:1949 Giro d'Italia

{{main|List of teams and cyclists in the 1949 Giro d'Italia}}

A total of 15 teams were invited to participate in the 1949 Giro d'Italia.{{cite web|url=http://dlib.coninet.it/bookreader.php?&c=1&f=7555&p=1#page/1/mode/1up|title=I corridori partenti|work=Corriere dello Sport|date=21 May 1949|page=3|access-date=7 July 2013|language=it|trans-title=Starting Riders|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223203359/http://dlib.coninet.it/bookreader.php?&c=1&f=7555&p=1|archive-date=23 December 2014|url-status=live}} Each team sent a squad of seven riders, so the Giro began with a peloton of 105 cyclists. Out of the 105 riders that started this edition of the Giro d'Italia, a total of 65 riders made it to the finish in Monza.{{cite web|url=http://bikeraceinfo.com/giro/giro1949.html |title=1949 Giro d'Italia |work=Bike Race Info|author= Bill and Carol McGann |publisher=Dog Ear Publishing|access-date=2012-07-10}}

The teams entering the race were:{{cite news |url=https://archivio.unita.news/assets/main/1949/05/21/page_002.pdf |title=I 105 concorrenti |language=it |date=21 May 1949 |page=2 |newspaper=l'Unità |publisher=PCI |access-date=27 May 2012 |trans-title=The 105 competitors |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928152530/https://archivio.unita.news/assets/main/1949/05/21/page_002.pdf |archive-date=28 September 2019 |url-status=live }}

{{div col|colwidth=8em}}

• {{UCI team code|Arbos|1949}}
• {{UCI team code|Atala|1949}}
• {{UCI team code|Bartali|1949}}
• {{UCI team code|Benotto|1949}}
• Bianchi
• {{UCI team code|Bottecchia|1949}}
• {{UCI team code|Cimatti|1949}}
• Edelweiss
• Fiorelli
• Fréjus
• Ganna
• Legnano
• {{UCI team code|Stucchi|1949}}
• {{UCI team code|Viscontea|1949}}
• {{UCI team code|Wilier|1949}}

{{Div col end}}

The main favorites entering the race were Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi.{{cite news |url=https://archivio.unita.news/assets/main/1949/05/21/page_002.pdf|title=Buon viaggio al "Giro" che parte oggi da Palermo|language=it |date=21 May 1949 |page=3 |newspaper=l'Unità |publisher=PCI |access-date=27 May 2012 |author=Attilio Camoriano|trans-title=Have a good trip to the "Giro" which starts today from Palermo |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928152530/https://archivio.unita.news/assets/main/1949/05/21/page_002.pdf |archive-date=28 September 2019 |url-status=live }} Vito Ortelli, who placed fourth the year prior did not participate as he was suffering from an illness and stayed home. l'Unità's Attilio Camoriano wrote that Coppi's form entering the race could allow him to gain the lead early on and hold it from Bartali, who was known to take several stages to warm up and adjust to the race. Camoriano added that Bartali would likely not let that happen as he was known to find strength and referenced previous Tours de France. He further stated that Coppi's Bianchi team was stronger and better organized than Bartali's eponymous team. Aside from the aforementioned contenders, Fiorelli's Jean Goldschmit was thought to be the team's best contender as Ganna–Ursus's Albert Dubuisson was known to fade on climbs.

