Claudio Chiappucci
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Claudio Chiappucci (born 28 February 1963) is an Italian former professional cyclist. He was three times on the podium of the Tour de France general classification - 2nd in 1990, 3rd in 1991 and 2nd again in 1992. He was found guilty of doping several times.
[edit] Career notes
Born in Uboldo, in the province of Varese (Lombardy), Chiappucci was nicknamed El Diablo, becoming a very popular rider for some of his audacious rides in both grand tours and one day classic races.
His first famous Tour de France was in 1990, when he found himself almost casually wearing the Yellow Jersey after a stage attack which the favourites allowed incautiously to arrive with a great time advantage. Chiappucci, however, showed to be far stronger than his fellow attackers, and in the subsequent stages he resisted bravely the return of Greg LeMond. In the end, LeMond won the Tour by less than a minute: Chiappucci came back home with a surprising second place and, moreover, the status as a cycling star that he was to confirm in the following years. He was the first Italian cyclist to arrive on podium at the Tour after Felice Gimondi in 1972.
His level of performance declined sharply from around 1994/1995, and he retired in 1998 after having been found guilty of doping several times in 1997.
He is famous for a stage that he won in the Tour de France, arriving in Sestriere after a thrilling chase.
In his career he had to face another great champion, Miguel Indurain, who declared: "my victories not would have been so beautiful, if I had not had an adversary like Chiappucci".
Among the awards received by Chiappucci (whom the French call Shapushì) there is also a silver medal earned in 1994 at the World Cycling Championship in Sicily.
Not gifted with an exceptional physique, Chiappucci was distinguished by a gritty, combative style, always ready to attack; he did not hold back in the face of any climb or time trial.
He is considered one of the athletes who most contributed to the growth, as a cyclist, of Marco Pantani.
