| Race details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Dates | 15 May - 6 June 1948 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stages | 19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance | 4,164 km (2,587 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Winning time | 124h 51' 52" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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← 1947 1949 → | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
The1948 Giro d'Italia was the 31st edition of theGiro d'Italia, organized and sponsored by thenewspaperLa Gazzetta dello Sport. The race began on 15 May inMilan with a stage that stretched 190 km (118 mi) toTurin, finishing back in Milan on 6 June after a 231 km (144 mi) stage and a total distance covered of 4,164 km (2,587 mi). The race was won by the Italian riderFiorenzo Magni of the Wilier Triestina team, with fellow ItaliansEzio Cecchi andGiordano Cottur coming in second and third respectively.[1][2][3][4]
A total of eleven teams entered the 1948 Giro d'Italia.[5] Each team sent a squad of seven riders, so the Giro began with a peloton of 77 cyclists.[5] Out of the 77 riders that started this edition of the Giro d'Italia, a total of 44 riders made it to the finish inMilan.[6]
The teams entering the race were:[5]
Race organizer and newspaperLa Gazzetta dello Sport released the preliminary route for the Giro d'Italia on 27 October 1947.[7][8] The race was originally planned to start on 22 May and finish on 13 June, while covering 3,715 km (2,308 mi) over nineteen stages.[7][8]
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Winner | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 May | Milan toTurin | 190 km (118 mi) |  | Plain stage |  Giordano Cottur (ITA) | |
| 2 | 16 May | Turin toGenoa | 226 km (140 mi) | | Plain stage | Mario Ricci (ITA) | |
| 3 | 17 May | Genoa toParma | 243 km (151 mi) |  | Stage with mountain(s) | Luciano Maggini (ITA) | |
| 4 | 18 May | Parma toViareggio | 266 km (165 mi) | | Plain stage | Luigi Casola (ITA) | |
| 19 May | Rest day | ||||||
| 5 | 20 May | Viareggio toSiena | 165 km (103 mi) | | Plain stage | Adolfo Leoni (ITA) | |
| 6 | 21 May | Siena toRome | 256 km (159 mi) | | Plain stage | Luigi Casola (ITA) | |
| 7 | 22 May | Rome toPescara | 230 km (143 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Antonio Bevilacqua (ITA) | |
| 8 | 23 May | Pescara toBari | 347 km (216 mi) | | Plain stage | Adolfo Leoni (ITA) | |
| 24 May | Rest day | ||||||
| 9 | 25 May | Bari toNaples | 306 km (190 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Nedo Logli (ITA) | |
| 10 | 26 May | Naples toFiuggi | 184 km (114 mi) | | Plain stage | Italo De Zan (ITA) | |
| 11 | 27 May | Fiuggi toPerugia | 265 km (165 mi) | | Plain stage |  Désiré Keteleer (BEL) | |
| 28 May | Rest day | ||||||
| 12 | 29 May | Perugia toFlorence | 169 km (105 mi) | | Plain stage | Oreste Conte (ITA) | |
| 13 | 30 May | Florence toBologna | 194 km (121 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Bruno Pasquini (ITA) | |
| 14 | 31 May | Bologna toUdine | 278 km (173 mi) | | Plain stage | Oreste Conte (ITA) | |
| 15 | 1 June | Udine toAuronzo di Cadore | 125 km (78 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Vincenzo Rossello (ITA) | |
| 2 June | Rest day | ||||||
| 16 | 3 June | Auronzo di Cadore toCortina d'Ampezzo | 90 km (56 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Fausto Coppi (ITA) | |
| 17 | 4 June | Cortina d'Ampezzo toTrento | 160 km (99 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Fausto Coppi (ITA) | |
| 18 | 5 June | Trento toBrescia | 239 km (149 mi) | | Plain stage | Elio Bertocchi (ITA) | |
| 19 | 6 June | Brescia toMilan | 231 km (144 mi) | | Plain stage | Fiorenzo Magni (ITA) | |
| Total | 4,164 km (2,587 mi) | ||||||
During stage 9 fromBari toNaples, Magni –who was down nine minutes at the time– joined the day's breakaway.[9]
