Lech Piasecki

Lech Piasecki

Personal information
Full name	Lech Piasecki
Born	(1961-11-13) 13 November 1961 (age 63) Poznań, Poland
Team information
Current team	Retired
Discipline	Road/Track
Role	Rider
Professional teams
1986–1988	Del Tongo
1989	Malvor-Sidi
1990	Diana-Colnago
1991	Colnago-Lampre
Major wins
Grand Tours Giro d'Italia 5 individual stages (1986, 1988, 1989)
Medal record Representing  Poland Men's road bicycle racing World Championships 1985 Giavara del Montello Amateur's Road Race

Copy of L. Piasecki medal and autograph in Sports Star Avenue in Dziwnów

Lech Piasecki (born 13 November 1961) is a Polish former racing cyclist. Born in Poznań, he became the first Polish cyclist to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France, in 1987.^[1]

After Piasecki became Amateur world champion in 1985, the Colnago team wanted to sign him. The Polish cycling organisation allowed that in exchange for bicycles.^[2] His first victory as a professional cyclist was in a time trial in the 1986 Giro d'Italia, where he beat many favourites.^[3] In 1987, he won the first stage of the Tirreno–Adriatico. It was a time trial in which he started early, and the wind changed direction after Piasecki finished, so the main favourites who started later had a disadvantage.^[4] In the 1987 Tour de France, Piasecki became second in the prologue, and took the yellow jersey after finishing in the lead group of Stage 2. After he lost the lead on Stage 4, he had to abandon the 7th stage due to illness.^[5] On August 24, 1988 he became World Track Champion in individual pursuit. The following year Piasecki put forth a remarkable performance during the 1989 Giro d'Italia by winning three stages including two ITT stages, as well as a high mountain stage.

Career achievements

1982

1st Stage 7a, Milk Race

1983

6th Overall Tour de Pologne

1st Stage 6

1984

3rd Polish National Road Race Championships

1985

1st UCI Road World Championships, Amateurs

1st Overall Peace Race

1st Stages 1, 7, 8 & 11

1986

1st Tour de Romagna

1st Florence-Pistoia

1st Stage 12 (ITT) Giro d'Italia

1st Stage 3, Tour de l'Aude

1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Giuseppe Saronni)

1987

1st Stage 1 Tirreno–Adriatico

1988

1st Stage 21b (ITT) Giro d'Italia

1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Czesław Lang)

1989

1st Tour de Friuli

1st Stage 7 Tirreno–Adriatico

Giro d'Italia

1st Stages 10 (ITT), 15b & 22 (ITT)

1990

1st Florence-Pistoia

Tour de France

• 1987 Tour de France - did not finish. Wore yellow jersey for 2 consecutive days,^[6] the first and so far only Polish cyclist to do so.

References

1. Dauncey, Hugh; Hare, Geoff (2003). The Tour de France, 1903-2003: a century of sporting structures, meanings, and values. Routledge. p. 220. ISBN 0-7146-5362-4.
2. Wereldkampioen Piasecki geruild tegen fietsen
3. Moser verliest Giro op zijn specialiteit
4. Piasecki rijdt Moser op meer dan halve minuut in proloog Tirreno
5. Lech Piasecki uitgevallen
6. "The Tour: Lech Piasecki". Archived from the original on 2010-07-09. Retrieved 2010-02-09.