126-656: The Giro d’Italia Women is an annual women's cycle stage race around Italy. First held in 1988, the race is currently part of the UCI Women's World Tour , and is currently organised by RCS Sport , the organisers of the men's Giro d'Italia . The race was previously branded as the Giro d'Italia Femminile prior to 2013, the Giro Rosa from 2013 to 2020, and the Giro Donne from 2021 to 2023. The race has been considered
252-617: A handicap ) and race to a set finish point; and time trials , where individual riders or teams race a course alone against the clock. Stage races or "tours" take multiple days, and consist of several mass-start or time-trial stages ridden consecutively. Professional racing originated in Western Europe, centred in France, Spain, Italy and the Low Countries . Since the mid-1980s, the sport has diversified, with races held at
378-435: A 29-kilometre (18-mile) individual time trial from Monza Circuit to Milan in which he finished second, took him from fourth to first place in the general classification. He was also the first Dutchman to win the overall in a Grand Tour since Joop Zoetemelk won the 1980 Tour de France. In 2018 Simon Yates seemed to be in very good position to become the first British rider to win, winning 3 individual stages and holding
504-407: A 39.8-kilometre (24.7-mile) individual time trial (ITT) from Foligno to Montefalco , to take the overall race lead by 2 minutes and 23 seconds over Quintana. Dumoulin won Stage 14, which featured a mountain top finish at Santuario di Oropa to extend his lead over Quintana by a further 14 seconds. On Stage 16, Dumoulin experienced stomach problems and had to take a comfort break at the foot of
630-456: A Grand Tour. Merckx returned to the Giro in 1972 and resumed his domination. He grabbed the lead after a long solo attack during the race's seventh stage and never let go of the lead. Merckx led the 1973 Giro d'Italia from start to finish; a feat that had not been done since Alfredo Binda did in 1927 . Unfortunately in 1976 a rider died in an accident early in the race which stunned
756-495: A breakaway on stage 6. In the long time trial of the race on stage 14, Anquetil retook the lead, finishing 1:27 minutes ahead of Baldini and more than 6 minutes on Gaul. His speed had been so fast that had the organizers applied the usual rules, 70 riders would have missed the time cut. In the event, the rules were loosened and only two riders eliminated. Ahead of the final mountain stages, Anquetil now led Nencini by 3:40 minutes, with Gaul in fifth, 7:32 minutes behind. Stage 20 included
882-428: A competitor's wheel, forcing the other person to do a greater share of the work in maintaining the pace and to potentially tire earlier. Drafting is not permitted in individual time trials. A group of riders that "breaks away" (a "break") from the peloton has more space and freedom, and can therefore be at an advantage in certain situations. Working together smoothly and efficiently, a small group can potentially maintain
1008-467: A distinctive jersey (yellow in the Tour de France ) and generally maintains a position near the head of the main mass of riders (the peloton), surrounded by team members, whose job it is to protect the leader. Contenders for the general lead may stage "attacks" to distance themselves from the leader in "breakaways". The general leader's vulnerability to breakaways is higher when the escaping rider(s) trail by
1134-649: A farm bike that weighed 35 kg. The only woman to finish within 24 hours was the self-styled Miss America , in reality an unknown English woman who, like several in the field, had preferred not to compete under her real name. The increase in organised cycle racing led to the development of national administrative bodies, in Great Britain in 1878, France 1881, the Netherlands 1883, Germany 1884 and Sweden 1900. Sometimes, as in Great Britain, cycling
1260-403: A good spectacle for spectators at the finish). Races over short circuits, often in town or city centres, are known as criteriums . Some races, known as handicaps, are designed to match riders of different abilities and/or ages; groups of slower riders start first, with the fastest riders starting last and so having to race harder and faster to catch other competitors. Individual time trial (ITT)
1386-405: A higher speed than the peloton, in which the remaining riders may not be as motivated or organized to chase effectively. Usually a rider or group of riders will try to break from the peloton by attacking and riding ahead to reduce the number of contenders for the win. If the break does not succeed and the body of cyclists comes back together, a sprinter will often win by overpowering competitors in
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#17328022422471512-578: A major event on the Olympic programme ... Like many other sports it has undergone several changes over the years. Just as there used to be track and field events such as the standing high jump or throwing the javelin with both hands, cyclists, too, used to compete for medals in events which today have been forgotten; for example in Athens in 1896, they attempted a 12-hour race, and in London, in 1908, one of
1638-428: A rider is leading more than one classification that awards a jersey, he will wear the maglia rosa since the general classification is the most important one in the race. The lead can change after each stage. The color pink was chosen as the magazine that created the Giro, La Gazzetta dello Sport , printed its newspapers on pink paper. The pink jersey was added to the race in the 1931 edition and it has since become
1764-436: A small time difference in the general ranking, and as number of remaining stages diminishes. Riders, who finish in the stage ranking behind the general leader, increase their cumulative time disadvantage. Whereas those who finish ahead of the general leader decrease their time disadvantage and may even gain sufficient time to unseat the general leader. After each stage, the racer with the lowest cumulative time becomes (or remains)
1890-444: A specified percentage of the winner's finishing time, to be permitted to start the next day's stage. Often, riders in this situation band together to minimize the effort required to finish within the time limit; this group of riders is known as the gruppetto or autobus . In one-day racing, professionals who no longer have any chance to affect the race outcome will routinely withdraw, even if they are uninjured and capable of riding to
2016-431: A stage. The calculation remained unmodified until 1912 where the organizers chose to have the race be centered around teams, while still keeping the point system. The next year race organizers chose to revert to the system used in 1911. In 1914 , the organizers shifted to the system used nowadays, where riders would have their finishing times for each stage totaled together to determine the overall leader. These are
