Claudio Chiappucci (born 28 February 1963 in Uboldo, Varese, Lombardy) is a retired Italian professional cyclist. He was on the podium three times in the Tour de France general classification: second in 1990, third in 1991 and second again in 1992.
 Chiappucci at the 1993 Tour de France | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Claudio Chiappucci | ||||||||||||||
| Nickname | El Diablo | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 28 February 1963 Uboldo, Italy | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 67 kg (148 lb)[2] | ||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Road | ||||||||||||||
| Role | Rider | ||||||||||||||
| Rider type | All-rounder | ||||||||||||||
| Professional teams | |||||||||||||||
| 1985–1996 | Carrera–Inoxpran | ||||||||||||||
| 1997 | Asics–CGA | ||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Ros Mary–Amica Chips | ||||||||||||||
| Major wins | |||||||||||||||
Grand Tours
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Medal record
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Career
editAlthough his family came from Tuscany, Chiappucci was born in Varese. He won the mountains classification at the 1990 Giro d'Italia and had made the decision to also aim for mountain points at the 1990 Tour de France; He would go on to win the polka dot jersey at three consecutive editions 1990-1992.[3]
Competing in the 1990 Tour de France however, Chiappucci initially began having designs on wearing the yellow jersey after initiating a stage one attack saw him gain a 10-minute time advantage alongside companions Steve Bauer, Ronan Pensec and Frans Maassen. In subsequent stages, Bauer, Pensec and Chiappucci (from stage 12) took the overall lead, with Chiappucci the first Italian to wear the yellow jersey since Francesco Moser 15 years before. He resisted the defending champion Greg LeMond, only losing the lead of the race after stage 20, the final time trial. In the end, LeMond won the Tour by 2' 16", Chiappucci came home with a surprising second place and, moreover, the status of a cycling star.[4] He was the first Italian cyclist to arrive on the podium at the Tour since Felice Gimondi in 1972.[5] This first successful campaign highlighted Chiappucci's main weakness, the time trial. Although vowing to return the following year as a better racer against the clock, Chiappucci was never able to master this discipline.
The year 1991 confirmed to the cycling community that Chiappucci was able to perform consistently. Beginning with a win in the opening classic of the season, the 1991 Milan–San Remo on 23 March, his sixth professional win, clinched by 45 seconds from Dane Rolf Sørensen after riding away from him on the Poggio. It was a win he prepared for, training for twelve days in the new year across the five climbs that populate the final 60 km of the race, and on which he used a series of attacks to whittle away a leading group of eleven.[6] Chiappucci rode the 1991 Giro d'Italia, placing second overall behind Franco Chioccioli, and winning the points Classification having placed in the top-ten in fifteen of the twenty one stages.[7] In July, he stood on to the podium at the 1991 Tour de France in Paris, placing third overall and winning the king of the mountains competition. He also won Stage 13 to Val Louron in the Pyrenees, following attacks by Lemond and then Miguel Induráin, out-sprinting the Spaniard at the finish.[8]
Chiappucci animated the 1992 Tour de France on multiple stages, winning the combativity award for the second consecutive year.[9] In the first week, he was part of a breakaway with Greg Lemond that gained time on the Peleton in Brussels.[10] He earned a famous victory on stage 13 of the Tour, when he attacked on the first climb of the day, 245 km from the finish, and arrived in Sestriere after holding off a thrilling chase by Miguel Induráin and Gianni Bugno. On that occasion, Pascal Lino was holding the yellow jersey, but it was one of the first major mountain stages and was anticipated to lose it to the GC contenders. Induráin, Roche, LeMond, Delgado, Bugno and Induráin were all ahead of Chiappucci, who was in 7th overall.[11] Chiappucci risked everything by joining the early breakaway that no other GC riders were willing to enter. He dropped the other breakaway riders before the first summit and rode on a solo attack for 125 kilometres. He was alone on top of all five main climbs, of which 3 were "première catégorie" and 1 "hors catégorie".[12] The attack was later described as "brave, to the point of insanity".[13] By the end of the stage he had jumped to 2nd place overall about ninety seconds behind Induráin. His performance was redolent of the accomplishment of compatriot Fausto Coppi who had won on the mountain 40 years earlier in 1952, and who had served in the Italian army with Chiappucci's father in Africa.[14][3]
After riding a solid Giro in 1993, it looked like his 1993 Tour de France was to be a big showdown with Miguel Induráin. But from the first mountain stage, Chiappucci was obviously struggling. Although he had a revival later on in the race, Chiappucci finished sixth overall. He won the Clásica de San Sebastián a few weeks after the Tour de France.
