14. The brutal 1988 Giro d'Italia, the second biggest Grand Tour on the cycling calendar, was won by a babyfaced rider from the now legendary 7-Eleven Cycling Team. Who was the first American to achieve this prestigious win?
From Quiz Cycling; Team USA (and a Canadian)
Answer:
Andy Hampsten
Andrew Hampsten (Columbus, Ohio, 7 April 1962) was one of the protagonists in one of the most insane stages modern road cycling has ever seen. Just google Mount Gavia 1988 and you'll get the idea. An epic mountain stage over the infamous Gavia through a snow blizzard, which caught many riders unawares. The result: absolute mayhem, with riders shaking uncontrollably, crying, suffering from hypothermia, abandoning in a stupor. Johan van der Velde, a Dutchman who crested the top of the Gavia in first place, lost 43 minutes on the descent to the finish in a state of delirium!
Hampsten and his team were much better prepared for the cold than most competitors and finished second on the stage after Erik Breukink from the Netherlands. However, as a result Hampsten was the new leader of the general classification and proud bearer of the iconic Pink Jersey, which he carried all the way to the end. Nowadays, Hampsten divides his time between Boulder and Tuscany in his beloved Italy.