2142-414: A strong domestique in a breakaway (rather than the designated team leader). If the domestique is a good chance to win if the breakaway is not brought back, it places the onus on other teams with favoured riders to expend energy chasing the breakaway, impeding their efforts to assist their leader in the final stages of the race. For instance, in the 2012 London Olympics men's road race the outright favourite
2268-533: A symbol of the Giro d'Italia. The first rider to wear the pink jersey was Learco Guerra . Riders usually try to make the extra effort to keep the jersey for as long as possible in order to get more publicity for the team and the sponsor(s) of the team. Eddy Merckx wore the jersey for 78 stages, more than any other rider in the history of the Giro d'Italia. Three riders have won the general classification five times in their career: Alfredo Binda , Fausto Coppi , and Eddy Merckx. The general classification winner
2394-909: A three-week stage race principally through France and ending in Paris, the Giro d'Italia in Italy, and the Vuelta a España in Spain. Each of these races is considered a " Grand Tour ". Professional racing is governed by the Union Cycliste Internationale . In 2005 it instituted the UCI ProTour (renamed UCI World Tour in 2011) to replace the UCI Road World Cup series. While the World Cup contained only one-day races,
2520-510: A white jersey with colored bands (often called "rainbow bands") around the chest. In Australia, due to the relatively mild winters and hot summers, the amateur road racing season runs from autumn to spring, through the winter months, while criterium races are held in the mornings or late afternoons during the summer. Some professional events, including the Tour Down Under , are held in the southern summer, mainly to avoid clashing with
2646-461: Is an event in which cyclists race alone against the clock on flat or rolling terrain, or up a mountain road. A team time trial (TTT), including two-man team time trial, is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock. In both team and individual time trials, the cyclists start the race at different times so that each start is fair and equal. Unlike individual time trials where competitors are not permitted to 'draft' (ride in
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#17328022422472772-580: Is commonplace for amateur cyclists to own bicycles that are identical to those used to win major races. Clothing worn for road racing is designed to improve aerodynamics and improve rider comfort. The rider's shorts contain padding to improve comfort, and materials are chosen to manage rider temperature, manage sweat, and keep the rider as warm and dry as feasible in wet conditions. Cycling jerseys were originally made of wool; modern jerseys are made of synthetic fabrics such as lycra . Bicycle helmets were made mandatory for professional road racing in 2003, after
2898-411: Is considered the second most important cycling race in the world. The women's Giro d'Italia was first held in 1988 as the Giro d'Italia Femminile. The first edition in 1988 was won by two-time Tour de France Feminin winner Maria Canins from Italy. Global Cycling Network notes how "how little we actually know" about early editions of the women's Giro, with no information about stage winners. The race
3024-505: Is not long enough to let the drafting effect (which is then working at full power again) make the bunch catch up, making a climb escape even more attractive. Wind conditions can also make otherwise routine sections of a course potentially selective. Crosswinds, particularly, alter the position of the "shadow" when drafting a rider, usually placing it diagonally behind the lead rider, forming a line of riders called an echelon . To take advantage of this, an attacking rider rides at high speed at
3150-539: Is remembered for the fourteenth stage that contained very poor weather throughout the stage and most notably on the slopes of the Passo di Gavia . Franco Chioccioli led the race at the start of the fabled fourteenth stage. On the slopes of the Gavia, Andrew Hampsten and Erik Breukink rode away from their fellow riders; Breukink would go on to win the stage, but Hampsten would take the overall lead. Hampsten went on to win
3276-448: Is the first person to cross the finish line that day or the time trial rider (or team) with the lowest time on the course. The overall winner of a stage race is the rider who takes the lowest aggregate time to complete all stages (accordingly, a rider does not have to win all or any of the individual stages to win overall). Three-week stage races are called Grand Tours. The professional road bicycle racing calendar includes three Grand Tours –
3402-467: The 1965 edition and the fourth largest in the post- World War II era. Pogačar went on to win the 2024 Tour de France , becoming the first rider to win both the Giro and Tour in the same year since Marco Pantani in 1998. A few riders from each team aim to win overall but there are three further competitions to draw riders of all specialties: points, mountains, and a classification for young riders with general classification aspirations. The oldest of
3528-403: The 1966 Giro d'Italia and was first won by Gianni Motta . Points are given to the rider who is first to reach the end of, or determined places during, any stage of the Giro. The red jersey is worn by the rider who at the start of each stage, has the largest number of points. The rider who, at the end of the Giro, holds the most points, wins the points competition. Each stage win, regardless of
3654-434: The 2011 edition , a race during which Wouter Weylandt suffered a fatal crash on the third stage, but he was later stripped of the title after he was found guilty of doping in the 2010 Tour de France , and runner-up Michele Scarponi was awarded the victory. The first South American winner was Nairo Quintana of Colombia in 2014 . The 2017 Giro d'Italia was the 100th edition of the race. Tom Dumoulin won stage 10,
3780-401: The 2017 Giro d'Italia . The point distribution for the sprints are as follows: The young rider classification is restricted to riders who are no older than 25 during that calendar year. The leader of the classification is determined the same way as the general classification, with the riders' times being added up after each stage and the eligible rider with lowest aggregate time is dubbed
3906-486: The Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré instead. Felice Gimondi lost substantial time early on in the race to put him out of contention, while fellow Italian and teammate Gianni Motta tested positive for banned substances and was dismissed from the Giro. Swedish cyclist Gösta Pettersson gained the lead after the race's eighteenth stage and held it all the way to the finish. Pettersson became the first Swedish cyclist to win
Giro d'Italia Women - Misplaced Pages Continue
