cycling. Question: And you, did you take la bomba? Answer: Yes. Whenever it was necessary. Question: And when was it necessary? Answer: Almost all the time! Coppi "set the pace" in drug-taking, said his contemporary Wim van Est. Rik Van Steenbergen said Coppi was "the first I knew who took drugs". That didn't stop Coppi's protesting against others using it. He told René de Latour: "What is the good of having world champions if those boys are worn out before turning professional? Maybe the officials are proud to come back with a rainbow jersey. but if this is done at the expense of the boys' futures, then I say it's wrong. Do you think it normal that our best amateurs become nothing but 'gregari'?" Career achievements Major results Source: 1939 2nd Coppa Bernocchi 3rd Giro dell'Appennino 3rd Giro del Piemonte 1940 1st Overall Giro d'Italia 1st Stage 11 3rd Giro del Lazio 3rd Tre Valli Varesine 9th Giro dell'Emilia 9th Giro di Campania 1941 1st Giro di Toscana 1st Giro dell'Emilia 1st Giro del Veneto 1st Tre Valli Varesine 4th Giro di Lazio 5th Giro di Lombardia 10th Milan–San Remo 10th Coppa Bernocchi 1942 1st National Road Race Championship 4th Giro del Lazio 5th Giro di Toscana 5th Giro dell'Emilia 7th Giro di Lombardia 10th Giro di Campania 1945 5th Milano–Torino 1946 1st Milan–San Remo 1st Giro di Lombardia 1st Grand Prix des Nations 1st Giro della Romagna 2nd Overall Giro d'Italia 1st stages 4, 13 & 14 2nd Mountains classification 2nd Giro del Lazio 2nd Züri-Metzgete 1947 1st Overall Giro d'Italia 1st Stages 4, 8 & 16 2nd Mountains classification 1st Giro di Lombardia 1st Grand Prix des Nations 1st National Road Race Championship 1st Giro dell'Emilia 1st Giro della Romagna 1st Giro del Veneto 1st Individual pursuit, Road World Championships 5th Overall Tour de Suisse 1st Stage 5b 1948 Giro d'Italia 1st Mountains classification 1st Stages 16 & 17 1st Milan–San Remo 1st Giro dell'Emilia 1st Tre Valli Varesine 1st Giro di Lombardia 2nd Het Volk 2nd Individual pursuit, Road World Championships 5th Giro di Toscana 1949 1st Overall Giro d'Italia 1st Mountains classification 1st Stages 4, 11 & 17 1st Overall Tour de France 1st Mountains classification 1st Stages 7, 17 & 20 1st Milan–San Remo 1st Giro di Lombardia 1st National Road Race Championship 1st Giro della Romagna 1st Giro del Veneto 1st Individual pursuit, Road