Faces from the peloton: Giuseppe Olmo

Although he is now one of the lesser-known cyclists of the 1930s, Giuseppe Olmo (1911–1992) was a prominent figure in his time. An Olympic gold medalist in 1932 and the world hour record holder in 1935, Olmo was a talented sprinter who also secured two podium finishes at the Giro d’Italia.

Olmo was a member of the prestigious Bianchi team from 1933 to 1940. He competed in the Giro d’Italia five times between 1933 and 1937, withdrawing only during his final appearance. During these time period

he won 20 stages, half of them in 1936.

Olmo also managed to claim the pink jersey for at least one day in 1934, 1935 and 1936.

In 1936, Aldo Bini and Giuseppe Olmo had the same amount of time raced and number of points following the sixth stage. The finish of the stage between the two of them was so close, the race organizers let them both wear the pink jersey during the next day.

Giuseppe Olmo has also several one-day victories, he was a two-time Milano-Sanremo winner (1935 and 1938)

After his retirement as a professional cyclist he became a successful bicycle manufacturer.