Giro d'Italia

Giro d'Italia
2010 Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia logo.png
The 90°Giro d'Italia logo
Race details
Date May-June
Region Italy and nearby countries
English name Tour of Italy
Local name(s) Giro d'Italia (Italian)
Discipline Road
Competition Professional
Type Grand Tour
Organiser RCS Sport
Race director Angelo Zomegnan
History
First edition 1909
Editions 93 (as of 2010)
First winner  Luigi Ganna (ITA)
Most wins 5 wins:
 Alfredo Binda (ITA)
 Fausto Coppi (ITA)
 Eddy Merckx (BEL)
Most recent  Ivan Basso (ITA)

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/early June in and around Italy. It is one of the three Grand Tours (the others being the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España), and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar.

Contents

History

The Giro was inspired by the Tour de France. Just as the French race was started by the editor of L'Auto to boost sales of the sports publication, Emilio Costamagna, editor of La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper, started The Giro in an effort 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.

The Giro is the second most prominent stage race in the world (after the Tour), and along with the Tour and the Road World Cycling Championship it makes up the Triple Crown of Cycling. The Tour de France, the Giro and the Vuelta a España are the three Grand Tours of the road bicycle racing season.

Classifications

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 leader of the general classification in the Giro sports the maglia rosa (pink jersey), which corresponds with newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport 's pink newsprint. The leader of the mountains classification 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).

The maglia rosa from the 88th edition of the race in 2005.

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.

In the 1940s, there also was a black jersey, for the cyclist who was last in the general classification.

General classification

The maglia rosa, or pink jersey, is worn each day by the cyclist with the fastest overall time up to that point of the Giro. The rider wearing the jersey may change from day to day, but given the glory and extra exposure for the team, individual and sponsor of the rider who holds the jersey, teams often make extra efforts to keep the jersey on the race leader from day to day. In fact, each team brings several pink jerseys to the race in case one of their riders becomes the leader. The cyclist with the lowest time at the end of the Giro's last stage wins the Giro. This is similar to the Yellow jersey used in the Tour de France.

Mountains classification

During mountain stages of the race, points are awarded to the rider who is first to reach the top of each significant climb. Points are also awarded for riders who closely follow the leader up each climb. The number of points awarded varies according to the hill classification, which is determined by the steepness and length of that particular hill. The green jersey is worn by the rider who, at the start of each stage, has the largest amount of climbing points. If a rider holds both the pink and green jerseys, the green jersey is worn by the rider in second place. At the end of the Giro, the rider holding the most climbing points wins the climbing competition. In fact, some riders, particularly those who are neither sprinters nor particularly good at time-trialing, may attempt only to win this particular competition within the race. This is a similar competition to the polka dot jersey award of the Tour de France, except that the Giro uses three categories for mountains while the Tour uses five. In the Giro, there are no Hors Catégorie or fourth-category ratings. Also, the Cima Coppi, the highest point reached in a particular Giro, is worth more points than the race's other first-category climbs.[1] In 2010, this classification was won by Matthew Lloyd.

Points classification

Points are given to the rider who is first to reach the end of, or determined places during, any stage of the Giro. 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 is a similar competition as the green jersey of the Tour de France, with one key difference. Whereas in the Tour de France flat stages award more points than climbing stages, in the Giro all stages award the same points on the same scale. The stage win awards 25 points, second place is worth 20 points, third 16, fourth 14, fifth 12, sixth 10, and one point less per place down the line, to a single point for fifteenth. The 2010 winner was Cadel Evans.

In addition, stages can have one or more intermediate sprints: 6, 4, and 2 points are awarded to the first three cyclists passing these lines. These points also count toward the TV classification (Traguardo Volante, or "flying sprint"), a separate award.

Youth Competition

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 2010 it was won by Richie Porte.

Where the Giro has Started and Ended

For nearly half a century, the Giro started and finished by Milan, the city where the headquarters of the Gazzetta dello Sport were located. Though with occasional exceptions, this has been the rule until 1960 that year, the place of departure is changed each time. For some periods (1965, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1973, 1975, 1981-1989) and the place of arrival has changed, but the 1990 was added to restore the traditional Milan, with a circuit to be repeated several times that serves as the final parade.

In 2009, to commemorate the centennial of the event, the arrival took place in Rome. The capital had already been place in the final round of the 1911 and 1950. The 2010 edition ended in Verona, as happened in editions 1981 and 1984.

The tour takes place mainly in Italy, but often are included departure or conclusion of stage abroad, especially in countries bordering or close like San Marino, France, Principality of Monaco, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. Some stages were held in Netherlands, Belgium, Germany (2002 and 2006) and Greece (1996).

