1940 Giro d'Italia
# 1940 Giro d'Italia

The 1940 Giro d'Italia was the 28th edition of the Giro d'Italia, organized and sponsored by the newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport. The race began on 17 May 1940 in Milan with a stage that stretched 180 km (112 mi) to Turin, finishing back in Milan on 9 June 1940 after a 180 km (112 mi) stage and a total distance covered of 3,574 km (2,221 mi).

The race was won by Fausto Coppi (at his first participation) of the Legnano team, with fellow Italians Enrico Mollo and Giordano Cottur coming in second and third respectively.

Coppi, who was 20 years old at the time, is the youngest winner of the Giro.

## Participants

Of the 91 riders that began the Giro d'Italia on 17 May 1940, 47 of them made it to the finish in Milan on 9 June May. Riders were allowed to ride as a member of a team or group; 41 riders competed as part of a team, while the remaining 50 competed as a part of a group. The eight teams that partook in the race were: Bianchi, Legnano, Gloria, Olympia, Lygie, Gerbi. Each team started with either six or seven riders. The Ganna team did not start the race due to the team's Belgian riders not being cleared to enter the country. There were also seven groups, made up of three to five riders each, that participated in the race. Those groups were: S. C. Binda, G. S. Battisti-Aquilano, U. S. Azzini-Universal, Cicli Viscontea, Dopolavoro Az. Bemberg, U. C. Modenese, Il Littoriale, Dopolavoro Az. Vismara, S. S. Parioli, and G. S. Mater.

The peloton was composed primarily of Italian riders. The field featured two former Giro d'Italia winners with two-time winners Gino Bartali and Giovanni Valetti, who was the reigning champion. Bartali studied the route for the Giro intensely during the winter before the race and during reconnaissance rides, he befriended local business owners with the hopes of contacting for local road and weather conditions during the race. Other notable Italian riders included Olimpio Bizzi, Ezio Cecchi, and Fausto Coppi. The only non-Italian riders to compete in the race were Luxembourgian Christophe Didier and Swiss rider Walter Diggelmann. Bartali and Valetti were both seen a strong contenders for the overall title.

## Route and stages

Stage characteristics and winners :

| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Type | Winner |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 17 May | Milan to Turin | 180 km (112 mi) | | Plain stage | Olimpio Bizzi (ITA) |
| 2 | 18 May | Turin to Genoa | 226 km (140 mi) | | Plain stage | Pierino Favalli (ITA) |
| 3 | 19 May | Genoa to Pisa | 188 km (117 mi) | | Plain stage | Diego Marabelli (ITA) |
| 4 | 20 May | Pisa to Grosseto | 154 km (96 mi) | | Plain stage | Adolfo Leoni (ITA) |
| 5 | 21 May | Grosseto to Rome | 224 km (139 mi) | | Plain stage | Adolfo Leoni (ITA) |
| | 22 May | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day |
| 6 | 23 May | Rome to Naples | 238 km (148 mi) | | Plain stage | Glauco Servadei (ITA) |
| 7 | 24 May | Naples to Fiuggi | 178 km (111 mi) | | Plain stage | Walter Generati (ITA) |
| 8 | 25 May | Fiuggi to Terni | 183 km (114 mi) | | Plain stage | Olimpio Bizzi (ITA) |
| 9 | 26 May | Terni to Arezzo | 183 km (114 mi) | | Plain stage | Primo Volpi (ITA) |
| 10 | 27 May | Arezzo to Florence | 91 km (57 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Olimpio Bizzi (ITA) |
| | 28 May | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day |
| 11 | 29 May | Florence to Modena | 184 km (114 mi) | | Plain stage | Fausto Coppi (ITA) |
| 12 | 30 May | Modena to Ferrara | 199 km (124 mi) | | Plain stage | Adolfo Leoni (ITA) |
| 13 | 31 May | Ferrara to Treviso | 125 km (78 mi) | | Plain stage | Olimpio Bizzi (ITA) |
| 14 | 1 June | Treviso to Abbazia (Yugoslavia) | 215 km (134 mi) | | Plain stage | Glauco Servadei (ITA) |
| 15 | 2 June | Abbazia (Yugoslavia) to Trieste | 179 km (111 mi) | | Plain stage | Mario Vicini (ITA) |
| | 3 June | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day |
| 16 | 4 June | Trieste to Pieve di Cadore | 202 km (126 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Mario Vicini (ITA) |
| 17 | 5 June | Pieve di Cadore to Ortisei | 110 km (68 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Gino Bartali (ITA) |
| | 6 June | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day | Rest day |
| 18 | 7 June | Ortisei to Trento | 186 km (116 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Glauco Servadei (ITA) |
| 19 | 8 June | Trento to Verona | 149 km (93 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Gino Bartali (ITA) |
| 20 | 9 June | Verona to Milan | 180 km (112 mi) | | Plain stage | Adolfo Leoni (ITA) |
| | Total | Total | 3,574 km (2,221 mi) | 3,574 km (2,221 mi) | 3,574 km (2,221 mi) | 3,574 km (2,221 mi) | 3,574 km (2,221 mi) |