At the 1994 Tour de France, his hopes for a fourth podium finish ended when he lost 24 minutes on a single stage in the Pyrenees, having fallen sick. He finished the stage surrounded by five teammates who had escorted him up the mountain.[15] Later that year, Chiappucci won the silver medal sandwiched between Frenchmen Luc Leblanc and Richard Virenque in the road race at the 1994 World Championship in Sicily.[16]
Chiappucci rode his last race at the International Criterium of the Valencian Community on 7 November 1999, finishing second behind Abraham Olano.[17]
Chiappucci was distinguished by a combative style, bringing flair and drama to races, initiating attacks and participating during breakaways, regardless of the specific terrain. Due to his attacking style he was nicknamed El Diablo. His time at the Carrera cycling team coincided with both Stephen Roche and Marco Pantani.[3][13]
Doping
editClaudio Chiappucci used the services of doctor Francesco Conconi,[18] who is accused of applying EPO to cyclists.[19][20] Conconi was found 'morally guilty', but not convicted, because the statute of limitations had expired.[21] The judge had looked at medical reports of 33 cyclists in the period from 1993 to 1995, including Chiappucci's, and all blood tests showed largely fluctuating hematocrit-values, indicative for EPO-use.[22] In 1997, Chiappucci failed the UCI's haematocrit test twice.[13] That year, he told prosecutor Vincenzo Scolastico that he had been using EPO since 1993, but later he retracted that statement.[23]
Career achievements
editMajor results
edit- 1982
- 1st
Road race, National Amateur Road Championships - 1984
- 2nd Piccolo Giro di Lombardia
- 1987
- 1st Stage 3 (TTT) Giro d'Italia
- 2nd Giro di Toscana
- 8th Paris–Tours
- 1988
- 2nd Trofeo Luis Puig
- 7th Gran Premio Città di Camaiore
- 9th Giro di Lombardia
- 1989
- 1st Giro del Piemonte
- 1st Coppa Placci
- 2nd Overall Giro del Trentino
- 3rd Rund um den Henninger Turm
- 6th Tre Valli Varesine
- 8th La Flèche Wallonne
- 1990
- 1st
Mountains classification Giro d'Italia - 1st Stage 4 Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
- 2nd Overall Tour de France
- Held
after Stages 12–19
- Held
- 2nd Tre Valli Varesine
- 3rd Züri-Metzgete
- 3rd Giro del Friuli
- 4th Wincanton Classic
- 4th Grand Prix des Amériques
- 5th Overall Giro del Trentino
- 6th UCI Road World Cup
- 7th Overall Paris–Nice
- 1st Stage 6
- 1991
- 1st Overall Tour of the Basque Country
- 1st Stage 3
- 1st Milan–San Remo
- Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
- 1st Stages 4a & 4b
- 2nd Overall Giro d'Italia
- 2nd Overall Vuelta a Murcia
- 3rd Overall Tour de France
- 1st
Mountains classification - 1st Stage 13
- Combativity award Overall
- 1st
- 3rd Road race, National Road Championships
- 3rd La Flèche Wallonne
- 3rd Giro dell'Appennino
- 3rd Giro del Friuli
- 4th Overall Giro del Trentino
- 4th Tre Valli Varesine
- 9th Wincanton Classic
- 1992
- 1st
Overall Giro del Trentino
- 1st Stage 3
- 1st Giro dell'Appennino
- 1st Subida a Urkiola
- 2nd Overall Tour de France
- 1st Mountains classification
- 1st Stage 13
- Combativity award Overall
- 1st
- 2nd Overall Giro d'Italia
- 2nd Overall Clásico RCN
- 1st Stage 1
- 2nd Giro di Lombardia
- 2nd Clásica de San Sebastián
- 2nd Coppa Placci
- 2nd Rund um den Henninger Turm
- 4th Wincanton Classic
- 7th UCI Road World Cup
- 1993
- 1st Clásica de San Sebastián
- 1st Japan Cup
- 1st Coppa Sabatini
- 1st Cronoscalata della Futa-Memorial Gastone Nencini
- 2nd Overall Tour de Romandie
- 2nd Overall Giro del Trentino
- 2nd Overall Escalada a Montjuïc
- 2nd GP du Canton d'Argovie
- 2nd Subida a Urkiola
- 2nd Giro del Friuli
- 3rd Overall Giro d'Italia
- 1st Mountains classification
- 1st Stage 14
- 1st
- 3rd La Flèche Wallonne
- 3rd Giro dell'Emilia
- 3rd Giro del Veneto
- 4th Giro di Lombardia
- 4th Tre Valli Varesine
- 5th Overall Volta a Catalunya
- 5th UCI Road World Cup
- 6th Overall Tour de France
- 1st Stage 17
- 6th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
- 7th Züri-Metzgete
- 10th Overall Tour of the Basque Country
- 1994
- 1st
Overall Volta a Catalunya
- 1st Stage 4
- 1st Tre Valli Varesine
- 1st Japan Cup
- 2nd Overall Tour of Galicia
- 1st Stage 3
- 2nd Overall Escalada a Montjuïc
- 2nd
Road race, UCI Road World Championships - 2nd Giro di Lombardia
- 2nd Subida a Urkiola
