# Learco Guerra

Learco Guerra (14 October 1902 – 7 February 1963) was an Italian professional road racing cyclist. The highlight of his career was his overall win in the 1934 Giro d'Italia. He was born in San Nicolò Po, a frazione of Bagnolo San Vito in Lombardy, gained the nickname of "Human Locomotive" for his enduring quality in plain stages. After mediocre attempts to play football, Guerra became a professional cyclist in 1928, at 26. The following year he became Italian champion, racing as an independent or semi-professional.
In 1930 he won his first Italian National Road Race Championships, the first of five straight wins. That same year he came second in the Tour de France after Italy's leader, Alfredo Binda, proved in poor form. The race was won by the Frenchman, André Leducq. In 1931 Guerra won four stages of the Giro d'Italia but not the final victory. In this Giro, he was the first rider who wore the pink jersey. The same year he won the world cycling championship.
In 1933 Guerra was again second in the Tour de France, and he won the Milan–San Remo. In 1934 came his greatest success, 10 stages of the Giro d'Italia and the general classification. He was also second in the world championship.
Guerra set a record of victories in a single year that was beaten only in the 1970s. His fame was exploited by the Fascist government, which profited from his heroic status.
After retirement, he worked as a team manager for riders such as Hugo Koblet and Charly Gaul.
Affected by Parkinson's disease, he died in Milan in 1963.

## Career achievements
### Major results
#### 1929

    1st Coppa Appennino
    1st Coppa Diamante
    1st Roncoferraro
    1st Vignola–Modena
    2nd Coppa San Geo

#### 1930

    1st National Road Championships, Road Race
    1st Circuito Monte Benici
    1st Predappio Alta–Roma
    1st Coppa Caivano
    1st Stages 8 & 11 Giro d'Italia
    1st Torino Criterium
    2nd UCI Road World Championships, Road Race
    2nd Overall Tour de France
       1st Stages 2, 13 & 15
    3rd Giro di Lombardia
    8th Milan–San Remo

#### 1931

    1st UCI Road World Championships, Road Race
    1st National Road Championships, Road Race
    1st Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
    1st Corsa del Commercio
    1st Coppa de la Victoria
    1st Prix Dupré-Lapize
    1st Stages 1, 2, 7 & 8 Giro d'Italia
    2nd Milan–San Remo

#### 1932

    1st National Road Championships, Road Race
    1st Giro di Campania
    1st Giro della Toscana
    1st Predappio Alta–Roma
    1st Stages 1, 4, 6, 7, 9 & 13 Giro d'Italia
    4th Grand Prix des Nations

#### 1933

    1st National Road Championships, Road Race
    1st Milan–San Remo
    1st Circuito Belfiore
    1st Bologna Criterium
    1st Corsa del Commercio
    1st Prix Goullet-Fogler
    1st Stages 1, 3 & 5 Giro d'Italia
    2nd Overall Tour de France
       1st Stages 2, 6, 7, 18 & 23
    2nd Giro delle Due Province Messina
    3rd Six Days of Paris

#### 1934

    1st National Road Championships, Road Race
    1st Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Stages 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12 & 14
    1st Giro di Lombardia
    1st GP Lugano
    1st Milano–Modena
    1st Giro di Campania
    1st Giro del Piemonte
    1st Corsa del Commercio
    1st GP Valle Scrivia
    1st Giro della Provincia Milano (with Domenico Piemontesi)
    1st Roma–Napoli–Roma
    1st Firenze Criterium
    1st Pavia Criterium
    2nd UCI Road World Championships, Road Race
    2nd Six Days of Paris
    2nd Prix Goullet-Fogler Madison

#### 1935

    1st Milano–Modena
    1st Giro della Romagna
    1st Giro della Provincia Milano
    1st Six Days of Antwerp
    2nd Milano–San Remo
    2nd Prix Houlier-Comès Madison
    2nd Six Days of Paris
    3rd Cossato Criterium
    4th Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Stages 3, 4, 7, 8 & 10

#### 1936

    1st Overall Giro della Provincia Milano (with Gino Bartali)

#### 1937

    1st Corsa del Commercio
    1st GP Lugano
    1st Stage 9 Giro d'Italia
    1st Cuneo Criterium
    2nd Six Days of Paris
    3rd Six Days of Brussels

#### 1938

    2nd Giro della Toscana
    3rd Overall Giro di Campania

#### 1939

    2nd Copa España

#### 1940

    1st Circuito de Casalecchio di Reno

#### 1942

    1st National Track Championships, Individual Pursuit

### Grand Tour general classification results timeline

| Grand Tour | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 |
| Giro d'Italia | — | DNF | 4 | DNF | 1 | 4 | DNF | DNF |
| Tour de France | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| Vuelta a España | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Legend :
| — | Did not compete |
| DNF | Did not finish |