Carrera (cycling team) explained

Carrera
Code:	CAR
Registered:	Italy
Disbanded:	1996
Generalmanager:	Davide Boifava
Discipline:	Road
Status:	Retired
Season:	1979–1983 1984–1985 1986–1990 1991 1992 1993–1996
Oldname:	Inoxpran Carrera–Inoxpran Carrera Jeans–Vagabond Carrera Jeans–Tassoni Carrera Jeans–Vagabond Carrera Jeans–Tassoni

Carrera was an Italian-based road bicycle racing team active from 1984 to 1996, named after sponsoring Italian jeans manufacturer Carrera. The team was successful in the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France with three overall wins and several wins in the Points classification and Mountain Classifications.

History

Inoxpran

The Inoxpran cycling team began in 1979.^[1] The Inoxpran team achieved success with Italian Giovanni Battaglin who won in the period of a month and a half in 1981 two Grand Tours in with the 1981 Giro d'Italia and the 1981 Vuelta a España. Battaglin was the second rider in history to achieve this Giro-Vuelta double after Eddy Merckx who achieved the double in 1973. Roberto Visentini had been the Inoxpran team leader in 1983 when he finished second overall in the 1983 Giro d'Italia.

Carrera

Carrera Jeans became the title sponsor in 1984 and Visentini finally won the Giro d'Italia in 1986. At the end of 1985 the team had signed Stephen Roche to perform for the team at the Tour de France. Roche had a poor season in 1986 but bounced back in 1987. When Roche won the Tour de Romandie just ahead of the 1987 Giro d'Italia, he became the number one favourite for the maglia rosa and wanted to be the team leader during the race, something that Visentini, an Italian with an Italian team and the defending champion of the event expected to be alone.^[2] This inter team rivalry came to a head during the race when Roche attacked Visentini. Roche went on to win the race and then the 1987 Tour de France. This was the only time that the Carrera team would win the Tour and it would be the last time the team won the Giro d'Italia. Roche left the team at the end of 1987 but returned to the team in 1992 for his last two seasons.

In 1989, Carrera manager Davide Boifava together with Luciano Bracchi, Francesco Boifava, Tacchella's family and Valentino Compagnoni founded Carrera Podium, a manufacturer of cycles.^[3] From 1990 on, the team rode on these Carrera bikes.^[4]

During this time, Claudio Chiappucci rose from being the domestique of Visentini and Roche during the 1987 Giro to the team leader. Chiappucci wore the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification during the 1990 Tour de France finishing the race second overall and famously battled Miguel Indurain in the 1992 Tour de France. Chiappucci won the Great Italian Classic Milan–San Remo for the team in 1991.

During the latter years of the team, a young Marco Pantani emerged as a contender for the Grand Tours during the 1994 season finishing on the podium in both the 1994 Giro d'Italia and the 1994 Tour de France. Pantani's success was hindered during the last two years of the Carrera team's existence. When Carrera stopped sponsoring a cycling team at the end of 1996, it was reported that manager Davide Boifava would be building a team around Marco Pantani with Mercatone Uno as the main sponsor.^[5] However Davide Cassani became the manager of that new team, taking with him as directeur sportifs Giuseppe Martinelli and Alessandro Giannelli and ten of the riders from Carrera including Pantani^[6] forming the team with whom Pantani would win the 1998 Tour de France and the 1998 Giro d'Italia. At the same time, Boifava started a team with Asics as the main sponsor and took with him five riders from Carrera including Claudio Chiappucci.^[7]

Doping

The team doctor of the Carrera cycling team, Dr. Giovanni Grazzi, worked with Professor Francesco Conconi at the University of Ferrara in 1993.^[8] It was reported in the Rome-based newspaper, La Republica, in January 2000 that Conconi was involved with administering EPO to riders on the Carrera team.^[9] In March 2000 the Italian Judge Franca Oliva published a report detailing the conclusions of an investigation into a number of sports doctors including Professor Conconi.^[10] This official judicial investigation concluded that the riders of the Carrera team were administered EPO in 1993.^[11] The riders included Stephen Roche, Claudio Chiappucci,^[12] Guido Bontempi, Rolf Sørensen, Mario Chiesa, Massimo Ghirotto and Fabio Roscioli.^[8]

