1988 Giro D'Italia - Race Overview

Race Overview

The Giro began with a short 9 km (5.6 mi) time trial in the city of Urbino. Jean-François Bernard won the stage by a three-second margin over Tony Rominger. Bernard would hold the maglia rosa for a total of three days, before losing it to Massimo Podenzana. Guido Bontempi won the stage and moved into third overall, while Bernard gained a five-second buffer over the second place rider, Rominger. In stage 4a Massimo Podenzana soloed to victory in Rodi Garganico, he finished five minutes before the second place finisher. His stage victory and time gains allowed him to gain the maglia rosa, which he held until stage 12. Stage 4b was a team time trial that stretched 40 km (24.9 mi). Del Tongo won the stage by eleven seconds over Carrera Jeans-Vagabond. Podenzana's lead shrunk to a little over two minutes after his team, Atala – Ofmega, finished two minutes and thirty-six seconds slower than Del Tongo.

The eleventh stage was run without a problem until the final mile, where environmentalist protestors occupied the finish; the stage was then cancelled. The next stage saw the start of the major mountains and the maglia rosa change hands from Pondenzana to Franco Chioccioli. The next few stages saw the general classification shift due to the intensity of the mountains and the fatigue that set in.

The fourteenth stage was memorable for its extreme weather, most notably on the final climb of the Gavia Pass. Overnight over a foot of snow had accumulated on the Gavia, but the roads were cleared in time for the riders. The patron, Vincenzo Torriani, despite the cold and adverse weather forecast, decided to go through with the stage. Erik Breukink made a last minute attack to blow by Andrew Hampsten and take the stage victory. Although Breukink won, Hampsten made the bigger story by becoming the first American to don the maglia rosa in the history of the Giro d'Italia. Due to snow being present on the Passo dello Stelvio the fifteenth stage's start was rearranged from Bormio to Spondigna, while the finishing climb in Merano stayed put. As soon as the climb started Jean-François Bernard, Urs Zimmermann, and Franco Chioccioli jumped off the front. Bernard eventually shook the other two riders and won the stage; however his time gain was minimal. The sixteenth stage was marked by rain and since the rain turned to snow as the peloton went higher up, the stage experienced two protests while climbing the Passo dello Rombo. Near the summit of the last climb, the General classification contenders and a few others formed an attack group. The group rolled into Innsbruck, while Franco Vona made a last minute attack that won him the stage.

The eighteenth stage would prove to be critical in deciding the overall winner of the Giro d'Italia, as it was an 18 km (11.2 mi) individual time trial that lead up a mountain. The route started off with 5 km (3.1 mi) of flat roads, before starting the climb to the finish at the Vetriolo Terme ski station. Hampsten was the race leader going into the stage and he was up by 42 seconds over Erik Breukink. Hampsten won the stage by a 32-second margin and he distanced himself between his rivals. The nineteenth stage featured three categorized climbs. Urs Zimmermann attacked on the first climb, the Passo Duran, and remained out in front for the whole stage; however, he was later joined by Stefano Giuliani, who bridged the gap from a chase group to Zimmermann on the descent of the Duran. Although Giuliani won the stage, Zimmermann moved into second place overall, by gaining over three minutes on the General Classification contenders.

The twentieth stage came down to a sprint finish that Paolo Rosola won. Rosola was later disqualified as the stage winner, as his teammate, Roberto Pagnin, was found to have pushed Rosola during the sprint finish. As a result, Alessio Di Basco was awarded the stage victory. The penultimate stage was completely flat and ultimately culminated in a bunch sprint, which was won by Urs Freuler. Just hours later the final stage took place; it was a rather hilly 43 km (26.7 mi) individual time trial. The weather was fine for the majority of the riders, but as the general classification contenders were on the course, lightning began to strike and rain began to pour. There was a tricky descent about 18 km into the stage, and the addition of rain only made it harder. Both Flavio Giupponi and Urs Zimmermann crashed on the aforementioned descent. The time that Zimmermann lost from the time trial cost him second place overall. Lech Piasecki, who rode the course when dry, won the stage by a wide margin. Andrew Hampsten lost twenty seconds to Breukink, but that time loss did not prevent him from becoming the first American to win the Giro d'Italia.

Success in stages was limited to eleven of the competing teams, seven of which achieved multiple stage victories, while four individual riders won multiple stages. The riders that won more than once were Jean-François Bernard in stages 1, 8, and 15, Guido Bontempi in stages 2 and 5, Andrew Hampsten in stages 12 and 18, and Alessio Di Basco in stages 9 and 20. Toshiba-Look won three stages with Bernard and stage 7 with Andreas Kappes. Panasonic-Isostar-Colnago-Agu won two stages, with Erik Breukink in stage 14 and Urs Freuler in stage 21a. Chateau d'Ax won three stages, with a solo breakaway by Tony Rominger in stage 13, Franco Vona in stage 16, and Stefano Giuliani in stage 19. Del Tongo also won multiple stages, with Franco Chioccioli in stage 6, Lech Piasecki in stage 21b, and stage 4b the team time trial.

Selca – Conti, Ariostea – Gres, Gewiss-Bianchi, and Atala – Ofmega each won one stage apiece. Ariostea – Gres' rider Stephan Joho took stage 3 in a sprint finish, as did Gewiss-Bianchi rider Paolo Rosola in stage 10 and Selca – Conti's Patrizio Gambirasio in stage 17. Atala – Ofmega rider Massimo Podenzana won stage 4a by means of a solo breakaway.