Claudio Chiappucci Photo Gallery
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Wins and high placings | Professional teams | Nicknames | Photos |
Claudio Chiappucci (born February 28, 1963) was one of cycling's almost-men with six Grand Tour podium placings, but he never won a three-week race. He was a gifted, but incomplete rider. Chiappucci possesed superb climbing skills but he could not time trial with the best and his career coincided with two of the finest time trialists ever, Miguel Indurain and Greg LeMond.
After getting in a fuga di bidone in the 1990 Tour de France's first stage and then doing well in the stage stage 12 timed hill-climb, Chiappucci was in yellow with a seven-minute lead on Erik Breukink, the closest real contender. LeMond was seven and a half minutes behind.
The next stage Chiappucci lost almost five minutes when he missed the day's crucial move. For the rest of the Tour LeMond hammered away until Chiappucci had only a five-second lead going into the stage 21 time trial. There LeMond took the maillot jaune for good, pushing Chiappucci down to second place.
From my Story of The Tour de France: "Claudio Chiappucci was what Miguel Indurain wasn't. Where Indurain was cold, calculating, riding only to win and no more, knowing that whatever time gaps he had allowed could be closed with a display of brute horsepower in the time trials, Chiappucci was the opposite. The Italian was willing to gamble, to take magnificent chances to gain time. He had to run these big risks knowing how vulnerable he was in the time trials. Indurain said that he had to have eyes on the back of his head when he raced Chiappucci."
Though he couldn't close the deal in the Grand Tours, he won two classics, Milano-San Remo and Clasica San Sebastian. From 1989 when he began winning important races until he ran out of gas in 1995, he rode at the highest level and it took men of LeMond's and Indurain's caliber to keep him from cycling's biggest wins.
Chiappucci confessed to doping in 1997, but later took back the statement. Italian legal authorities were able to get the records of Chiappucci's hematocrit that were kept by Dr. Francesco Conconi, who cared for Chiappucci during the 1990s. Conconi's records showed wild variations in Chiappucci's hematocrit, indicative of EPO use.
Major victories and high placings:
1987:
- 2nd place Giro di Toscana
1988:
- 2nd place Trofeo Luis Puig
1989:
- Giro del Piemonte
- Coppa Placci
- 2nd place Giro del Trentino
- 3rd place Rund um den Henninger Turm
1990:
- 2nd place Tour de France
- 2nd place Tre Valli Varesine
- 3rd place Sicilian Week
- 3rd place GP Zurich
- Giro d'Italia mountains classification
1991:
- Milano-San Remo
- Vuelta al Pais Vasco
- Giro d'Italia points classification, 2nd place general classification
- 2nd place Vuelta a Murcia
- 2nd place Italian Cyclo-Cross Championships
- Tour de France mountains and combativity classification, 3rd place general classification
- 3rd place Italian Road Championships
- 3rd place Flèche Wallonne
- 3rd place Giro dell'Appeninno
- Catalonian week points classification
1992:
- Giro dell'Appeninno
- Giro del Trentino
- 2nd place Tour de France, winning combativity classification
- 2nd place Giro d'Italia, winning mountains classification
- 2nd place Clasico RCN
- 2nd place Clasica San Sebastian
- 2nd place Giro di Lombardia
- 2nd place Rund um den Henninger Turm
- 2nd place Coppa Placci
1993:
- Clasica San Sebastian
- Coppa Sabatini
- Japan Cup
- 2nd place Tour de Romandie
- Giro d'Italia mountains classification, 3rd place general classification
1994:
- Volta a Catalunya
- Tre Valli Varesine
- Japan Cup
- 2nd place World Road Championships
- 2nd place Giro di Lombardia
- 2nd place Giro dell'Appeninno
- 3rd place Vuelta al Pais Vasco
- 5th place Giro d'Italia
1995:
- Giro del Piemonte
- Japan Cup
- 4th place Giro d'Italia
- 4th place Ronde van Vlaanderen
1997:
- 2nd place Giro di Sardegna
1985-1986: Carrera-Inoxpran
1987-1990: Carrera Jeans-Vagabond
1991: Carrera Jeans-Tassoni
1992: Carrera Jeans-Vagabond
1993-1995: Carrera Jeans-Tassoni
1996: Carrera Jeans
1997: Asics-CGA
1998: Ros Mary-Amica Chips
1999: Amica Chips-Costa de Almeria
Nicknames: Il Diablo, Motoperuto, Indiano
Chiappucci on the Vigorelli velodrome in stage 2 of the 1985 Giro d'Italia.
