# 1961 Giro d'Italia

The 1961 Giro d'Italia was the 44th running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tour races. The Giro started in Turin, on 20 May, with a 115 km (71.5 mi) stage and concluded in Milan, on 11 June, with a 214 km (133.0 mi) leg. A total of 170 riders from 17 teams entered the 21-stage race, which was won by Italian Arnaldo Pambianco of the Fides team. The second and third places were taken by Frenchman Jacques Anquetil and Spaniard Antonio Suárez, respectively.

## Teams

A total of 17 teams were invited to participate in the 1961 Giro d'Italia. Each team sent a squad of ten riders, so the Giro began with a peloton of 170 cyclists. Out of the 170 riders that started this edition of the Giro d'Italia, a total of 92 riders made it to the finish in Milan. Legnano initially threatened to not participate in the Giro.
The 17 teams that took part in the race were:
| Atala Baratti Bianchi Carpano EMI Faema | Fides Helyett–Fynsec–Hutchinson Gazzola–Fiorelli Ghigi Ignis Legnano | Molteni Philco San Pelligrino Torpado VOV |

## Pre-race favorites

There was initial belief that Charly Gaul would not race the Giro.

## Route and stages

The route was revealed on 22 April 1961.
Stage characteristics and winners :
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Type | Winner |
| 1 | 20 May | Turin to Turin | 115 km (71 mi) | | Plain stage | Miguel Poblet (ESP) |
| 2 | 21 May | Turin to Sanremo | 185 km (115 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Miguel Poblet (ESP) |
| 3 | 22 May | Sanremo to Genoa | 149 km (93 mi) | | Plain stage | Willy Schroeders (BEL) |
| 4 | 23 May | Cagliari to Cagliari | 118 km (73 mi) | | Plain stage | Oreste Magni (ITA) |
| 5 | 24 May | Marsala to Palermo | 144 km (89 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Louis Proost (BEL) |
| | 25 May | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day |
| 6 | 26 May | Palermo to Milazzo | 224 km (139 mi) | | Plain stage | Nino Defilippis (ITA) |
| 7 | 27 May | Reggio Calabria to Cosenza | 221 km (137 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Antonio Suárez (ESP) |
| 8 | 28 May | Cosenza to Taranto | 237 km (147 mi) | | Plain stage | Piet van Est (NED) |
| 9 | 29 May | Castellana Grotte to Bari | 53 km (33 mi) | | Individual time trial | Jacques Anquetil (FRA) |
| 10 | 30 May | Bari to Potenza | 140 km (87 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Vito Taccone (ITA) |
| 11 | 31 May | Potenza to Teano | 252 km (157 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Pietro Chiodini (ITA) |
| 12 | 1 June | Gaeta to Rome | 149 km (93 mi) | | Plain stage | Renato Giusti (ITA) |
| 13 | 2 June | Mentana to Castelfidardo | 279 km (173 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Rik Van Looy (BEL) |
| 14 | 3 June | Ancona to Florence | 250 km (155 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Silvano Ciampi (ITA) |
| 15 | 4 June | Florence to Modena | 178 km (111 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Rik Van Looy (BEL) |
| 16 | 5 June | Modena to Vicenza | 207 km (129 mi) | | Plain stage | Adriano Zamboni (ITA) |
| 17 | 6 June | Vicenza to Trieste | 204 km (127 mi) | | Plain stage | Rik Van Looy (BEL) |
| | 7 June | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day |
| 18 | 8 June | Trieste to Vittorio Veneto | 161 km (100 mi) | | Plain stage | Renato Giusti (ITA) |
| 19 | 9 June | Vittorio Veneto to Trento | 249 km (155 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Willy Schroeders (BEL) |
| 20 | 10 June | Trento to Bormio | 275 km (171 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Charly Gaul (LUX) |
| 21 | 11 June | Bormio to Milan | 214 km (133 mi) | | Plain stage | Miguel Poblet (ESP) |
| | Total | Total | 4,004 km (2,488 mi) | 4,004 km (2,488 mi) | 4,004 km (2,488 mi) | 4,004 km (2,488 mi) | 4,004 km (2,488 mi) |

