1959 Giro d'Italia

1959 Giro d'Italia

Race details
Dates		16 May - 7 June
Stages		22
Distance		3,657 km (2,272 mi)
Winning time		101h 50' 26" (35.909 km/h or 22.313 mph)
Palmares
	Winner	Charly Gaul (LUX)	(Emi)
	Second	Jacques Anquetil (FRA)	(Helyett)
	Third	Diego Ronchini (ITA)	(Bianchi)
	Mountains	Charly Gaul (LUX)	(Emi)
	Team	Atala

The 1959 Giro d'Italia was the 42nd running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tour races. The Giro started in Milan, on 16 May, with a 135 km (83.9 mi) stage and concluded back in Milan, on 7 June, with a 220 km (136.7 mi) leg. A total of 120 riders from 15 teams entered the 20-stage race, which was won by Luxembourgian Charly Gaul of the Emi team. The second and third places were taken by Frenchman Jacques Anquetil and Italian Diego Ronchini, respectively.^[1]

Teams

Thirteen teams were invited by the race organizers to participate in the 1959 edition of the Giro d'Italia^[2] Each team sent a squad of ten riders, which meant that the race started with a peloton of 130 cyclists.^[2] From the riders that began the race, 86 made it to the finish in Milan.^[3]

The teams entering the race were:^[2]

Atala Bianchi Carpano Emi Faema

Ghigi Ignis Legnano Molteni

Saint Raphaël San Pellegrino Torpado Tricofilina

Route and stages

Jacques Anquetil (left) and Charly Gaul (right) riding together during the fourth stage of the race.

Stage characteristics and winners^[3]

Stage	Date	Course	Distance	Type		Winner
1	16 May	Milan to Salsomaggiore Terme	135 km (84 mi)		Plain stage	Rik Van Looy (BEL)
2	17 May	Salsomaggiore Terme to Salsomaggiore Terme	22 km (14 mi)		Individual time trial	Jacques Anquetil (FRA)
3	18 May	Salsomaggiore Terme to Abetone	180 km (112 mi)		Stage with mountain(s)	Charly Gaul (LUX)
4	19 May	Abetone to Arezzo	178 km (111 mi)		Stage with mountain(s)	Armando Pellegrini (ITA)
5	20 May	Arezzo to Rome	243 km (151 mi)		Stage with mountain(s)	Rik Van Looy (BEL)
6	21 May	Rome to Naples	213 km (132 mi)		Plain stage	Miguel Poblet (ESP)
7	22 May	Ercolano to Mount Vesuvius	8 km (5 mi)		Individual time trial	Charly Gaul (LUX)
8	23 May	Ischia to Ischia	31 km (19 mi)		Individual time trial	Antonino Catalano (ITA)
9	24 May	Naples to Vasto	206 km (128 mi)		Plain stage	Gastone Nencini (ITA)
10	25 May	Vasto to Teramo	148 km (92 mi)		Plain stage	Rino Benedettii (ITA)
11	26 May	Ascoli Piceno to Rimini	245 km (152 mi)		Plain stage	Rik Van Looy (BEL)
12	27 May	Rimini to San Marino (San Marino)	141 km (88 mi)		Stage with mountain(s)	Nino Defilippis (ITA)
	28 May	Rest day
13	29 May	Rimini to Verona	233 km (145 mi)		Plain stage	Miguel Poblet (ESP)
14	30 May	Verona to Rovereto	143 km (89 mi)		Stage with mountain(s)	Rik Van Looy (BEL)
15	31 May	Trento to Bolzano	198 km (123 mi)		Stage with mountain(s)	Miguel Poblet (ESP)
16	1 June	Bolzano to San Pellegrino Terme	245 km (152 mi)		Stage with mountain(s)	Alessandro Fantini (ITA)
17	2 June	San Pellegrino Terme to Genoa	241 km (150 mi)		Plain stage	Arrigo Paduan (ITA)
18	3 June	Genoa to Turin	180 km (112 mi)		Stage with mountain(s)	Vito Favero (ITA)
19	4 June	Turin to Susa	51 km (32 mi)		Individual time trial	Jacques Anquetil (FRA)
20	5 June	Turin to Saint-Vincent	100 km (62 mi)		Plain stage	Alfredo Sabbadin (ITA)
21	6 June	Aosta to Courmayeur	296 km (184 mi)		Stage with mountain(s)	Charly Gaul (LUX)
22	7 June	Courmayeur to Milan	220 km (137 mi)		Plain stage	Rolf Graf (SUI)
	Total		3,657 km (2,272 mi)

Classification leadership

One jersey was worn during the 1959 Giro d'Italia. 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.^[4]

