The Giro visits Brescia:
The Giro has been taking the road less traveled for much
of the first two weeks. Brescia is like an old friend in
comparision.
The Giro first came here in 1930 as Loenida Frascarelli
took the stage. Other riders to have given a victory
salute here include Adolfo Leoni (1947, 1951), Merckx
(1968), Bugno (1991), and most recently Cipollini (2002).
May 22nd in the Giro:
Carlo Galetti won in Teramo in 1910. He had finished 2nd
to Luigi Ganna in 1909's inaugural Giro. But a year later
he had improved enough to win.
We haven't said enough about Coppi. So let's talk about
his May 22nd time trial in Rocca di Papa in 1952. Yes, he
won. But the story is really told in the time gaps. Over
the 35km he put 1:29 into Ockers, 1:59 into Kubler, 2:45
into Bartali. Magni lost 2:59 and Koblet finished over 3
minutes back. Coppi had that Giro under control and he
would win by 9 minutes over Magni. And take the Tour in
July as well.
Spain has a great history in this race, but no Spanish
rider ever wore pink until Salvador Botella turned the trick
on this date in 1958. He kept it for only a day.
The 1959 Giro featured a climbers time trial on this date
in Vesuvius. Charly Gaul erupted for the win.
Merckx took the stage to Terracina and the pink jersey on
this date in 1969. A little over a week later that Giro
would explode into controversy in Savona when Merckx would
be fail doping control and be thrown out of the race.
In 1981 a twenty year old Moreno Argentin would become one
of the youngest Giro stage winners in Cosenza. He showed
it was not a fluke when exactly one year later he would
win again in Agrigento.
Only one Portuguese has ever worn pink, and it happened to
Acacio Di Silva in 1989. He would lose it with the next
stage. He regained it several days later, again for only
a day.
Marco Pantani won in Gran Sasso d'Italia on this date in
1999. He would receive a pink jersey for his efforts
although he would return it to Laurent Jalabert after the
next day's time trial. He was on top of his game having
been the first Italian in 34 years to have taken the Tour
the year before. In a few weeks it would all turn upside
down and the seeds of his long decline into depression and
suicide would be planted as a result of his ejection for
failing a pre-race blood test. Today we remember his
successes, while keeping in mind his failures.