Between 1946 and 1951 a special jersey was awarded to the last cyclist in the general classification of the Giro d ‘Italia, called Maglia Nera. The idea came from a story in the 1920s. A football player, called Giuseppe Ticozzelli was such a cycling enthusiast, that he attended the race as an individual rider in … Read more
Giovanni Brunero was born on the 4 October 1895 in San Maurizio Canavese, Italy. Brunero was the first rider to win the Giro d’Italia 3 times (1921, 1922, 1926), which was a remarkable result during the era of Costante Girardengo and Alfredo Binda. On the other hand, Brunero’s triumphs seemed to be not entirely undisputable. … Read more
Learco Guerra was born on the 14 of October 1902 in Bagnolo San Vito, Italy. After a short attempt to be a football player, Guerra turned to road cycling and became professional in 1928. He was among the top riders of the era both in the peloton of the Grand Tours and the one-day classics. … Read more
Giuseppe Enrici was born on the 16 Juni 1894 in Pittsburgh, USA. Although he was born in America, he was an Italian citizen at the time when he won the Giro d’Italia (1924). He also won two stages that year. His other results at the Giro: 3rd (1921), 6th (1923) 5th 1926) 13th (1928). He … Read more
Every generation has its “eternal second” rider. During the post WW1 period in Italy, this was Gaetano Belloni. Belloni was born on the 26th of August in 1892 in Pizzighettone, Italy. Before turning professional, he won several races as amateur, including the Italian Championship. There were significantly more races held during the first World War … Read more