The Giro d’Italia: 115 years of passion for cycling, pedaling through history and great feats
On May 4, the first stage of the Giro d’Italia, one of the world’s most prestigious cycling competitions, which embodies the passion, determination, and greatness of this much-loved sport in Italy, started from Turin. With over a century of history, this event, which takes place over three weeks in May, has always attracted the attention of millions of people around the world, becoming a symbol of cycling and Italian culture.
Origin of the Giro d’Italia.
The origin of the Giro d’Italia dates back to 1908, when three visionary sports journalists, Tullo Morgagni, Eugenio Costamagna and Armando Cougnet, conceived the idea of a cycling competition that would cross Italy. The official announcement of the birth of the Giro d’Italia came on August 24, 1908, with the support of the newspaper “La Gazzetta dello Sport”. The first edition started on May 13, 1909, from Milan, with 127 cyclists enrolled; the race developed in eight stages, covering a total distance of over 2400 km. The winner was Luigi Ganna, who won a prize of 5,250 lire (about 100,000 euro today).
Since then, the Giro d’Italia has traditionally been held in May, except for the years of the two world wars, when it was cancelled like many other sporting events, and for 2020, when it was postponed to October due to the pandemic. The route of the race varies every year and crosses a large part of Italy, with mountain climbs (the true highlight of the event) and flat stretches. At times, the route has briefly “trespassed” in other countries, for promotional or commemorative purposes. Until 1960, the start and finish were traditionally in Milan, but later the start and finish cities were decided by the organizing committee according to special events or celebrations in the year of the race.
Famous names from the Giro d’Italia.
Over the decades, numerous cyclists have left their mark on this prestigious competition. In the 1930s, there was a fierce battle between two great champions, Alfredo Binda and Learco Guerra. The post-World War II period was the golden age for two of the greatest legends of Italian cycling, Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali, who entertained a fierce rivalry that led them to win alternately for eight consecutive years, conquering a total of 39 stages. Their contrasting personalities fed the sport pages of the time, becoming symbols of fair and respectful competition.
From the 1960s, the victories of foreign cyclists began, with Belgian Eddy Merkx standing out as a bitter rival of Italy’s Felice Gimondi. In the Eighties, the Frenchman Hinault was the protagonist, joining the all-Italian dualism Saronni–Moser and winning several editions; in the Nineties, however, the figure of the Spaniard Miguel Indurain emerged, the eternal rival of Gianni Bugno. 1998 was the year of Marco Pantani, nicknamed “the pirate”, who marked the return of the successes of the great Italian cyclists: with him, names such as Savoldelli, Simoni and Basso marked the editions of the first decade of the 2000s. From then to now, numerous other great cyclists, both Italian and foreign, have alternated on the podium of this important race, keeping millions of spectators in suspense every year, who also support them along the route, crowding the splendid tracks that cross Italy’s incredible landscapes.
The Giro d’Italia jerseys.
The Giro d’Italia jerseys represent one of the most distinctive elements of the competition. The Maglia Rosa is worn by the cyclist at the head of the general ranking and can change owners at each stage. This symbol was introduced in 1931 and its pink color is a tribute to the pages of the Gazzetta dello Sport, printed on pink paper since January 1899.
In addition to the Maglia Rosa, there is the Maglia Ciclamino (worn by the cyclist with the most points in the intermediate stages and the finishes), the Maglia Azzurra (worn by the cyclist with the most points in the mountain stages) and the Maglia Bianca (worn by the young rider under 25 with the best cumulative time).
From 1946 to 1951, the Maglia Nera was also introduced, intended for the last in the ranking. Despite the supposed “dishonor” associated with it, this jersey was accompanied by a cash prize, which led some riders to purposely delay in order to make up for a defeat that was now certain with extra income. The Black Jersey was removed in 1952 at the request of the riders who felt that the misbehavior that emerged from the struggle to win it compromised the sporting spirit of the competition.
The Giro d’Italia for women.
Scegliere la parola corretta fra le tre proposte in grassetto. Choose the correct word from the three proposed in bold.
-Nel passato, il ciclismo era il vero sport nazionale italiano, più importante davvero/persino/benché del calcio.
-Il Giro d’Italia è una corsa ciclistica maschile a/per/con tappe che con/su/di norma si tiene nelle prime tre settimane di maggio.
–Purché/benché/dato che organizzata in Italia, sportivi di tutte le nazionalità partecipano a questa corsa.
-Le montagne attraversate dal Giro sono state lo scenario di tantissime battaglie e, mai/già/spesso, hanno segnato le fasi decisive della gara.
-Il colore della maglia rosa fu scelto in omaggio alle pagine della Gazzetta, stampate anzi/anche/appunto su carta rosa.
-I corridori pensavano che la lotta per la conquista della maglia nera originasse comportamenti che con lo sport non avevano nulla da/ a che/per fare.
-Alla partenza del primo Giro d’Italia ogni corridore aveva con/per/da sé due borracce, una da/di/per acqua e una da/di/per vino.
-Nel 1924, seppure/poiché/affinché tra molte polemiche, Alfonsina Strada prese parte al Giro d’Italia.
