 The whole starting peloton stayed intact for the first lap which took only 18 ' 36 " to complete . The first attack came from French rider Francis Campaner . He managed to earn a 37 " advantage as he finished the second circuit and he increased that lead to 1 ' 19 " at the conclusion of the third lap . Behind , the chasing group was led by Francesco Moser , Eddy Merckx , and Felice Gimondi . After the fourth lap , Campaner had gained thirty more seconds on the peloton . The gap between Campaner and the main field reached its maximum after the fifth lap — at 2 ' 21 " — and was reduced to 1 ' 36 " with the finishing of the sixth circuit . 
