Giro d'Italia

The **Giro d'Italia**, or Tour of Italy, is a famous bicycle race held in Italy, every spring. It is one of the most famous, and best paid bicycle races. The first race was in 1909.  It started because the editor of a newspaper called _La Gazzetta dello Sport_ wanted more people to read his newspaper.  He planned a race similar to the Tour de France, which had started in 1903.

The leader of the race wears a pink jersey called the _maglia rosa_.  This is because pink is the colour of _La Gazzetta dello Sport_.  For many years, the leader of the mountain climbing competition wore a green jersey (called the _maglia verde_), but a change in the sponsor for that competition led to a jersey change in 2012. The mountains leader now wears a blue jersey (called the _maglia azzurra_). Similarly, the leader of the sprinters' competition wore a mauve jersey (called the _maglia ciclamino_) for many years. However, a sponsorship change in 2010 also led to a jersey change. The sprints leader now wears a red jersey (called _maglia rosso passione_).  The leader of the young riders' competition, for riders under age 25, wears a white jersey (called the _maglia bianca_).  This is the same as the young riders' competition in the Tour de France.

## Winners of the Giro d'Italia

|Giro|Year|Winner|Nationality|Team|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|95|2012|Ryder Hesjedal||Garmin-Barracuda|
|94|2011|Michele Scarponi||Lampre-ISD|
|93|2010|Ivan Basso||Liquigas|
|92|2009|Denis Menchov||Rabobank|
|91|2008|Alberto Contador Velasco||Astana|
|90|2007|Danilo Di Luca||Liquigas|
|89|2006|Ivan Basso||Team CSC|
|88|2005|Paolo Savoldelli (2)||Discovery Channel|
|87|2004|Damiano Cunego||Saeco|
|86|2003|Gilberto Simoni (2)||Saeco|
|85|2002|Paolo Savoldelli||Index-Alexia|
|84|2001|Gilberto Simoni||Lampre-Daikin|
|83|2000|Stefano Garzelli||Mercatone Uno|
|82|1999|Ivan Gotti (2)||Polti|
|81|1998|Marco Pantani||Mercatone Uno|
|80|1997|Ivan Gotti||Saeco|
|79|1996|Pavel Tonkov||Mapei-GB|
|78|1995|Tony Rominger||Mapei-GB|
|77|1994|Eugeni Berzin||Gewiss-Ballan|
|76|1993|Miguel Indurain (2)||Banesto|
|75|1992|Miguel Indurain||Banesto|
|74|1991|Franco Chioccioli||del Tongo|
|73|1990|Gianni Bugno||Chateau d'Ax|
|72|1989|Laurent Fignon||Super U-Raleigh-Fiat|
|71|1988|Andrew Hampsten||7-Eleven|
|70|1987|Stephen Roche||Carrera-Vagabond|
|69|1986|Roberto Visentini||Carrera-Inoxpran|
|68|1985|Bernard Hinault (3)||La Vie Claire|
|67|1984|Francesco Moser||Gis-Tuc Lu|
|66|1983|Giuseppe Saronni (2)||Del Tongo|
|65|1982|Bernard Hinault (2)||Renault-Elf-Gitane|
|64|1981|Giovanni Battaglin||Inoxpran|
|63|1980|Bernard Hinault||Renault-Elf-Gitane|
|62|1979|Giuseppe Saronni||Scic|
|61|1978|Johan de Muynck||Bianchi-Faema|
|60|1977|Michel Pollentier||Flandria-Velda|
|59|1976|Felice Gimondi (3)||Bianchi-Campagnolo|
|58|1975|Fausto Bertoglio||Jollyceramica|
|57|1974|Eddy Merckx (5)||Molteni|
|56|1973|Eddy Merckx (4)||Molteni|
|55|1972|Eddy Merckx (3)||Molteni|
|54|1971|Gösta Pettersson||Ferretti|
|53|1970|Eddy Merckx (2)||Faema|
|52|1969|Felice Gimondi (2)||Faema|
|51|1968|Eddy Merckx||Faema|
|50|1967|Felice Gimondi||Salvarani|
|49|1966|Gianni Motta||Molteni|
|48|1965|Vittorio Adorni||Salvarani|
|47|1964|Jacques Anquetil (2)||St.Raphael|
|46|1963|Franco Balmamion (2)||Carpano|
|45|1962|Franco Balmamion||Carpano|
|44|1961|Arnaldo Pambianco||Fides|
|43|1960|Jacques Anquetil||Fynsec|
|42|1959|Charly Gaul (2)||Emi G. S.|
|41|1958|Ercole Baldini||Legnano|
|40|1957|Gastone Nencini||Chlorodont|
|39|1956|Charly Gaul||Faema-Guerra|
|38|1955|Fiorenzo Magni (3)||Nivea-Fuchs|
|37|1954|Carlo Clerici||Faema-Guerra|
|36|1953|Fausto Coppi (5)||Bianchi-Pirelli|
|35|1952|Fausto Coppi (4)||Bianchi-Pirelli|
|34|1951|Fiorenzo Magni (2)||Ganna|
|33|1950|Hugo Koblet||Guerra|
|32|1949|Fausto Coppi (3)||Bianchi-Ursus|
|31|1948|Fiorenzo Magni||Willier Triestina|
|30|1947|Fausto Coppi (2)||Bianchi|
|29|1946|Gino Bartali (3)||Legnano|
|colspan=5 align=center|1941 to 1945: no race because of World War II||||
|28|1940|Fausto Coppi|Italy|Legnano|
|27|1939|Giovanni Valetti (2)|Italy|France Sport-Wobler|
|26|1938|Giovanni Valetti|Italy|Fresjus|
|25|1937|Gino Bartali (2)|Italy|Legnano|
|24|1936|Gino Bartali|Italy|Legnano|
|23|1935|Vasco Bergamaschi|Italy|Maino-Girardengo|
|22|1934|Learco Guerra|Italy|Maino-Clement|
|21|1933|Alfredo Binda (5)|Italy|Legnano|
|20|1932|Antonio Pesenti|Italy|Dei|
|19|1931|Francesco Camusso|Italy|Gloria|
|18|1930|Luigi Marchisio|Italy|Legnano|
|17|1929|Alfredo Binda (4)|Italy|Legnano|
|16|1928|Alfredo Binda (3)|Italy|Legnano|
|15|1927|Alfredo Binda (2)|Italy|Legnano|
|14|1926|Giovanni Brunero (3)|Italy|Legnano|
|13|1925|Alfredo Binda|Italy|Legnano|
|12|1924|Giuseppe Enrici|Italy||
|11|1923|Costante Girardengo|Italy|Maino|
|10|1922|Giovanni Brunero (2)|Italy|Legnano|
|9|1921|Giovanni Brunero|Italy|Legnano|
|8|1920|Gaetano Belloni|Italy|Bianchi|
|7|1919|Costante Girardengo|Italy|Stucchi|
|colspan=5 align=center|1915 to 1918: no race because of World War I||||
|6|1914|Alfonso Calzolari|Italy|Stucchi|
|5|1913|Carlo Oriani|Italy|Maino|
|4|1912|Team Atala: Carlo Galetti (3), Giovanni Micheletto, Eberardo Pavesi ||  Italy|| Team Atala|||
|3|1911|Carlo Galetti (2)|Italy|Bianchi|
|2|1910|Carlo Galetti|Italy|Team Atala|
|1|1909|Luigi Ganna|Italy|Team Atala|