
Curiosity
Saronni and the laxative mystery
1983, June, 4th: it’s a Saturday and it’s the final stage eve. The riders are in Gorizia and Saronni has taken accomodation at the Hotel Internazionale, in Viale Trieste.
The manager od the hotel’s restaurant is a nice, moustached men from Naples, back in Italy after many years of hard work in Germany.
Somebody, later identified as a businessman of the cycling industry, doesn’t wan Saronni to reach Udine wearing the Maglia Rosa.
He ask the waiters to put a massive dose of Guttalax, a laxative, in Saronni’s dinner, offering money to do that.
But the staff switches the alarm on and reports the attempt to the police.
Saronni is safe and sound and can start the last stage of the Giro.
Till the end of the last stage it’s Visentini (and not the laxative) that attempts to prevent him from winning. Visentini wins with 49” over Saronni and the last one arrives in Udine with just 67” over Visentini.
Saronni can finally celebrate his second triumph at the Giro.
Planimetry

Riders
Statistics
STAGE
|
START – FINISH
|
WINNER
|
---|---|---|
Prologue | BRESCIA | CANCELLED |
1 | BRESCIA – MANTOVA (Team Time Trial) | ![]() Italia Ita BIANCHI – PIAGGIO |
2 | MANTOVA – LIDO DI SPINA | ![]() Italia Ita BONTEMPI Guido |
3 | COMACCHIO – FANO | ![]() Italia Ita ROSOLA Paolo |
4 | PESARO – TODI | ![]() Italia Ita SARONNI Giuseppe |
5 | TERNI – VASTO | ![]() Spain Esp CHOZAS Eduardo |
6 | VASTO – CAMPITELLO MATESE | ![]() Spain Esp FERNANDEZ Alberto |
7 | SAN MASSIMO – SALERNO | ![]() Italia Ita ARGENTIN Moreno |
8 | SALERNO – TERRACINA | ![]() Italia Ita BONTEMPI Guido |
9 | TERRACINA – MONTEFIASCONE | ![]() Italia Ita MAGRINI Riccardo |
10 | MONTEFIASCONE – BIBBIENA | ![]() Italia Ita MASCIARELLI Palmiro |
11 | POPPI – NARINA DI PIETRASANTA | ![]() Belgium Bel VAN IMPE Lucien |
12 | PIETRASANTA – REGGIO EMILIA | ![]() Sweden Swe SEGERSALL Alf |
13 | REGGIO EMILIA – PARMA (Time Trial) | ![]() Italia Ita SARONNI Giuseppe |
14 | PARMA – SAVONA | ![]() Germany Deu BRAUN Gregor |
15 | SAVONA – ORTA SAN GIULIO | ![]() Italia Ita ROSOLA Paolo |
16 | ARMENO – MILANO | ![]() Belgium Bel HOSTE Frank |
17 | MILANO DUE – BERGAMO | ![]() Italia Ita SARONNI Giuseppe |
18 | BERGAMO – SAN FERMO | ![]() Spain Esp FERNANDEZ Alberto |
19 | SARNICO – VICENZA | ![]() Italia Ita ROSOLA Paolo |
20 | VICENZA – SELVA DI VAL GARDENA | ![]() Italia Ita BECCIA Mario |
21 | SELVA DI VAL GARDENA – ARABBA | ![]() Italia Ita PAGANESSI Alessandro |
22 | ARABBA – GORIZIA | ![]() Italia Ita ARGENTIN Moreno |
23 | GORIZIA – UDINE (Time Trial) | ![]() Italia Ita VISENTINI Roberto |