Carrera (cycling team)

Carrera was an Italian-based road bicycle racing team active from 1984 to 1996, named after sponsoring Italian jeans manufacturer Carrera. The team was successful in the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France with three overall wins and several wins in the Points classification and Mountain Classifications.

Inoxpran
The Inoxpran cycling team began in 1979. The Inoxpran team achieved success with Italian Giovanni Battaglin who won in the period of a month and a half in 1981 two Grand Tours in with the 1981 Giro d'Italia and the 1981 Vuelta a España. Battaglin was the second rider in history to achieve this Giro-Vuelta double after Eddy Merckx who achieved the double in 1973. Roberto Visentini had been the Inoxpran team leader in 1983 when he finished second overall in the 1983 Giro d'Italia.

Carrera
Carrera Jeans became the title sponsor in 1984 and Visentini finally won the Giro d'Italia in 1986. At the end of 1985 the team had signed Stephen Roche to perform for the team at the Tour de France. Roche had a poor season in 1986 but bounced back in 1987. When Roche won the Tour de Romandie just ahead of the 1987 Giro d'Italia, he became the number one favourite for the maglia rosa and wanted to be the team leader during the race, something that Visentini, an Italian with an Italian team and the defending champion of the event expected to be alone. This inter team rivalry came to a head during the race when Roche attacked Visentini. Roche went on to win the race and then the 1987 Tour de France. This was the only time that the Carrera team would win the Tour and it would be the last time the team won the Giro d'Italia. Roche left the team at the end of 1987 but returned to the team in 1992 for his last two seasons.

In 1989, Carrera manager Davide Boifava together with Luciano Bracchi, Francesco Boifava, Tacchella's family and Valentino Compagnoni founded Carrera Podium, a manufacturer of cycles. From 1990 on, the team rode on these Carrera bikes.

During this time, Claudio Chiappucci rose from being the domestique of Visentini and Roche during the 1987 Giro to the team leader. Chiappucci wore the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification during the 1990 Tour de France finishing the race second overall and famously battled Miguel Indurain in the 1992 Tour de France. Chiappucci won the Great Italian Classic Milan–San Remo for the team in 1991.

During the latter years of the team, a young Marco Pantani emerged as a contender for the Grand Tours during the 1994 season finishing on the podium in both the 1994 Giro d'Italia and the 1994 Tour de France. Pantani's success was hindered during the last two years of the Carrera team's existence. When Carrera stopped sponsoring a cycling team at the end of 1996, it was reported that manager Davide Boifava would be building a team around Marco Pantani with Mercatone Uno as the main sponsor. However Davide Cassani became the manager of that new team, taking with him as directeur sportifs Giuseppe Martinelli and Alessandro Giannelli and ten of the riders from Carrera including Pantani forming the team with whom Pantani would win the 1998 Tour de France and the 1998 Giro d'Italia. At the same time, Boifava started a team with Asics as the main sponsor and took with him five riders from Carrera including Claudio Chiappucci.

Doping
The team doctor of the Carrera cycling team, Dr. Giovanni Grazzi, worked with Professor Francesco Conconi at the University of Ferrara in 1993. It was reported in the Rome-based newspaper, La Republica, in January 2000 that Conconi was involved with administering EPO to riders on the Carrera team. In March 2000 the Italian Judge Franca Oliva published a report detailing the conclusions of an investigation into a number of sports doctors including Professor Conconi. This official judicial investigation concluded that the riders of the Carrera team were administered EPO in 1993. The riders included Stephen Roche, Claudio Chiappucci, Guido Bontempi, Rolf Sørensen, Mario Chiesa, Massimo Ghirotto and Fabio Roscioli.

Files seized as part of the judicial investigation allegedly detail a number of aliases for former Tour de France, Giro d'Italia winner and World Champion Stephen Roche including Rocchi, Rossi, Rocca, Roncati, Righi and Rossini. In 1997, Claudio Chiappucci told prosecutor Vincenzo Scolastico that he had been using EPO since 1993, but later he recalled that statement.