## Classification leadership

One jersey was worn during the 1961 Giro d'Italia. The leader of the general classification – calculated by adding the stage finish times of each rider – wore a pink jersey. This classification is the most important of the race, and its winner is considered as the winner of the Giro.
The mountains classification leader. The climbs were ranked in first and second categories. In this ranking, points were won by reaching the summit of a climb ahead of other cyclists. There were three categories of mountains. The first category awarded 50, 40, 30, 20, and 10 points, the second distributed 40, 30, 20, and 10 points, and the third category gave 30, 20, and 10 points. Although no jersey was awarded, there was also one classification for the teams, in which the teams were awarded points for their rider's performance during the stages.
Classification leadership by stage :
| Stage | Winner | General classification | Mountains classification | Team classification |
| 1 | Miguel Poblet | Miguel Poblet | not awarded | Ignis |
| 2 | Miguel Poblet | Miguel Poblet | Angelo Conterno | Ignis |
| 3 | Willy Schroeders | Miguel Poblet | Angelo Conterno | Faema |
| 4 | Oreste Magni | Miguel Poblet | Angelo Conterno | Faema |
| 5 | Louis Proost | Miguel Poblet | Angelo Conterno | Faema |
| 6 | Nino Defilippis | Miguel Poblet | Angelo Conterno | Faema |
| 7 | Antonio Suárez | Antonio Suárez | Angelo Conterno & Edouard Delberghe | Faema |
| 8 | Piet van Est | Guillaume Van Tongerloo | Angelo Conterno & Edouard Delberghe | Faema |
| 9 | Jacques Anquetil | Guillaume Van Tongerloo | Angelo Conterno & Edouard Delberghe | Faema |
| 10 | Vito Taccone | Jacques Anquetil | Angelo Conterno & Edouard Delberghe | Faema |
| 11 | Pietro Chiodini | Jacques Anquetil | Vito Taccone & Federico Bahamontes | Faema |
| 12 | Renato Giusti | Jacques Anquetil | Vito Taccone & Federico Bahamontes | Faema |
| 13 | Rik Van Looy | Jacques Anquetil | Vito Taccone & Federico Bahamontes | Faema |
| 14 | Silvano Ciampi | Arnaldo Pambianco | Vito Taccone | Faema |
| 15 | Rik Van Looy | Arnaldo Pambianco | Vito Taccone | Faema |
| 16 | Adriano Zamboni | Arnaldo Pambianco | Vito Taccone | Faema |
| 17 | Rik Van Looy | Arnaldo Pambianco | Vito Taccone | Faema |
| 18 | Renato Giusti | Arnaldo Pambianco | Vito Taccone | Faema |
| 19 | Willy Schroeders | Arnaldo Pambianco | Vito Taccone | Faema |
| 20 | Charly Gaul | Arnaldo Pambianco | Vito Taccone | Faema |
| 21 | Miguel Poblet | Arnaldo Pambianco | Vito Taccone | Faema |
| Final | Final | Arnaldo Pambianco | Vito Taccone | Faema |

## Final standings

Legend :
* Denotes the winner of the General classification

### General classification

Final general classification (1–10) :
| Rank | Name | Team | Time |
| 1 | Arnaldo Pambianco (ITA) | Fides | 111h 25' 28" |
| 2 | Jacques Anquetil (FRA) | Helyett–Fynsec–Hutchinson | + 3' 45" |
| 3 | Antonio Suárez (ESP) | EMI | + 4' 17" |
| 4 | Charly Gaul (LUX) | Gazzola–Fiorelli | + 4' 22" |
| 5 | Guido Carlesi (ITA) | Philco | + 8' 08" |
| 6 | Hans Junkermann (GER) | Gazzola–Fiorelli | + 12' 25" |
| 7 | Rik Van Looy (BEL) | Faema | + 12' 38" |
| 8 | Guillaume Van Tongerloo (BEL) | Faema | + 14' 18" |
| 9 | Carlo Brugnami (ITA) | Torpado | + 16' 05" |
| 10 | Nino Defilippis (ITA) | Carpano | + 16' 23" |

### Mountains classification

Final mountains classification (1–10) :
| Rank | Name | Team | Points |
| 1 | Vito Taccone (ITA) | Atala | 270 |
| 2 | Gabriel Mas (ESP) | EMI | 130 |
| 3 | Imerio Massignan (ITA) | Legnano | 120 |
| 4 | Hans Junkermann (GER) | Gazzola–Fiorelli | 70 |
| 4 | Jesús Galdeano (ESP) | EMI | 70 |
| 4 | Angelo Conterno (ITA) | Baratti | 70 |
| 7 | Guido Carlesi (ITA) | Philco | 50 |
| 7 | Rik Van Looy (BEL) | Faema | 50 |
| 7 | Charly Gaul (LUX) | Gazzola–Fiorelli | 50 |
| 10 | Edouard Delberghe (FRA) | Helyett–Fynsec–Hutchinson | 40 |
| 10 | Arnaldo Pambianco (ITA) | Fides | 40 |

### Team classification

Final team classification (1–10) :
| Rank | Team | Points |
| 1 | Faema | 4959 |
| 2 | Torpado | 1964 |
| 3 | Ignis | 1787 |
| 4 | EMI | 1591 |
| 5 | Molteni | 1326 |
| 6 | Bianchi | 1137 |
| 7 | Baratti | 1010 |
| 8 | Helyett–Fynsec–Hutchinson | 950 |
| 9 | Fides | 849 |
| 10 | Atala | 838 |