1949 Giro d'Italia
The 1949 Giro d'Italia was the 32nd Giro d'Italia, organized and sponsored by the newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport. The race began on 21 May in Palermo with a stage that stretched 261 km (162 mi) to Catania, finishing in Monza on 12 June after a 267 km (166 mi) stage and a total distance covered of 4,088 km (2,540 mi). The race was won by Fausto Coppi of the Bianchi team, with fellow Italians Gino Bartali and Giordano Cottur coming in second and third respectively.
| Race details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | 21 May - 12 June 1949 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stages | 19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance | 4,088 km (2,540 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Winning time | 125h 25' 50" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coppi won the overall by way of the memorable 17th stage (from Cuneo to Pinerolo), in which he escaped from the group and climbed alone the Maddalena Pass, the Col de Vars, the Col d'Izoard, the Col de Montgenèvre and the Sestriere Pass, arriving in Pinerolo 11'52" ahead of Bartali, his tenacious antagonist during those years.