# 1981 Giro d'Italia

The 1981 Giro d'Italia was the 64th running of the Giro. It started in Brescia, on 13 May, with a 6.6 km (4.1 mi) prologue and concluded in Verona, on 7 June, with a 42 km (26.1 mi) individual time trial. A total of 130 riders from thirteen teams entered the 22-stage race, that was won by Italian Giovanni Battaglin of the Inoxpran team. The second and third places were taken by Swede Tommy Prim and Italian Giuseppe Saronni, respectively.
Amongst the other classifications that the race awarded, Gis Gelati-Campagnolo's Saronni won the points classification, Claudio Bortolotto of Santini-Selle Italia won the mountains classification, and Hoonved-Bottecchia's Giuseppe Faraca completed the Giro as the best neo-professional in the general classification, finishing eleventh overall. Bianchi-Piaggio finishing as the winners of the team classification, ranking each of the twenty teams contesting the race by lowest cumulative time. In addition, Bianchi-Piaggio won the team points classification.

## Teams

A total of thirteen teams were invited to participate in the 1981 Giro d'Italia. Each team sent a squad of nine riders, which meant that the race started with a peloton of 130 cyclists. From the riders that began this edition, 104 made it to the finish in Verona.
The teams entering the race were:
| Bianchi-Piaggio Cilo-Aufina Famcucine–Campagnolo Gemeaz Cusin-Zor-Helios Gis Gelati-Campagnolo | Hoonved-Bottecchia Inoxpran Kotter's-G.B.C. Magniflex-Olmo | Safir-Galli-Maillard Sammontana-Benotto Santini-Selle Italia Selle San Marco-Gabrielli |

## Route and stages

The route for the 1981 edition of the Giro d'Italia was revealed to the public by head organizer Vincenzo Torriani on 21 February 1981. Covering a total of 3,895.6 km (2,420.6 mi), it included four time trials (three individual and one for teams), and ten stages with categorized climbs that awarded mountains classification points. Two of these ten stages had summit finishes: stage 17, to Borno; and stage 20, to Tre Cime di Lavaredo. The organizers chose to include two rest days. When compared to the previous year's race, the race was 129.4 km (80 mi) shorter and contained one more time trial. In addition, this race contained one more set of split stages.
Stage characteristics and winners :
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Type | Winner |
| P | 13 May | Trieste | 6.6 km (4 mi) | | Individual time trial | Knut Knudsen (NOR) |
| 1a | 14 May | Trieste to Bibione | 100 km (62 mi) | | Plain stage | Guido Bontempi (ITA) |
| 1b | 14 May | Lignano Sabbiadoro to Bibione | 15 km (9 mi) | | Team time trial | Hoonved-Bottecchia |
| 2 | 15 May | Bibione to Ferrara | 211 km (131 mi) | | Plain stage | Paolo Rosola (ITA) |
| 3 | 16 May | Bologna to Recanati | 255 km (158 mi) | | Plain stage | Giuseppe Saronni (ITA) |
| | 17 May | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day |
| 4 | 18 May | Recanati to Lanciano | 214 km (133 mi) | | Plain stage | Mario Beccia (ITA) |
| 5 | 19 May | Marina di San Vito to Rodi Garganico | 180 km (112 mi) | | Plain stage | Giuseppe Saronni (ITA) |
| 6 | 20 May | Rodi Garganico to Bari | 225 km (140 mi) | | Plain stage | Giuseppe Saronni (ITA) |
| 7 | 21 May | Bari to Potenza | 143 km (89 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Palmiro Masciarelli (ITA) |
| 8 | 22 May | Sala Consilina to Cosenza | 202 km (126 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Moreno Argentin (ITA) |
| 9 | 23 May | Cosenza to Reggio Calabria | 231 km (144 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Serge Parsani (ITA) |
| | 24 May | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day |
| 10 | 25 May | Rome to Cascia | 166 km (103 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Gianbattista Baronchelli (ITA) |
| 11 | 26 May | Cascia to Arezzo | 199 km (124 mi) | | Plain stage | Giovanni Renosto (ITA) |
| 12 | 27 May | Arezzo to Livorno Montenero | 224 km (139 mi) | | Plain stage | Moreno Argentin (ITA) |
| 13 | 28 May | Empoli to Montecatini Terme | 35 km (22 mi) | | Individual time trial | Knut Knudsen (NOR) |
| 14 | 29 May | Montecatini Terme to Salsomaggiore Terme | 224 km (139 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Francesco Moser (ITA) |
| 15 | 30 May | Salsomaggiore Terme to Pavia | 198 km (123 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Daniel Gisiger (SUI) |
| 16 | 31 May | Milan to Mantua | 178 km (111 mi) | | Plain stage | Claudio Torelli (ITA) |
| 17 | 1 June | Mantua to Borno | 215 km (134 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Benedetto Patellaro (ITA) |
| 18 | 2 June | Borno to Dimaro | 127 km (79 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Miguel María Lasa (ESP) |
| | 3 June | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day |
| 19 | 4 June | Dimaro to San Vigilio di Marebbe | 208 km (129 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Giovanni Battaglin (ITA) |
| 20 | 5 June | San Vigilio di Marebbe to Tre Cime di Lavaredo | 100 km (62 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Beat Breu (SUI) |
| 21 | 6 June | Auronzo di Cadore to Arzignano | 197 km (122 mi) | | Plain stage | Pierino Gavazzi (ITA) |
| 22 | 7 June | Soave to Verona | 42 km (26 mi) | | Individual time trial | Knut Knudsen (NOR) |
| | Total | Total | 3,895.6 km (2,421 mi) | 3,895.6 km (2,421 mi) | 3,895.6 km (2,421 mi) | 3,895.6 km (2,421 mi) | 3,895.6 km (2,421 mi) |

