race. During this time the Vuelta was held in April prior to the Giro d'Italia and Giuseppe only used the race as training.<\/p><h3 style=\"text-align:center;\">World champion<\/h3><p>The race he's most remembered for in the UK is the 1982 UCI World Cycling professional road race championship held at Goodwood.<\/p><p>Even Francesco Moser claimed he would work for him. In reality, the hilly nature of the course was not to Moser's liking. For once the Italians rode together to close down any attacks before Saronni unleashed his sprint. You can <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/rijden.uk\/blog\/goodwood-1982-part-three\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>read about his victory at Goodwood here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p><p style=\"text-align:center;\"><strong>Saronni won his world title at Goodwood<\/strong><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/1mvkbdpz2njlbqh1zwcffijbnlhxcfciimh7nzyfq9mzlg1j.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" alt=\"\" title=\"82245399\" \/><em>Image credit: <\/em><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/retro-cycling-prints\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Mick Searle Collection<\/strong><\/a><\/p><p>Saronni was able to atone for his second place the year before in Prague. He'd been heavily criticized in Italy for having only finished second behind Belgium's Freddy Maertens.<\/p><p>It was claimed that his decision to sprint on the brake hoods rather than the drops of his handlebars had cost him the title. The reality is that Maertens was in unbelievable form, having dominated the sprint stages of the Tour de France.<\/p><p>Freddy's 1981 win was his last of any note. Coincidentally, Saronni had also finished second to Maertens in his first-ever professional race.<\/p><p>15 October 2021 by\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/rijden.uk\/about\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tim Costello<\/a><\/p><h3 style=\"text-align:center;\"><strong>NEVER MISS OUT<\/strong><\/h3><p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/rijden.uk\/keep-in-touch\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Subscribe<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0for free to get all our latest stories and news. We won't bombard you with special offers. We don't want to send you junk as much as you don't want to receive it.<\/p><p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/rijden.uk\/keep-in-touch\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/mg2lpmcmpubpmzgyugejlw2ozkc8zbznkm3aaaopqiteqikx.jpg\" alt=\"mg2lpmcmpubpmzgyugejlw2ozkc8zbznkm3aaaopqiteqikx.jpg\" \/><\/u><\/a><\/p>","urlTitle":"giuseppe-saronni","url":"\/blog\/giuseppe-saronni\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/giuseppe-saronni\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/rijden.uk\/blog\/giuseppe-saronni\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1634057705,"updatedAt":1704918306,"publishedAt":1704918306,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":61205,"name":"Rijden_2"},"tags":[{"id":1216,"code":"road-racing","name":"RoadRacing","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/road-racing\/"},{"id":2229,"code":"retro","name":"Retro","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/retro\/"}],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ejwtm5rgzd7vgnxvy5rymoiu5gfibjjgeaux0ewapnzjoj7p.jpeg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ejwtm5rgzd7vgnxvy5rymoiu5gfibjjgeaux0ewapnzjoj7p.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ejwtm5rgzd7vgnxvy5rymoiu5gfibjjgeaux0ewapnzjoj7p.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"Beppe Saronni | Rijden cycling","metaDescription":"Discover the career of Giro d'Italia winner Giuseppe Saronni.","keyPhraseCampaignId":27243,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":10141,"title":"Soviet Invasion","url":"\/blog\/goodwood-1982\/","urlTitle":"goodwood-1982","division":61205,"description":"The first of three stories about the 1982 World Cycling Championships which was held at Goodwood. Sleepy Sussex was the stage for a minor invasion of Soviet cyclists and their KGB minders.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ysyhin4y6wh2tspjf8niotiyhghaolmac7ucoddcx2tlpzmt.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ysyhin4y6wh2tspjf8niotiyhghaolmac7ucoddcx2tlpzmt.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":10158,"title":"Goodwood 1982 - Amateur titles","url":"\/blog\/goodwood-1982-part-two\/","urlTitle":"goodwood-1982-part-two","division":61205,"description":"The UCI Cycling World Championships were held in England in 1982, with the road races at Goodwood in West Sussex. In the second part, we report on a rare British victory and socialist love.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/skobdoxdohlydrehwbak2vqm7psto0d1hfgryg4dee8axtqn.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/skobdoxdohlydrehwbak2vqm7psto0d1hfgryg4dee8axtqn.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":10162,"title":"Goodwood 1982 - Giuseppe Saronni wins","url":"\/blog\/goodwood-1982-part-three\/","urlTitle":"goodwood-1982-part-three","division":61205,"description":"La fucilata di Goodwood: Our unique insight into the 1982 Cycling World Championship road race won by Italian star Giuseppe Saronni aboard his beautiful Colnago.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/troqwtwuqogjpe46tgbnbqmp0ok1qvukq25eeawytinpgzua.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/troqwtwuqogjpe46tgbnbqmp0ok1qvukq25eeawytinpgzua.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}