During the Giro, the French and Belgian teams left the race because they thought it was made impossible for foreign riders to ride the Giro.[10][11] When the leader Magni was punished with only two minutes after being pushed up a mountain,Fausto Coppi and his Bianchi team also left the race out of protest. As a result, only forty riders finished the Giro.[10] Stage seventeen featured several climbs including thePordoi Pass.[9] Coppi won the stage, but Magni–who had a reputation for struggling on big climbs–finished in time to retain the lead.[9] It was discovered that Magni had been helped up the Pordoi, while some state he was pushed by spectators others say he was pulled by a car.[9] Coppi and Bianchi requested Magni to be thrown out.[9] As there were no photos, the race jury had to go based on testimonies.[9] It was officially declared that the pushing Magni received was planned.[9] The punishment was a two-minute penalty in the general classification, which still allowed him to remain in the lead.[9] Coppi and his team decided to withdraw after that decision.[9]
The leader of thegeneral 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.[12] There were no time bonuses in the 1948 Giro.[13]
In the mountains classification, the race organizers selected different mountains that the route crossed and awarded points to the five riders who crossed them first.[12][14] The mountains classification was finalized after the last mountain, riders did not need to finish the Giro to be classified in this classification.[15]
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.[6][16][17]If a team had fewer than three riders finish, they were not eligible for the classification.[6][16]
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.
The prize money for the winner of the race was one million lire.[18] The prize money increased to one million this year because Totip, a horse race betting company, sponsored the race.[18]
The rows in the following table correspond to the jerseys awarded after that stage was run.
| Legend | |
|---|---|
 | Denotes the winner of theGeneral classification |
| Rank | Name | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fiorenzo Magni (ITA) | Wilier Triestina | 125h 51' 52" |
| 2 | Ezio Cecchi (ITA) | Cimatti | + 11" |
| 3 | Giordano Cottur (ITA) | Wilier Triestina | + 2' 37" |
| 4 | Vito Ortelli (ITA) | Atala | s.t. |
| 5 | Primo Volpi (ITA) | Arbos | + 8' 24" |
| 6 | Angelo Brignole (ITA) | Arbos | + 9' 14" |
| 7 | Giulio Bresci (ITA) | Wilier Triestina | + 9' 17" |
| 8 | Gino Bartali (ITA) | Legnano | + 11' 52" |
| 9 | Serafino Biagioni (ITA) | Viani Cral Imperia | + 15' 05" |
| 10 | Alfredo Martini (ITA) | Wilier Triestina | + 18' 22" |
| Name | Team | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fausto Coppi (ITA) | Bianchi | 25 |
| 2 | Ezio Cecchi (ITA) | Cimatti | 16 |
| 3 | Gino Bartali (ITA) | Legnano | 14 |
| 4 | Vito Ortelli (ITA) | Atala | 12 |
| 5 | Giordano Cottur (ITA) | Wilier-Triestina | 9 |
| 6 | Serafino Biagioni (ITA) | Viani-C.R.A.L. Imperia | 8 |
| 7 | Primo Volpi (ITA) | Arbos | 6 |
| 8 | Vincenzo Rossello (ITA) | Legnano | 5 |
| 9 | Aldo Baito (ITA) | Viscontea | 4 |
| Luigi Casola (ITA) | Cimatti | ||
| Alfredo Martini (ITA) | Wilier-Triestina |
The Italian cycling federation gave Coppi a suspension of one month because he refused to finish the Giro.[10] After being caught cheating, Magni was the subject of the tifosi's animosity, he was frequently booed and writing on the road included the phraseAbbasso Magni (English:Down with Magni).[23] After winning the final stage into Milan's Vignorelli Velodrome, the crowd's behavior (whistles, boos, and anti–Magni banners) reduced him to tears.[23] The Communist Mayor ofPrato sent Magni a telegram congratulating him on the victory, stating that his victory brought "honor to [their] city."[23] Later in his life, Magni said that the telegram pleased him greatly.[23]
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*In 1912, Giro was contested solely by teams, with no individual classification |
