The 1972 Milan–San Remo was the 63rd edition of the cycle race and took place on Saturday 18 March 1972. The course was 288 kilometres long. The winner, Eddy Merckx, completed the distance in 6 hours, 33 minutes and 32 seconds, with an average speed of 43.91 km/h. There were 187 starters, and 90 riders reached the finish.
 |
| Eddy Merckx |
After his victories in 1966, 1967, 1969 and 1971, Eddy Merckx claimed his fifth Milan-San Remo title. Only Costante Girardengo had done better, with six wins.
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| Eddy Merckx |
Over the summit of the Turchino, Davide Boifava crested first with an advantage of 2 minutes 21 seconds over the bunch. On the descent, Michele Dancelli, Gianni Motta and Roger De Vlaeminck launched a counter-attack, but the peloton gave them no leeway. The race came back together on the Piani d’Invrea. Felice Gimondi attempted a break, yet by the feeding zone in Savona all the main contenders were still together. After a series of attacks along the Capi, a leading group of around eighty riders reached the foot of the Poggio. There, Merckx made his move, but Gösta Pettersson closed the gap. With a sprint seemingly inevitable, “the Cannibal” attacked again on the descent of the Poggio, opening a gap of about ten seconds. On Via Roma, Merckx still held an advantage of roughly fifty metres, securing a decisive victory. Gianni Motta finished second, nine seconds behind, while Marino Basso took third place.
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| Eddy Merckx and Roger Swerts |
Complete Results:
Rnk |
Rider |
Team |
Time |
1. |
Eddy MERCKX (BEL) |
Molteni |
6h33'32" |
2. |
Gianni MOTTA (ITA) |
Ferretti |
9" |
3. |
Marino BASSO (ITA) |
Salvarani |
,, |
4. |
Frans VERBEECK (BEL) |
Watney - Avia |
,, |
5. |
Rolf WOLFSHOHL (GER) |
Rokado |
,, |
6. |
Michele DANCELLI (ITA) |
Scic |
,, |
7. |
Domingo PERURENA (ESP) |
Kas - Kaskol |
,, |
8. |
André DIERICKX (BEL) |
Beaulieu - Flandria |
,, |
9. |
Gösta PETTERSSON (SWE) |
Ferretti |
,, |
10. |
Tomas PETTERSSON (SWE) |
Ferretti |
,, |
11. |
Aldo MOSER (ITA) |
G.B.C. - Sony |
,, |
12. |
Roger DE VLAEMINCK (BEL) |
Dreher |
,, |
13. |
Gerben KARSTENS (NED) |
Rokado |
21" |
14. |
Rik VAN LINDEN (BEL) |
Van Cauter - Magniflex |
,, |
15. |
Miguel María LASA URQUÍA (ESP) |
Kas - Kaskol |
,, |
16. |
Daniel VAN RYCKEGHEM (BEL) |
Sonolor - Lejeune |
,, |
17. |
Guido REYBROUCK (BEL) |
Salvarani |
,, |
18. |
Emile BODART (BEL) |
Watney - Avia |
,, |
19. |
Willy PLANCKAERT (BEL) |
Goldor - Ijsboerke |
,, |
20. |
Noël VANCLOOSTER (BEL) |
Watney - Avia |
,, |
21. |
José Manuel LÓPEZ RODRÍGUEZ (ESP) |
Werner |
,, |
22. |
Jesús MANZANEQUE SÁNCHEZ (ESP) |
Kas - Kaskol |
,, |
23. |
Wilfried PEFFGEN (GER) |
Rokado |
,, |
24. |
Jürgen TSCHAN (GER) |
Peugeot - BP - Michelin |
,, |
25. |
Jean-Pierre BERCKMANS (BEL) |
Rokado |
,, |
26. |
Yves HÉZARD (FRA) |
Sonolor - Lejeune |
,, |
27. |
Patrick SERCU (BEL) |
Dreher |
,, |
28. |
Attilio BENFATTO (ITA) |
Scic |
,, |
