1976 GIRO Interview with the Brooklyn Boys
JOHAN DE MUYNCK* and ROGER DE VLAEMINCK before the microphone of Belgian TV-commentator FRED DE BRUYNE...
Wednesday, June 2: Stage 13, Porretta Terme - Il Ciocco, 146 km with major ascents: Prunetta, Abetone, Radici
, Il Ciocco
An excerpt of "The Story of the Giro d'Italia 1974" on Bill McGann's excellent BikeRaceInfo)
"... Stage thirteen presented the riders with a series of climbs in the hills near Lucca and Pistoia, the hilltop finish at Il Ciocco coming after the Prunetta, Abetone and the Radici ascents. The first three climbs whittled the pack down for the final selection, which started when de Muynck jumped with Panizza coming along for the ride. Up the little road they soared, but others were having a good day as well and it came down to six riders for the sprint. With Gimondi and Merckx a half-minute back down the hill, de Witte tried to lead out de Muynck but De Muynck’s chain jammed. De Witte won the stage then crashed into a spectator who wandered onto the course. Even with his mechanical troubles, de Muynck had closed to within 16 seconds of Gimondi while Moser lost 17 seconds. Merckx claimed his saddle sores were so bad he could barely sit on the saddle and sleep was almost impossible.
De Muynck, in second place, was in a difficult position. He hinted, but would not state outright that his team was not behind him and that he felt he could be betrayed. De Muynck must have been walking on eggs because De Vlaeminck had already made that clear after the Matera stage (where De Muynck won the stage and took the Maglia Rosa)..."
(picture "Men Against Merckx", by Johnny Vansevenant, 2012)
* Giro winner in 1978
1976 GIRO Interview with the Brooklyn Boys
JOHAN DE MUYNCK* and ROGER DE VLAEMINCK before the microphone of Belgian TV-commentator FRED DE BRUYNE...
Wednesday, June 2: Stage 13, Porretta Terme - Il Ciocco, 146 km with major ascents: Prunetta, Abetone, Radici
, Il Ciocco
An excerpt of "The Story of the Giro d'Italia 1974" on Bill McGann's excellent BikeRaceInfo)
"... Stage thirteen presented the riders with a series of climbs in the hills near Lucca and Pistoia, the hilltop finish at Il Ciocco coming after the Prunetta, Abetone and the Radici ascents. The first three climbs whittled the pack down for the final selection, which started when de Muynck jumped with Panizza coming along for the ride. Up the little road they soared, but others were having a good day as well and it came down to six riders for the sprint. With Gimondi and Merckx a half-minute back down the hill, de Witte tried to lead out de Muynck but De Muynck’s chain jammed. De Witte won the stage then crashed into a spectator who wandered onto the course. Even with his mechanical troubles, de Muynck had closed to within 16 seconds of Gimondi while Moser lost 17 seconds. Merckx claimed his saddle sores were so bad he could barely sit on the saddle and sleep was almost impossible.
De Muynck, in second place, was in a difficult position. He hinted, but would not state outright that his team was not behind him and that he felt he could be betrayed. De Muynck must have been walking on eggs because De Vlaeminck had already made that clear after the Matera stage (where De Muynck won the stage and took the Maglia Rosa)..."
(picture "Men Against Merckx", by Johnny Vansevenant, 2012)
* Giro winner in 1978