# 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 and 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.

## Career achievements
### Major results
#### 1971

    1st Gran Premio Palio del Recioto

#### 1972

    1st Overall Giro Ciclistico d'Italia
    8th Overall Trophée Peugeot de l'Avenir

#### 1973

    1st Giro del Lazio
    3rd Overall Giro d'Italia
    5th Giro di Toscana
    10th Giro dell'Appennino
    10th Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria

#### 1974

    1st Giro dell'Appennino
    3rd Giro del Veneto
    3rd Trofeo Matteotti
    4th Overall Tour de Romandie
    5th Giro del Piemonte
    6th Overall Giro d'Italia
    9th Overall Tour de Suisse
    9th GP Montelupo
    10th Road race, UCI Road World Championships

#### 1975

    1st Overall Giro di Puglia
       1st Stage 2
    1st Coppa Sabatini
    Giro d'Italia
       1st Stages 3 & 13 (ITT)
       Held after Stages 3 & 13
    3rd Giro dell'Umbria
    3rd Giro del Friuli
    4th Overall Volta a Catalunya
       1st Stage 5
    4th Giro dell'Appennino
    Tour de France
       Held after Stages 11 & 12

#### 1976

    1st Stage 2 Tour de France
    2nd Giro dell'Appennino
    5th Tre Valli Varesine
    6th Overall Tour de Romandie
    6th Züri–Metzgete
    6th Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
    10th Overall Giro di Puglia

#### 1977

    1st GP Montelupo
    3rd Coppa Bernocchi
    6th Giro del Friuli
    8th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
    8th Overall Vuelta a Andalucía

#### 1978

    1st Coppa Bernocchi
    Tour de Suisse
       1st Stages 6, 7 & 8
    2nd Overall Ruota d'Oro
    2nd Tre Valli Varesine
    2nd Trofeo Matteotti
    2nd Giro dell'Umbria
    5th GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano
    7th Road race, National Road Championships
    7th Overall Giro di Puglia

#### 1979

    1st Overall Tour of the Basque Country
       1st Stages 2 & 5b (ITT)
    1st Coppa Agostoni
    1st Coppa Placci
    1st Trofeo Pantalica
    1st Trofeo Matteotti
    1st Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
    2nd Road race, National Road Championships
    2nd Giro del Veneto
    3rd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
    3rd Giro di Lombardia
    4th Overall À travers Lausanne
    4th Overall Escalada a Montjuïc
    4th Giro dell'Appennino
    4th Giro del Friuli
    5th Coppa Bernocchi
    5th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato
    6th Road race, UCI World Championships
    6th Overall Tour de France
       1st Mountains classification
    7th Gran Premio di Lugano
    9th Overall Tour de Suisse
       1st Mountains classification
       1st Stage 7

#### 1980

    1st Milano–Torino
    1st Milano–Vignola
    1st Coppa Placci
    2nd Road race, National Road Championships
    3rd Overall Giro d'Italia
    3rd Giro del Piemonte
    3rd Trofeo Matteotti
    4th Overall Giro del Trentino
    4th Giro dell'Appennino
    4th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato
    4th Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
    6th GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano
    8th Giro del Veneto
    10th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
    10th Coppa Sabatini

#### 1981

    1st Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Stage 19
    1st Overall Vuelta a España
       1st Stage 8b (ITT)
    6th Giro dell'Appennino
    7th Trofeo Pantalica
    8th Tre Valli Varesine
    9th Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
    10th Giro del Friuli

#### 1983

    2nd Road race, National Road Championships
    2nd Giro del Friuli
    9th Overall Tour of the Basque Country

### Grand Tour general classification results timeline

| Grand Tour | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 |
| Vuelta a España | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Giro d'Italia | 3 | 6 | 18 | DNF | 46 | DNF | — | 3 | 1 | — | DNF | 50 |
| Tour de France | — | — | DNF | DNF | — | — | 6 | — | — | DNF | — | DNF |
Legend :
| — | Did not compete |
| DNF | Did not finish |