Today’s “historic photo of the day” is: Franco Chioccioli climbing Passo di Gavia, during stage 14 of the Giro d’Italia 1988.
Before the 14th stage of 1988 Giro d’Italia, Del Tongo team’s Italian rider Franco Chioccioli was wearing the maglia rosa. He was leading the race 33 seconds ahead of Urs Zimmermann. The top ten of the general classification was:
Today’s historic photo of the day: Roy Schuiten of Scic-Bottecchia team is time trialing at 14th stage of the 1978 Giro d’Italia in Venezia (Venice), near “Canal Grande” – The Grand Canal. May 21, 1978.
The Venice Time-Trial of stage 14 required the construction of a floating bridge over the Grand Canal so that the riders could cross the “Canal Grande” and finish in San Marco Square. The length of the course was 12 km (7 mi).
Vincenzo Torriani (Novate Milanese, 17 September 1918 – Milano, 24 April 1996) was best known as one of the original “Giro Bosses” or organizers of the Giro d’Italia. He held the role for 46 years, from 1946 to 1992. This video clip is from the documentary named “The Greatest Show on Earth“. Soundtrack: “Di quella pira” – a popular tenor aria (or more specifically cabaletta) sung by Manrico in Act 3, Scene 2 of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera, “Il Trovatore“. Tenor: Franco Corelli.
Stage 20 of Giro d’Italia 2014 finished atop Monte Zoncolan. It is widely regarded as one of the most difficult climbs in Europe: the Zoncolan has been compared with Vuelta a España’s El Angliru, in the Spanish region of Asturias. The steepest, 23.6% pitch of the Angliru is very short however, being part of a kilometer stretch that averages “only” 17.2 percent – while the Zoncolan has a kilometer of nearly 20%.
The “thing” is situated in Friuli Venezia Giulia and belongs to the Alps. Starting from Ovaro, the Monte Zoncolan ascent is 10.5 km long. Over this distance, you climb 1210 vertical meters. The average percentage thus is 11.5%.
If you watch Jørgen Leth’s great documentary about the 1973 Giro d’Italia, “Stars and Water Carriers” (Stjernerne
On one of the early climbs of the day, Eddy Merckx escaped bringing Spanish climber José Manuel Fuente (KAS) and the young Italian Giovanni Battaglin (Jollj Ceramica) along for company. Foolishly, Fuente took his pulls with the powerful Belgian and after having burned his matches, was spit out the back.
The Tour de France is a ‘bigger’ race than the Giro. It has more media, more commotion, more people making demands on the cyclist’s waning energy. What it doesn’t have is the tifosi (see notes 1) of the greatest show on earth.
I discovered my passion for cycling at a very late age. I always enjoyed riding my bicycle starting from my boyhood: I rode for commute, I rode for enjoyment, I even raced a couple of times. But I started riding a road bike in my early 30s. Then I started watching cycling races and immediately fell in love with them.
I watched some races including Tour de France 2008 edition, with little understanding of what was going on actually. In the early stages, I was even thinking Mark Cavendish was going to win the Tour.
In the 1974 Giro d’Italia, a completely unknown 21-year-old Belgian, Wilfried Reybrouck, won the first stage from Vatican City to Formia and wore the maglia rosa in his first professional Grand Tour.
In the 1946 Giro d’Italia, a new jersey has been introduced: The “Maglia Nera” (black jersey). It was awarded as a symbolic prize given to the last man to finish the race within the time limit.
But why the jersey was black? The riders chose the black because it was the color of the jersey worn by the soccer player Giuseppe Ticozzelli.
1924 Giro d’Italia was very extraordinary. Because, Alfonsina Strada participated in that year’s Giro d’Italia, and became the only woman to have ridden one of cycling’s three 3-week grand tours.
I finished reading “Maglia Rosa – Triumph and Tragedy at the Giro d’Italia” by Herbie Sykes. Now it’s Tour de France time, and I started to reading “Slaying the Badger” by Richard Moore.