## Classification leadership

Three different jerseys were worn during the 1981 Giro d'Italia. The leader of the general classification – calculated by adding the stage finish times of each rider, and allowing time bonuses for the first three finishers on mass-start stages – wore a pink jersey. The time bonuses for the 1981 Giro were thirty seconds for first, twenty seconds for second, and ten seconds for third place on the stage. This classification is the most important of the race, and its winner is considered as the winner of the Giro.
For the points classification, which awarded a purple (or cyclamen) jersey to its leader, cyclists were given points for finishing a stage in the top 15; additional points could also be won in intermediate sprints. The green jersey was awarded to the mountains classification leader. In this ranking, points were won by reaching the summit of a climb ahead of other cyclists. Each climb was ranked as either first, second or third category, with more points available for higher category climbs. The Cima Coppi, the race's highest point of elevation, awarded more points than the other first category climbs. The Cima Coppi for this Giro was the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. The first rider to cross the Tre Cime di Lavaredo was Swiss rider Beat Breu. The white jersey was worn by the leader of young rider classification, a ranking decided the same way as the general classification, but considering only neo-professional cyclists (in their first three years of professional racing).
Although no jersey was awarded, there was also one classification for the teams, in which the stage finish times of the best three cyclists per team were added; the leading team was the one with the lowest total time. There was another team classification that awarded points to each team based on their riding's finishing position in every stage. The team with the highest total of points was the leader of the classification.
The rows in the following table correspond to the jerseys awarded after that stage was run.
Classification leadership by stage :
| Stage | Winner | General classification | Points classification | Mountains classification | Young rider classification | Team classification |
| P | Knut Knudsen | Knut Knudsen | Knut Knudsen | not awarded | ? | not awarded |
| 1a | Guido Bontempi | Guido Bontempi | Giovanni Mantovani | not awarded | ? | not awarded |
| 1b | Hoonved-Bottecchia | Francesco Moser | Giovanni Mantovani | not awarded | ? | Hoonved-Bottecchia |
| 2 | Paolo Rosola | Gregor Braun | Giovanni Mantovani | not awarded | ? | Famcucine-Campagnolo |
