Milan-San Remo's 1st Italian Winner
A record number of riders (104) started the 1909 edition of Milan-San Remo. The race’s success marked the increased in status on the Internationally schedule.
The race left Pedesimo Piazzale in Milan at 6 a.m. The day's weather presented cold temperatures with rain, which made the rough, unpaved roads very muddy.
SPECIAL NOTE: 1909 was the first year that race officials began to change regulations to allow riders to change bicycles during the race with team support.
Luigi Ganna (Ita), second place in 1908, trained very rigorously for two months before the race. Among the foreign stars on the start list were Luxembourger Francois Faber (winner of the 1908 Giro di Lombardia), Frenchman Gustave Garrigou (reigning French National champion), and Belgian Cyrille Van Hauwaert (defending 1908 Milan-San Remo champion). This year’s race held great potential for excitement.
The race rolled off at 5:54 am under cloudy skies. When the starter’s flag dropped Giovanni "Red Devil" Gerbi immediately attacked. In the peloton Italians Eberardo Pavesi and Giovanni Rossignoli drove a hard pace across the Lombardia plains. The peloton's fast pace thinned the group.
Race Status:
By Pavia (35 km into the race / 286.7 km) an elite group of twenty-eight riders formed. Missing from the breakaway was Gustave Garrigou, who struggled with mechanical problems.
When the climb of the Passo Turchino commenced, the leaders began to split. Van Hauwaert and Faber struggled with the climbing pace, followed by a "Red Devil" Gerbi crash. Luigi Ganna and Carlo Galetti passed the summit off the front. Italian Giovanni Cuniolo was climbing with surprising ease chased in third.
On the descent a flying Ganna slid out and crashed. Cuniolo took advantage of the disruption and attacked.
When the riders reached the Ligurian Coast in Genoa (145 km / 286.7 km), Cuniolo and Frenchman Emile Georget were in the lead with Ganna and Galetti chasing hard. Further back Gerbi, after his crash, was trailing by 5'00”, still struggling Faber and Van Hauwaert trailed at 11'00”.
A series of chaotic events shook up the leading riders:
1. The leader on the road Georget rode away when the lead group of chasers were stopped at a “level-crossing” (a closed railroad crossing). After avoiding the stop, the Frenchman rode alone off the front.
2. Then, on the Miramare climb just before Savona (195 km / 286.7 km), a racecourse marshal signaled a turn off the racecourse. Georget followed the course marshal’s (incorrect) direction. He rode thirty meters before discovering the mistake. When he returned to the correct route Ganna rode past.
In Savona (199 km / 286.7 km), riding with a strong tailwind, the two leaders passed through the control station first. Gerbi, Galetti and Cuniolo trailed by 3’00”.
At Finale Ligure (220 km / 286.7 km), Ganna aggressively rode away and went through solo with a 5'00” time advantage to a tiring Georget (Fra), and 8'00” to Cuniolo, 11'00” to Gerbi, 12'00” to Galetti.
Luigi Ganna (Ita) M-SR 1909 breakaway
Ganna suffered a minor mechanical failure in Imperia (262 km / 286.7 km), while doing repairs the Frenchman began to come back. The lead came down to 2’00”. But Ganna recovered quickly and maintained a solid time gap. The race was over.
Ganna gained strength from the massive enthusiasm of the Italian tifosi lining the closing kilometers of the route.
The Italian remained alone and rode down to the finish line on the Corso Cavallotti, to a wildly enthusiastic reception. Ganna raced brilliantly and set a record average speed. He claimed the 1909 Milan-San Remo victory.
SPECIAL NOTE: Luigi Ganna became the first Italian winner of Milan-San Remo!!!
Emile Georget (Fra) finished second +3’00”and Giovanni Cuniolo (Ita) placed third +18’00”.
M-SR April 4, 1909 / 286.7 Km |
1. Luigi GANNA (Ita) +9h32'00" |
2. Emile Georget (Fra) +3'00" |
3. Giovanni Cuniolo (Ita) +18'00" " |
Starters: 104 / Finishers: 57 Average Speed: 30.073 km/h (New Record) |
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M-SR 1908
M-SR 1910
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