Giro d'Italia

Giro d'Italia

The 90°Giro d'Italia logo
Race details
Date	May-June
Region	Italy
English name	Tour of Italy
Local name(s)	Giro d'Italia (Italian)
Discipline	Road
Type	Grand Tour
Organiser	RCS Sport
History
First edition	1909
Editions	91 (as of 2008)
First winner	Luigi Ganna
Most wins	5 wins: Alfredo Binda Fausto Coppi Eddy Merckx
Most recent	Alberto Contador

The Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy), also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May or early June in and around Italy. After the Tour de France, it is the second most important stage race in the world. The most recent winner (2008) is Alberto Contador. The 2008 edition started on May 10 and finished on June 1.

Contents 1 History 2 Jerseys 2.1 Most wins 2.1.1 Overall (maglia rosa) 2.1.2 King of the mountains (maglia verde) 2.1.3 Points Competition (maglia ciclamino) 2.2 Youth Competition (maglia bianca) 3 List of overall winners 4 Victories per country 5 Giro d'Italia stage victories 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

History

The Giro was inspired by the Tour de France and, just as the French race was intended to boost circulation of L'Auto, so Emilio Camillo Costamagna, the editor of La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper, aimed to increase his circulation. The first Giro d'Italia started on May 13, 1909 at Milan with eight stages totalling 2,448 kilometres (1,521 miles). Luigi Ganna was the first winner.

Along with the Tour de France and the World Cycling Championship, the Giro d'Italia makes up the Triple Crown of Cycling. Along with the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España it is one of the three Grand Tours.

Jerseys

Whereas the overall leader of the Tour de France is awarded a yellow jersey (originally to correspond with L'Auto 's yellow pages), since 1931 the overall leader in the Giro sports the maglia rosa (pink jersey), which corresponds with newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport 's pink newsprint. The "King of the Mountains" wears the maglia verde (green jersey). The leader of the points classification wears the maglia ciclamino (mauve jersey), the best young rider wears the maglia bianca (white jersey).

Italian Felice Gimondi holds the record for the most podium finishes: nine in total, consisting of three victories, two second places and four third place finishes.

Most wins

The following riders have won the most final jerseys:

Overall (maglia rosa)

The maglia rosa, or pink jersey, are held throughout the race by the cyclist who at the start of each stage has the lowest overall time up to that point of the giro. The holder often change from day to day, but due to the glory and big exposure for the team and the individual who holds the jersey, the teams often makes a lot of effort to keep the jersey within the team. The cyclist with the lowest time at the end of the giros last stage wins the Giro. This is similar as the Yellow jersey, Maillot Jaune, used in the Tour de France.

• 5 wins: Alfredo Binda (1925, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1933), Fausto Coppi (1940, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953), Eddy Merckx (1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974)
• 3 wins: Giovanni Brunero (1921, 1922, 1926), Gino Bartali (1936, 1937, 1946), Fiorenzo Magni (1948, 1951, 1955), Bernard Hinault (1980, 1982, 1985), Felice Gimondi (1967, 1969, 1976)

King of the mountains (maglia verde)

Points are given to the rider who is first to reach the top of, or determined places during, any classified climb throughout the giro. The number of points given, vary according to the hill classification, determined by the steepness and length of that particular hill. Points are also given to the first following riders, how many varies. The green jersey is worn by the rider who at the start of each stage, has the largest amount of climbing points. The rider whom at the end of the giro, holds the most points, wins the climbing competition.This is the same as the Polka dot jersey of the Tour de France. In 2008 it was won by Emanuele Sella.

• 7 wins: Gino Bartali
• 4 wins: José Manuel Fuente
• 3 wins: Claudio Chiappucci, Claudio Bortolotto, Franco Bitossi, Fausto Coppi

Points Competition (maglia ciclamino)

Points are given to the rider who is first to reach the end of, or determined places during, any stage of the giro. The number of points given, vary accordingly to how hard the stage is, determined by the length and number of hills, size of hills etc. in that particular stage. Points are also given to the first following riders, how many varies. The jersey is worn by the rider who at the start of each stage, has the largest amount of points. The rider whom at the end of the giro, holds the most points, wins the points competition. This competition is most often won by specialized sprinters who seldom has a chance in the overall competition. This is the same as the green jersey, maillot vert, of the Tour de France. The 2008 winner was Daniele Bennati.