Files seized as part of the judicial investigation allegedly detail a number of aliases for former Tour de France, Giro d'Italia winner and World Champion Stephen Roche including Rocchi, Rossi, Rocca, Roncati, Righi and Rossini.^[13] In 1997, Claudio Chiappucci told prosecutor Vincenzo Scolastico that he had been using EPO since 1993, but later he recalled that statement.^[14]

Major wins

1979

Stage 7 Tour de Suisse, Giovanni Battaglin

Mountains classification Tour de France, Giovanni Battaglin

Coppa Placci, Giovanni Battaglin

Coppa Agostoni, Giovanni Battaglin

1980

Zambana di Trento, Giovanni Battaglin

Stage 5 Giro d'Italia, Jørgen Marcussen

Stage 18 Giro d'Italia, Giovanni Battaglin

Coppa Placci, Giovanni Battaglin

Chignolo Po, Giovanni Battaglin

Milano–Torino, Giovanni Battaglin

Quistello Criterium, Alfredo Chinetti

1981

Stages 1 & 3 Vuelta a España, Guido Bontempi

Stage 2 Vuelta a España, Alfredo Chinetti

Stage 8b Vuelta a España, Giovanni Battaglin

Overall Giro d'Italia, Giovanni Battaglin

Stage 1a, Guido Bontempi

Stage 19, Giovanni Battaglin

1982

Stage 6 Settimana Ciclistica Bergamasca, Bruno Leali

Stage 15 Giro d'Italia, Guido Bontempi

Coppa Placci, Alfredo Chinetti

1983

Stages 2 & 8 Giro d'Italia, Guido Bontempi

Stage 22 Giro d'Italia, Roberto Visentini

Giro del Piemonte, Guido Bontempi

1984

Gent–Wevelgem, Guido Bontempi

Prologue Giro del Trentino, Roberto Visentini

Stage 13 Giro d'Italia, Roberto Visentini

Stage 18 Giro d'Italia, Bruno Leali

Stage 21 Giro d'Italia, Guido Bontempi

Stage 1 Ruota d'Oro, Guido Bontempi

Stage 2 Ruota d'Oro, Bruno Leali

1985

Mountains classification Tour de Romandie, Beat Breu

Overall Grabs–Voralp, Beat Breu

Stage 1, Beat Breu

Stage 9a (TTT) Tour de Suisse^[15]

Stage 10 Tour de France, Jørgen Pedersen

Martigny–Mauvoisin, Beat Breu

Stage 5 Tour of Denmark, Guido Bontempi

Giro del Lazio, Bruno Leali

Switzerland National Hill Climb Championships, Beat Breu

Oreno di Vimercate Cyclo-cross, Claudio Chiappucci

1986

Stage 6 Paris–Nice, Jørgen Pedersen

Overall Critérium International, Urs Zimmermann

Stage 2, Urs Zimmermann

Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria, Guido Bontempi

Gent–Wevelgem, Guido Bontempi

Stage 6 Giro d'Italia, Roberto Visentini

Overall Critérium du Dauphiné, Urs Zimmermann

Stage 5, Erich Mächler

Overall Giro d'Italia, Roberto Visentini

Points classification, Guido Bontempi

Stages 7, 10, 11, 17 & 20, Guido Bontempi

Stage 10 Tour de Suisse, Massimo Ghirotto

Stages 6, 22 & 23 Tour de France, Guido Bontempi

Stage 21 Tour de France, Erich Mächler

Coppa Placci, Guido Bontempi

Gouden Pijl, Guido Bontempi

Paris–Brussels, Guido Bontempi

1987

Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Stephen Roche

Stage 4, Stephen Roche

Stage 1 (TTT) Paris–Nice^[16]

Stage 7b Paris–Nice, Stephen Roche

Milan–San Remo, Erich Mächler

Overall Tour de Romandie, Stephen Roche

Stages 5a & 5b, Stephen Roche

Overall Giro d'Italia, Stephen Roche

Prologue & Stage 13, Roberto Visentini

Stages 1b, & 22 Stephen Roche

Stage 12, Guido Bontempi

Prologue & Stage 3b Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, Erich Mächler

Preis Vom Seetal, Erich Mächler

Italy National Road Championships, Bruno Leali

Overall Tour de France, Stephen Roche

Stage 2 (TTT)^[17]