4032-600: The Gavia Pass for the first time in the race's history. On the ascent, Nencini was able to establish a gap to Anquetil, after the latter had a flat tire. More punctures and three bike changes followed on the dangerous descent, putting Anquetil's race lead in danger. He teamed up with Agostino Coletto , whom he offered money to help him in the chase effort, to limit his losses. At the finish in Bormio , Gaul won ahead of Nencini, with Anquetil losing only 2:34 minutes and retaining
4158-581: The Netherlands , Portugal , Spain and Switzerland after World War II . However, as the sport grows in popularity through globalization, countries such as Kazakhstan , Australia, Russia, Slovakia , South Africa , Ecuador , New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Poland and the United States continue to produce world-class cyclists. The first women's road championships were held in France in 1951 . A women's road race discipline
4284-524: The Points classification . Pantani subsequently went on to win the 1998 Tour de France , thus completing the rare feat of winning the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in the same calendar year. Pantani returned to the Giro in 1999 while in peak physical form. Pantani gained the lead after the race's fourteenth stage and as the race hit the high mountains, he extended his lead with three stage wins. On
4410-528: The Tour of Flanders (1913). They provided a template for other races around the world. Cycling has been part of the Summer Olympic Games since the modern sequence started in Athens in 1896 . Historically, the most competitive and devoted countries since the beginning of 20th century were Belgium, France and Italy, then road cycling spread in Colombia , Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg ,
4536-742: The Transcontinental Race and the Indian Pacific Wheel Race . The related activity of randonneuring is not strictly a form of racing, but involves cycling a pre-determined course within a specified time limit. The most commonly used bicycle in road races are simply known as racing bicycles . Their design is strictly regulated by the UCI, the sport's governing body. Specialist time trial bicycles are used for time trial events. Bicycles approved for use under UCI regulations must be made available for commercial sale and it
4662-524: The Umbrail Pass ; none of the other contenders waited for Dumoulin and he finished more than two minutes down on stage winner Vincenzo Nibali , keeping his race lead by just 31 seconds over Quintana. Dumoulin defended his lead until the stage 19 mountain finish in Piancavallo, where he crossed the line over a minute behind Quintana, the new race leader. However, Dumoulin's performance on stage 21,
4788-530: The maglia rosa , the leader's jersey, for the first time in his career after attacking Zülle on the Marmolada climb. Although Pantani crossed the finish line behind Giuseppe Guerini , he finished over four minutes ahead of Zülle, maintaining an advantage of thirty seconds on the general classification over Tonkov, thirty-one seconds on Guerini and over a minute on Zülle. In the following stage to Alpe di Pampeago , he finished second behind Tonkov but maintained
4914-512: The slipstream of the rider in front. Riding in the main field, or peloton , can save as much as 40% of the energy employed in forward motion when compared to riding alone. Some teams designate a leader, whom the rest of the team is charged with keeping out of the wind and in good position until a critical section of the race. This can be used as a strength or a weakness by competitors; riders can cooperate and draft each other to ride at high speed (a paceline or echelon ), or one rider can sit on
5040-458: The team classification . The idea of holding a bicycle race that navigated around Italy was inspired by the Tour de France and the success that L'Auto had gained from it. It was first suggested when La Gazzetta dello Sport editor Tullo Morgagni sent a telegram to the paper's owner, Emilio Costamagna, and cycling editor, Armando Cougnet, stating the need for an Italian tour. At the time La Gazzetta ' s rival, Corriere della Sera
5166-517: The "Iron Man of Tuscany " for his endurance, Bartali won two Giros during the 1930s, in 1936 and 1937 . Bartali's dominance was challenged in 1940 , the last Giro before the Second World War , when he was defeated by his 20-year-old teammate Fausto Coppi . Bartali and Coppi's rivalry divided Italy. Bartali, a conservative , was venerated in the rural, agrarian south, while Coppi, more worldly, secular, innovative in diet and training,
Giro d'Italia Women - Misplaced Pages Continue
5292-402: The 15 stages. Victory in 1929 came courtesy of eight successive stage wins. At the height of his dominance Binda was called to the head office of La Gazzetta dello Sport in 1930; the newspaper accused him of ruining the race and offered him 22,000 lire to be less dominant, which he refused. Binda won five Giros before he was usurped as the dominant cyclist by Gino Bartali . Nicknamed
5418-443: The 2016 season. Within the discipline of road racing, from young age different cyclists have different (relative) strengths and weaknesses. Depending on these, riders tend to prefer different events over particular courses, and perform different tactical roles within a team. The main specialities in road bicycle racing are: In a stage race a stage ranking is drawn up at the end of each stage, showing for each participating rider
5544-467: The Giro Donne was the only 'Grand Tour' left in women's cycling after 2010. In December 2012 it was reported that the company Epinike had withdrawn as Giro Donne organiser, making the 2013 edition uncertain. In April 2013, however, organisers announced they had rebranded the race as the Giro Rosa , taking place over eight days. It returned to its traditional ten-day length the following year. In 2016,
5670-460: The Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España. Ultra-distance cycling races are very long single stage events where the race clock continuously runs from start to finish. Their sanctioning bodies are usually independent of the UCI. They usually last several days and the riders take breaks on their own schedules, with the winner being the first one to cross the finish line. Among
5796-469: The Giro: the points classification for the sprinters, the mountains classification for the climbers, young rider classification for the riders under the age of 23, and the best Italian rider classification. Achieving a stage win also provides prestige, often accomplished by a team's sprint specialist or a rider taking part in a breakaway. The men's Giro d'Italia cycling race was first held in 1909, and
5922-632: The Maglia Rosa from Stage 6 onwards, with Dumoulin lying second overall for much of the race. However, on Stage 19, Yates cracked and Chris Froome then launched an audacious 80 km solo breakaway, attacking the small group of leaders including Dumoulin on the Cima Coppi of the 2018 Giro, the graveled climb of the Colle delle Finestre , he continued to extend his lead over the Sestriere and to