The route for this edition of the Giro d'Italia was announced on 7 February 1949.{{cite web|url=http://dlib.coninet.it/bookreader.php?&c=1&f=7467&p=1#page/1/mode/1up|title=Il Giro d'Italia dalla Sicilia alle Alpi|work=Corriere dello Sport|date=8 February 1949|page=1|access-date=7 July 2013|language=it|trans-title=The Giro d'Italia from Sicily to the Alps|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190317074518/http://dlib.coninet.it/bookreader.php?&c=1&f=7467&p=1|archive-date=17 March 2019|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/mod,libera/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,4/articleid,0003_01_1949_0033_0004_24708314/|language=it|date=8 February 1949|page=4|title=le novita del Giro d'Italia|newspaper=La Stampa|publisher=Editrice La Stampa|access-date=27 May 2012|format=PDF|trans-title=The news of the Giro d'Italia}} The stages involving the Piedmont region were finalized on 24 March.{{cite news|url=http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/mod,libera/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,4/articleid,1603_02_1949_0071_0004_22346803/|language=it|date=24 March 1949|page=4|title=Le tappe piemontesi del Giro d'Italia|newspaper=La Stampa|publisher=Editrice La Stampa|access-date=27 May 2012|format=PDF|trans-title=The Piedmontese stages of the Giro d'Italia}} The race was scheduled to begin at 8 am at the Villa Giulia in Palermo. Attilio Camoriano of l'Unità stated that the riders were likely to use their heavy, thicker tires because after the Santo Stefano junction, the roads contained lava rocks from Mount Etna throughout and those were known to cut tires easily.{{cite web|url=http://dlib.coninet.it/bookreader.php?&c=1&f=7555&p=1#page/1/mode/1up|title=Tra le squadre d'Italia e d'Austria come nel passato, splendida incertezza|work=Corriere dello Sport|date=21 May 1949|page=1|access-date=7 July 2013|language=it|trans-title=Among the teams of Italy and Austria as in the past, splendid uncertainty|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609034218/http://dlib.coninet.it/bookreader.php?&c=1&f=7555&p=1#page/1/mode/2up|archive-date=9 June 2019|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://dlib.coninet.it/bookreader.php?&c=1&f=7554&p=1#page/4/mode/1up|title=La carovana del Giro d'Italia|work=Corriere dello Sport|date=20 May 1949|page=4|access-date=7 July 2013|language=it|trans-title=The caravan of the Giro d'Italia|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609034633/http://dlib.coninet.it/bookreader.php?&c=1&f=7554&p=1|archive-date=9 June 2019|url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=https://archivio.unita.news/assets/main/1949/05/20/page_001.pdf |title=Domani il "Giro" prende il "via" |language=it |date=20 May 1949 |page=1 |newspaper=l'Unità |publisher=PCI |access-date=27 May 2012 |trans-title=Tomorrow the "Giro" takes the "way" |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928151842/https://archivio.unita.news/assets/main/1949/05/20/page_001.pdf |archive-date=28 September 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite web|url=http://dlib.coninet.it/bookreader.php?&c=1&f=7553&p=1#page/1/mode/1up|title=Il Giro d'Italia, corsa del popolo tra l'entusiasmo e la schietta ospitalita del Meridone|work=Corriere dello Sport|date=19 May 1949|page=1 & 4|access-date=7 July 2013|language=it|trans-title=The Giro d'Italia, race of the people between enthusiasm and the sincere hospitality of the Meridone|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928153235/http://dlib.coninet.it/bookreader.php?&c=1&f=7553&p=1|archive-date=28 September 2019|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://dlib.coninet.it/bookreader.php?&c=1&f=7552&p=1#page/1/mode/1up|title=Fausto Coppi in gran forma pronto per il Giro d'Italia|work=Corriere dello Sport|date=18 May 1949|pages=1, 3, & 4|access-date=7 July 2013|language=it|trans-title=Fausto Coppi in great shape ready for the Giro d'Italia|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928153622/http://dlib.coninet.it/bookreader.php?&c=1&f=7552&p=1|archive-date=28 September 2019|url-status=live}} The Sicilian government offered race organizers ten million lire to host the start of the Giro.{{cite news|url=http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/mod,libera/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,1/articleid,1603_02_1949_0117_0001_22349525/|language=it|date=17 May 1949|page=1|title=Il Giro d'Italia e il bandito Giuliano|newspaper=Stampa Sera|publisher=Editrice La Stampa|access-date=27 May 2012|author=F.D.|format=PDF|trans-title=The Giro d'Italia and the bandit Giuliano}}

Prior to the start of the race, bandit Salvatore Giuliano who had been on the run near Sicily's Montelepre was being searched for by police as the area was in a state of emergency for several weeks. It was rumored that Giuliano threatened to line the race route in the mountains and shoot at the participants with machine guns if the police did not call off their search for him.{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1949/06/15/pagina-2/664719/pdf.html |title=El bandido giuliano amenaza a los corredores de la vuelta a italia |language=es |date=20 May 1949 |page=2 |publisher=El Mundo Deportivo |access-date=27 May 2012 |trans-title=The Bandit Giuliano threatens the riders of the Tour of Italy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219091323/http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1949/06/15/pagina-2/664719/pdf.html |archive-date=19 December 2013 |url-status=live }} Specifically Giuliano threatened to interrupt the first stage along its route from Palermo to Catania.{{cite news|url=http://doc.rero.ch/record/177882/files/1949-05-17.pdf|title=Le Tour d'Italie pourra-t-il prendre le départ|trans-title=Will the Tour of Italy be able to take departure?|language=fr|newspaper=Le Rhône|date=17 May 1949|page=2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191007132954/http://doc.rero.ch/record/177882/files/1949-05-17.pdf|archive-date=7 October 2019|url-status=live|via=RERO}} Due to these threats, there were discussions to cancel the two planned stages in Sicily, but the stages remained. Instead, the normal police escort for the Giro d'Italia caravan that travels with the race would be increased from 6 to 10 cars and cars would not be allowed to stop along the route throughout the two stages on the island except in cases of "force majeure." The added police were not due to the rumors of the attack, but allegedly to prevent a potential escape by Giuliano.