The future

The 2011 Giro will start in Turin on May 9 with a 22km team time trial and end in Milan on May 29 with an individual time trial[2]]. Giro organizers have negotiated with officials in Washington, D.C., to host the start of the 2012 Giro.[3]

List of overall winners

Giro Year Winner Nationality Team
93 2010 Ivan Basso (2nd win)  Italy Liquigas
92 2009 Denis Menchov  Russia Rabobank
91 2008 Alberto Contador  Spain Astana
90 2007 Danilo Di Luca  Italy Liquigas
89 2006 Ivan Basso  Italy Team CSC
88 2005 Paolo Savoldelli (2nd win)  Italy Discovery Channel
87 2004 Damiano Cunego  Italy Saeco
86 2003 Gilberto Simoni (2nd win)  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 (2nd win)  Italy Polti
81 1998 Marco Pantani  Italy Mercatone Uno
80 1997 Ivan Gotti  Italy Saeco
79 1996 Pavel Tonkov  Russia Ceramiche Panaria-Vinavil
78 1995 Tony Rominger  Switzerland Mapei-GB-Latexco
77 1994 Eugeni Berzin  Russia Gewiss-Ballan
76 1993 Miguel Indurain (2nd win)  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 (3rd win)  France La Vie Claire
67 1984 Francesco Moser  Italy Gis-Tuc Lu
66 1983 Giuseppe Saronni (2nd win)  Italy Del Tongo
65 1982 Bernard Hinault (2nd win)  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 (3rd win)  Italy Bianchi-Campagnolo
58 1975 Fausto Bertoglio  Italy Jollyceramica
57 1974 Eddy Merckx (5th win)  Belgium Molteni
56 1973 Eddy Merckx (4th win)  Belgium Molteni
55 1972 Eddy Merckx (3rd win)  Belgium Molteni
54 1971 Gösta Pettersson  Sweden Ferretti
53 1970 Eddy Merckx (2nd win)  Belgium Faema
52 1969 Felice Gimondi (2nd win)  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 (2nd win)  France St.Raphael
46 1963 Franco Balmamion (2nd win)  Italy Carpano
45 1962 Franco Balmamion  Italy Carpano
44 1961 Arnaldo Pambianco  Italy Fides
43 1960 Jacques Anquetil  France Fynsec
42 1959 Charly Gaul (2nd win)  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 (3rd win)  Italy Nivea-Fuchs
37 1954 Carlo Clerici  Switzerland Faema-Guerra
36 1953 Fausto Coppi (5th win)  Italy Bianchi-Pirelli
35 1952 Fausto Coppi (4th win)  Italy Bianchi-Pirelli
34 1951 Fiorenzo Magni (2nd win)  Italy Ganna
33 1950 Hugo Koblet  Switzerland Guerra
32 1949 Fausto Coppi (3rd win)  Italy Bianchi-Ursus
31 1948 Fiorenzo Magni  Italy Willier Triestina
30 1947 Fausto Coppi (2nd win)  Italy Bianchi
29 1946 Gino Bartali (3rd win)  Italy Legnano
1941 to 1945: suspended because of World War II
28 1940 Fausto Coppi Italy Italy Legnano
27 1939 Giovanni Valetti (2nd win) Italy Italy France Sport-Wobler
26 1938 Giovanni Valetti Italy Italy Fresjus
25 1937 Gino Bartali (2nd win) Italy Italy Legnano
24 1936 Gino Bartali Italy Italy Legnano
23 1935 Vasco Bergamaschi Italy Italy Maino-Girardengo
22 1934 Learco Guerra Italy Italy Maino-Clement
21 1933 Alfredo Binda (5th win) Italy Italy Legnano
20 1932 Antonio Pesenti Italy Italy Dei
19 1931 Francesco Camusso Italy Italy Gloria
18 1930 Luigi Marchisio Italy Italy Legnano
17 1929 Alfredo Binda (4th win) Italy Italy Legnano
16 1928 Alfredo Binda (3rd win) Italy Italy Legnano
15 1927 Alfredo Binda (2nd win) Italy Italy Legnano
14 1926 Giovanni Brunero (3rd win) Italy Italy Legnano
13 1925 Alfredo Binda Italy Italy Legnano
12 1924 Giuseppe Enrici Italy Italy
11 1923 Costante Girardengo (2nd win) Italy Italy Maino
10 1922 Giovanni Brunero (2nd win) Italy Italy Legnano
9 1921 Giovanni Brunero Italy Italy Legnano
8 1920 Gaetano Belloni Italy Italy Bianchi
7 1919 Costante Girardengo Italy Italy Stucchi
1915 to 1918: suspended because of World War I
6 1914 Alfonso Calzolari Italy Italy Stucchi
5 1913 Carlo Oriani Italy Italy Maino
4[4] 1912 Team Atala
Carlo Galetti (3rd win), Giovanni Micheletto, Eberardo Pavesi[5]		 Italy Italy Team Atala
3 1911 Carlo Galetti (2nd win) Italy Italy Bianchi
2 1910 Carlo Galetti Italy Italy Team Atala
1 1909 Luigi Ganna Italy Italy Italy

