Dancelli remembered for his long distance solo to win Milan - San Remo

 

ITALY’S Michele Dancelli, star of the Sixties and Seventies, passed away on December 18. He was 83. Dancelli is especially remembered for his winning triumph in the 1970 Milan - San Remo Spring Classic with an outstanding 70 –kilometre solo break!

This was a massive success for Italian fans, for it had been 18 years since an Italian had won the home opening Classic of the season.

My previous blog about that very race speculated as to whether Tadej Pogacar, third last year, could win the next edition with his trademark lone break. Regrettably I had missed the Dancelli story, his famous solo victory in the race known as the sprinters classic.

It is thanks to a friend of mine, Al, a one-time training partner back in the 70s who, moved to examine the results more thoroughly, gave me that gem, a week before Dancelli passed away.

For I well recall Dancelli who was from my era, an exciting rider who regularly made the headlines.

Clearly, my story lacked this vital and epic performance which Pogacar will surely want to emulate.

Dancelli was riding for Molteni, the team of the great Eddy Merckx.

This was the era of Merckx, unsurpassed as the greatest rider of all time and of Gimondi, another Italian star and, like Merckx, a grand tour winner.

Dancelli may not have achieved their heights, but he had a Stella record. He was twice Italian road champion, 11 times a Giro stage winner and wearer of the Maglia Rosa for 14 days.

He was both a Tour rider and a single-day classic star, winning the 1966 Fleche – Wallonne and 1968 Paris – Luxembourg, and taking many podium places in other major single-day races.

He had panache, tenacity, ambition. A Dancelli attack demanded attention! He would win from breakaways, on climbs, on descents.

When he attacked it was either get him back or go with him.

In that historic 1970 Milan San Remo, no one else could.

But it all came to a premature end in 1971 when he broke his femur in Tirreno Adriatico and was unable to perform at the same level again.

RIP Michele Dancelli.