6048-728: The Parc de St-Cloud inspired the Compagnie Parisienne and the magazine Le Vélocipède Illustré to run a race from the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to the cathedral in Rouen on 7 November 1869. It was the world's first long-distance road race and also won by Moore, who took 10 hours and 25 minutes to cover 134 km. The runners-up were the Count André Castéra, who had come second to Moore at St-Cloud, and Jean Bobillier, riding
6174-687: The World Tour includes the Grand Tours and other large stage races such as Critérium du Dauphiné , Paris–Nice , Tour de Suisse and the Volta a Catalunya . The former UCI Road World Cup one-day classic cycle races – which include all five " Monuments " – were also part of the ProTour: Milan–San Remo (Italy), Tour of Flanders (Belgium), Paris–Roubaix (France), Liège–Bastogne–Liège (Belgium) and Amstel Gold Race (Netherlands) in
6300-604: The best-known ultramarathons is the Race Across America (RAAM), a coast-to-coast non-stop, single-stage race in which riders cover approximately 3,000 miles (4,800 km) in about a week. The race is sanctioned by the UltraMarathon Cycling Association (UMCA). RAAM and similar events allow (and often require) racers to be supported by a team of staff; there are also ultra-distance bicycle races that prohibit all external support, such as
6426-484: The calendar position of the race, so that the race is not overshadowed by the Tour de France. The race is owned by the Italian Cycling Federation , with organisation of the race outsourced. The rider with the lowest aggregate time is the leader of the general classification and wears the pink jersey . While the general classification gathers the most attention, there are other contests held within
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#17328022422476552-442: The categories, the climbers' jersey is worn by the rider in second, or third, place in that contest. At the end of the Giro, the rider holding the most climbing points wins the classification. 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. The Giro has four categories of mountains. They range from category 4,
6678-415: The completion time of the stage. The one with the lowest completion time wins the stage. At the same time a general ranking shows the cumulative finishing times of all prior stages for each participating rider. A rider who does not complete any of the stages within its respective time limit is disqualified. The one with the lowest total cumulative time is the general leader. The general leader typically wears
6804-436: The death of cyclist Andrey Kivilev . A number of tactics are employed to reach the objective of a race. This objective is being the first to cross the finish line in the case of a single-stage race, and clocking the least aggregate finish time in the case of a multi-stage race. Tactics are based on the aerodynamic benefit of drafting , whereby a rider can significantly reduce the required pedal effort by closely following in
6930-406: The descent, as going downhill alone allows for more maneuvering space and therefore higher speeds than when in a bunch. In addition, because the bunch riders are keeping more space between them for safety reasons, their drafting benefits are again reduced. If this action takes place relatively close to the target (e.g. another bunch ahead, or the finish), the ride over flatter terrain after the descent
7056-465: The easiest, to category 1, the hardest. There is also the Cima Coppi , the highest point reached in a particular Giro, which is worth more points than the race's other first-category climbs. Gino Bartali has won the mountains classification a record seven times. The classification awarded no jersey to the leader until the 1974 Giro d'Italia , when the organizers decided to award a green jersey to
7182-557: The equivalent of about sixteen months' pay for a French manual worker. The first international body was the International Cycling Association (ICA), established by an English schoolteacher named Henry Sturmey , the founder of Sturmey-Archer . It opened in 1893 and held its first world championship in Chicago, United States, the same year. A new organisation, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI),
7308-411: The events was a sprint for 603.49 metres (659.98 yards)." The Olympic Games has never been as important in road cycling as in other sports. Until the distinction ended, the best riders were professionals rather than amateurs and so did not take part. Law enforcement always escort the athletes to ensure they are kept safe during the cycling events, especially the road races. The success of the races in
7434-408: The final sprint to the finish line. Across a long stage race, such as a Grand Tour, the winner's average speed is usually near 40 km/h. In more organized races, a SAG wagon ("support and gear") or broom wagon follows the race to pick up stragglers. In professional stage racing riders who are not in a position to win the race or assist a teammate, will usually attempt to ride to the finish within
7560-555: The final stretch. Teamwork between riders, both pre-arranged and ad hoc, is important in many aspects: in preventing or helping a successful break, and sometimes in delivering a sprinter to the front of the field. To make the course more selective, races often feature difficult sections such as tough climbs, fast descents, and sometimes technical surfaces (such as the cobbled pavé used in the Paris–Roubaix race). The effects of drafting are reduced in these difficult sections, allowing
7686-425: The finish. While the principle remains that the winner is the first to cross the line, many riders are grouped together in teams, usually with commercial sponsors. On professional and semi-professional teams, team names are typically synonymous with the primary sponsors. As an example, some prominent professional teams of the last 30 years have been Team Telekom , Rabobank , ONCE , Mapei and Lampre . The size of
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#17328022422477812-474: The first British rider to ever win the Giro, as well as the first rider since 1983 to hold all three Grand Tour titles simultaneously, as well as becoming the seventh man to have completed the career Grand Tour grand slam. In 2019 Richard Carapaz , from Ecuador, became the first rider from his country to win the race. In 2020 , the COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of the Giro to October, marking
7938-404: The first non-Italian to win the race in 1950 . No one dominated the tour during the 1950s, Coppi, Charly Gaul and Fiorenzo Magni each won two Giros during the decade. The 1960s were similar. At the 1960 Giro d'Italia , Jacques Anquetil took advantage of a breakaway he was part of on stage 3 to take the overall lead. Anquetil then led the lead move to Jos Hoevenaers , who had been part of
