12 Facts About Claudio Chiappucci

1.

Claudio Chiappucci was on the podium three times in the Tour de France general classification: second in 1990, third in 1991 and second again in 1992.

2.

Claudio Chiappucci was the first Italian cyclist to arrive on the podium at the Tour since Felice Gimondi in 1972.

3.

The year of 1991 confirmed to the cycling community that Claudio Chiappucci was able to perform consistently.

4.

Claudio Chiappucci won the Clasica de San Sebastian a few weeks after the Tour de France, but this marked the end of his major results.

5.

Indurain, Roche, LeMond, Delgado, Bugno and Indurain were all ahead of Claudio Chiappucci who was in 7th overall.

6.

Claudio Chiappucci risked everything by joining the early breakaway that no other GC riders were willing to enter.

7.

Claudio Chiappucci dropped the other breakaway riders before the first summit and rode on a solo attack for 125 kilometers.

8.

Claudio Chiappucci was alone on top of all five main climbs, of which 3 were "premiere categorie" and 1 "hors categorie".

9.

Claudio Chiappucci had wanted to replicate the same accomplishment as Fausto Coppi exactly 40 years earlier.

10.

Not gifted with an exceptional physique, Claudio 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.

11.

Claudio Chiappucci used the services of doctor Francesco Conconi, who is accused of applying EPO to cyclists.

12.

In 1997, Claudio Chiappucci told prosecutor Vincenzo Scolastico that he had been using EPO since 1993, but later he retracted that statement.