Stage 10, Stephen Roche

Kortenhoef Criterium, Stephen Roche

Linne Criterium, Guido Bontempi

Sint-Truiden Criterium, Guido Bontempi

Coppa Placci, Massimo Ghirotto

Coppa Bernocchi, Guido Bontempi

UCI Road World Championships, Stephen Roche

Trofeo Baracchi (TTT), Bruno Leali & Massimo Ghirotto

Aalsmeer Criterium, Stephen Roche

Super Prestige Pernod, Stephen Roche

1988

Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Erich Mächler

Prologue & Stage 4b, Erich Mächler

Stages 1 & 5 Settimana Siciliana, Guido Bontempi

Stages 3 & 6b Tirreno–Adriatico, Erich Mächler

E3 Prijs Vlaanderen, Guido Bontempi

Stage 1 Vuelta a España, Ettore Pastorelli

Stage 4b Tour de Romandie, Urs Zimmermann

Stages 2 & 5 Giro d'Italia, Guido Bontempi

GP Industria & Artigianato, Massimo Ghirotto

Prologue Tour de France, Guido Bontempi

Coppa Bernocchi, Guido Bontempi

1989

Stage 7 Vuelta a España, Massimo Ghirotto

Stage 2 Giro d'Italia, Acácio Da Silva

Stage 1 Tour de France, Acácio Da Silva

Coppa Placci, Claudio Chiappucci

Stage 1b GP de Sintra, Acácio Da Silva

Giro del Piemonte, Claudio Chiappucci

1990

Stage 4 Settimana Siciliana, Claudio Chiappucci

Points classification Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Guido Bontempi

Stages 1 & 2, Guido Bontempi

Stage 7 Paris–Nice, Claudio Chiappucci

GP Pino Cerami, Maximilian Sciandri

Overall Giro di Puglia, Guido Bontempi

Stage 1, Guido Bontempi

Stages 2, 3a, 4, 5 & 6 Vuelta a Aragón, Maximilian Sciandri

Mountains classification Giro d'Italia, Claudio Chiappucci

Stage 1a Tour de Luxembourg, Acácio Da Silva

Stage 3 Tour de Luxembourg, Bruno Bonnet

Stage 4 Tour de Luxembourg, Erich Mächler

Giro dell'Appennino, Flavio Giupponi

Stage 9 Tour de France, Massimo Ghirotto

Stage 19 Tour de France, Guido Bontempi

Geraardsbergen Criterium, Claudio Chiappucci

Critérium cycliste international de Quillan, Claudio Chiappucci

1991

Stages 2 & 4b Vuelta a Murcia, Djamolidine Abduzhaparov

Milan–San Remo, Claudio Chiappucci

Stage 1a Driedaagse van De Panne, Maximilian Sciandri

Gent–Wevelgem, Djamolidine Abduzhaparov

Stages 10 & 15 Vuelta a España, Guido Bontempi

Points classification Giro d'Italia, Claudio Chiappucci

Stage 6, Vladimir Pulnikov

Stage 9, Massimo Ghirotto

Stage 11, Maximilian Sciandri

Stage 2 Tour de Luxembourg, Guido Bontempi

Points classification Tour de France, Djamolidine Abduzhaparov

Mountains classification, Claudio Chiappucci

Stages 1 & 4, Djamolidine Abduzhaparov

Stage 13, Claudio Chiappucci

Draai van de Kaai, Claudio Chiappucci

Circuito delle Mura - Città di Marostica, Claudio Chiappucci

Stage 7 Volta a Catalunya, Djamolidine Abduzhaparov

Giro del Piemonte, Djamolidine Abduzhaparov

1992

Stages 5a & 6 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Djamolidine Abduzhaparov

Stage 4 Vuelta al País Vasco, Vladimir Pulnikov

Giro dell'Appennino, Claudio Chiappucci

Points classification Vuelta a España, Djamolidine Abduzhaparov

Stages 2a, 4, 11 & 21, Djamolidine Abduzhaparov

Mountains classification Giro d'Italia, Claudio Chiappucci

Stages 6 & 8, Guido Bontempi

Mountains classification Tour de France, Claudio Chiappucci

Stages 5, Guido Bontempi

Stages 13, Claudio Chiappucci

Stages 16, Stephen Roche

Boxmeer, Criterium, Claudio Chiappucci

Castillon-la-Bataille, Criterium, Claudio Chiappucci

Gouden Pijl, Claudio Chiappucci

Wincanton Classic, Massimo Ghirotto

La Louvière, Claudio Chiappucci

Overall Cronostaffetta^[18]