## Race overview

During the second stage, Bartali crashed into a dog that ran onto the road, throwing him from the bike. He returned to his bike, but a doctor examination after finishing the stage, led the diagnosis of a strained muscle and a recommendation to withdraw from the race. Bartali elected to remain the race, but knew he could not win.

## 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 | Mountains classification | Team classification | Group classification |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Vasco Bergamaschi | Olimpio Bizzi | not awarded | ? | ? |
| 2 | Gino Bartali | Osvaldo Bailo | not awarded | ? | ? |
| 3 | Diego Marabelli | Osvaldo Bailo | not awarded | ? | ? |
| 4 | Adolfo Leoni | Pierino Favalli | not awarded | ? | ? |
| 5 | Adolfo Leoni | Pierino Favalli | not awarded | ? | ? |
| 6 | Glauco Servadei | Pierino Favalli | not awarded | Gloria | Cicli Viscontea |
| 7 | Walter Generati | Pierino Favalli | not awarded | Gloria | Cicli Viscontea |
| 8 | Olimpio Bizzi | Enrico Mollo | not awarded | Gloria | U.S. Azzini-Universal |
| 9 | Primo Volpi | Enrico Mollo | not awarded | Gloria | U.S. Azzini-Universal |
| 10 | Olimpio Bizzi | Enrico Mollo | Primo Volpi | Gloria | U.S. Azzini-Universal |
| 11 | Fausto Coppi | Fausto Coppi | Fausto Coppi | Gloria | U.S. Azzini-Universal |
| 12 | Adolfo Leoni | Fausto Coppi | Fausto Coppi | Gloria | U.S. Azzini-Universal |
| 13 | Olimpio Bizzi | Fausto Coppi | Fausto Coppi | Gloria | U.S. Azzini-Universal |
| 14 | Glauco Servadei | Fausto Coppi | Fausto Coppi | Gloria | U.S. Azzini-Universal |
| 15 | Mario Vicini | Fausto Coppi | Fausto Coppi | Gloria | U.S. Azzini-Universal |
| 16 | Mario Vicini | Fausto Coppi | Fausto Coppi | Gloria | U.S. Azzini-Universal |
| 17 | Gino Bartali | Fausto Coppi | Fausto Coppi | Gloria | U.S. Azzini-Universal |
| 18 | Glauco Servadei | Fausto Coppi | Gino Bartali & Fausto Coppi | Gloria | U.S. Azzini-Universal |
| 19 | Gino Bartali | Fausto Coppi | Gino Bartali | Gloria | U.S. Azzini-Universal |
| 20 | Adolfo Leoni | Fausto Coppi | Gino Bartali | Gloria | U.S. Azzini-Universal |
| Final | Final | Fausto Coppi | Gino Bartali | Gloria | U.S. Azzini-Universal |