Major wins

 * 1979
 * Stage 7 Tour de Suisse, Giovanni Battaglin
 * Jersey polkadot.svg Mountains classification Tour de France, Giovanni Battaglin
 * Coppa Placci, Giovanni Battaglin
 * Coppa Agostoni, Giovanni Battaglin


 * 1980
 * Zambana di Trento, Giovanni Battaglin
 * Stage 5 Giro d'Italia, Jørgen Marcussen
 * Stage 18 Giro d'Italia, Giovanni Battaglin
 * Coppa Placci, Giovanni Battaglin
 * Chignolo Po, Giovanni Battaglin
 * Milano–Torino, Giovanni Battaglin
 * Quistello Criterium, Alfredo Chinetti


 * 1981
 * Stages 1 & 3 Vuelta a España, Guido Bontempi
 * Stage 2 Vuelta a España, Alfredo Chinetti
 * Stage 8b Vuelta a España, Giovanni Battaglin
 * Jersey pink.svg Overall Giro d'Italia, Giovanni Battaglin
 * Stage 1a, Guido Bontempi
 * Stage 19, Giovanni Battaglin


 * 1982
 * Stage 6 Settimana Ciclistica Bergamasca, Bruno Leali
 * Stage 15 Giro d'Italia, Guido Bontempi
 * Coppa Placci, Alfredo Chinetti


 * 1983
 * Stages 2 & 8 Giro d'Italia, Guido Bontempi
 * Stage 22 Giro d'Italia, Roberto Visentini
 * Giro del Piemonte, Guido Bontempi


 * 1984
 * Gent–Wevelgem, Guido Bontempi
 * Prologue Giro del Trentino, Roberto Visentini
 * Stage 13 Giro d'Italia, Roberto Visentini
 * Stage 18 Giro d'Italia, Bruno Leali
 * Stage 21 Giro d'Italia, Guido Bontempi
 * Stage 1 Ruota d'Oro, Guido Bontempi
 * Stage 2 Ruota d'Oro, Bruno Leali


 * 1985
 * Jersey white dots on red.svg Mountains classification Tour de Romandie, Beat Breu
 * Overall Grabs–Voralp, Beat Breu
 * Stage 1, Beat Breu
 * Stage 9a (TTT) Tour de Suisse
 * Stage 10 Tour de France, Jørgen Pedersen
 * Martigny–Mauvoisin, Beat Breu
 * Stage 5 Tour of Denmark, Guido Bontempi
 * Giro del Lazio, Bruno Leali
 * MaillotSuiza.PNG Switzerland National Hill Climb Championships, Beat Breu
 * Oreno di Vimercate Cyclo-cross, Claudio Chiappucci


 * 1986
 * Stage 6 Paris–Nice, Jørgen Pedersen
 * Jersey yellow.svg Overall Critérium International, Urs Zimmermann
 * Stage 2, Urs Zimmermann
 * Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria, Guido Bontempi
 * Gent–Wevelgem, Guido Bontempi
 * Stage 6 Giro d'Italia, Roberto Visentini
 * Jersey yellow-bluebar.svg Overall Critérium du Dauphiné, Urs Zimmermann
 * Stage 5, Erich Mächler
 * Jersey pink.svg Overall Giro d'Italia, Roberto Visentini
 * [[Image:Jersey violet.svg|20px|link=|alt=]] Points classification, Guido Bontempi
 * Stages 7, 10, 11, 17 & 20, Guido Bontempi
 * Stage 10 Tour de Suisse, Massimo Ghirotto
 * Stages 6, 22 & 23 Tour de France, Guido Bontempi
 * Stage 21 Tour de France, Erich Mächler
 * Coppa Placci, Guido Bontempi
 * Gouden Pijl, Guido Bontempi
 * Paris–Brussels, Guido Bontempi


