Giovanni Battaglin

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Giovanni Battaglin
Birth date 7/22/1951
Birth place 3dflagsdotcom italy2bs.gif
Current team Retired
Role Rider
Pro years 1973–1977
1978
1979–1983
1984
Pro teams Jollj Ceramica
Fiorella
Inoxpran
Carrera Jeans
Major wins Grand Tours
Giro d'Italia
Overall Classification (1981)
Vuelta a España
General Classification (1981)


Giovanni Battaglin (born July 22, 1951) is an Italian professional road racing cyclist. The highlight of his career was his overall win in the 1981 Giro d'Italia. He also won the 1981 Vuelta a España.


Early years

Battaglin was born in Marostica, province of Vicenza. Battaglin won the 1972 Amateur Giro d’Italia and turned professional the following year with the Jollicermica team.


Professional career

The 1973 Giro d'Italia that began in Verviers in Belgium and was Battaglin’s debut in a grand tour. Battaglin immediately showed promise when he finished third on stage four ahead of Eddy Merckx and José Manuel Fuente. By halfway through the race, Battaglin was sitting in second place overall behind Merckx but lost that placing to Felice Gimondi. Still at the age of 21, the neo-pro astonished the cycling world by finishing third in the race. Battaglin would wear the maglia rosa for five days in the 1975 Giro d'Italia as well as several stage wins and wins in smaller stage races. He also won the King of the Mountains jersey in the 1979 Tour de France, even after he received a penalty for testing positive for doping. Battaglin finished third in the 1980 Giro d'Italia.

The following year on the tenth stage mountain time trial of the 1981 Vuelta a España which was on the long climb to Sierra Nevada, Battaglin won the stage and took over the leader’s jersey. The only threat to Battaglin’s lead was Pedro Muñoz. Battaglin and his Inoxpran team withstood the challenge from the Spanish and brought Battaglin to his first grand tour victory. Three days later after Battalin’s triumph in Spain on May 13, 1981, he began the 1981 Giro d'Italia. On the 19th stage toward the end of the race, Battaglin won the stage to Mareo and took the maglia rosa from Silvano Contini. He withstood the final test – the final stage’s individual time trial to win the race in Verona ahead of Tommy Prim. Battaglin was only the second rider after Eddy Merckx to win the Vuelta-Giro double. In the space of one and a half months, Battaglin won two of the grand tours.


Retirement

Battaglin retired after the 1984 season. In 1982 Battaglin started a bicycle manufacturing business, Battaglin, which he runs from Marostica, Italy. In 2002 the company sponsored the Ceramiche Panaria Fiordo squad.


Palmarès

1971
Gran Premio Palio del Recioto
1972
Giro d'Italia (amateurs)
1973
Giro del Lazio
1974
Giro dell'Appennino
Morrovalle
1975
2 stages in the Giro d'Italia
1 stage in the Volta a Catalunya
Giro di Puglia (con 1 vittoria di tappa)
Coppa Sabatini
1976
1 stage in the Tour de France
1977
Carpineti
Gran Premio di Montelupo
1978
Coppa Bernocchi
Acicatena
3 stages in the Tour de Suisse
1979
Vuelta al País Vasco (and 2 stage victories)
Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
1 stage in the Tour de Suisse
Coppa Agostoni
Coppa Placci
Trofeo Matteotti
Trofeo Pantalica
Col San Martino
1980
1 stage in the Giro d'Italia
Milano–Torino
Coppa Placci
Zambana di Trento
Milano–Vignola
1981
Jersey pink.png 1 stage and overall classification in the Giro d'Italia
Jersey gold.png 1 stage and overall classification in the Vuelta a España
1983
Lariano
1984
Col San Martino


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External links