In the 1949 Giro d'Italia there were two major classifications. For the general classification, calculated by adding each cyclist's finishing times on each stage, and allowing time bonuses for the first three finishers on mass-start stages, the leader received a pink jersey. This classification was considered the most important of the Giro d'Italia, and the winner was considered the winner of the Giro.{{cite web

|author=Laura Weislo

|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=/features/2008/giro_classifications08

|title=Giro d'Italia classifications demystified

|date=2008-05-13

|work=Cycling News

|publisher=Future Publishing Limited

|access-date=2009-08-27

}}

In the mountains classifications, points were won by reaching the top of a climb before other cyclists.{{cite news |url=https://archivio.unita.news/assets/main/1949/05/21/page_002.pdf |title=Il G.P. della Montagna |language=it |date=21 May 1949 |page=3 |newspaper=l'Unità |publisher=PCI |access-date=27 May 2012 |trans-title=The Mountains Classification |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928152530/https://archivio.unita.news/assets/main/1949/05/21/page_002.pdf |archive-date=28 September 2019 |url-status=live}} This classification did not award a jersey to the leader. The highest climb of the race was the Col d'Izoard in stage seventeen, which was 2360m. The other stages that included categorized climbs were stages: 1, 3, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, and 19.

A white jersey was awarded to the rider from a non-major "industrial" team with the lowest total time."{{cite web|url=http://dlib.coninet.it/bookreader.php?&c=1&f=7554&p=1#page/1/mode/1up|title=Tiriamo il sipario|author=Bruno Roghi|work=Corriere dello Sport|date=20 May 1949|page=3|access-date=7 July 2013|language=it|trans-title=Let's Pull the Curtain|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190317080915/http://dlib.coninet.it/bookreader.php?&c=1&f=7554&p=1|archive-date=17 March 2019|url-status=live|quote=Siamo infine curiosi di vendere come giostrera il Giro ttorno alla maglia bianca. La maglia bianca, a nostro parere, comporta la divisione del campo in due categoriebene individuale di concorrenti: da una parte le squadre industriali, dall'altra gruppi o gli isolati. Le due categorie, nate col Giro d'Italia (isolati) e sviluppatesi in seguito per ragioni organizzative, coreografiche e assistenziali (gruppi), sono autonome e indipendenti per struttura quantitativa, per interessi e per obiettivi dei nuclei in corsa. La maglia rosa (assoluta) e la maglia bianca (relativa) devono rispecchiaire queste sostanziali diversita in un Giro d'Italia aperto soltanto alle squadre industriali, tutti di pari effecttvi (sette corridori), ed ognuna articolata sulla figura e sulle esigenze di un capitano? Potra e dovra la maglia bianca indossata da un gregario rinunciare alle sue probabilita di affermazione, o semplicemente alle sue necesssita di difesa attiva, nel caso in cui il capitano abbia bisogno della sua ruota, o del suo traino, e, in altre parole, della sua rinuncia e del suo sacrificio? Ecco un motivo di perplessita.}}{{cite news |url=https://archivio.unita.news/assets/main/1949/05/21/page_002.pdf |title=Le tappe volanti|language=it |date=21 May 1949 |page=3 |newspaper=l'Unità |publisher=PCI |access-date=27 May 2012 |trans-title=The flying stages |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928152530/https://archivio.unita.news/assets/main/1949/05/21/page_002.pdf |archive-date=28 September 2019 |url-status=live}}

There was a black jersey (maglia nera) awarded to the rider placed last in the general classification. The classification was calculated in the same manner as the general classification.

There was a classification for sprints called the "Gran Premio Tappe Volanti" classification. This consisted of a sprint line that was marked in eight stages of the race, stages 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, and 19. Specifically the eight sprints were located in the following places Taormina, Castrovillari, Terni, Ferrara, Trieste, Verona, Chiavari, and Novara, respectively.

For placing in the top three for each classification, on the final stage placings, the "Gran Premio Tappe Volanti", or crossing a categorized climb for the mountains classification, time bonuses were awarded. One minute time bonus was given to the first placed rider, thirty seconds to second place, and fifteen second to third.

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{{Reflist|30em}}

{{1949 Challenge Desgrange-Colombo}}

{{Giro d'Italia}}

{{Cycling stage recaps|1949 Giro d'Italia|1|10|11|19}}

{{Giro d'Italia general classification winners}}

{{Authority control}}

1949

Giro d'Italia

Giro d'Italia

Giro d'Italia

Giro d'Italia

Giro d'Italia