# 1938 Giro d'Italia

The 1938 Giro d'Italia was the 26th edition of the Giro d'Italia, organized and sponsored by the newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport. The race began on 7 May in Milan with a stage that stretched 182 km (113 mi) to Turin, finishing back in Milan on 29 May after a split stage and a total distance covered of 3,645.8 km (2,265 mi). The race was won by the Italian rider Giovanni Valetti of the Fréjus team, with fellow Italians Ezio Cecchi and Severino Canavesi coming in second and third respectively.

## Participants

Of the 94 riders that began the Giro d'Italia on 7 May, 50 of them made it to the finish in Milan on 29 May. Riders were allowed to ride as a member of a team or group; 61 riders competed as part of a team, while the remaining 33 competed as a part of a group. The nine teams that partook in the race were: Bianchi, Dei, Fréjus, Ganna, Gloria-Ambrosiana, Lygie-Settebello, Legnano, Olympia, and Wolsit-Binda. The teams ranged from six to eight riders each. There were also seven groups, made up of three to five riders each, that participated in the race. Those groups were: U. C. Modenese, Il Littoriale, La Voce di Mantova, U.S. Azzini, U.S. Canelli, Dopolavoro Mater, and Gruppo A.
The peloton was composed primarily of Italian riders. The field featured one former Giro d'Italia winners with Francesco Camusso who won the race in 1931. Reigning champion Gino Bartali did not enter the race because the Italian government ordered him to race the Tour de France instead. Other notable Italian riders included Olimpio Bizzi, Giovanni Valetti, Ezio Cecchi, and Giuseppe Olmo. Swiss rider Leo Amberg who placed high at the 1936 and 1937 Tours de France competed in the race.

## Route and stages

Stage results :
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Type | Winner |
| 1 | May 7 | Milan to Turin | 182 km (113 mi) | | Plain stage | Marco Cimatti (ITA) |
| 2 | May 8 | Turin to Sanremo | 204 km (127 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Mario Vicini (ITA) |
| 3 | May 9 | Sanremo to Santa Margherita Ligure | 172 km (107 mi) | | Plain stage | Giovanni Gotti (ITA) |
| 4a | May 10 | Santa Margherita Ligure to La Spezia | 81 km (50 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Giovanni Valetti (ITA) |
| 4b | May 10 | La Spezia to Montecatini Terme | 110 km (68 mi) | | Plain stage | Walter Generati (ITA) |
| | May 11 | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day |
| 5 | May 12 | Montecatini Terme to Chianciano Terme | 184 km (114 mi) | | Plain stage | Salvatore Crippa (ITA) |
| 6 | May 13 | Chianciano Terme to Rieti | 160 km (99 mi) | | Plain stage | Adolfo Leoni (ITA) |
| 7a | May 14 | Rieti to Monte Terminillo | 19.8 km (12 mi) | | Individual time trial | Giovanni Valetti (ITA) |
| 7b | May 14 | Rieti to Rome | 152 km (94 mi) | | Plain stage | Cino Cinelli (ITA) |
| 8 | May 15 | Rome to Naples | 234 km (145 mi) | | Plain stage | Raffaele Di Paco (ITA) |
| | May 16 | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day |
| 9 | May 17 | Naples to Lanciano | 221 km (137 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Giordano Cottur (ITA) |
| 10 | May 18 | Lanciano to Ascoli Piceno | 149 km (93 mi) | | Plain stage | Raffaele Di Paco (ITA) |
| 11 | May 19 | Ascoli Piceno to Ravenna | 268 km (167 mi) | | Plain stage | Cino Cinelli (ITA) |
| 12 | May 20 | Ravenna to Treviso | 199 km (124 mi) | | Plain stage | Raffaele Di Paco (ITA) |
| | May 21 | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day |
| 13 | May 22 | Treviso to Trieste | 207 km (129 mi) | | Plain stage | Cesare Del Cancia (ITA) |
| 14 | May 23 | Trieste to Belluno | 243 km (151 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Olimpio Bizzi (ITA) |
| | May 24 | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day |
| 15 | May 25 | Belluno to Recoaro Terme | 154 km (96 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Giovanni Valetti (ITA) |
| | May 26 | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day |
| 16 | May 27 | Recoaro Terme to Bergamo | 272 km (169 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Diego Marabelli (ITA) |
| 17 | May 28 | Bergamo to Varese | 154 km (96 mi) | | Plain stage | Cesare Del Cancia (ITA) |
| 18a | May 29 | Varese to Locarno | 100 km (62 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Leo Amberg (SUI) |
| 18b | May 29 | Locarno to Milan | 180 km (112 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Olimpio Bizzi (ITA) |
| | Total | Total | 3,645.8 km (2,265 mi) | 3,645.8 km (2,265 mi) | 3,645.8 km (2,265 mi) | 3,645.8 km (2,265 mi) | 3,645.8 km (2,265 mi) |

