Roberto Visentini

Roberto Visentini (born 2 June 1957) is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist who won the 1986 Giro d'Italia.

Career Visentini was born in Gardone Riviera, in the province of Brescia, and had a brilliant junior career. In 1975, he was both Junior Italian champion and World Champion. As an amateur he won the 1977 Italian time-trial Championship.

He debuted as professional in 1978. In 1980, he won two stages at the Vuelta a España and was ninth overall in the Giro d'Italia. In 1983 Visentini joined the Inoxpran team and was in contention for victory in the Giro with Giuseppe Saronni, but ended up on the podium 2nd place. Riding for the Carrera team in 1984, he won a stage in the 1984 Giro d'Italia and was in a podium position until very late in the race. This race became infamous because French rider Laurent Fignon accused officials of playing favourites by not treating all riders by the same set of rules. Visentini also felt this way making his feelings public.

During the 1984 season he also won a stage in Tirreno–Adriatico and the prologue of the Giro del Trentino. In the 1985 edition, he was in good position to win his first Giro being in the lead for 9 stages when he fell ill and was forced to retire, leaving the victory to Bernard Hinault.

He won the 1986 Giro by defeating racers such as Saronni and Francesco Moser by about 1:00 and 2:00 respectively, and also Greg LeMond who placed 4th. Visentini won stage 6 and took over the Pink Jersey on stage 16 which he would hold for the remainder of the race. In 1987 he played a part in one of the most controversial episodes of 1980s Italian cycle racing: Visentini, who was the racing for , took the pink jersey as the leader of the general classification from his teammate Stephen Roche after winning an individual time trial. Several days later in a mountain stage he was suddenly attacked by his teammate Roche, who had ignored the team's order not to attack. The Carrera team led the peloton in the chase after Roche until Visentini was left without any teammates. From there Visentini tried to chase him down on his own but finished several minutes behind the Irishman, who took back the pink jersey. Several days later Visentini had to retire from the race because of a broken wrist.

Roche left the Carrera team, which kept Visentini, but he was never again able to compete at this elite level. He concluded his career in 1990 with 18 victories, including the 1986 Giro d'Italia, the 1981 Giro del Trentino and the 1983 Tirreno–Adriatico.

Major results

1975

1st Gran Premio Palio del Recioto 1977 3rd Overall Trophée Peugeot de l'Avenir 1978

3rd Giro della Romagna 4th Overall Giro di Puglia 4th Tre Valli Varesine 4th Giro di Campania 5th Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria 8th Trofeo Pantalica 8th GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano 10th Giro dell'Umbria 1979 3rd Overall Ruota d'Oro 3rd Giro della Romagna 4th Trofeo Pantalica 4th Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria 5th Overall Giro del Trentino 5th Overall Giro di Puglia 10th Overall Giro d'Italia 10th Giro dell'Umbria 1980 Vuelta a España 1st Prologue & Stage 16b (ITT)

3rd Overall Giro di Sardegna 5th Gran Premio Città di Camaiore 7th Trofeo Laigueglia 8th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato 9th Overall Giro d'Italia

1981

4th Coppa Placci 6th Overall Giro d'Italia

8th Giro di Toscana 9th GP Montelupo 10th Giro dell'Etna 1982 1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Daniel Gisiger) 5th Giro di Toscana 6th Overall Ruota d'Oro 7th Coppa Placci 8th Overall Tour de Suisse 9th Overall Giro del Trentino 10th GP Montelupo 1983

1st Prologue 2nd Overall Giro d'Italia 1st Stage 22 (ITT) 2nd Overall Tour of the Basque Country 7th Overall Tour de Romandie 7th Trofeo Laigueglia 1984 1st Stage 13 Giro d'Italia 1st Prologue Giro del Trentino 3rd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 1st Stage 6 (ITT) 10th Trofeo Baracchi (with Czesław Lang) 1985 5th Tre Valli Varesine Giro d'Italia

1986

1st Stage 6

1st Milano–Vignola 2nd Road race, National Road Championships 2nd Giro di Campania 6th Coppa Agostoni 7th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 7th Trofeo Baracchi (with Stephen Roche) 8th Giro del Friuli 1987 Giro d'Italia 1st Prologue, Stages 3 (TTT) & 13 (ITT)

2nd Overall Giro di Puglia 1989 8th Overall Critérium International

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

+ Legend — Did not compete DNF Did not finish