Stage 1b^[19]

Sprint classification Clásico RCN : Fabio Roscioli

Stage 1, Claudio Chiappucci

Stage 4, Alessandro Giannelli

Stage 5, Vladimir Pulnikov

1993

Stage 3 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Guido Bontempi

Stage 3a Driedaagse van De Panne, Rolf Sørensen

Liège–Bastogne–Liège, Rolf Sørensen

Eschborn-Frankfurt City Loop, Rolf Sørensen

Prologue & Stages 1 & 4b Tour de Romandie, Rolf Sørensen

Amsterdam Rai Derny Race, Rolf Sørensen

Mountains classification Giro d'Italia, Claudio Chiappucci

Stage 6, Guido Bontempi

Stage 14, Claudio Chiappucci

Stage 9 Tour de Suisse, Rolf Sørensen

Stage 12 Tour de France, Fabio Roscioli

Stage 17 Tour de France, Claudio Chiappucci

Chateau-Chinon-Ville Criterium, Stephen Roche

GP de la Ville de Lourdes, Claudio Chiappucci

Clasica San Sebastian, Claudio Chiappucci

Lamballe Criterium, Claudio Chiappucci

Coppa Bernocchi, Rolf Sørensen

Coppa Sabatini, Claudio Chiappucci

Milano–Torino, Rolf Sørensen

Giro del Piemonte, Beat Zberg

Japan Cup, Claudio Chiappucci

1994

Stage 8 Vuelta y Ruta de Mexico, Samuele Schiavina

Stage 14 Vuelta y Ruta de Mexico, Marco Artunghi

Stages 14 & 15 Giro d'Italia, Marco Pantani

Stage 20 Giro d'Italia, Vladimir Pulnikov

Young rider classification Tour de France, Marco Pantani

Quillan, Claudio Chiappucci

Overall Volta a Catalunya, Claudio Chiappucci

Stage 4, Claudio Chiappucci

Circuito Alzanese, Mario Traversoni

Giro del Piemonte, Nicola Miceli

Japan Cup, Claudio Chiappucci

1995

Stage 1 Tour de Romandie, Beat Zberg

Overall Vuelta a Asturias, Beat Zberg

Stage 4, Samuele Schiavina

Stage 6, Beat Zberg

Stage 11 Giro d'Italia, Enrico Zaina

Young rider classification Tour de France, Marco Pantani

Stages 9, 10 & 14, Marco Pantani

Klagenfurt Criterium, Claudio Chiappucci

Giro del Piemonte, Claudio Chiappucci

Overall Escalada a Montjuich, Claudio Chiappucci

Stage 1a, Claudio Chiappucci

Japan Cup, Claudio Chiappucci

1996

Berner Rundfahrt, Beat Zberg

Eschborn-Frankfurt City Loop, Beat Zberg

Stages 9 & 20 Giro d'Italia, Enrico Zaina

Overall Tour de Suisse, Peter Luttenberger

Stage 6, Peter Luttenberger

Stage 15 Tour de France, Massimo Podenzana

Stage 5 GP Guillaume Tell, Markus Zberg

Supplementary statistics

Sources^[20] ^[21]

Race	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996

Vuelta a España	–	–	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	15	58	–	47	15	–	–	87	–
Giro d'Italia	–	3	1	16	2	18	23	1	1	3	6	12	2	2	3	2	4	2
Tour de France	6	–	–	58	–	22	23	3	1	22	40	2	3	2	6	3	11	5

Race	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996
Paris–Nice	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	2	4	34	27	7	–	–	–	–	–	–
Tirreno–Adriatico	3	14	5	–	1	3	–	7	–	1	8	16	11	8	16	7	9	12
Volta a Catalunya	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	45	33	–	5	1	4	–
Tour of the Basque Country	1	19	–	–	2	–	–	–	12	–	–	13	1	6	2	3	33	12
/ Tour de Romandie	–	–	–	–	7	–	8	8	1	3	5	16	–	–	2	11	5	7
Critérium du Dauphiné	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	1	30	37	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Tour de Suisse	9	–	–	–	12	–	5	4	14	–	12	–	44	12	9	2	5	1
Tour de Pologne	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	6
Ronde van Nederland	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