• 4 wins: Francesco Moser, Giuseppe Saronni
• 3 wins: Mario Cipollini, Roger De Vlaeminck, Johan Van der Velde

Youth Competition (maglia bianca)

The youth competition is a competition within the giro, celebrating young riders. The white jersey is given to the rider under the age of 25 who gets the highest ranking in the general classification. In 2008 it was won by Riccardo Riccò.

List of overall winners

Giro	Year	Winner	Nationality	Team
91	2008	Alberto Contador	Spain	Astana
90	2007	Danilo Di Luca	Italy	Liquigas
89	2006	Ivan Basso	Italy	Team CSC
88	2005	Paolo Savoldelli (2)	Italy	Discovery Channel
87	2004	Damiano Cunego	Italy	Saeco
86	2003	Gilberto Simoni (2)	Italy	Saeco
85	2002	Paolo Savoldelli	Italy	Index-Alexia
84	2001	Gilberto Simoni	Italy	Lampre-Daikin
83	2000	Stefano Garzelli	Italy	Mercatone Uno
82	1999	Ivan Gotti (2)	Italy	Polti
81	1998	Marco Pantani	Italy	Mercatone Uno
80	1997	Ivan Gotti	Italy	Saeco
79	1996	Pavel Tonkov	Russia	Mapei-GB
78	1995	Tony Rominger	Switzerland	Mapei-GB
77	1994	Eugeni Berzin	Russia	Gewiss-Ballan
76	1993	Miguel Indurain (2)	Spain	Banesto
75	1992	Miguel Indurain	Spain	Banesto
74	1991	Franco Chioccioli	Italy	del Tongo
73	1990	Gianni Bugno	Italy	Chateau d'Ax
72	1989	Laurent Fignon	France	Super U-Raleigh-Fiat
71	1988	Andrew Hampsten	United States	7-Eleven
70	1987	Stephen Roche	Ireland	Carrera-Vagabond
69	1986	Roberto Visentini	Italy	Carrera-Inoxpran
68	1985	Bernard Hinault (3)	France	La Vie Claire
67	1984	Francesco Moser	Italy	Gis-Tuc Lu
66	1983	Giuseppe Saronni (2)	Italy	Del Tongo
65	1982	Bernard Hinault (2)	France	Renault-Elf-Gitane
64	1981	Giovanni Battaglin	Italy	Inoxpran
63	1980	Bernard Hinault	France	Renault-Elf-Gitane
62	1979	Giuseppe Saronni	Italy	Scic
61	1978	Johan de Muynck	Belgium	Bianchi-Faema
60	1977	Michel Pollentier	Belgium	Flandria-Velda
59	1976	Felice Gimondi (3)	Italy	Bianchi-Campagnolo
58	1975	Fausto Bertoglio	Italy	Jollyceramica
57	1974	Eddy Merckx (5)	Belgium	Molteni
56	1973	Eddy Merckx (4)	Belgium	Molteni
55	1972	Eddy Merckx (3)	Belgium	Molteni
54	1971	Gösta Pettersson	Sweden	Ferretti
53	1970	Eddy Merckx (2)	Belgium	Faema
52	1969	Felice Gimondi (2)	Italy	Faema
51	1968	Eddy Merckx	Belgium	Faema
50	1967	Felice Gimondi	Italy	Salvarani
49	1966	Gianni Motta	Italy	Molteni
48	1965	Vittorio Adorni	Italy	Salvarani
47	1964	Jacques Anquetil (2)	France	St.Raphael
46	1963	Franco Balmamion (2)	Italy	Carpano
45	1962	Franco Balmamion	Italy	Carpano
44	1961	Arnaldo Pambianco	Italy	Fides
43	1960	Jacques Anquetil	France	Fynsec
42	1959	Charly Gaul (2)	Luxembourg	Emi G. S.
41	1958	Ercole Baldini	Italy	Legnano
40	1957	Gastone Nencini	Italy	Chlorodont
39	1956	Charly Gaul	Luxembourg	Faema-Guerra
38	1955	Fiorenzo Magni (3)	Italy	Nivea-Fuchs
37	1954	Carlo Clerici	Switzerland	Faema-Guerra
36	1953	Fausto Coppi (5)	Italy	Bianchi-Pirelli
35	1952	Fausto Coppi (4)	Italy	Bianchi-Pirelli
34	1951	Fiorenzo Magni (2)	Italy	Ganna
33	1950	Hugo Koblet	Switzerland	Guerra
32	1949	Fausto Coppi (3)	Italy	Bianchi-Ursus
31	1948	Fiorenzo Magni	Italy	Willier Triestina
30	1947	Fausto Coppi (2)	Italy	Bianchi
29	1946	Gino Bartali (3)	Italy	Legnano
1941 to 1945: suspended due to World War II
28	1940	Fausto Coppi	Italy	Legnano
27	1939	Giovanni Valetti (2)	Italy	France Sport-Wobler
26	1938	Giovanni Valetti	Italy	Fresjus
25	1937	Gino Bartali (2)	Italy	Legnano
24	1936	Gino Bartali	Italy	Legnano
23	1935	Vasco Bergamaschi	Italy	Maino-Girardengo
22	1934	Learco Guerra	Italy	Maino-Clement
21	1933	Alfredo Binda (5)	Italy	Legnano
20	1932	Antonio Pesenti	Italy	Dei
19	1931	Francesco Camusso	Italy	Gloria
18	1930	Luigi Marchisio	Italy	Legnano
17	1929	Alfredo Binda (4)	Italy	Legnano
16	1928	Alfredo Binda (3)	Italy	Legnano
15	1927	Alfredo Binda (2)	Italy	Legnano
14	1926	Giovanni Brunero (3)	Italy	Legnano
13	1925	Alfredo Binda	Italy	Legnano
12	1924	Giuseppe Enrici	Italy
11	1923	Costante Girardengo	Italy	Maino
10	1922	Giovanni Brunero (2)	Italy	Legnano
9	1921	Giovanni Brunero	Italy	Legnano
8	1920	Gaetano Belloni	Italy	Bianchi
7	1919	Costante Girardengo	Italy	Stucchi
1915 to 1918: suspended due to World War I
6	1914	Alfonso Calzolari	Italy	Stucchi
5	1913	Carlo Oriani	Italy	Maino
4	1912	Team Atala: Carlo Galetti (3), Giovanni Micheletto, Eberardo Pavesi	Italy	Team Atala
3	1911	Carlo Galetti (2)	Italy	Bianchi
2	1910	Carlo Galetti	Italy	Team Atala
1	1909	Luigi Ganna	Italy	Team Atala