| 3 | Giuseppe Saronni | Francesco Moser | Giovanni Mantovani | not awarded | ? | Famcucine-Campagnolo |
| 4 | Mario Beccia | Francesco Moser | Giovanni Mantovani | not awarded | ? | Hoonved-Bottecchia |
| 5 | Giuseppe Saronni | Francesco Moser | Giuseppe Saronni | not awarded | ? | Famcucine-Campagnolo |
| 6 | Giuseppe Saronni | Giuseppe Saronni | Giuseppe Saronni | not awarded | ? | Famcucine-Campagnolo |
| 7 | Palmiro Masciarelli | Giuseppe Saronni | Giuseppe Saronni | Beat Breu | ? | Famcucine-Campagnolo |
| 8 | Moreno Argentin | Giuseppe Saronni | Giuseppe Saronni | Bruno Wolfer | ? | Famcucine-Campagnolo |
| 9 | Serge Parsani | Giuseppe Saronni | Giuseppe Saronni | Claudio Bortolotto | ? | Famcucine-Campagnolo |
| 10 | Gianbattista Baronchelli | Giuseppe Saronni | Giuseppe Saronni | Claudio Bortolotto | Giuseppe Faraca | Bianchi-Piaggio |
| 11 | Giovanni Renosto | Giuseppe Saronni | Giuseppe Saronni | Claudio Bortolotto | Giuseppe Faraca | Bianchi-Piaggio |
| 12 | Moreno Argentin | Giuseppe Saronni | Giuseppe Saronni | Claudio Bortolotto | Giuseppe Faraca | Bianchi-Piaggio |
| 13 | Knut Knudsen | Roberto Visentini | Giuseppe Saronni | Claudio Bortolotto | Giuseppe Faraca | Bianchi-Piaggio |
| 14 | Francesco Moser | Silvano Contini | Giuseppe Saronni | Claudio Bortolotto | Giuseppe Faraca | Bianchi-Piaggio |
| 15 | Daniel Gisiger | Silvano Contini | Giuseppe Saronni | Claudio Bortolotto | Giuseppe Faraca | Bianchi-Piaggio |
| 16 | Claudio Torelli | Silvano Contini | Giuseppe Saronni | Claudio Bortolotto | Giuseppe Faraca | Bianchi-Piaggio |
| 17 | Benedetto Patellaro | Silvano Contini | Giuseppe Saronni | Claudio Bortolotto | Giuseppe Faraca | Bianchi-Piaggio |
| 18 | Miguel María Lasa | Silvano Contini | Giuseppe Saronni | Claudio Bortolotto | Giuseppe Faraca | Bianchi-Piaggio |
| 19 | Giovanni Battaglin | Silvano Contini | Giuseppe Saronni | Claudio Bortolotto | Giuseppe Faraca | Bianchi-Piaggio |
| 20 | Beat Breu | Giovanni Battaglin | Giuseppe Saronni | Claudio Bortolotto | Giuseppe Faraca | Bianchi-Piaggio |
| 21 | Pierino Gavazzi | Giovanni Battaglin | Giuseppe Saronni | Claudio Bortolotto | Giuseppe Faraca | Bianchi-Piaggio |
| 22 | Knut Knudsen | Giovanni Battaglin | Giuseppe Saronni | Claudio Bortolotto | Giuseppe Faraca | Bianchi-Piaggio |
| Final | Final | Giovanni Battaglin | Giuseppe Saronni | Claudio Bortolotto | Giuseppe Faraca | Bianchi-Piaggio |

## Final standings

Legend :
| Denotes the winner of the General classification | | Denotes the winner of the Mountains classification |
| Denotes the winner of the Points classification | Denotes the winner of the Points classification | Denotes the winner of the Points classification |

