Claudio Chiappucci

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Claudio Chiappucci bigraphy, stories - Road cyclist

Claudio Chiappucci : biography

28 February 1963 –

Claudio Chiappucci (born 28 February 1963 in Uboldo, Varese, Lombardy) is a retired Italian professional cyclist. He was on the podium three times in the Tour de France general classification – second in 1990, third in 1991 and second again in 1992.

Doping

Claudio Chiappucci used the services of doctor Francesco Conconi, who is accused of applying EPO to cyclists.http://www.wilhelm-gym.de/html/sport/doping/it28_10.htm Conconi wird wegen Epo-Dopings der Prozess gemacht Conconi was found ‘morally guilty’, but not convicted, because the statute of limitations had expired.http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2004/mar04/mar20news1 Judge calls Italian professor "morally guilty" The judge had looked at medical reports of 33 cyclists in the period 1993-1995, including Chiappucci’s, and all blood tests showed largely fluctuating hematocrit-values, indicative for EPO-use. In 1997, Claudio Chiappucci told prosecutor Vincenzo Scolastico that he had been using epo since 1993, but later he retracted that statement.

Career

After a quiet start to his career he burst onto the scene in the 1990 Tour de France. Chiappucci found himself almost casually wearing the yellow jersey after a stage one attack which the favourites allowed him to arrive with a 10 minute time advantage. In subsequent stages he resisted the return of Greg LeMond, only losing the lead of the race in stage 20, the final time trial. In the end, LeMond won the Tour by 2′ 16", Chiappucci came home with a surprising second place and, moreover, the status of a cycling star. He was the first Italian cyclist to arrive on the podium at the Tour since Felice Gimondi in 1972. This first successful campaign highlighted Chiappucci’s main weakness, the time trial. Although vowing to return the following year as a better racer against the clock, Chiappucci never was able to master this discipline.

The year of 1991 confirmed to the cycling community that Chiappucci was able to perform consistently. Beginning with a win in the opening classic of the season, the Milan San-Remo, Chiappucci rode the Giro d’Italia and the Tour of France.

However, Chiappucci declined quickly. After riding a solid Giro it looked like his 1993 Tour de France was to be a big showdown with Miguel Indurain. But from the first mountain stage Chiappucci was obviously struggling. Although he had a revival later on in the race, Chiappucci finished sixth overall. He won the Clásica de San Sebastián a few weeks after the Tour de France, but this marked the end of his major results. His level of performance declined sharply from around 1994/1995, and he retired in 1998 after having been found guilty of doping several times in 1997.

His most famous victory was stage 13 of the 1992 Tour de France, when he attacked on the first climb of the day, 245 km from the finish, and arrived in Sestriere after holding off a thrilling chase by Miguel Indurain and Gianni Bugno. On that occasion, Chiappucci was first and alone on top of all five main climbs, of which 3 were "première catégorie" and 1 "hors catégorie".http://www.memoire-du-cyclisme.net/eta_tdf_1978_2005/tdf1992_13.php He had wanted to replicate the same accomplishment as Fausto Coppi exactly 40 years earlier.http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/1992/luglio/19/Chiappucci_vive_giorno_Coppi_co_0_9207191504.shtml

Among the awards received by Chiappucci is a silver medal earned in 1994 at the World Cycling Championship in Sicily.

Not gifted with an exceptional physique, Chiappucci was distinguished by a gritty, combative style, always ready to attack; he did not hold back in the face of any climb or time trial.

Notes

Category:Italian cyclists Category:Doping cases in cycling Category:People from the Province of Varese Category:1963 births Category:Living people

Major results

1982
Amateur Italian road race champion
1991
Tour de France:

20px Winner Mountains classification
Winner stage 13
Winner Combativity award
Giro d’Italia

20px Winner points classification
Milan – San Remo
Tour of the Basque Country
1992
Tour de France:

20px Winner Mountains classification
Winner stage 13
Winner Combativity award
Giro d’Italia

20px Winner Mountains classification
Giro del Trentino
1993
Giro d’Italia

20px Winner Mountains classification
Winner stage 14
Tour de France:

Winner stage 17
2nd in Mountains classification
Clásica de San Sebastián
1994
Volta a Catalunya

Grand Tours overall classification results timeline

Grand Tour 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
alt=Pink jersey Giro 64 48 24 46 12 2 2 3 5 4 WD 60
alt=Yellow jersey Tour 81 2 3 2 6 WD 11 37
alt=red jersey Vuelta 26 11

WD = Withdrew