On 1 June 1968, during the 51st edition of Giro d’Italia, the cycling world witnessed one of the most iconic performances in the history of the sport. The stage from Gorizia to Tre Cime di Lavaredo was already set to be a brutal test of endurance, with steep gradients, unforgiving weather, and a finish line…
In the long, storied history of professional cycling, the 1912 Giro d’Italia stands out as an extraordinary anomaly. For just one year, the Italian Grand Tour abandoned the idea of individual glory in favor of team-based competition—a format that would seem radical even today, yet somehow closer in spirit to modern cycling than its contemporaries…
In the world of grand tours, the line between teammate and rival can blur quickly. Two of the most storied and tense leadership battles (the Hinault–LeMond saga during the Tour de France editions 1985 and 1986 and the Roche–Visentini conflict at the Giro d’Italia 1987) offer strikingly similar insights into what happens when ambition, pressure,…
Every road cycling legend, every great champion, has that first unforgettable, career-defining moment—the moment when they surpass all expectations and stamp their authority on the sport. In cycling, this moment often comes as a surprise to the world, but for those who have followed the sport closely, there is a sense that this rider has…
Italian cyclist Alfredo Binda was widely regarded as one of the greatest riders of his era, particularly in the 1920s and 1930s. He dominated the Giro d’Italia like no one before him, winning the race in 1925, 1927, 1928, and 1929. His ability to climb, sprint, and time trial made him an all-around champion, and…
Alfredo Binda, who later became the first cyclist to win Giro d’Italia for five times (the other cyclist with five Giro-victories is Fausto Coppi) won his first title in 1925.
1940 was the breakthrough year for Fausto Coppi. He won his first Giro (from a total of five victories) as a newbie. That means also, that he wos his first stage in that year. It was a 184 km plain stage between Florence and Modena on 29 May 1940.