Victories per country

Rank	Country	Victories
1	Italy	65
2	Belgium	7
3	France	6
4	Switzerland	3
	Spain	3
6	Russia	2
	Luxembourg	2
8	Ireland	1
	United States	1
	Sweden	1

Giro d'Italia stage victories

Rank	Name	Country	Wins[1]
1	Mario Cipollini	Italy	42
2	Alfredo Binda	Italy	41
3	Learco Guerra	Italy	31
4	Costante Girardengo	Italy	30
5	Eddy Merckx	Belgium	25
6	Alessandro Petacchi	Italy	24
	Giuseppe Saronni	Italy	24
8	Francesco Moser	Italy	23
9	Fausto Coppi	Italy	22
	Roger De Vlaeminck	Belgium	22
11	Franco Bitossi	Italy	21
12	Giuseppe Olmo	Italy	20
	Miguel Poblet	Spain	20

See also

• Tour de France
• Vuelta a España
• Grand Tour
• UCI ProTour
• Giro d'Italia Femminile

References

External links

• Always about Giro d'Italia 2007 (available in Italian and english)
• Giro d'Italia 2007 (in english)
• 2007 Giro d'Italia official website available (English,Italian,Spanish, German and French)
• 2008 Giro d'Italia official website (Italian)
• 2008 Giro dates and stage details (including rumours)
• cyclingfans.com Guide to live race coverage

Giro d'Italia

1909 • 1910 • 1911 • 1912 • 1913 • 1914  suspended due to World War I 1919 • 1920 • 1921 • 1922 • 1923 • 1924 • 1925 • 1926 • 1927 • 1928 • 1929  1930 • 1931 • 1932 • 1933 • 1934 • 1935 • 1936 • 1937 • 1938 • 1939 • 1940  suspended due to World War II 1946 • 1947 • 1948 • 1949 • 1950 • 1951 • 1952 • 1953 • 1954 • 1955 • 1956 • 1957 • 1958 • 1959 • 1960 • 1961  1962 • 1963 • 1964 • 1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1968 • 1969 • 1970 • 1971 • 1972 • 1973 • 1974 • 1975 • 1976 • 1977  1978 • 1979 • 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993  1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 Pink jersey (maglia rosa) Cyclamen jersey (maglia ciclamino) Green jersey (maglia verde) White jersey (maglia bianca)