The Giro d'Italia- Dave Campbell's Race Trivia

Ryder Hesjedal during the 2012 Giro d'Italia- Photo via Castelli

May 2013

In a few short days, The Giro d’Italia will commence for the 100^th time.

This months Dave Campbell's Trivia Column celebrates the historic accomplishments

Of North American Riders in the Race for the Maglia Rosa (Pink Jersey)

Q1. Canadian Ryder Hesjedal re-wrote the history books with his historic Giro d’Italia victory last year. Prior to the Garmin-Sharp rider’s triumph, what was the highest ever finish for a Canadian in Italy’s grand tour?

Q2. The only American to win the Giro was Andrew Hampsten (7-Eleven/Hoonved) in 1988. Much has been written, including pieces by Bob Roll and Bicyclinghub.com’s own Doug Duguay, about his exploits on the Gavia. Despite putting over 5 minutes into all the main contenders except Erik Breukink (Panasonic), he did not win the stage, losing by 7 seconds to Breukink. Did Hampsten win any stages enroute to this historic achievement?

Q3. Other than Andy’s Pink jersey, have any other Giro leaders' jerseys been won by American riders?

Dave Campbell's Race Trivia- Famous Italian Jerseys & The Men That Wore Them.

March 2013

With the Majority of the World’s Elite riders

Taking part in the Tirreno-Adriatico Italian Stage Race

This month to prepare for the Classics

This Months European Professional Cycling Trivia asks

"Famous Italian Jerseys & The Men

That Wore Them!”

Q1. Castelli has long supplied the leader’s jersey to the Giro d’Italia. Due to the late spring/early summer nature of this race, those jerseys were wool for many years, well beyond in fact the point that the other Grand Tours went to Synthetics. What year was the LAST year of the Maglia Rosa in Lana? And more importantly, who was the last Race Leader to rock the wool!

Q2. Who was the first American ever to wear a Leader’s Jersey in the Tour of Italy? Warning: This is a bit of a trick question due to the minor nature of the category he led!

Q3. Luxembourger Andy Schleck famously won the White Rookie Jersey in the 2008 Giro in his first ever Grand Tour en route to second overall. This marked the return of the Maglia Bianca after a prolonged absence. Who was the last wearer of this prestigious jersey and when?

Answers Below

A1. 1988 and of course, the man was American Andy Hampsten of 7-Eleven. That wool jersey was very practical with several stages raced in snow that epic year!

A2. Greg Saunders, of the Linea MD-Gianna Motta Team who wore the BLACK JERSEY in 1984 for most of the race as Last Man on GC. The Black Jersey was eliminated after this year and in 1985, Davis Phinney of 7-Eleven became the first American to wear a “major” Leader’s Jersey by donning the Ciclamino (Purple Points) Jersey after Stage 4. Despite a string of top 10 stage placings, Phinney’s lead was short-lived, only about an hour in fact, and after a re-calculation the jersey went to Swiss Urs Freuler. Nonetheless, Phinney wore it on the podium!

A3. Russian Evgeni Berzin back in 1994, when he also won the Overall.

Heroes and Legends- Cycling Trivia by Dave Campbell

During the dark, wet days of winter,

With the long, warm days of summer a distant memory

When a dry day in the mid 40’s gets us excited, & spring sunshine

Still seems impossibly far away, we all need

some inspiration from Pro Cycling…

HEROES and LEGENDS

Q1. Who was the first American to win a major European National Tour? Think carefully…

Q2. Who is the last rider to win Paris-Roubaix and then win Liege-Bastogne-Liege the following week? Keep in mind that today almost NO rider even tows the line for both! The first being the domain of the big, strong cobbled specialists (think Boonen & Cancellara) and the latter being for the climbers (think Andy Schleck & Joaquim Rodriguez).

Q3. Who is the last rider to win the Tour de France while clad in the Rainbow stripes of World Road Champion?

A1. Marianne Martin won the first women's Tour de France in 1984. Andrew Hampsten (La Vie Claire), in the 1986 Tour de Suisse. Of course, this was overshadowed the next month when his teammate Greg Lemond (defeating his other teammate and domestique deluxe in Switzerland, Bernard Hinault) triumphed in a certain race in France.

A2. Irishman Sean Kelly, “King of the Classics” who did this unlikely double in 1984, a year in which he won a staggering 33 races.

A3. American Greg Lemond, then riding for the French ‘Z’ Team, back in 1990.