The Giro in Belgium
This year marks the second time the Giro has started
in Belgium, the other being 1973. Let's take a look
at the 1973 Giro:
Start Finish Kms Stage Winner Pink Jersey
--------------- --------------- --- ------------------------------ ------------
0 Circuit Verviers 5 Merckx,Eddy & Swerts,Roger BEL Merckx, Eddy
1 Verviers Cologne (GER) 137 Merckx, Eddy BEL Merckx, Eddy
2 Cologne (GER) Luxembourg (LUX)227 De Vlaeminck, Roger BEL Merckx, Eddy
3 Luxembourg (LUX)Strasbourg (FRA)239 Van Roosbroeck, G. BEL Merckx, Eddy
4 Geneva (CH) Aoste (CH) 163 Merckx, Eddy BEL Merckx, Eddy
5 St. Vincent Milano 173 Karstens, Gerben NED Merckx, Eddy
6 Milano Iseo del Lago 144 Motta, Gianni ITA Merckx, Eddy
7 Iseo del Lago Lido Nazioni 248 Van Linden, Rik BEL Merckx, Eddy
8 Lido Nazioni Monte Carpegna 156 Merckx, Eddy BEL Merckx, Eddy
9 Monte Carpegna Alba Adriatica 243 Sercu, Patrick BEL Merckx, Eddy
10 Alba Adriatica Lanciano 174 Merckx, Eddy BEL Merckx, Eddy
11 Lanciano Benevento 230 De Vlaeminck, Roger BEL Merckx, Eddy
12 Benevento Fiugi Terme 236 Rossi, Tulio ITA Merckx, Eddy
13 Fiugi Terme Bolsena 215 De Vlaeminck, Roger BEL Merckx, Eddy
14 Bolsena Firenze 202 Moser, Francesco ITA Merckx, Eddy
15 Firenze Forte dei Marmi 150 Rodriguez, M. ESP Merckx, Eddy
16 Circuit Forte dei Marmi 37 Gimondi, Felice ITA Merckx, Eddy
17 Forte dei Marmi Verona 244 Van Linden, Rik BEL Merckx, Eddy
18 Verona Andalo 173 Merckx, Eddy BEL Merckx, Eddy
19 Andalo Auronzo Cadore 208 Fuente, Jose Manuel ESP Merckx, Eddy
20 Auronzo Cadore Trieste 197 Basso, Marino ITA Merckx, Eddy
Four different Belgians take the first five stages.
Six different Belgians take turns winning 13 of the
21 stages. And that pesky Belgian Merckx led from
start to finish and took the points jersey as well.
It was a good year for the Belgians.
In 2006 the highest placed Belgian going into Stage 2
is Marc Wauters in 18th. No Belgian has won the Giro
since De Muynck in 1978. No Belgian has worn pink
since Rik Verbrugghe in 2001. The Giro has been much
less kind to Belgium in the recent past.