x 7th Giro d'Italia 1919 (Italy)

The Giro Returns!!! Girardengo Untouchable

Europe was still feeling the effects of World War 1 as the 1919 Giro d'Italia returned to racing.

This edition of the Giro navigated through the war-ravaged roads of Northern Italy. The first two stages arrived in the "first time" stage host Cities of Trento and Trieste.

Sixty-three brave riders started the race in Milan but only fifteen finished the race. Italian superstar Constante Girardengo recorded seven stage wins (7 of 10 stages) and held the race lead from start to finish.

Teams:

Of the sixty-three riders that began the Giro d'Italia on May 21, 1919, only fifteen of them made it to the finish in Milan on June 8, 1919. Riders entered to ride on their own or as a member of a team.

There were four Professional teams that competed in the race:

The Individual (Isolati) riders that participated in the race were primarily war veterans. Giro organizers promised all Isolati riders 180 lire if they reached Milan.
The Milan Army Troops were enlisted to carry riders’ luggage and equipment for the race with Fiat 18 BL lorries, which were sitting idle after the war.

The peloton was almost completely composed of Italians. Two former Giro d'Italia champions with the three-time winner Carlo Galetti and Eberardo Pavesi leading the group. Other notable Italian riders starting the race included Costante Girardengo, Angelo Gremo, Ezio Corlaita, and Giuseppe Santhia. Girardengo was the current Italian men's National Road Race champion.

Race Summary:

Stage 2: (Friday, May 23, 1919) 334 km, from Trento to Trieste, Italy was very severely damaged during WW1. Stage 2’s race route went through poor road conditions and severely damaged bridges. At one point a fallen bridge forced the riders to cross a dry riverbed. Stage 1 winner Constante Girardengo rode solo to a 3’30” stage win and extended his GC lead.

Stage 3: (Sunday, May 25, 1919) * stage 3 of the Giro made history when Suisse rider Oscar Egg won the sprint for the stage win in Ferrara. He became the first foreign rider to win a stage.

Stage 6 to 10: (May 31 to June 8, 1919) When stage 6 started in Naples Girardengo had extended his GC lead over second placed Gaetano Belloni by 23 minutes. After his stage 6 win in Rome Girardengo continued a 5-stage untouchable tear. By the stage 10 Giro finish in Milan Girardengo had a dominating 51’56” Grand Giro victory in 1919.

The final GC had only fifteen riders who completed all ten stages. Gaetano Belloni nicknamed the “Italian Eternal Second", won his first Giro stage Naples and finished second in the GC.

This edition of the race saw the first non-Italian cyclist on the final GC podium, when Belgian ** Marcel Buysse finished third.

SPECIAL NOTE: ** Belgian Marcel Buysse became the first foreign rider to finish on the GC podium finishing in third place.

*** Giosue Lombardi won the prize for best ranked Independent (Isolati) rider in the GC.

General Classification:

GdI 1914

GdI 1920

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