Hard to believe, but the last time a Giro d’Italia stage finished in Siena was all the way back in 1986. While the Tuscan city has become a marquee name in modern cycling thanks to the Strade Bianche spring classic, it’s still surprising that such an iconic and picturesque setting hasn’t hosted a Giro stage finish in nearly four decades.
Back in ’86, it wasn’t a road stage – it was a time trial, 46 km from Sinalunga to Piazza del Campo. The winner? A surprise: Lech Piasecki, a relatively unknown Polish rider who crossed the line ahead of Roberto Visentini and Giuseppe Saronni. Though he was the reigning amateur world champion, few expected such a performance in his debut Giro. But Piasecki would go on to win five Giro stages in total, carving out a solid reputation as a chrono specialist.
Newspapers of the time described him vividly: “black mustache, short hair, round face. Rarely seen smiling, but yesterday, after the time trial, Piasecki was grinning like a kid”. He had arrived in Italy just a few months earlier, reportedly at the suggestion of Soviet coach Viktor Kapitonov, who “wanted him out of the way” in Eastern Bloc races because he was winning everything. Settling in Manerba del Garda, Piasecki would go on to become one of Saronni’s most loyal lieutenants, staying with him until the end of his career.
The time trial in Siena for Francesco Moser
But that day in Siena also marked a symbolic moment: the beginning of the end for Francesco Moser. “The time trial tolls the hour of decline for Moser,” read the harsh headline in Corriere della Sera. After winning the Giro in 1984 and finishing second in 1985, the “Sheriff” was one of the big favorites going into that time trial. But he could only manage 10th place.
Another article captured the sentiment: “A white flag now waves atop the Giro. Francesco Moser, warrior of a thousand battles, has hoisted it. Time trials were once his dominion, his domain of dominance. But this time, he sank – spectacularly”. Moser would still go on to finish a respectable third overall, behind Visentini and his old rival Saronni. But at 35 years old, his golden seasons were behind him.