Neo-pro Claudio Chiappuci (left) rides alongside Giancarlo Perini at the 1985 Giro del Veneto.
Chiappucci descends a wet road in the 1987 Giro di Toscana.
Chiappucci ready to ride the 1987 Giro d'Italia prologue.
Chiappucci at the 1987 Coppa Placci.
The giant white marble ediface in the background shows it's the start of the Milano-San Remo. Here's Chiappucci with Fabio Bordonali at the 1988 edition.
1988 Giro d'Italia: Chiappucci at the stage one start in Urbino.
Chiapucci finishes the 1988 Giro d'Italia's 13th stage in Chiesa Valmalenco. Maglia Rosa Franco Chioccioli is right behind him.
The end of the 1988 season: Chiappucci rides the Giro di Lombardia.
A solo win for Chiappucci at the 1989 Coppa Placci.
Chiappucci savors his 1989 Coppa Placci win.
Chaippucci gives an interview before the start of the 1990 Milano-San Remo.
Claudio doesn't seem to have enjoyed the 1990 Paris-Roubaix.
Chiappucci is in green (and has a nifty trophy as well) after the 1990 Giro d'Italia's stage 3.
Chiappucci finishes the 1990 Giro stage 10 time trial in Cuneo.
1990 Giro d'Italia stage 16: Chiappucci ascends the Pordoi Pass.
In Gallarate after stage 18 of the 1990 Giro d'Italia, from left: Giro boss Vincenzo Torriani, Phil Anderson, Gianni Bugno and Claudio Chiappucci
Claudio Chiappucci riding the stage 11 uphill time trial to Villard de Lans of the 1990 Tour de France. His 8th place that day was good enough for yellow.
Chiappucci gets to wear yellow after stage 11 of the 1990 Tour de France.
Claudio Chiappucci enjoys the rest day in Villard de Lans after stage 11.
1990 Tour de France podium, from left: Claudio Chiappucci, Greg LeMond and Erik Breukink.
Chiappucci in the Mondonico workshop with master builder Antonio Mondonico, who built some of Chiappucci's frames.
Chiappuci wins the 1991 Milano-San Remo.
A soggy Chiappucci celebrates his 1991 Milano-San Remo win.
Chiappucci finishes the 1992 Giro's 13th stage at Monte Bondone
1992 Tour de France final podium, from left: Claudio Chiappucci, Miguel Indurain and Gianni Bugno.
1993 Giro d'Italia: Chiappucci is on pink jersey'd Miguel Indurain's wheel.
Stephen Roche and Claudio Chiappucci at stage 3 of the 1993 Giro d'Italia.
Claudio Chiappucci riding the stage 10 Senigallia time trial stage of the 1993 Giro d'Italia.
Chiappucci in stage 12 of the 1993 Giro. Note the classic San Marco Regal saddle.
1993 Giro d'Italia stage 13: Chiappucci wins in Corvara Alta Badia.
After stage 17 of the 1993 Giro in Valle Varaita: I don't know what's up, but Claudio is unhappy about something.
Claudio Chiappucci rides the stage 19 time trial to Sestriere of the 1993 Giro d'Italia.
Chiappucci rides to Serre Chevalier in stage 10 of the 1993 Tour de France.
Claudio Chiappucci wins stage 17 of the 1993 Tour de France in Pau.
Everyone digs deep on the road to Prato in stage 10 of the 1996 Giro d'Italia.
Chiappucci rides stage 19 of the 1996 Giro d'Italia.
Chiappucci on his way to Val d'Isere in stage 8 of the 1996 Tour de France.
Chiappucci and Miguel Indurain meet in the 1996 Tour de France, stage 18.
Chiappucci rides next to the team car in stage 2 of the 1998 Giro d'Italia.
On the road to Monte Argentario in stage 4 of the 1998 Giro d'Italia.
Riding the Trieste stage 15 time trial of the 1998 Giro d'Italia.