Giro d’Italia 2024 Stage 3

Vitange cycling  image of the day on PelotonTales: Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi in the Dolomites at Giro d’Italia 1940. Before Giro d’Italia 1940, Gino Bartali was already two-time Giro d’Italia (1936, 1937) and one-time Tour de France (1938) winner. He was the leader of the Legnano team in 1940, but had an ambicious and … Read more

Cycling in extreme weather: Charly Gaul on the famous stage 20 up to Monte Bondone at the Giro d’Italia 1956   Race director Vincenzo Torriani was asked to cancel the stage due to the rough weather conditions were forecasted. But he declined it, he may have thought, this could make the unexciting race exciting again. … Read more

Passo dello Stelvio (Stelvio Pass) is a 2757 m high pass in the Alps. The ascent was introduced to the Giro d’Italia in 1953. That stage was won by Fausto Coppi

Gianni Motta, Vittorio Adorni, Jacques Anquetil and Felice Gimondi are having fun at the Giro d’Italia in 1966. The race was won by Gianni Motta ahead of Italo Zilioli and Jacques Anquetil. Related blogpost(s) Iconic Places: Puy de Dôme Cycling Who’s Who: Vittorio Adorni The first Vuelta-Tour double (Jacques Anquetil, 1963)    

Alfredo Binda was the scond Campionissimo in the history of Italian road cycling. He was the first rider to win 4 Giro d’Italia titles (1925, 1927, 1928, 1929). This picture was taken during the Giro d’Italia in 1929. After Binda has won his record breaking 4th Giro d’Italia, the organizers were worried about the race … Read more

Tour de France 2023 presented a great gift for every road cycling history fans: after 35 years Puy de Dôme was reintroduced to the race. Although the 9th stage of Tour de France 2023 was only the 14th appearance of the ascent, it became one of the most iconic places in the history road cycling … Read more

It might sound unbelievable, but Fausto Coppi, the third Campionissio of the Italian cycling, one of the greatest legends of the sport rode Tour de France only 3 times. From our rather nostalgic point of view it appears as a longer period. But no. It happened only three times between 1949 and 1952. So big … Read more

There is a simple reason, why Alpe d’Huez was introduced to the Tour de France only in 1952, while the race visited the Alps since 1911 frequently: there is only one way up to the top, hence the stage must be finished there. But the concept of a hilltop finish wasn’t born yet. Indeed, the … Read more

Unlike the other two grand tours with a history started before the first world war, the first Vuelta a Espana was held in 1935. It was a spring race until the 1990s, right before (or sometimes almost at the same time as) the Giro d’Italia. Also, for almost two decades, it was really unpredictable, when … Read more

Due to the system of Tour de France was competed by national teams between 1930 and 1961, the spectators of the race witnessed Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali riding in the same team during the late 1940s and early 1950s. This situation sometimes put the diplomatic skills of team manager Alfredo Binda to the test. … Read more

In its more than 120-year-long history Tour de France, the most famous road cycling race of the world witnessed good time and bad time either. It had plenty of glourious moments, but also some shameful ones. Here are the four (arguably) most scandalous editions in the history of Tour de France . 1904 – an … Read more

Due to the system of Tour de France was competed by national teams between 1930 and 1961, the spectators of the race witnessed Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali riding in the same team during the late 1940s and early 1950s. This situation sometimes put the diplomatic skills of team manager Alfredo Binda to the test. … Read more

Tour de France in 1949 was one of the peaks of the great rivalry between the two Italian superlegends Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi. Bartali has won the Tour already twice (1938 and 1948). Coppi never rode the race before, but he triumphed at the Giro d’Italia that year (it was his third victory after … Read more

Vitange cycling  image of the day on PelotonTales: Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi in the Dolomites at Giro d’Italia 1940. Before Giro d’Italia 1940, Gino Bartali was already two-time Giro d’Italia (1936, 1937) and one-time Tour de France (1938) winner. He was the leader of the Legnano team in 1940, but had an ambicious and … Read more

As La Vuelta ciclista a España (19 August-11 September 2022), the last three-week race of of the season is nearing, let’s talk about the cyclists who won all the three grand tours at least one time. Jacques Anquetil was the first rider to achieve this, when he finally won the Vuelta in 1963.  At that … Read more