29. |
Willy DE GEEST (BEL) |
Van Cauter - Magniflex |
,, |
30. |
Roger SWERTS (BEL) |
Molteni |
,, |
31. |
Albert VAN VLIERBERGHE (BEL) |
Ferretti |
,, |
32. |
Italo ZILIOLI (ITA) |
Salvarani |
,, |
33. |
José Antonio PONTÓN RUIZ (ESP) |
Werner |
,, |
34. |
Pieter NASSEN (BEL) |
Watney - Avia |
,, |
35. |
Vicente LÓPEZ CARRIL (ESP) |
Kas - Kaskol |
,, |
36. |
Roger PINGEON (FRA) |
Peugeot - BP - Michelin |
,, |
37. |
José CASAS GARCÍA (ESP) |
Werner |
,, |
38. |
José Manuel FUENTE LAVANDERA (ESP) |
Kas - Kaskol |
,, |
39. |
Franco BITOSSI (ITA) |
Filotex |
,, |
40. |
Tonnie HOUBRECHTS (BEL) |
Salvarani |
,, |
41. |
Davide BOIFAVA (ITA) |
Zonca |
,, |
42. |
Louis PFENNINGER (SWI) |
Rokado |
,, |
43. |
José CATIEAU (FRA) |
Sonolor - Lejeune |
,, |
44. |
Lucien AIMAR (FRA) |
Rokado |
,, |
45. |
Eric LEMAN (BEL) |
Bic |
,, |
46. |
Josef FUCHS (SWI) |
Filotex |
,, |
47. |
Vic VAN SCHIL (BEL) |
Molteni |
,, |
48. |
Giancarlo POLIDORI (ITA) |
Scic |
,, |
49. |
Ventura DÍAZ ARREY (ESP) |
Werner |
,, |
50. |
Alain SANTY (FRA) |
Bic |
,, |
51. |
Leif MORTENSEN (DEN) |
Bic |
,, |
52. |
Ottavio CREPALDI (ITA) |
Ferretti |
,, |
53. |
Ronny VAN DE VIJVER (BEL) |
Goldor - Ijsboerke |
,, |
54. |
Andrés GANDARIAS ALBIZU (ESP) |
Werner |
,, |
55. |
Roberto POGGIALI (ITA) |
Salvarani |
,, |
56. |
Giovanni CAVALCANTI (ITA) |
Filotex |
,, |
57. |
Daniel REBILLARD (FRA) |
Sonolor - Lejeune |
,, |
58. |
Michel COULON (BEL) |
Watney - Avia |
,, |
59. |
Ugo COLOMBO (ITA) |
Filotex |
,, |
60. |
Edward SELS (BEL) |
Goldor - Ijsboerke |
,, |
61. |
Herman BEYSSENS (BEL) |
Van Cauter - Magniflex |
,, |
62. |
Wim SCHEPERS (NED) |
Rokado |
,, |
63. |
Evert DOLMAN (NED) |
Beaulieu - Flandria |
,, |
64. |
Felice GIMONDI (ITA) |
Salvarani |
,, |
65. |
Walter PLANCKAERT (BEL) |
Watney - Avia |
,, |
66. |
Wladimiro PANIZZA (ITA) |
Zonca |
,, |
67. |
Roger ROSIERS (BEL) |
Bic |
,, |
68. |
Jos ABELSHAUSEN (BEL) |
Watney - Avia |
1'55" |
69. |
Celestino VERCELLI (ITA) |
Scic |
,, |
70. |
Dino ZANDEGU (ITA) |
G.B.C. - Sony |
,, |
71. |
Silvano SCHIAVON (ITA) |
G.B.C. - Sony |
,, |
72. |
Giuseppe ROSOLEN (ITA) |
Filotex |
,, |
73. |
Dirk BAERT (BEL) |
Beaulieu - Flandria |
,, |
74. |
Francis DUCREUX (FRA) |
Bic |
,, |
75. |
Franco MORI (ITA) |
Scic |
2'21" |
76. |
Erich SPAHN (SWI) |
G.B.C. - Sony |
,, |
77. |
Carlo CHIAPPANO (ITA) |
Scic |
,, |
78. |
Sture PETTERSSON (SWE) |
Ferretti |
,, |
79. |
Pietro DI CATERINA (ITA) |
Dreher |
,, |
80. |
Enrico MAGGIONI (ITA) |
Dreher |
,, |
81. |
Willy VANNESTE (BEL) |
Beaulieu - Flandria |
,, |
82. |
Englebert OPDEBEECK (BEL) |
Watney - Avia |
,, |
83. |
Herman VAN DER SLAGMOLEN (BEL) |
Beaulieu - Flandria |
,, |
84. |
Carmine PREZIOSI (ITA) |
Watney - Avia |
,, |
85. |
Claudio MICHELOTTO (ITA) |
G.B.C. - Sony |
,, |
86. |
Primo MORI (ITA) |
Salvarani |
,, |
87. |
Angelo BASSINI (ITA) |
Scic |
,, |
88. |
Giorgio FAVARO (ITA) |
Ferretti |
,, |
89. |
Jürg SCHNEIDER (SWI) |
G.B.C. - Sony |
5'10" |
90. |
Karl-Heinz MUDDEMANN (GER) |
Rokado |
,, |
Video Clip