The mountains classification leader. The climbs were ranked in first and second categories. In this ranking, points were won by reaching the summit of a climb ahead of other cyclists. There were two categories of mountains.^[5] The first category awarded 80, 60, 40, 30, and 20 points,^[6] while the second distributed 60, 40, and 20 points.^[7] Although no jersey was awarded, there was also one classification for the teams, in which the teams were awarded points for their rider's performance during the stages.^[8]

Classification leadership by stage

Stage	Winner	General classification	Mountains classification	Team classification
1	Rik Van Looy	Rik Van Looy	not awarded	Faema
2	Jacques Anquetil	Jacques Anquetil
3	Charly Gaul	Charly Gaul	Charly Gaul
4	Armando Pellegrini		Charly Gaul & Armando Pellegrini	Emi
5	Rik Van Looy		Charly Gaul & Joseph Hoevenars	Faema
6	Miguel Poblet
7	Charly Gaul		Charly Gaul
8	Antonino Catalano
9	Gastone Nencini			Emi
10	Rino Benedettii
11	Rik Van Looy			Faema
12	Nino Defilippis			Emi
13	Miguel Poblet			Faema
14	Rik Van Looy			Emi
15	Miguel Poblet	Jacques Anquetil
16	Alessandro Fantini
17	Arrigo Paduan			Atala
18	Vito Favero
19	Jacques Anquetil
20	Alfredo Sabbadin
21	Charly Gaul	Charly Gaul
22	Rolf Graf
Final		Charly Gaul	Charly Gaul	Atala

Final standings

Legend
	Denotes the winner of the General classification

General classification

Final general classification (1–10)^[3][9]

Rank	Name	Team	Time
1	Charly Gaul (LUX)	Emi	101h 50' 54"
2	Jacques Anquetil (FRA)	Helyett	+ 6' 12"
3	Diego Ronchini (ITA)	Bianchi	+ 6' 16"
4	Rik van Looy (BEL)	Faema	+ 7' 17"
5	Imerio Massignan (ITA)	Legnano	+ 7' 31"
6	Miguel Poblet (ESP)	Ignis	+ 10' 21"
7	Graziano Battistini (ITA)	Legnano	+ 10' 47"
8	Guido Carlesi (ITA)	Molteni	+ 13' 35"
9	Ernesto Bono (FRA)	San Pellegrino	+ 13' 36"
10	Gastone Nencini (ITA)	Carpano	+ 13' 49"

Mountains classification

Final mountains classification (1–10)^[3][9]

	Name	Team	Points
1	Charly Gaul (LUX)	Emi	560
2	Imerio Massignan (ITA)	Legnano	320
3	Hans Junkermann (GER)	Faema	300
4	Vito Favero (ITA)	Atala	250
5	Graziano Battistini (ITA)	Legnano	110
6	Joseph Hoevenars (BEL)	Faema	100
	Aurelio Cestari (ITA)	Atala
	Angelo Conterno (ITA)	Carpano
9	Pasquale Fornara (ITA)	Emi	90
10	Armando Pellegrini (ITA)	Emi	80
	Jacques Anquetil (FRA)	Helyett
	Rik van Looy (BEL)	Faema
	Michele Gismondi (ITA)	Tricofilina
	André Darrigade (FRA)	Helyett
	Nino Defilippis (ITA)	Carpano

Team classification

Final team classification (1–10)^[1][8]

	Team	Points
1	Atala	4115
2	Emi	3830
3	Faema	2990
4	Carpano	2700
5	Helyett	2070
6	Legnano	2035
7	Ignis	1980
8	Ghigi	1555
9	Molteni	1190
10	Bianchi	1157.5

References

Citations

1. "El luxemburgués Gaul gran vencedor" [The Luxembourish Gaul Big Winner] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 8 June 1959. p. 7. Archived from the original on 2013-06-30. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
2. "I corridori alla partenza" [Runners at the Start]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 17 May 1959. p. 6. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
3. Bill and Carol McGann. "1959 Giro d'Italia". Bike Race Info. Dog Ear Publishing. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
4. Laura Weislo (13 May 2008). "Giro d'Italia classifications demystified". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Archived from the original on 17 June 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
5. "Il G. P. della Montagna" [The G. P. Mountain Trophy]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 17 May 1959. p. 8. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
6. "G. P. della Montagna" [The G. P. Mountain Trophy]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 19 May 1959. p. 6. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
7. "Il G. P. della Montagna" [The G. P. Mountain Trophy]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 20 May 1960. p. 8. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
8. "La pagella "Ramazzotti"" [La pagella "Ramazzotti"]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 8 June 1959. p. 14. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
9. "Graf fugge in vista di Milano e vince con 8" di vantaggio" [Graf flees in view of Milan and won with 8 "lead] (PDF). l'Unità (in Italian) (PCI). 8 June 1959. p. 3. Archived from the original on 17 June 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2012.