- 2nd Giro dell'Appennino
- 3rd Overall Tour of the Basque Country
- 4th UCI Road World Cup
- 4th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
- 4th Züri-Metzgete
- 5th Overall Giro d'Italia
- 5th Overall Critérium International
- 7th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
- 7th Amstel Gold Race
- 7th La Flèche Wallonne
- 8th Giro dell'Emilia
- 8th Coppa Bernocchi
- 9th Overall Giro del Trentino
- 1995
- 1st Overall Escalada a Montjuïc
- 1st Stage 1a
- 1st Giro del Piemonte
- 1st Japan Cup
- 1st Cronoscalata della Futa-Memorial Gastone Nencini
- 3rd Subida a Urkiola
- 4th Overall Giro d'Italia
- 4th Tour of Flanders
- 6th Giro di Lombardia
- 7th Overall Tour de Romandie
- 7th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
- 8th Overall Vuelta a Murcia
- 8th Milan–San Remo
- 9th GP Ouest–France
- 1996
- 3rd GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano
- 3rd Coppa Sabatini
- 3rd Grand Prix de Fourmies
- 10th GP Ouest–France
- 1997
- 2nd Overall Giro di Sardegna
- 2nd Overall Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
- 6th Tour of Flanders
- 9th GP Ouest–France
- 10th Rund um den Henninger Turm
- 1998
- 8th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
- 10th Coppa Placci
Grand Tour general classification results timeline
edit
See also
editReferences
edit- ↑ "La Stampa – Consultazione Archivio".
- ↑ "La Stampa – Consultazione Archivio".
- 1 2 3 "Famous last words: Claudio Chiappucci". cyclingweekly.com. 24 February 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
- ↑ Ligett, Phil; Wilcockson, John; Guinness, Rupert (1990). The Cycling Year. A record of the 1990 cycle racing season. Springfield Books Limited. p. 80-99. ISBN 0-947655-21-2.
- ↑ Vallalta, Roberto (27 July 2025). "Claudio Chiappucci tells his story: the legend of the polka-dotted Devil". Paginedisport.net. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
- ↑ Ligett, Phil; Wilcockson, John; Guinness, Rupert (1991). The Cycling Year volume two. A record of the 1991 cycle racing season. Springfield Books Limited. p. 22-25. ISBN 1-85688-020-6.
- ↑ Ligett, Phil; Wilcockson, John; Guinness, Rupert (1991). The Cycling Year volume two. A record of the 1991 cycle racing season. Springfield Books Limited. p. 72-79. ISBN 1-85688-020-6.
- ↑ Ligett, Phil; Wilcockson, John; Guinness, Rupert (1991). The Cycling Year volume two. A record of the 1991 cycle racing season. Springfield Books Limited. p. 84-103. ISBN 1-85688-020-6.
- ↑ Miller, Travis (23 August 2020). "Every Tour de France Combativity Award Winner". Flobikes.com. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
- ↑ "LEMOND SURGES FROM 14TH TO FIFTH IN SIXTH STAGE". washingtonpost.com. 10 July 1992. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
- ↑ "1992 TDF". Bike Race Info. 18 May 2021. Archived from the original on 26 October 2010.
- ↑ "Memoire du Cyclisme". Archived from the original on 26 August 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
- 1 2 3 Bazalgette, Felix (29 July 2016). "Claudio Chiappucci aka El Diablo". Retrieved 4 April 2026.
- ↑ "Archivio Corriere della Sera". archiviostorico.corriere.it.
- ↑ "Cycling / Tour de France: Rominger concedes defeat to Indurain". independent.co.uk. 15 July 1994. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
- ↑ "61st World Championship Road Race 1994". cyclingrevealed.com. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
- ↑ "News for 8 November 1999". cyclingnews.com. 8 November 1999. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
- ↑ Beers, Cees. "Chiapucci". www.prorider.org. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2007.
- ↑ "Doping affairs in cycling from 1980-1998". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 26 June 2007.
- ↑ "Conconi wird wegen Epo-Dopings der Prozess gemacht" (in German). Archived from the original on 8 November 2005. Retrieved 26 June 2007.
- ↑ Judge calls Italian professor "morally guilty" Retrieved 26 June 2007
- ↑ "Conconi vrijgesproken na proces van vijf jaar" [Conconi is acquitted after five years of trial] (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 June 2007.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "Vrijgesproken Conconi moreel veroordeeld door Italiaanse gerecht" (in Dutch). 11 March 2004. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 26 June 2007.