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By Barry Boyce, CyclingRevealed Historian
GdI May 19-June 10, 1934 |
3,711 Km |
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Finishers: 52 |
Average Speed: 30.548 km/h |
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“Human Locomotive” Time Trials to Victory
The 1934 Giro d'Italia was the 22nd edition of Italy’s Grand Tour.
Learco “the Human Locomotive” Guerra won 10 of the 17 stages including both Individual Time Trials to narrowly defeat Francesco Camusso. Guerra struggled in the mountains on stages 8 and 13 losing the Maglia Rosa after both stages. But with the style of a champion, he regained the race lead on stages 9 and 14. The powerful Italian dominated the stage 14, 59 km ITT to secure the General Classification.
Guerra and Camusso battled all the way to Milan with Guerra winning by a slim 51 seconds. At the finish in Milan Learco “the Human Locomotive” Guerra celebrated his first and only Giro d'Italia victory.
Teams:
There were eight major teams that competed in the race:
- Bianchi-Pirelli
- Dei-Pirelli
- Ganna-Dunlop
- Maino-Clement
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- Gloria-Hutchinson
- Legnano-Hutchinson
- Olympique
- Olympia-Spiga
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And nine Independent pro-teams:
- Alcyon-Dunlop (I)
- Armor-Dunlop (I)
- Genial Lucifer-Hutchinson (I)
- Oscar Egg-Hutchinson (I)
- Mens Sana Siena (I)
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- MVSN-La Spezia (I)
- S.S. Girardengo (I)
- Thomann-Dunlop (I)
- Wolsit (I)
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Race Summary:
Stage 1: Francesco Camusso managed to escape the group and beat the pack led by contenders Learco Guerra and Giuseppe Olmo. Guerra accepted the challenge and won the next 5 stages including the Individual Time Trial on stage 4.
Stage 6: Five-time Giro winner Alfredo Binda, beginning to show his age, abandoned on the 6th stage after a collision with a police motorcycle.
Stage 8: 243 km from Bari to Campobasso, the eighth stage was route went over the hilly southern country with another minute’s time bonus in play. Stage winner Felicien Vervaecke broke away with Giacobbe and Mara. Giuseppe Olmo followed in a little over six minutes behind, while Guerra lost almost eight minutes. Olmo took over the race lead and put on the Maglia Rosa. Learco Guerra trailed by 29 seconds in the GC.
Stage 9: Guerra’s answer came over the rugged Adriatic Coastal roads. Guerra led a 6-rider breakaway and scored the stage win in Teramo. Guerra beat race leader Olmo by 9’23” and took the Maglia Rosa back.
Stage 10, 11, &12: Guerra dominated with three stage wins.
Stage 13: 120 km from Flornce to Bologna, the thirteenth stage went over the climbs of the Futa and Raticosa passes. Vervaecke was first over the Futa, but he faded badly and eventually lost over twelve minutes. Olmo and Camusso attacked with Bertoni joining the break. As the climb of the Futa started race leader Guerra began to struggle.
Guerra felt so bad he climbed into the Maino team car. As the car drove towards the finish, the Giro organizers caught the team car and convinced Guerra not to abandon. He climbed back out of the car got back on the bike and finished the stage only 5’22” behind. Olmo beat Camusso to win the stage and gained 5’12” on the race leader. Camusso took the race lead.
Stage 14: Going into the second time trial Camusso had a 2’55” seconds on Guerra. Guerra was considered the best man in the world against the clock and dominated the ITT. He gained 3’46” on Camusso. Guerra regained the race lead by 51” over Camusso.
Stage 17: Olmo won the last two stages, but the race was effectively over after the ITT on stage 14. Guerra rolled into the finish in Milan after 10 stage wins, to take the 1934 Giro victory.
