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By Barry Boyce,
CyclingRevealed Historian |
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Treacherous Roads but the Race Goes On
The 35th Milan-San Remo Classicissimawas held on March 19, 1942.
The effects of World War 2 continued to deliver devastating events to Italy. With the conflict raging across Europe foreign riders were prevented from traveling to Milan.
SPECIAL NOTE: This year's M-SR opened a non-traditional Giro d’Italia ‘of War’. In 1942 the Giro, a Giri di Guerra (War), became an 8-race competition based on “Points”.
Giro d’Italia ‘of War’ - (Giro, a Giri di Guerra)
Race |
Date |
Winner |
Milan-San Remo |
Thursday, March 19, 1942 |
Adolfo Leoni (Ita-Bianchi) |
Giro del Lazio |
Monday, April 6, 1942 |
Osvaldo Bailo (Ita-Viscontea) |
Giro Della Toscana |
Sunday, May 3, 1942 |
Vito Ortelli (Ita-Bianchi) |
Giro dell'Emilia |
Sunday, May 31, 1942 |
Adolfo Leoni (Ita-Bianchi) |
Giro del Veneto |
Sunday, July 26, 1942 |
Pierino Favalli (Ita-Legnano) |
Giro del Piemonte |
Sunday, September 6, 1942 |
Fiorenzo Magni (Ita-Bianchi) |
Giro della Campania |
Sunday, September 20, 1942 |
Pierino Favalli (Ita-Legnano) |
Tour of Lombardy |
Saturday, October 17, 1942 |
Aldo Bini (Ita-Viscontea) |
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Final General Classification |
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1. Gino Bartali - 25 points |
2. Pierino Favalli - 23 pts |
3. Adolfo Leoni - 18 points |
The starter’s flag dropped in Milan at 7:45 a.m. on a cool and crisp morning, the race headed along the war-torn roads of the Lombardia region.
Race Status:
After Pavia (33 km into the race / 282 km), Aimone Landi (Bianchi), Fiorenzo Magni (Bianchi) and Mario Ricci (Legnano) took control of the peloton.
The first serious attacks came as the race passed through Ovada (113 km / 282 km). A breakaway trio, Achille Bucco (Isolati), Glauco Servadei (Bianchi), and Mario De Benedetti (Legnano) held a two-minute lead.
On the climb of the Turchino Pass (131 km / 282 km), Giordano Cottur (Viscontea) caught the leader, drove the fast pace, and passed the summit first. The lead group had six riders held a one-minute gap on a small group led Gino Bartali (Legnano).
In Varazze (172 km / 282 km), the six leaders pushed their advantage to three minutes.
Near Finale Ligure (212 km / 282 km), the now nine leaders begin to show signs of fatigue.
Climbing the first two of the “tri-capo”: Capo Mele (245 km / 282 km) and Capo Cervo (251 km / 282 km), aggressive racing did not split the breakaway.
On the Capo Berta (257 km / 282 km), Giovanni De Stefanis (Bianchi) launched a decisive attack. De Benedetti, Brotto and Cottur fell off the pace. Over the summit Pierino Favalli (Legnano), Marco Marangoni (Isolati), Adolfo Leoni (Bianchi), and Tino Bevilacqua (Bianchi) follow the hard attack a few meters behind.
After Imperia (260 km / 282 km), a regrouping of the eight riders pushed into the final kms.
In Arma di Taggia (276 km / 282 km), their advantage began to drop, but San Remo was only six kms away.
Eight riders flew into San Remo. Favalli (Legnano) launched the long sprint but faded at the 100-meter mark. Tino Bevilacqua (Bianchi) came back into the lead with Italian Champion Adolfo Leoni (Bianchi) on his wheel. Leoni had the superior closing speed and sprinted to the M-SR victory.
M-SR March 19, 1942 / 282 Km |
1.
Adolfo LEONI (Ita) 8h10'00" |
2.
Antonio "Tino" Bevilacqua (Ita) |
3.
Pierino Favalli (Ita) |
Starters: 58 / Finishers: 44  Average Speed : 34.469 km/h |
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M-SR 1941
M-SR 1943
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Return to the Race Snippets ToC |
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