8064-456: The first six cyclists passing these lines. These points also count toward the TV classification ( Traguardo Volante , or "flying sprint"), a separate award. The first year the points classification was used, it had no jersey that was given to the leader of the classification. In the 1967 Giro d'Italia , the red jersey was added for the leader of the classification. However, in 1969 the red jersey
8190-432: The four classifications is the general classification. The leader of each aforementioned classifications wears a distinctive jersey. If a rider leads more than one classification that awards, he wears the jersey of the most prestigious classification. The abandoned jersey is worn by the rider who is second in the competition. The most sought after classification in the Giro d'Italia is the general classification. All of
8316-665: The front of the peloton, on the opposite side of the road from which the crosswind is blowing. Following riders are unable to fully shelter from the wind. If such tactics are maintained for long enough, a weaker rider somewhere in the line will be unable to keep contact with the rider directly ahead, causing the peloton to split up. As well as exceptional fitness, successful riders must develop excellent bike handling skills to ride at high speeds in close quarters with other riders. Individual riders can reach speeds of 110 km/h (68 mph) while descending winding mountain roads and may reach 60–80 km/h (37–50 mph) level speeds during
8442-483: The general classification lead over him and gained further time on Zülle and Guerini. In the eighteenth stage to Plan di Montecampione , Pantani repeatedly attacked Tonkov, dropping him in the last three kilometers and winning the stage to face the individual time trial on the penultimate stage with a lead of almost a minute and a half. Zülle lost contact with the favorites in the first climb and ended up losing over thirty minutes. Having won over two minutes on Pantani in
8568-408: The general leader. The general leader does not generally react to breakaways by riders who trail substantially in cumulative time. Such escapes usually achieve other goals, such as winning the stage, collecting sprinting or mountain points, or just creating air time for their team sponsors as a dedicated camera bike typically accompanies the escape. Notable cycling races include the Tour de France ,
8694-465: The governing body of pro cycling, voted to phase in a ban on the use of team radios in men's elite road racing. However, after protests from teams, the ban introduced in 2011 excluded races on the top-level men's and women's circuits (the UCI World Tour and UCI Women's Road World Cup ) and in 2015 the UCI reversed its stance, allowing race radios to be used in class HC and class 1 events from
8820-479: The idea. Their bike race was announced on 7 August 1908 in the first page of that day's edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport . The race was to be held in May 1909. Since the organizers lacked the 25,000 lire needed to hold the race, they consulted Primo Bongrani, an accountant at the bank Cassa di Risparmio and friend of the three organizers. Bongrani proceeded to go around Italy asking for donations to help hold
8946-573: The initial prologue in Nice and further time to his main rivals during the fifteenth stage, an individual time trial in Trieste . By that point, Pantani faced a disadvantage of almost four minutes to Zülle before the Dolomites mountain stages and an individual time trial on the penultimate stage, a discipline that favored Zülle and Tonkov. In the seventeenth stage to Selva di Val Gardena , Pantani took
9072-511: The last-placed rider. The first Giro was won by Luigi Ganna , who had the fewest total points at the end of the race. The same format was used for the next two years and resulted in Carlo Galetti winning. In 1912 , there was no individual classification, instead there was only a team classification, which was won by Team Atala . The 1912 Giro is the only time the competition has not had an individual classification. From 1914 onwards
9198-412: The leader's chances, taking turns in the wind for him, refusing to chase with the peloton when he or she escapes, and so on. The goal is usually to allow the leader to have enough energy to take off at the critical point of the race and go on to victory. However, there can be many alternative scenarios depending on the strength of teams and the race situation. One example of team tactics involves placing
9324-481: The leader. This classification was added to the Giro d'Italia in the 1976 edition , with Alfio Vandi being the first to win the classification after placing seventh overall. The classification was not contested between the years of 1995 and 2006. The classification was reintroduced in the 2007 , and has been in each Giro since. The Giro d'Italia awards a white jersey to the leader of the classification. Evgeni Berzin , Nairo Quintana and Tao Geoghegan Hart won
9450-410: The leader. The green jersey was used until 2012 , when the classification's sponsor, Banca Mediolanum , renewed its sponsorship for another four years and desired the jersey to be blue rather than green. The point distribution for the mountains is as follows: The points classification is the third oldest of the four jersey current awarding classifications in the Giro d'Italia. It was introduced in
9576-399: The lowest aggregate time is the leader of the general classification and wears the pink jersey . While the general classification gathers the most attention, stage wins are prestigious of themselves, and there are other contests held within the Giro: the points classification , the mountains classification for the climbers, young rider classification for the riders under the age of 25, and
9702-511: The lowest cumulative time to complete all stages is declared the overall, or general classification (GC), winner. Stage races may also have other classifications and awards, such as individual stage winners, the points classification winner, and the " King of the Mountains " (or mountains classification) winner. A stage race can also be a series of road races and individual time trials (some events include team time trials ). The stage winner
9828-492: The major northern hemisphere races and allowing top professionals to compete. Giro d%27Italia The Giro d'Italia ( Italian: [ˈdʒiːro diˈtaːlja] ; lit. ' Tour of Italy ' ), also known simply as the Giro , is an annual multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in Italy , while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 1909 to increase sales of