 * 1987
 * Jersey yellow.svg Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Stephen Roche
 * Stage 4, Stephen Roche
 * Stage 1 (TTT) Paris–Nice
 * Stage 7b Paris–Nice, Stephen Roche
 * Milan–San Remo, Erich Mächler
 * Jersey yellow.svg Overall Tour de Romandie, Stephen Roche
 * Stages 5a & 5b, Stephen Roche
 * Jersey pink.svg Overall Giro d'Italia, Stephen Roche
 * Prologue & Stage 13, Roberto Visentini
 * Stages 1b, & 22 Stephen Roche
 * Stage 12, Guido Bontempi
 * Prologue & Stage 3b Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, Erich Mächler
 * Preis Vom Seetal, Erich Mächler
 * MaillotItalia.svg Italy National Road Championships, Bruno Leali
 * Jersey yellow.svg Overall Tour de France, Stephen Roche
 * Stage 2 (TTT)
 * Stage 10, Stephen Roche
 * Kortenhoef Criterium, Stephen Roche
 * Linne Criterium, Guido Bontempi
 * Sint-Truiden Criterium, Guido Bontempi
 * Coppa Placci, Massimo Ghirotto
 * Coppa Bernocchi, Guido Bontempi
 * Jersey rainbow.svg UCI Road World Championships, Stephen Roche
 * Trofeo Baracchi (TTT), Bruno Leali & Massimo Ghirotto
 * Aalsmeer Criterium, Stephen Roche
 * Super Prestige Pernod, Stephen Roche


 * 1988
 * Jersey yellow.svg Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Erich Mächler
 * Prologue & Stage 4b, Erich Mächler
 * Stages 1 & 5 Settimana Siciliana, Guido Bontempi
 * Stages 3 & 6b Tirreno–Adriatico, Erich Mächler
 * E3 Prijs Vlaanderen, Guido Bontempi
 * Stage 1 Vuelta a España, Ettore Pastorelli
 * Stage 4b Tour de Romandie, Urs Zimmermann
 * Stages 2 & 5 Giro d'Italia, Guido Bontempi
 * GP Industria & Artigianato, Massimo Ghirotto
 * Prologue Tour de France, Guido Bontempi
 * Coppa Bernocchi, Guido Bontempi


 * 1989
 * Stage 7 Vuelta a España, Massimo Ghirotto
 * Stage 2 Giro d'Italia, Acácio Da Silva
 * Stage 1 Tour de France, Acácio Da Silva
 * Coppa Placci, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Stage 1b GP de Sintra, Acácio Da Silva
 * Giro del Piemonte, Claudio Chiappucci


 * 1990
 * Stage 4 Settimana Siciliana, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Points classification Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Guido Bontempi
 * Stages 1 & 2, Guido Bontempi
 * Stage 7 Paris–Nice, Claudio Chiappucci
 * GP Pino Cerami, Maximilian Sciandri
 * Overall Giro di Puglia, Guido Bontempi
 * Stage 1, Guido Bontempi
 * Stages 2, 3a, 4, 5 & 6 Vuelta a Aragón, Maximilian Sciandri
 * Mountains classification Giro d'Italia, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Stage 1a Tour de Luxembourg, Acácio Da Silva
 * Stage 3 Tour de Luxembourg, Bruno Bonnet
 * Stage 4 Tour de Luxembourg, Erich Mächler
 * Giro dell'Appennino, Flavio Giupponi
 * Stage 9 Tour de France, Massimo Ghirotto
 * Stage 19 Tour de France, Guido Bontempi
 * Geraardsbergen Criterium, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Critérium cycliste international de Quillan, Claudio Chiappucci


 * 1991
 * Stages 2 & 4b Vuelta a Murcia, Djamolidine Abduzhaparov
 * Milan–San Remo, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Stage 1a Driedaagse van De Panne, Maximilian Sciandri
 * Gent–Wevelgem, Djamolidine Abduzhaparov
 * Stages 10 & 15 Vuelta a España, Guido Bontempi
 * [[Image:Jersey violet.svg|20px|link=|alt=]] Points classification Giro d'Italia, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Stage 6, Vladimir Pulnikov
 * Stage 9, Massimo Ghirotto
 * Stage 11, Maximilian Sciandri
 * Stage 2 Tour de Luxembourg, Guido Bontempi
 * Jersey green.svg Points classification Tour de France, Djamolidine Abduzhaparov
 * Jersey polkadot.svg Mountains classification, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Stages 1 & 4, Djamolidine Abduzhaparov
 * Stage 13, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Draai van de Kaai, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Circuito delle Mura - Città di Marostica, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Stage 7 Volta a Catalunya, Djamolidine Abduzhaparov
 * Giro del Piemonte, Djamolidine Abduzhaparov


