Gianni Bugno went to psychologist after being unable to beat Miguel Indurain
New documentary explores the dominant nature of Miguel Indurain's rule of his era and how his rivals dealt with it.
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How hard was it racing against Miguel Indurain during the Spanish star’s five-year domination at the Tour de France?
That’s the question at the center of a new documentary set t0 the released this month on Movistar+, the Spanish cable operator. Called The Victims of Indurain, the documentary delves into the Indurain era at the start of the 1990s.
Gianni Bugno, the former Italian pro who twice finished on the podium behind Indurain, said he needed psychological help after being pummeled by the Spanish star.
“I tried to overcome my fear of Miguel Indurain,” Bugno said in a video clip promoting the documentary. “I learned it was all but impossible to beat him. I even tried going to a psychologist.”
‘Un corredor que ha ganado, pero no ha humillado’. #VíctimasDeIndurain, el jueves en @InformePlus. https://t.co/15kulczhRe pic.twitter.com/msvxAzftWS
— #Vamos por Movistar Plus+ (@vamos) March 1, 2022
Indurain won five straight yellow jerseys from 1991 to 1995. Bjarne Riis, who later admitted he doped, beat him in 1996. Indurain finished 11th in that year’s Tour, and later won the Olympic gold medal in the individual time trial in the 1996 Atlanta Games before retiring after abandoning that year’s Vuelta a España, a race he never won.
“It was impossible to beat him,” said Alex Zülle, another one of Indurain’s eternal Tour rivals who finished second to him in 1995.
Others included in the documentary include Claudio Chiappucci, second in the 1992 Tour, and Piotr Ugrumov, second in 1994. It’s not clear based on the short teaser if the documentary delves into the use of EPO that was rampant during much of that era.
“To finish second to Indurain during those Tours was almost considered a victory,” said current Movistar general manager Eusebio Unzué, Indurain’s sport director during the Banesto years.
Watch The Victims of Indurain teaser online, provided by AS.
Movistar is scheduled to broadcast Víctimas de Indurain on its program “Informs Plus” on Thursday at 10 p.m. (CET) on its Vamos channel.