Alfredo Binda ( 1902-1986), the second “Campionissimo”of the Italian cycling dominated at the Giro d’Italia in the second half of the 1920s. In 1929 he managed to win the race for the 4th time (after 1925, 1927 and 1928). This was a new record then.
He was invincible and flawless. According to the French rider René Vietto, Binda could ride with a cup of milk on his back and it would remain full.
But road cycling was always the sport, that lives rather from Greek-tragedy like dramas, from the human side of attempting and failing. Especially those early days when organizing a race depended from the selling numbers of a newspaper (La Gazzetta dello Sport in this case). Great stories were everything, and paradoxically the never-losing Binda wasn’t enough interesting.
The organizers wanted to keep him away from the Giro d’Italia, so they paid him money equal to the prize of the Giro-victory and the prize for six stage wins additionally. Binda accepted the 22 500 lire offer and did not take part at the Giro d’Italia that year. Instead, he rode Tour de France for the first and last time (and won two stages).
Alfredo Binda returned to the Giro d’Italia in the next year, but didn’t finished it. He won his 5th Giro d’Italia in 1933. Only two riders managed to win GIro d’Italia the same number of times: Fausto Coppi (1940, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1953) and Eddy Merckx (1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974).
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