May 17th in the Giro:
Learco Guerra was a great rider that bridged the
period between Binda and Bartali. He took his first
Giro stage in 1930, and in 1931 he became the first
rider to don the newly minted pink leader's jersey.
His career in the Giro peaked with his win in 1934,
a year where he took no less than 10 stages. But
by 1937 things were winding down for him, and on
May 17th he took his last stage win in Naples.
1959 saw Jacques Anquetil's Giro debut, and he wore
his first pink jersey on the 17th after winning the
time trial in Salsomaggiore. Anquetil would yield
in the mountains to Charly Gaul, but it would be
Gaul's last great win. By 1960 the Grand Tours
belonged to Anquetil.
Knute Knudsen was a great prologue rider, and in
1975 he became Norway's first stage winner and race
leader. He would repeat this feat in 1981, and no
Norwegian has worn pink since.
Francesco Moser was a powerful rider and four times
he started his Giro as the prologue winner and race
leader. It happened twice on this date, in 1979 and
1984.
Fred Rodriguez became only the fifth American to win
a stage in the Giro in 2004, taking the sprint in
Carovigno. The complete list of American stage
winners:
1985 Ron Kiefel, Andy Hampsten
1986 Greg Lemond
1988 Andy Hampsten(2)
2002 Tyler Hamilton
2004 Fred Rodriguez
2005 David Zabriskie