Giovanni Battaglin

Giovanni Battaglin (born 22 July 1951) is an Italian professional road racing cyclist. The highlight of his career was his overall win in the 1981 Giro d'Italia. He also won the 1981 Vuelta a España.

Early years
Battaglin was born in Marostica, province of Vicenza. Battaglin won the 1972 Amateur Giro d'Italia and turned professional the following year with the Jollj Ceramica team.

Professional career
The 1973 Giro d'Italia that began in Verviers in Belgium and was Battaglin's debut in a grand tour. Battaglin immediately showed promise when he finished third on stage four ahead of Eddy Merckx and José Manuel Fuente. By halfway through the race, Battaglin was sitting in second place overall behind Merckx but lost that placing to Felice Gimondi. Still at the age of 21, the neo-pro astonished the cycling world by finishing third in the race. Battaglin would wear the maglia rosa for five days in the 1975 Giro d'Italia as well as several stage wins and wins in smaller stage races. He also won the King of the Mountains jersey in the 1979 Tour de France, even after he received a penalty for testing positive for doping. Battaglin finished third in the 1980 Giro d'Italia.

The following year on the tenth stage mountain time trial of the 1981 Vuelta a España which was on the long climb to Sierra Nevada, Battaglin won the stage and took over the leader's jersey. The only threat to Battaglin's lead was Pedro Muñoz. Battaglin and his Inoxpran team withstood the challenge from the Spanish and brought Battaglin to his first grand tour victory. Three days later after Battalin's triumph in Spain on 13 May 1981, he began the 1981 Giro d'Italia. On the 19th stage toward the end of the race, Battaglin won the stage to Mareo and took the maglia rosa from Silvano Contini. He withstood the final test – the final stage's individual time trial to win the race in Verona ahead of Tommy Prim. Battaglin was only the second rider after Eddy Merckx to win the Vuelta-Giro double. In the space of one and a half months, Battaglin won two of the grand tours.

Retirement
Battaglin retired after the 1984 season. In 1982 Battaglin started a bicycle manufacturing business with the same name, which he runs from Marostica, Italy. In 2002 the company sponsored the Ceramiche Panaria Fiordo squad.

Major results

 * 1971
 * Gran Premio Palio del Recioto


 * 1972
 * Giro d'Italia (amateurs)


 * 1973
 * Giro del Lazio


 * 1974
 * Giro dell'Appennino
 * Morrovalle


 * 1975
 * 2 stages in the Giro d'Italia
 * 1 stage in the Volta a Catalunya
 * Giro di Puglia (con 1 vittoria di tappa)
 * Coppa Sabatini


 * 1976
 * 1st Stage 2 Tour de France


 * 1977
 * Carpineti
 * Gran Premio di Montelupo


 * 1978
 * Coppa Bernocchi
 * Acicatena
 * 3 stages in the Tour de Suisse


 * 1979
 * 1st Jersey polkadot.svg Mountains classification Tour de France
 * 1st Jersey gold.svg Overall Tour of the Basque Country
 * 1st Stages &
 * Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
 * 1 stage in the Tour de Suisse
 * Coppa Agostoni
 * Coppa Placci
 * Trofeo Matteotti
 * Trofeo Pantalica
 * Col San Martino


 * 1980
 * 1st Stage 18 Giro d'Italia
 * 1st Milano–Torino
 * Coppa Placci
 * Zambana di Trento
 * Milano–Vignola


 * 1981
 * 1st Jersey pink.svg Overall Giro d'Italia
 * 1st Stage 19
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Vuelta a España
 * 1st Stage 10


 * 1983
 * Lariano


 * 1984
 * Col San Martino