9954-586: The morning of the twentieth stage, Pantani was dismissed from the Giro after having hematocrit levels above 50%. 1997 victor Ivan Gotti, who was second place at the time, subsequently took the lead and wound up winning the Giro for the second time in his career. Gilberto Simoni was the winner in 2001 and 2003 , with Paolo Savoldelli victorious in 2002 and 2005 . Other repeat winners this century have been Ivan Basso ( 2006 and 2010 ), Spaniard Alberto Contador in 2008 and 2015 and Vincenzo Nibali in 2013 and 2016 . Contador also looked to have won
10080-406: The most prestigious stage race in women's road cycling , with some teams and media referring to the race as a 'Grand Tour' . However, the race does not meet the UCI definition of such an event. It has generally held over nine or ten days in early July each year, competing for attention with the more famous men's Tour de France . Organisers also stated that they wished to work with the UCI to move
10206-438: The newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport , and the race is still run by a subsidiary of that paper's owner . The race has been held annually since its first edition in 1909, except during the two world wars . As the Giro gained prominence and popularity, the race was lengthened, and the peloton expanded from primarily Italian participation to riders from all over the world. The Giro is a UCI World Tour event, which means that
10332-423: The only time in history that the Giro was not raced in May or June. This race was won by Tao Geoghegan Hart , making him the second British rider to win the race; then in the 2021 edition Egan Bernal became the second Colombian to ever win and in 2022 Jai Hindley became the first ever Australian to win. The 2023 Giro d'Italia was won by Slovenian Primož Roglič , who took the lead from Geraint Thomas on
10458-463: The penultimate stage, a mountain time trial to Monte Lussari, near the Italian border with Slovenia . Even though he suffered a dropped chain on the climb, Roglič was able to gain 40 seconds on Thomas to move into the overall lead. He held onto it on the final, largely ceremonial stage into Rome to win the Giro d'Italia for the first time in his career. In 2024 , Tadej Pogačar , from Slovenia, won
10584-529: The pink jersey by 28 seconds. Following a ceremonial final stage, Anquetil arrived in Milan the winner of the Giro for the first time. Anquetil went on to become the first rider to win all three Grand Tours and won the Giro again in 1964 , while Franco Balmamion won two successive Giros in 1962 and 1963 . Felice Gimondi won the 1967 Giro d'Italia and went on to become the second rider, after Anquetil, to win all three Grand Tours. Belgian Eddy Merckx
10710-467: The previous time trial, Tonkov was considered superior to Pantani on the time trial discipline, but the Italian finished third in the penultimate stage, gaining an additional five seconds on Tonkov. Pantani was thus able to maintain his lead to win the Giro d'Italia with a minute and a half over Tonkov and more than six minutes over Guerini. He also won the Mountains classification and finished second in
10836-446: The professional, semi-professional and amateur levels, worldwide. The sport is governed by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). As well as the UCI's annual World Championships for men and women, the biggest event is the Tour de France , a three-week race that can attract over 500,000 roadside supporters a day. Road racing in its modern form originated in the late 19th century. It began as an organized sport in 1868. The sport
10962-440: The race and became the first non-European to win the Giro d'Italia. Spaniard Miguel Indurain , winner of five Tours, won successive Giros in 1991 and 1992 . Ivan Gotti 's wins in 1997 and 1999 were either side of the first win by Marco Pantani 's win in 1998 . Pantani was considered a favorite to win the Giro d'Italia Other contenders included Gotti, Alex Zülle and 1996 winner Pavel Tonkov . Pantani lost time in
11088-421: The race became part of the new UCI Women's World Tour , organised by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). In the late 2010s and early 2020s, the race was dominated by Dutch riders, with Annemiek van Vleuten winning four times. In 2021, the race lost its World Tour status due to the lack of live television coverage during the 2020 edition of the race. The decision to downgrade to a 2.Pro-level stage race
11214-400: The race on his debut. He narrowly lost out on the lead after the first stage to Jhonatan Narváez , but took the pink jersey on the second stage and held it until the end. Pogačar executed a dominant victory, with a winning margin of almost 10 minutes, the mountains classification and 6 stage wins. The winning margin of 9:56 over his closest competitor, Daniel Martínez was the biggest since
11340-510: The race. Bongrani's efforts were largely successful, he had procured enough money to cover the operating costs. Prize money was supplied by a casino in San Remo who Francesco Sghirla, a former Gazzetta employee, encouraged to contribute to the race. Even Corriere , La Gazzetta ' s rival, gave 3,000 lire to the race's fund. On 13 May 1909 at 02:53, 127 riders started the first Giro d'Italia at Loreto Place in Milan . The race
11466-428: The riders and the team director, who travels in a team car behind the race and monitors the overall situation. The influence of radios on race tactics is a topic of discussion among the cycling community, with some arguing that the introduction of radios in the 1990s has devalued the tactical knowledge of individual riders and has led to less exciting racing. In September 2009, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI),
11592-495: The riders, fans and race officials equally. By the third week it seemed as though Belgian rider Johan De Muynck was going to claim victory, but much to the delight of the Tifosi Gimondi rode a very strong final Individual Time Trial and won his third Giro by a very small margin in rather stunning fashion as he was getting older and not even considered a pre-race favorite. Belgians Michel Pollentier and Johan De Muynck won
11718-427: The route and riders not available until the last minute. From 2024, the race will be organised by the men's Giro d'Italia organiser RCS Sport on a four-year contract. The 2024 edition of the race will be rebranded to Giro d'Italia Women. The Giro Donne awards a number of jerseys for winners of certain classifications – the current competitions that award a jersey are: In 2006, the young riders classification
11844-509: The same season). The Giro is usually held during May, sometimes continuing into early June. While the route changes each year, the format of the race stays the same, with at least two time trials, and a passage through the mountains of the Alps , including the Dolomites . Like the other Grand Tours, the modern editions of the Giro d'Italia normally consist of 21 stages over a 23- or 24-day period that includes two or three rest days. The rider with