 * 1992
 * Stages 5a & 6 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Djamolidine Abduzhaparov
 * Stage 4 Vuelta al País Vasco, Vladimir Pulnikov
 * Giro dell'Appennino, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Jersey green.svg Points classification Vuelta a España, Djamolidine Abduzhaparov
 * Stages 2a, 4, 11 & 21, Djamolidine Abduzhaparov
 * Jersey blue.svg Mountains classification Giro d'Italia, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Stages 6 & 8, Guido Bontempi
 * Jersey polkadot.svg Mountains classification Tour de France, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Stages 5, Guido Bontempi
 * Stages 13, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Stages 16, Stephen Roche
 * Boxmeer, Criterium, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Castillon-la-Bataille, Criterium, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Gouden Pijl, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Wincanton Classic, Massimo Ghirotto
 * La Louvière, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Overall Cronostaffetta
 * Stage 1b
 * Sprint classification Clásico RCN : Fabio Roscioli
 * Stage 1, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Stage 4, Alessandro Giannelli
 * Stage 5, Vladimir Pulnikov


 * 1993
 * Stage 3 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Guido Bontempi
 * Stage 3a Driedaagse van De Panne, Rolf Sørensen
 * Liège–Bastogne–Liège, Rolf Sørensen
 * Eschborn-Frankfurt City Loop, Rolf Sørensen
 * Prologue & Stages 1 & 4b Tour de Romandie, Rolf Sørensen
 * Amsterdam Rai Derny Race, Rolf Sørensen
 * Jersey blue.svg Mountains classification Giro d'Italia, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Stage 6, Guido Bontempi
 * Stage 14, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Stage 9 Tour de Suisse, Rolf Sørensen
 * Stage 12 Tour de France, Fabio Roscioli
 * Stage 17 Tour de France, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Chateau-Chinon-Ville Criterium, Stephen Roche
 * GP de la Ville de Lourdes, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Clasica San Sebastian, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Lamballe Criterium, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Coppa Bernocchi, Rolf Sørensen
 * Coppa Sabatini, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Milano–Torino, Rolf Sørensen
 * Giro del Piemonte, Beat Zberg
 * Japan Cup, Claudio Chiappucci


 * 1994
 * Stage 8 Vuelta y Ruta de Mexico, Samuele Schiavina
 * Stage 14 Vuelta y Ruta de Mexico, Marco Artunghi
 * Stages 14 & 15 Giro d'Italia, Marco Pantani
 * Stage 20 Giro d'Italia, Vladimir Pulnikov
 * Jersey white.svg Young rider classification Tour de France, Marco Pantani
 * Quillan, Claudio Chiappucci
 * MaillotVolta.png Overall Volta a Catalunya, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Stage 4, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Circuito Alzanese, Mario Traversoni
 * Giro del Piemonte, Nicola Miceli
 * Japan Cup, Claudio Chiappucci


 * 1995
 * Stage 1 Tour de Romandie, Beat Zberg
 * Jersey red.svg Overall Vuelta a Asturias, Beat Zberg
 * Stage 4, Samuele Schiavina
 * Stage 6, Beat Zberg
 * Stage 11 Giro d'Italia, Enrico Zaina
 * Jersey white.svg Young rider classification Tour de France, Marco Pantani
 * Stages 9, 10 & 14, Marco Pantani
 * Klagenfurt Criterium, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Giro del Piemonte, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Overall Escalada a Montjuich, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Stage 1a, Claudio Chiappucci
 * Japan Cup, Claudio Chiappucci


 * 1996
 * Berner Rundfahrt, Beat Zberg
 * Eschborn-Frankfurt City Loop, Beat Zberg
 * Stages 9 & 20 Giro d'Italia, Enrico Zaina
 * Jersey yellow.svg Overall Tour de Suisse, Peter Luttenberger
 * Stage 6, Peter Luttenberger
 * Stage 15 Tour de France, Massimo Podenzana
 * Stage 5 GP Guillaume Tell, Markus Zberg

Supplementary statistics
Sources