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Stage 1 Milan-Torino, 169 km |
Francesco Camusso (Ita) |
Francesco Camusso (Ita) |
Stage 2 Torino-Genova, 206 km |
Learco Guerra (Ita) |
Francesco Camusso (Ita) |
Stage 3 Genova-Livorno, 220 km |
Learco Guerra (Ita) |
Francesco Camusso (Ita) |
Stage 4 Livorno-Pisa, 45 km ITT |
Learco Guerra (Ita) |
Learco Guerra (Ita) |
Stage 5 Pisa-Rome, 333 km |
Learco Guerra (Ita) |
Learco Guerra (Ita) |
Stage 6 Rome-Napoli, 228 km |
Learco Guerra (Ita) |
Learco Guerra (Ita) |
Stage 7 Napoli-Bari, 339 km |
Adriano Vignoli (Ita) |
Learco Guerra (Ita) |
Stage 8 Bari-Campobasso, 243 km |
Felicien Vervaecke (Bel) |
Giuseppe Olmo (Ita) |
Stg 9 Campobasso-Teramo, 283 km |
Learco Guerra (Ita) |
Learco Guerra (Ita) |
Stage 10 Teramo-Ancona, 214 km |
Learco Guerra (Ita) |
Learco Guerra (Ita) |
Stage 11 Ancona-Rimini, 213 km |
Learco Guerra (Ita) |
Learco Guerra (Ita) |
Stage 12 Rimini-Firenze, 176 km |
Learco Guerra (Ita) |
Learco Guerra (Ita) |
Stage 13 Firenze-Bologna, 120 km |
Giuseppe Olmo (Ita) |
Francesco Camusso (Ita) |
Stg 14 Bologna-Ferrara, 59 km ITT |
Learco Guerra (Ita) |
Learco Guerra (Ita) |
Stage 15 Ferrara-Trieste, 273 km |
Fabio Battesini (Ita) |
Learco Guerra (Ita) |
Stage 16 Trieste-Bassano, 273 km |
Giuseppe Olmo (Ita) |
Learco Guerra (Ita) |
Stage 17 Bassano-Milan, 315 km |
Giuseppe Olmo (Ita) |
 Learco Guerra (Ita)
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Mountain Prize |
Remo Bertoni (Ita) |
General Classification:
Final General Classification |
Rank |
Rider |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Learco GUERRA (Ita)  |
Maino-Clement |
121h17'17" |
2 |
Francesco Camusso (Ita) |
Gloria-Hutchinson |
+51" |
3 |
Giovanni Cazzulani (Ita) |
Gloria-Hutchinson |
+4'59" |
4 |
Giuseppe Olmo (Ita) |
Bianchi-Pirelli |
+5'39" |
5 |
Giovanni Gotti (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+8'01" |
6 |
Remo Bertoni (Ita) |
Legnano-Hutchinson |
+15'30" |
7 |
Domenico Piemontesi (Ita) |
Maino-Clement |
+15'30" |
8 |
Adriano Vignoli (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+24'46" |
9 |
Luigi Giacobbe (Ita) |
Maino-Clement |
+25'58" |
10 |
Luigi Barral (Ita) |
Bianchi-Pirelli |
+33'18" |
11 |
Joseph “Jef” Demuysere (Bel) |
Genial Lucifer-Hutch (I) |
+34'13" |
12 |
Bernardo Rogora (Ita) |
Gloria-Hutchinson |
+35'11" |
13 |
Renato Scorticati (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+36'58" |
14 |
Adalino Mealli (Ita) |
Wolsit (I) |
+37'03" |
15 |
Augusto Zanzi (Ita) |
Bianchi-Pirelli |
+43'07" |
16 |
Augusto Como (Ita) |
S.S. Girardengo (I) |
+48'08" |
17 |
Orlando Teani (Ita) |
Olympia-Spiga |
+49'13" |
18 |
Michele Orecchia (Ita) |
Gloria-Hutchinson |
+53'01" |
19 |
Ambrogio Morelli (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+57'54" |
20 |
Attilio Masarati (Ita) |
Ganna-Dunlop |
+1h07'54" |
21 |
Isidoro Piubellini (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+1h14'35" |
22 |
Fabio Battesini (Ita) |
Legnano-Hutchinson |
+1h14'55" |
23 |
Battista Astrua (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+1h15'08" |
24 |
Antonio "Nino" Sella (Ita) |
Maino-Clement |
+1h25'13" |
25 |
Carlo Oria (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+1h28'12" |
26 |
Clemente Grassi (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+1h28'56" |
27 |
Ettore Meini (Ita) |
Ganna-Dunlop |
+1h37'17" |
28 |
Ernesto Merlini (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+1h41'02" |