Race	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996
Milan–San Remo	9	18	37	55	2	29	28	15	1	8	17	16	1	35	5	37	8	47
Tour of Flanders	–	–	–	–	–	–	10	7	38	31	53	16	13	18	15	57	4	13
Paris–Roubaix	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	18	9	42	28	42	14	54	–	–	–	21
Liège–Bastogne–Liège	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	23	2	–	21	51	35	14	1	4	7	13
Giro di Lombardia	3	2	3	36	10	8	19	17	6	9	15	19	36	2	4	2	6	21

Classic	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996
Omloop Het Volk	–	–	–	–	–	–	–		–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
E3 Harelbeke	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	1	–	–	–	23	35	–	12	–
Gent–Wevelgem	–	–	–	–	–	1	15	1	18	33	22	23	1	35	33	47	16	12
Amstel Gold Race	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	23	28	11	20	8	15	7	3	10
La Flèche Wallonne	–	–	21	–	–	–	–	14	4	–	8	56	3	12	3	7	7	6
Clásica de San Sebastián	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	22	12	11	2	1	4	18	3
Paris–Tours	–	–	–	–	–	–	20	17	5	14	9	31	11	31	16	19	–	39

Legend
—	Did not compete
DNF	Did not finish
NH	Not held

Notes and References

Web site: Inoxpran 1979 . de wielersite.nl . 2007-11-27 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100909084410/http://www.cyclingwebsite.net/ploegfiche.php?id=5542 . 2010-09-09 .
Book: Stephen Roche and David Walsh. The Agony and the Ecstasy: Stephen Roche's World of Cycling. 1988.
Web site: Podium Project . Carrera-Podium . 2007-12-03 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071129232745/http://www.carrera-podium.it/english/home.html . 2007-11-29 .
Web site: Mission . Carrera-Podium . 2007-12-03 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071215130625/http://www.carrera-podium.it/english/missione.html . 2007-12-15 .
Web site: News for July 19. cyclingnews.com. 2007-09-07.
Web site: Mercatone Uno. cyclingnews.com. 2007-09-07.
Web site: Asics. cyclingnews . 2007-09-07.
Web site: I was not involved in doping scandal:Roche . Irish Examiner . 2008-04-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090701042115/http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2000/01/03/current/spage_6.htm . 2009-07-01 .
Web site: Sport: Roche denies use of E.P.O.. RTE.ie. 2008-04-11.
Web site: Ufficio della procura antidoping del coni . sportpro.it . 2007-07-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070927234504/http://www.sportpro.it/doping/inchieste/procuraconidicenta05.htm . 2007-09-27 . dead .
News: Sad end to Roche's road. Timesonline. 2007-07-20 . London . David . Walsh . 2004-03-28.
Web site: Chiapucci . 2008-05-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221102/http://www.prorider.org/chiapucci.htm . 2016-03-03 . dead .
Web site: Roche's name again to forefront in doping investigation. rte.ie. 2007-07-20.
http://limburg.hbvl.be/nieuws-sport-wielrennen/2004/03/11/vrijgesproken-conconi-moreel-veroordeeld-door-italiaanse-gerecht.html Vrijgesproken Conconi moreel veroordeeld door Italiaanse gerecht
The riders on the squad were Massimo Ghirotto, Claudio Chiappucci, Urs Zimmermann, Francesco Rossignoli, Giancarlo Perini, Beat Breu, Jørgen Pedersen, Fabio Bordonali
Urs Zimmermann, Claudio Chiappucci, Erich Mächler, Jørgen Pedersen, Walter Magnago, Eddy Schepers, Bruno Leali, Stephen Roche
Giancarlo Perini, Davide Cassani, Jørgen Pedersen, Guido Bontempi, Eddy Schepers, Stephen Roche, Massimo Ghirotto, Erich Mächler, Urs Zimmermann
Giancarlo Perini, Vladimir Pulnikov, Andrea Tafi, Fabio Roscioli, Alessandro Giannelli
Giancarlo Perini, Vladimir Pulnikov, Andrea Tafi, Fabio Roscioli, Alessandro Giannelli
Web site: firstcycling . firstcycling.com. 4 May 2022.
Web site: ProCyclingStats . ProCyclingStats . 4 May 2022.