Moser vs Saronni: Italy’s Great Rivalry of the 1980s
Francesco Moser and Giuseppe Saronni: Giro d’Italia winners, world champions and Italy’s great rivals of the late 1970s and 1980s.
In this post
A generation after Coppi and Bartali, Italy split again, this time between Francesco Moser and Giuseppe Saronni.
The riders
- Francesco Moser: world champion in 1977, with silver in 1976 and 1978, and winner of the 1984 Giro d’Italia.
- Giuseppe Saronni: won the Giro in 1979 and 1983, and the world title in 1982, with silver in 1981 and bronze in 1986.
The rivalry
Between them they won three Giros and two world titles in under a decade. Saronni is often named as Moser’s biggest rival.
Why it still matters
It kept Italian racing at fever pitch through the late 1970s and 1980s. Go back further with Coppi vs Bartali.
Ride like it matters
For the mountains these riders fought over, see our Climbs jerseys, and for the plain look of the old days, the Classics Midnight Black jersey in a men’s and women’s cut. Every piece is made to order, with free personalization.
More rivalries: cycling’s greatest rivalries.
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