Giovanni Battaglin

Giovanni Battaglin (born 22 July 1951) is an Italian professional road racing cyclist. The highlight of his career was his overall win in the 1981 Giro d'Italia and 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 Jollj Ceramica team.

Professional career Giovanni Battaglin founded a bike manufacturer after his professional career, producing road bikes. 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 13 May 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 with the same name, which he runs from Marostica, Italy. In 2002 the company sponsored the Ceramiche Panaria Fiordo squad.

Career achievements Major results

1971 1st Gran Premio Palio del Recioto 1972

8th Overall Trophée Peugeot de l'Avenir 1973 1st Giro del Lazio 3rd Overall Giro d'Italia 5th Giro di Toscana 10th Giro dell'Appennino 10th Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria 1974 1st Giro dell'Appennino 3rd Giro del Veneto 3rd Trofeo Matteotti 4th Overall Tour de Romandie 5th Giro del Piemonte 6th Overall Giro d'Italia 9th Overall Tour de Suisse 9th GP Montelupo 10th Road race, UCI Road World Championships 1975

1st Stage 2 1st Coppa Sabatini Giro d'Italia 1st Stages 3 & 13 (ITT)

3rd Giro dell'Umbria 3rd Giro del Friuli 4th Overall Volta a Catalunya 1st Stage 5 4th Giro dell'Appennino Tour de France

1976 1st Stage 2 Tour de France 2nd Giro dell'Appennino 5th Tre Valli Varesine 6th Overall Tour de Romandie 6th Züri–Metzgete 6th Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria 10th Overall Giro di Puglia 1977 1st GP Montelupo 3rd Coppa Bernocchi 6th Giro del Friuli 8th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 8th Overall Vuelta a Andalucía 1978 1st Coppa Bernocchi Tour de Suisse 1st Stages 6, 7 & 8 2nd Overall Ruota d'Oro 2nd Tre Valli Varesine 2nd Trofeo Matteotti 2nd Giro dell'Umbria 5th GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano 7th Overall Giro di Puglia 1979

1st Stages 2 & 5b (ITT) 1st Coppa Agostoni 1st Coppa Placci 1st Trofeo Pantalica 1st Trofeo Matteotti 1st Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria 2nd Road race, National Road Championships 2nd Giro del Veneto 3rd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 3rd Giro di Lombardia 4th Overall À travers Lausanne 4th Overall Escalada a Montjuïc 4th Giro dell'Appennino 4th Giro del Friuli 5th Coppa Bernocchi 5th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato 6th Road race, UCI World Championships 6th Overall Tour de France

7th Gran Premio di Lugano 9th Overall Tour de Suisse

1st Stage 7 1980 1st Milano–Torino 1st Milano–Vignola 1st Coppa Placci 2nd Road race, National Road Championships 3rd Overall Giro d'Italia 3rd Giro del Piemonte 3rd Trofeo Matteotti 4th Overall Giro del Trentino 4th Giro dell'Appennino 4th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato 4th Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria 6th GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano 8th Giro del Veneto 10th Road race, UCI Road World Championships 10th Coppa Sabatini 1981

1st Stage 19

1st Stage 8b (ITT) 6th Giro dell'Appennino 7th Trofeo Pantalica 8th Tre Valli Varesine 9th Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria 10th Giro del Friuli 1983 2nd Road race, National Road Championships 2nd Giro del Friuli 9th Overall Tour of the Basque Country

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

+ Legend — Did not compete DNF Did not finish