11970-568: The scoring format was changed from a points-based system to a time-based system, in which the cyclist who had the lowest aggregate time at the end of the race would win. The Giro was suspended for four years from 1915 to 1918, due to the First World War . Costante Girardengo was the winner of the first Giro after the war in 1919 . The dominant figure in the 1920s was Alfredo Binda , who won his first Giro in 1925 and followed this up with another victory in 1927 , in which he won 12 of
12096-565: The season depend on the hemisphere. A racing year is divided between lesser races, single-day classics and stage races. The classics include the Tour of Flanders , Paris–Roubaix and Milan–San Remo . The other important one-day race is the World Championships . Unlike other classics, the World Championships is held on a different course each year and ridden by national rather than sponsored teams. The winner wears
12222-572: The slipstream) behind each other, in team time trials, riders in each team employ this as their main tactic, each member taking a turn at the front while teammates 'sit in' behind. Race distances vary from a few km (typically a prologue, an individual time trial of usually less than 5 miles (8.0 km) before a stage race, used to determine which rider wears the leader's jersey on the first stage) to between approximately 20 miles (32 km) and 60 miles (97 km). Stage races consist of several races, or stages , ridden consecutively. The competitor with
12348-423: The spring, and Clásica de San Sebastián (Spain), HEW Cyclassics (Germany), Züri-Metzgete (Switzerland, until 2006), Paris–Tours (France, until 2007) and Giro di Lombardia (Italy) in the autumn season. Cycling has been a discipline in the summer Olympics ever since the birth of the modern Olympic movement. Cycling activist, co-organizer of Peace Race , Włodzimierz Gołębiewski said: "Cycling has become
12474-560: The stage's categorization, 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. This means that a true sprinter might not always win the points classification. The classification was added to draw the participation of the sprinters. The classification has been won four times by two riders: Francesco Moser and Giuseppe Saronni . In addition, stages can have one or more intermediate sprints: 8, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1 point(s) are/is awarded to
12600-427: The stages are timed to the finish, and after finishing the riders' times are compounded with their previous stage times, so the rider with the lowest aggregate time is the leader of the race. The leader is determined after each stage's conclusion. The leader of the race also has the privilege to wear the race leader's pink jersey. The jersey is presented to the leader rider on a podium in the stage's finishing town. If
12726-449: The strongest riders in the conditions to drop weaker riders, reducing the number of direct competitors able to take the win. Weather, particularly wind, is also an important discriminating factor. Climbs are excellent places for a single rider to try to break away from a bunch, as the lower riding speeds in a climb seriously reduce the drafting advantage of the bunch. The escaping rider can then further capitalize on that rider's position in
12852-469: The summit finish of Bardonecchia and overturned a more than three minute deficit to take both the pink jersey, the Cima Coppi prize and the mountains classification. The solo win, and the simultaneous implosion of Yates, who lost more than 30 minutes on the day having lost contact on the first climb of the day, was described as "one of the most extraordinary days in Giro d'Italia history". Froome became
12978-401: The team varies, from three in an amateur event for club riders to eight in professional races. Team riders decide between themselves, before and during the race, who has the best chance of winning. The choice will depend on hills, the chances that the whole field will finish together in a sprint, and other factors. The other riders on the team, or domestiques , will devote themselves to promoting
13104-598: The teams that compete in the race are mostly UCI WorldTeams , with some additional teams invited as 'wild cards'. The Giro is one of professional cycling's three-week-long Grand Tours , and after the Tour de France is the second most important stage race in the world (the Triple Crown of Cycling denotes the achievement of winning the Giro, the Tour and the UCI Road World Championships in
13230-470: The thirteenth stage. Roche attacked on the race's mountainous fifteenth stage despite orders from Carrera team management not to. Roche took the lead and wound up winning the Giro. Roche's success would not stop there during the 1987 season, he would go on to win the Tour de France and the men's road race at the World Championships to complete the Triple Crown of Cycling. The 1988 Giro d'Italia
13356-411: The time bonuses that the riders receive for crossing the lines in the first few positions: The mountains classification is the second oldest jersey awarding classification in the Giro d'Italia. The mountains classification was added to the Giro d'Italia in 1933 Giro d'Italia and was first won by Alfredo Binda . During mountain stages of the race, points are awarded to the rider who is first to reach
13482-408: 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 the course. The climbers' jersey is worn by the rider who, at the start of each stage, has the largest number of climbing points. If a rider leads two or more of
13608-440: The two subsequent Giros in 1977 and 1978 . In 1980 , Frenchman Bernard Hinault became France's first winner since Anquetil in 1964. He would win another two Giros in 1982 and 1985 . The 1987 edition was highlighted by the controversy between Carrera Jeans–Vagabond 's two general classification riders Roberto Visentini and Stephen Roche . Roche led the race early on but lost the lead to Visentini after crashing during
13734-505: The war. Bartali won his last Giro in 1946 , narrowly beating Coppi, now riding for the Bianchi team. Coppi then won his second Giro the following year . Coppi abandoned the 1948 Giro d'Italia in protest against the small penalty given to Fiorenzo Magni . Coppi won a further three Giros and twice, in 1949 and 1952 , Coppi won the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in the same year, the first rider to do so. Swiss Hugo Koblet became
13860-404: The way to the race's conclusion. Merckx came back the following year to liking of his sponsor. Merckx took the lead after stage five and never relinquished it; he dominated the lengthy stage nine time trial. Merckx went on to win the Tour de France and in doing so became the third rider to win two Grand Tours in a single calendar year. In 1971 , reigning champion Merckx decided to ride
