May 9th in the Giro:
In 1939 the stage to Bologna was taken by Olimpio Bizzi
ahead of Gino Bartali. More important to Bartali was the
presence of Giovanni Valetti in the select six-rider
group. Valetti was in pink and was attempting to take his
second consecutive Giro. Finishing ahead of the great
Bartali would have to feel special to him, as Bartali had
held Valetti to second place and 5th place in his two
victories in 1936 and 1937.
Valetti won in 1938 as Bartali skipped the Giro to
concentrate on the Tour de France, which he won. It was
said that Valetti only won the Giro because the best
riders were not there. This set the stage for a great
1939 Giro.
Valetti was in pink going into three hard days in the
mountains. He finished even with Bartali in Cortina
d'Ampezzo. But his bid to win the Giro seemed to come to
an end on the trip over the Passo Rolle on the way to
Trento where Bartali regained the lead. The final day
in the mountains was raced in terrible weather and
Valetti regained his advantage over Bartali, which he
held to Milano.
Valetti was a great rival to Bartali, but no one remembers.
The next year would mark the victorious Giro debut of the
rival to Bartali that everyone remembers.
Valetti resumed his career after the war but his time
had passed.