Guest of honour: Diego Maradona's unexpected appearance at the 1990 Tirreno-Adriatico

The spring of 1990 was a tumultuous time for the late Diego Maradona, who died on Wednesday at the age of 60. He was beset by a lingering back injury, but desperately trying to beat himself into shape for the impending World Cup finals. His relationship with management at Napoli was strained too, even though he was in the process of leading the club to their second Serie A title.

 

Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan was Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.