13986-467: Was a hero of the industrial north. They became teammates in 1940 when Eberrardo Pavesi , head of the Legnano team, took on Coppi to ride for Bartali. Bartali thought Coppi was "as thin as a mutton bone", but accepted. Their rivalry started when Coppi, the helper, won the Giro aged 20 and Bartali, the star, marshalled the two men's team to chase him. The rivalry between Bartali and Coppi intensified after
14112-471: Was added to the UCI Road World Championships at the 31st edition of the World Championships in 1958 in Reims . Professional single-day race distances may be as long as 180 miles (290 km). Courses may run from place to place or comprise one or more laps of a circuit; some courses combine both, i.e., taking the riders from a starting place and then finishing with several laps of a circuit (usually to ensure
14238-422: Was calculated by adding up each rider's placings in each stage and the rider with the lowest total was the leader; if a rider placed second in the first stage and third in the second stage, he would have five points total. The system was modified a year later to give the riders who placed 51st or higher in a stage 51 points and keep the point distribution system the same for the riders who placed 1st through 50th in
14364-459: Was changed to a cyclamen (purple) colored jersey. It remained that color until 2010 when the organizers chose to change the jersey back to the color red in a return to the original color scheme for the three minor classifications, which reflected the colors of the Italian flag. However, in April 2017 RCS Sport , the organisers of the Giro, announced that the maglia ciclamino would be revived for
14490-456: Was leading the race after the sixteenth stage that ended in Savona . Merckx tested positive for a banned substance after the stage and was subsequently disqualified from the race; to this day Merckx still proclaims his innocence. The UCI would lift his suspension almost immediately but Merckx was not allowed to start stage 17. Felice Gimondi took the lead after Merckx's dismissal and held it all
14616-436: Was met with criticism. The race used the Giro d'Italia Donne name in 2021, before returning to Giro Donne in 2022. The race returned to World Tour level in 2022, following promises of live television coverage on Eurosport and Rai Sport. The prize money was also increased to €250,000, with €50,000 for the winner of the general classification. The organisation of the 2023 edition of the race was criticised, with information about
14742-410: Was not always determined by a time system. In the inaugural Giro d'Italia the organizers chose to have a points system over a system based around elapsed time after the scandal that engulfed the 1904 Tour de France . In addition to that, the organizers chose the point system since it would be cheaper to count the placings of the riders rather than clocking the riders during each stage. The race leader
14868-494: Was not run, instead a sprints competition was won by Olga Slyusareva (RUS) and awarded the blue jersey. Road bicycle racing Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling , held primarily on paved roads . Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most common competition formats are mass start events, where riders start simultaneously (though sometimes with
14994-704: Was originally administered as part of athletics , since cyclists often used the tracks used by runners . This, according to historian James McGurn, led to disputes within countries and internationally. The Bicycle Union [of Britain], having quarrelled with the Amateur Athletic Association over cycle race jurisdiction on AAA premises, took issue with the Union Vélocipèdique de France over the French body's willingness to allow its " amateurs " to compete for prizes of up to 2,000 francs,
15120-407: Was planning on holding a bicycle race of its own, after the success they had gained from holding an automobile race. Morgagni then decided to try and hold their race before Corriere della Sera could hold theirs, but La Gazzetta lacked the money. However, after the success La Gazzetta had with creating the Giro di Lombardia and Milan–San Remo , the owner Costamagna decided to go through with
15246-465: Was popular in the western European countries of France, Spain, Belgium, and Italy, and some of those earliest road bicycle races remain among the sport's biggest events. These early races include Liège–Bastogne–Liège (established 1892), Paris–Roubaix (1896), the Tour de France (1903), the Milan–San Remo and Giro di Lombardia (1905), the Giro d'Italia (1909), the Volta a Catalunya (1911), and
15372-588: Was set up on 15 April 1900 during the Olympic Games in Paris, by several European countries and the United States. Great Britain was not initially a member, but joined in 1903. The UCI, based in Switzerland, has run the sport ever since. In its home in Europe and in the United States, cycle racing on the road is a summer sport, although the season can start in early spring and end in autumn. The months of
15498-489: Was split into eight stages covering 2,448 km (1,521 mi). A total of 49 riders finished, with Italian Luigi Ganna winning. Ganna won three individual stages and the General Classification. Ganna received 5,325 lire as a winner's prize, with the last rider in the general classification receiving 300 lire. The Giro's director received only 150 lire a month, 150 lire fewer than
15624-541: Was sprinter Mark Cavendish riding for the team of Great Britain. Another favoured rider was Matthew Goss riding for the Australian team. By placing Stuart O'Grady in the breakaway, the Australian team was able to force the British team to take primary responsibility for the chase and absolve themselves of the responsibility. In professional races, team coordination is often performed by radio communication between
15750-528: Was the dominant figure during the 1970s. His first victory came in 1968 , a race which saw two important firsts: the first tests for drug use and the first prologue. A total of eight riders tested positive during the Giro. Belgian Eddy Merckx won his first Giro d'Italia after winning the twelfth stage's finish atop the Tre Cime di Lavaredo and also regaining the race lead. En route to the overall victory, Merckx won four stages. Merckx returned in 1969 and
15876-638: Was the second biggest women's race in Italy, behind the long running Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio . In the 1990s, the race was dominated by Italian rider Fabiana Luperini , who won 4 editions of the race between 1995 and 1998, winning 13 stages in the process. Luperini later won the 2008 edition of the race, 10 years after her last victory. In the 2000s, the race initially grew to 13 stages in length before falling back to 9 stages. Other big races like Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale and Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin were cancelled due to financial difficulties in 2009 and 2010 respectively, leaving
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