## Final standings

Legend :

* Denotes the winner of the General classification

### General classification

Final general classification (1–10) :

| Rank | Name | Team | Time |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Fausto Coppi (ITA) | Legnano | 107h 31' 10" |
| 2 | Enrico Mollo (ITA) | Olympia | + 2' 40" |
| 3 | Giordano Cottur (ITA) | Lygie | + 11' 45" |
| 4 | Mario Vicini (ITA) | Bianchi | + 16' 27" |
| 5 | Severino Canavesi (ITA) | Gloria | + 16' 50" |
| 6 | Ezio Cecchi (ITA) | Gloria | + 22' 30" |
| 7 | Walter Generati (ITA) | Gloria | + 25' 03" |
| 8 | Giovanni De Stefanis (ITA) | Dop. Azzini Bamberg | + 27' 50" |
| 9 | Gino Bartali (ITA) | Legnano | + 46' 09" |
| 10 | Settimio Simonini (ITA) | U.S. Azzini-Universal | + 48' 37" |

### Group rider classification

Final group rider classification (1–10) :

| Rank | Name | Team | Time |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Giovanni De Stefanis (ITA) | Dop. Azzini Bamberg | 107h 59' 00" |
| 2 | Settimo Simonini (ITA) | U.S. Azzini-Universal | + 19' 47" |
| 3 | Adriano Vignoli (ITA) | Cicli Viscontea | + 29' 52" |
| 4 | Diego Marabelli (ITA) | G. S. Battisti-Aquilano | + 37' 28" |
| 5 | Cesare Del Cancia (ITA) | Cicli Viscontea | + 1h 06' 24" |
| 6 | Mario De Benedetti (ITA) | Dopolavoro Az. Bemberg | + 1h 14' 58" |
| 7 | Francesco Patti (ITA) | Il Littoriale | + 1h 18' 03" |
| 8 | Primo Volpi (ITA) | U. S. Azzini-Universal | + 1h 20' 53" |
| 9 | Fulvio Montini (ITA) | S. S. Parioli | + 1h 24' 19" |
| 10 | Eduardo Stretti (ITA) | Dopolavoro Az. Vismara | + 1h 34' 00" |

### Mountains classification

Final mountains classification (1–9) :

| | Name | Team | Points |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Gino Bartali (ITA) | Legnano | 25 |
| 2 | Fausto Coppi (ITA) | Legnano | 21 |
| 3 | Enrico Mollo (ITA) | Olympia | 13 |
| 4 | Ezio Cecchi (ITA) | Gloria | 13 |
| 5 | Mario Vicini (ITA) | Bianchi | 12 |
| 6 | Giordano Cottur (ITA) | Lygie | 7 |
| 6 | Primo Volpi (ITA) | U.S. Azzini-Universal | 7 |
| 8 | Giovanni De Stefanis (ITA) | Dop. Azzini Bamberg | 5 |
| 9 | Diego Marabelli (ITA) | GS Battisti-Aquilano | 2 |
| 9 | Walter Diggelmann (ITA) | Olympia | 2 |

### Team classification

Final team classification (1–6) :

| | Team | Time |
| - | - | - |
| 1 | Gloria | 306h 14' 23" |
| 2 | Legnano | + 1h 51' 40" |
| 3 | Bianchi | + 3h 30' 57" |
| 4 | Gerbi | + 3h 32' 44" |
| 5 | Olympia | + 3h 33' 18" |
| 6 | Lygie | + 5h 03' 30" |

### Group classification

Final group classification (1–4) :

| | Team | Time |
| - | - | - |
| 1 | U.S. Azzini-Universal | 327h 34' 59" |
| 2 | Cicli Viscontea | + 16' 41" |
| 3 | Dopolavoro Az. Vismara | + 33' 41" |
| 4 | G.S. Battisti-Aquilano | + 1h 15' 37" |

Giovanni De Stefanis won the special category prize which was the best ranked group rider in the general classification.