## Classification leadership

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.
In the mountains classification, the race organizers selected different mountains that the route crossed and awarded points to the riders who crossed them first.
The winner of the team classification was determined by adding the finish times of the best three cyclists per team together and the team with the lowest total time was the winner. If a team had fewer than three riders finish, they were not eligible for the classification. The group classification was decided in the same manner, but the classification was exclusive to the competing groups.
The rows in the following table correspond to the jerseys awarded after that stage was run.
| Stage | Winner | General classification | Best isolati rider | Mountains classification | Team classification | Group classification |
| 1 | Marco Cimatti | Marco Cimatti | Edoardo Molinar | not awarded | Bianchi | Il Littoriale |
| 2 | Mario Vicini | Mario Vicini | Settimo Simonini | Mario Vicini | Bianchi | U.S. Canelli |
| 3 | Giovanni Gotti | Cesare Del Cancia | Settimo Simonini | Mario Vicini | Bianchi | Il Littoriale |
| 4a | Giovanni Valetti | Cesare Del Cancia | Settimo Simonini | Mario Vicini | Bianchi | Dopolavoro Mater |
| 4b | Walter Generati | Cesare Del Cancia | Settimo Simonini | Mario Vicini | Bianchi | Dopolavoro Mater |
| 5 | Salvatore Crippa | Cesare Del Cancia | Michele Benente | Giovanni Valetti | Bianchi | U.S. Canelli |
| 6 | Adolfo Leoni | Cesare Del Cancia | Michele Benente | Giovanni Valetti | Bianchi | Il Littoriale |
| 7a | Giovanni Valetti | Cesare Del Cancia | Michele Benente | Giovanni Valetti | Bianchi | Il Littoriale |
| 7b | Cino Cinelli | Cesare Del Cancia | Michele Benente | Giovanni Valetti | Bianchi | Il Littoriale |
| 8 | Raffaele Di Paco | Cesare Del Cancia | Michele Benente | Giovanni Valetti | Bianchi | Il Littoriale |
| 9 | Giordano Cottur | Giovanni Valetti | Michele Benente | Giovanni Valetti | Fréjus | Dopolavoro Mater |
| 10 | Raffaele Di Paco | Giovanni Valetti | Michele Benente | Giovanni Valetti | Fréjus | Il Littoriale |
| 11 | Cino Cinelli | Giovanni Valetti | Michele Benente | Giovanni Valetti | Fréjus | Il Littoriale |
| 12 | Raffaele Di Paco | Giovanni Valetti | Michele Benente | Giovanni Valetti | Fréjus | U.S. Canelli |
| 13 | Cesare Del Cancia | Giovanni Valetti | Michele Benente | Giovanni Valetti | Bianchi | U.S. Canelli |
| 14 | Olimpio Bizzi | Giovanni Valetti | Michele Benente | Giovanni Valetti | Bianchi | U.S. Canelli |
| 15 | Giovanni Valetti | Giovanni Valetti | Settimo Simonini | Giovanni Valetti | Gloria-Ambrosiana | U.S. Canelli |
| 16 | Diego Marabelli | Giovanni Valetti | Settimo Simonini | Giovanni Valetti | Gloria-Ambrosiana | U.S. Canelli |
| 17 | Cesare Del Cancia | Giovanni Valetti | Settimo Simonini | Giovanni Valetti | Gloria-Ambrosiana | U.S. Canelli |
| 18a | Leo Amberg | Giovanni Valetti | Settimo Simonini | Giovanni Valetti | Gloria-Ambrosiana | U.S. Canelli |
| 18b | Olimpio Bizzi | Giovanni Valetti | Settimo Simonini | Giovanni Valetti | Gloria-Ambrosiana | U.S. Canelli |
| Final | Final | Giovanni Valetti | Settimo Simonini | Giovanni Valetti | Gloria-Ambrosiana | U.S. Canelli |