### General classification

Final general classification (1–10) :
| Rank | Name | Team | Time |
| 1 | Giovanni Battaglin (ITA) | Inoxpran | 104h 50' 36" |
| 2 | Tommy Prim (SWE) | Bianchi-Piaggio | + 38" |
| 3 | Giuseppe Saronni (ITA) | Gis Gelati-Campagnolo | + 50" |
| 4 | Silvano Contini (ITA) | Bianchi-Piaggio | + 1' 59" |
| 5 | Josef Fuchs (SUI) | Cilo-Aufina | + 2' 19" |
| 6 | Roberto Visentini (ITA) | Sammontana-Benotto | + 5' 37" |
| 7 | Alfio Vandi (ITA) | Selle San Marco-Gabrielli | + 9' 32" |
| 8 | Beat Breu (SUI) | Cilo-Aufina | + 10' 02" |
| 9 | Claudio Bortolotto (ITA) | Santini-Selle Italia | + 10' 12" |
| 10 | Gianbattista Baronchelli (ITA) | Bianchi-Piaggio | + 12' 01" |

### Points classification

Final points classification (1–5) :
| | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Giuseppe Saronni (ITA) | Gis Gelati-Campagnolo | 215 |
| 2 | Tommy Prim (SWE) | Bianchi-Piaggio | 133 |
| 3 | Giovanni Mantovani (ITA) | Hoonved-Bottecchia | 127 |
| 4 | Francesco Moser (ITA) | Famcucine-Campagnolo | 117 |
| 5 | Silvano Contini (ITA) | Bianchi-Piaggio | 112 |

### Mountains classification

Final mountains classification (1–10) :
| | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Claudio Bortolotto (ITA) | Santini-Selle Italia | 510 |
| 2 | Beat Breu (SUI) | Cilo-Aufina | 500 |
| 3 | Benedetto Patellaro (ITA) | Hoonved-Bottecchia | 290 |
| 4 | Giovanni Battaglin (ITA) | Inoxpran | 265 |
| 5 | Leonardo Natale (ITA) | Magniflex-Olmo | 180 |
| 6 | Josef Fuchs (SUI) | Cilo-Aufina | 150 |
| 7 | Mario Noris (ITA) | Magniflex-Olmo | 125 |
| 8 | Guillermo De La Pena (ESP) | Gemeaz Cusin-Zor-Helios | 120 |
| 8 | Francesco Moser (ITA) | Famcucine-Campagnolo | 120 |
| 10 | Alfio Vandi (ITA) | Selle San Marco-Gabrielli | 115 |

### Young rider classification

Final young rider classification (1–5) :
| | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Giuseppe Faraca (ITA) | Hoonved-Bottecchia | 105h 05' 30" |
| 2 | Alberto Minetti (ITA) | Famcucine-Campagnolo | + 23' 51" |
| 3 | George Mount (USA) | Sammontana-Benotto | + 25' 46" |
| 4 | Moreno Argentin (ITA) | Sammontana-Benotto | + 46' 12" |
| 5 | Maurizio Piovani (ITA) | Gis Gelati-Campagnolo | + 46' 40" |

### Traguardi Fiat classification

Final traguardi fiat classification (1–5) :
| | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Paolo Rosola (ITA) | Magniflex-Olmo | 128 |
| 2 | Dante Morandi (ITA) | Famcucine-Campagnolo | 70 |
| 3 | Giovanni Renosto (ITA) | Magniflex-Olmo | 48 |
| 4 | Benny Schepmans (BEL) | Safir-Galli-Maillard | 33 |
| 5 | Alessio Antonini (ITA) | Santini-Selle Italia | 32 |

### Team classification

Final team classification (1–3) :
| | Team | Time |
| 1 | Bianchi-Piaggio | 313h 55' 08" |
| 2 | Cilo-Aufina | + 25' 01" |
| 3 | Inoxpran | + 44' 32" |

### Team points classification

Final team points classification (1–3) :
| | Team | Points |
| 1 | Bianchi-Piaggio | 189 |
| 2 | Famcucine-Campagnolo | 137 |
| 3 | Hoonved-Bottecchia | 129 |

## Aftermath

With his Giro victory, Battaglin completed the Vuelta–Giro double, the second rider to achieve the feat (Eddy Merckx was the first in 1973). Only 48 days separated the Vuelta's start on 21 April from the Giro's end on 7 June.