Victories per country

Rank Country Victories
1  Italy 66
2  Belgium 7
3  France 6
4  Switzerland 3
 Spain 3
 Russia 3
7  Luxembourg 2
8  Ireland 1
 United States 1
 Sweden 1

Giro d'Italia stage victories

Rank Name Country Wins[6]
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

Records

[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Laura Weislo (2008-05-13). "Giro d'Italia classifications demystified". Cycling News. http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=/features/2008/giro_classifications08. Retrieved 2009-08-27. 
  2. ↑ "VeloNews.com - Martinez, Leboucher take World Cup wins in Switzerland". Velonews.competitor.com. 2001-08-05. http://velonews.competitor.com/?p=1326. Retrieved 2010-08-03. 
  3. ↑ "VeloNews.com - Giro's toughest stage? Getting to DC in 2012". Velonews.competitor.com. 2010-05-24. http://velonews.competitor.com/?p=118365. Retrieved 2010-08-03. 
  4. ↑ The 1912 Giro was run as a team competition.
  5. ↑ Luigi Ganna, also member of Team Atala, retired during the fifth stage.
  6. ↑ "87th Giro d'Italia: a bit of History". dailypeloton.com. http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=5226. Retrieved 2007-10-29. 
  7. ↑ "www.cyclingnews.com presents the 92nd Giro d'Italia". Autobus.cyclingnews.com. http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2009/giro09/?id=/features/2009/giro09_50facts. Retrieved 2010-08-03. 

External links

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 · 2010 · 2011


General classification 
(maglia rosa) 


Points classification 
(maglia rosso passione) 


Mountains classification 
(maglia verde) 


Young rider classification
(maglia bianca)
Jersey pink.svg Winners of the general classification in the Giro d'Italia Jersey pink.svg

1909 Luigi Ganna • 1910–11 Carlo Galetti • 1912* Team Atala • 1913 Carlo Oriani • 1914 Alfonso Calzolari
1915–18 World War I
1919 Costante Girardengo • 1920 Gaetano Belloni • 1921–22 Giovanni Brunero • 1923 Costante Girardengo • 1924 Giuseppe Enrici • 1925 Alfredo Binda
1926 Giovanni Brunero • 1927–29 Alfredo Binda • 1930 Luigi Marchisio • 1931 Francesco Camusso • 1932 Antonio Pesenti • 1933 Alfredo Binda • 1934 Learco Guerra
1935 Vasco Bergamaschi • 1936–37 Gino Bartali • 1938–39 Giovanni Valetti • 1940 Fausto Coppi
1941–45 World War II
1946 Gino Bartali • 1947 Fausto Coppi • 1948 Fiorenzo Magni • 1949 Fausto Coppi • 1950 Hugo Koblet • 1951 Fiorenzo Magni • 1952–53 Fausto Coppi
1954 Carlo Clerici • 1955 Fiorenzo Magni • 1956 Charly Gaul • 1957 Gastone Nencini • 1958 Ercole Baldini • 1959 Charly Gaul • 1960 Jacques Anquetil
1961 Arnaldo Pambianco • 1962–63 Franco Balmamion • 1964 Jacques Anquetil • 1965 Vittorio Adorni • 1966 Gianni Motta • 1967 Felice Gimondi • 1968 Eddy Merckx
1969 Felice Gimondi • 1970 Eddy Merckx • 1971 Gösta Pettersson • 1972–74 Eddy Merckx • 1975 Fausto Bertoglio • 1976 Felice Gimondi • 1977 Michel Pollentier
1978 Johan de Muynck • 1979 Giuseppe Saronni • 1980 Bernard Hinault • 1981 Giovanni Battaglin • 1982 Bernard Hinault • 1983 Giuseppe Saronni
1984 Francesco Moser • 1985 Bernard Hinault • 1986 Roberto Visentini • 1987 Stephen Roche • 1988 Andy Hampsten • 1989 Laurent Fignon • 1990 Gianni Bugno
1991 Franco Chioccioli • 1992–93 Miguel Indurain • 1994 Evgeni Berzin • 1995 Tony Rominger • 1996 Pavel Tonkov • 1997 Ivan Gotti • 1998 Marco Pantani
1999 Ivan Gotti • 2000 Stefano Garzelli • 2001 Gilberto Simoni • 2002 Paolo Savoldelli • 2003 Gilberto Simoni • 2004 Damiano Cunego • 2005 Paolo Savoldelli
2006 Ivan Basso • 2007 Danilo Di Luca • 2008 Alberto Contador • 2009 Denis Menchov • 2010 Ivan Basso
*This Giro was contested solely by teams, with no individual classification
Jersey red.svg Giro d'Italia winners of the points classification in the Giro d'Italia Jersey red.svg

