Francesco Moser has been inducted into the Giro d’Italia Hall of Fame in a special event in Milan. Moser is the fourth rider to be inducted for his victory and follows on from Eddy Merckx, Felice Gimondi and Stephen Roche.
Now 63, Moser’s career spanned several generations. He turned professional in the early seventies and raced against Merckx, finishing seventh in the 1975 Tour de France and winning the best young rider’s white jersey. He focused on the cobbled Classics and the Giro d’Italia for the rest of his career, winning Paris-Roubaix in 1978, 1979 and 1980. He also won the Tour of Lombardy in 1975 and 1978, Gent-Wevelgem in 1979 and Milan-San Remo in 1984. He was world road race champion in 1977 in San Cristobal but also missed on a second title several times. He often clashed for Italian team leadership with eternal rival Beppe Saronni, while Bernhard Hinault was often his nemesis at the Giro d’Italia. Moser won a total of 23 stages at the Giro d’Italia, one more than Fausto Coppi.
Moser was in the twilight of his career when he teamed up Professor Francesco Conconi to take advantage of modern sports science methods to break the Hour Record. A young Michele Ferrari was also part of his coaching team and Moser used a heart rate monitor, an aero time trial position and disc wheels. He is reported to have confessed to undergoing blood transfusions –these were only made illegal after the 1984 Olympic Games, but later denied it. He also set the seal level hour record in 1986, with 12000 people packing into the Vigorelli velodrome to see him in action.
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Born in the Dolomite village of Palu di Giovo, Moser is part of a cycling dynasty, with Aldo, Diego and Enzo also racing as professionals. His nephew Moreno will ride Sunday’s Milan-San Remo with the Cannondale-Garmin team.
Before posing with the special Hall of Fame trophy that is a replica of the Giro d’Italia winner’s infinito trophy, Moser recalled his career with several special anecdotes.
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