29 |
Giovanni Baroni (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+1h51'36" |
30 |
Felicien Vervaecke (Bel) |
Ganna-Dunlop |
+1h51'44" |
31 |
Alfons Ghesquiere (Bel) |
Alcyon-Dunlop (I) |
+2h04'05" |
32 |
Stefano Giuppone (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+2h09'27" |
33 |
Paride Scacchetti (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+2h20'33" |
34 |
Livio Carlotti (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+2h22'34" |
35 |
Gilberto Di Paolis (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+2h29'07" |
36 |
Antonio Andretta (Ita) |
Legnano-Hutchinson |
+2h31'01" |
37 |
Vicente Trueba (Spa) |
Olympia-Spiga |
+2h42'21" |
38 |
Armando Zucchini (Ita) |
Bianchi-Pirelli |
+2h47'58" |
39 |
Giuseppe Pancera (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+2h49'09" |
40 |
Umberto Guarducci (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+2h52'17" |
41 |
Carlo Moretti (Ita) |
Olympia-Spiga |
+3h06'25" |
42 |
Fabien Galateau (Fra) |
Olympique |
+3h12'08" |
43 |
Virgilio Merlino (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+3h23'36" |
44 |
Vincent Salazard (Fra) |
Alcyon-Dunlop (I) |
+3h37'25" |
45 |
Herbert Sieronski (Ger) |
Dei-Pirelli |
+3h44'58" |
46 |
Angelo Rinaldi (Ita) |
Maino-Clement |
+3h54'22" |
47 |
Max Bulla (Aut) |
Oscar Egg-Hutch (I) |
+3h56'35" |
48 |
Antonio Fraccaroli (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+4h15'35" |
49 |
Joseph Abondio (Fra) |
Isolati/Independent |
+4h21'44" |
50 |
Francesco Gulli (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+4h54'48" |
51 |
Nicolo Mammina (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+5h02'27" |
52 |
Attilio Pavesi (Ita) |
Bianchi-Pirelli |
+6h45'31" |
Final Mountains Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Remo Bertoni (Ita) |
Legnano-Hutchinson |
31 |
2 |
Luigi Barral (Ita) |
Bianchi-Pirelli |
21 |
3 |
Felicien Vervaecke (Bel) |
Ganna-Dunlop |
19 |
4 |
Francesco Camusso (Ita) |
Gloria-Hutchinson |
17 |
5 |
Vicente Trueba (Spa) |
Olympia-Spiga |
10 |
6 |
Luigi Giacobbe (Ita) |
Maino-Clement |
4 |
6 |
Stefano Giuppone (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
4 |
6 |
Orlando Teani (Ita) |
Olympia-Spiga |
4 |
9 |
Giovanni Gotti (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
3 |
9 |
Giovanni Cazzulani (Ita) |
Gloria-Hutchinson |
3 |
9 |
Adriano Vignoli (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
3 |
Isolati/Independent Rider Classification (Top 10) |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Time |
1 |
Giovanni Gotti (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
121h25'18" |
2 |
Adriano Vignoli (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+ 16' 47" |
3 |
Renato Scorticati (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+ 28' 58" |
4 |
Augusto Como (Ita) |
S.S. Girardengo (I) |
+ 40' 09" |
5 |
Ambrogio Morelli (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+ 49' 55" |
6 |
Attilio Masarati (Ita) |
Ganna (I) |
+ 59' 55" |
7 |
Isidoro Piubellini (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+ 1h 06' 36" |
8 |
Battista Astrua (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+ 1h 07' 09" |
9 |
Carlo Oria (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+ 1h 14' 11" |
10 |
Ernesto Merlini (Ita) |
Isolati/Independent |
+ 1h 33' 03" |
GdI 1935
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