67th Giro d’Italia Pennant – 1984

Since the race’s conclusion, the race has been marred by accusations of race officials favoring Francesco Moser. On several occasions, Moser was seen drafting behind team cars and being pushed up mountains which is not allowed in the race rules. Moser was not penalized the times he committed the violations, but several other riders in the race were punished by officials when they committed the same infractions.  Renault manager Cyrille Guimard especially upset with Moser’s lack of punishment because his rider, Fignon, was awarded a twenty-second penalty for receiving food outside of the feed zone.  Another instance appeared when the race officials canceled the crossing of the Stelvio Pass during the eighteenth stage. The snow had fallen on the Stelvio and was thought to be able to be cleared by the day of the stage as race director Vincenzo Torriani had photos showing that it could be done. The French magazine Vélo published photos of the pass being clear of snow and open to the public. However, the day before the stage, the snow had yet to be cleared. There’s speculation that a government official from Trent – Moser’s hometown – would not allow the Giro to cross the Stelvio. The race was re-routed to go over the Tonale Pass and Palade Pass. The changes in the stage resulted in another collective finish of the general classification contenders, thus keeping the time gaps the same and playing into the hand of Moser.  1986 race winner Roberto Visentini quit the race because he felt it was being fixed. In the final time trial, TV helicopters have been accused of flying low behind Moser in order to propel him forward, increasing his speed. Fignon told the media that the helicopters were flying in front of him in order to slow his pace.

Fignon later published an autobiography in 2010 entitled We Were Young and Carefree: The Autobiography of Laurent Fignon where he discussed this edition of the Giro. He wrote that the “breaches in the rules were obvious” and that Moser had received many pushes from spectators while climbing during the twentieth stage. Fignon elaborated on the final time trial, stating that the helicopter pilot “almost mowing the number off of my back with his rotor blades.” He stated the helicopter’s turbulence slowed him down and also nearly crashed him a few times during the stage. Ultimately, Fignon felt that if the entire race was run according to the route and abiding by the rules, he would’ve won the race. In 2015, Moser was inducted into the Giro d’Italia Hall of Fame. At the ceremony, he received a replica of the modern-day trophy for his victory in the race.  Moser spoke of how he and Fignon talked years after the race and he still blamed his victory on the helicopter, while Moser insisted that the cheering from the crowds is what motivated him to perform so well during the day. He further commented on Fignon: “Poor Fignon! He lost two Grand Tours on the last day and in time trials, too. If either of those races had ended with a climb, it would have been a very different story.”