## Final standings

Legend :
| Denotes the winner of the General classification | Denotes the winner of the Best Isolati Rider classification |

### General classification

Final general classification (1–10) :
| Rank | Name | Team | Time |
| 1 | Giovanni Valetti (ITA) | Fréjus | 112h 49' 28" |
| 2 | Ezio Cecchi (ITA) | Gloria | + 8' 52" |
| 3 | Severino Canavesi (ITA) | Gloria | + 9' 06" |
| 4 | Settimo Simonini (ITA) | U.S. Canelli | + 15' 50" |
| 5 | Michele Benente (ITA) | U.S. Canelli | + 19' 40" |
| 6 | Walter Generati (ITA) | Bianchi | + 22' 02" |
| 7 | Cesare Del Cancia (ITA) | Ganna | + 24' 07" |
| 8 | Karl Litschi (SUI) | Olympia | + 29' 24" |
| 9 | Ruggero Balli (ITA) | Bianchi | + 32' 23" |
| 10 | Adalino Mealli (ITA) | Wolsit | + 38' 38" |

### Isolati classification

Final isolati rider classification (1–10) :
| Rank | Name | Team | Time |
| 1 | Settimo Simonini (ITA) | U.S. Canelli | 113h 05' 17" |
| 2 | Michele Benente (ITA) | U.S. Canelli | + 3' 57" |
| 3 | Richard Menapace (ITA) | Dopolavoro Mater | + 1h 04' 56" |
| 4 | Remo Cerasa (ITA) | Il Littoriale | + 2h 05' 29" |
| 5 | Zoarino Guidi (ITA) | Il Littoriale | + 2h 08' 03" |
| 6 | Edgardo Scappini (ITA) | U.S. Azzini | + 2h 09' 54" |
| 7 | Fulvio Montini (ITA) | U.S. Azzini | + 2h 17' 17" |
| 8 | Ascanio Arcangeli (ITA) | Il Littoriale | + 2h 42' 08" |
| 9 | Gilberto De Paolis (ITA) | Dopolavoro Mater | + 2h 43' 12" |
| 10 | Walter Fantini (ITA) | U.C. Modenese | + 3h 15' 28" |

### Mountains classification

Final mountains classification (1–8) :
| | Name | Team | Points |
| 1 | Giovanni Valetti (ITA) | Fréjus | 29 |
| 2 | Giordano Cottur (ITA) | Lygie | 26 |
| 3 | Ezio Cecchi (ITA) | Gloria | 18 |
| 4 | Settimo Simonini (ITA) | U.S. Canelli | 13 |
| 5 | Karl Litschi (SUI) | Olympia | 9 |
| 5 | Adalino Mealli (ITA) | Wolsit | 9 |
| 7 | Severino Canavesi (ITA) | Gloria | 8 |
| 8 | Bernardo Rogora (ITA) | Gloria | 5 |
| 8 | Michele Benente (ITA) | U.S. Canelli | 5 |
| 8 | Olimpio Bizzi (ITA) | Fréjus | 5 |

### Team classification

Final team classification (1–7) :
| | Team | Time |
| 1 | Gloria-Ambrosiana | 340h 5' 28" |
| 2 | Bianchi | + 3' 06" |
| 3 | Fréjus | + 51' 18" |
| 4 | Ganna | + 1h 49' 00" |
| 5 | Wolsit-S.C. Binda | + 4h 22' 32" |
| 6 | Dei | + 5h 15' 52" |
| 7 | Olympia | + 9h 11' 44" |

### Group classification

Final group classification (1–3) :
| Rank | Team | Time |
| 1 | U.S. Canelli | 243h 17' 44" |
| 2 | Il Littoriale | + 2h 53' 47" |
| 3 | Dopolavoro Mater | + 3h 36' 32" |