1966 Gianni Motta  • 1967 Dino Zandegù  • 1968 Eddy Merckx  • 1969–70 Franco Bitossi  • 1971 Marino Basso  • 1972 Roger De Vlaeminck  • 1973 Eddy Merckx  • 1974–75 Roger De Vlaeminck  • 1976–1978 Francesco Moser  • 1979 Giuseppe Saronni  • 1980–1981 Giuseppe Saronni  • 1982 Francesco Moser  • 1983 Giuseppe Saronni  • 1984 Urs Freuler  • 1985 Johan Van der Velde  • 1986 Guido Bontempi  • 1987–1988 Johan Van der Velde  • 1989 Giovanni Fidanza  • 1990 Gianni Bugno  • 1991 Claudio Chiappucci  • 1992 Mario Cipollini  • 1993 Adriano Baffi  • 1994 Djamolidine Abdoujaparov  • 1995 Tony Rominger  • 1996 Fabrizio Guidi  • 1997 Mario Cipollini  • 1998 Mariano Piccoli  • 1999 Laurent Jalabert  • 2000 Dimitri Konyshev  • 2001 Massimo Strazzer  • 2002 Mario Cipollini  • 2003 Gilberto Simoni  • 2004 Alessandro Petacchi  • 2005–2006 Paolo Bettini  • 2007 Danilo Di Luca  • 2008 Daniele Bennati  • 2009 Danilo Di Luca  • 2010 Cadel Evans
Jersey green.svg Winners of the mountains classification in the Giro d'Italia Jersey green.svg

1933 Alfredo Binda  • 1934 Remo Bertoni  • 1935–37 Gino Bartali  • 1938 Giovanni Valetti  • 1939–40 Gino Bartali  • 1946–47 Gino Bartali  • 1948–49 Fausto Coppi  • 1950 Hugo Koblet  • 1951 Louison Bobet  • 1952 Raphael Geminiani  • 1953 Pasquale Fornara  • 1954 Fausto Coppi  • 1955 Gastone Nencini  • 1956 Charly Gaul Federico Bahamontes  • 1957 Raphael Geminiani  • 1958 Jean Brankart  • 1959 Charly Gaul  • 1960 Rik Van Looy  • 1961 Vito Taccone  • 1962 Angelino Soler  • 1963 Vito Taccone  • 1964–66 Franco Bitossi  • 1967 Aurelio Gonzales  • 1968 Eddy Merckx  • 1969 Claudio Michelotto  • 1970 Martin Vandenbossche  • 1971–74 Manuel Fuente  • 1975 Andres Oliva Francisco Galdós  • 1976 Andres Oliva  • 1977 Faustino Fernandez Ovies  • 1978 Ueli Sutter  • 1979–81 Claudio Bortolotto  • 1982–83 Lucien Van Impe  • 1984 Laurent Fignon  • 1985 Jose Luiz Navarro  • 1986 Pedro Muñoz  • 1987 Robert Millar  • 1988 Andy Hampsten  • 1989 Luis Herrera  • 1990 Claudio Chiappucci  • 1991 Inaki Gaston  • 1992–93 Claudio Chiappucci  • 1994 Pascal Richard  • 1995–96 Mariano Piccoli  • 1997 Chepe González  • 1998 Marco Pantani  • 1999 Chepe González  • 2000 Francesco Casagrande  • 2001 Fredy González  • 2002 Julio Perez Cuapio  • 2003 Fredy González  • 2004 Fabian Wegmann  • 2005 José Rujano  • 2006 Juan Manuel Gárate  • 2007 Leonardo Piepoli  • 2008 Emanuele Sella  • 2009 Stefano Garzelli  • 2010 Matthew Lloyd
Jersey white.svgGiro d'Italia Winners of the young rider classification in the Giro d'Italia Jersey white.svg

1976 Alfio Vandi  • 1977 Mario Beccia  • 1978 Roberto Visentini  • 1979 Silvano Contini  • 1980 Tommy Prim  • 1981 Giuseppe Faraca  • 1982 Marco Groppo  • 1983 Franco Chioccioli  • 1984 Charly Mottet  • 1985 Alberto Volpi  • 1986 Marco Giovannetti  • 1987 Roberto Conti  • 1988 Stefano Tomasini  • 1989–90: Vladimir Poulnikov  • 1991 Massimiliano Lelli  • 1992–93: Pavel Tonkov  • 1994 Eugeni Berzin  • Was not awarded from 95–06 2007 Andy Schleck  • 2008 Riccardo Riccò  • 2009 Kevin Seeldraeyers  • 2010 Richie Porte