1922 Giro d'Italia

10th edition: May 24 - June 11

Results, stages with running GC, photos and history

1921 Giro | 1923 Giro | Giro d'Italia Database | 1922 Giro Quick Facts | 1922 Giro d'Italia Final GC | Stage results with running GC | Teams | The Story of the 1922 Giro d'Italia

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1922 Giro Quick Facts:

3,095.5 km raced at an average speed of 25.86 km/hr

75 starters and 15 classified finishers

This is called the "Giro of a Thousand Arguments". After Giovanni Brunero made an illegal wheel change in the first stage, the judges penalized him 25 minutes. But Costante Giradengo and Gaetano Belloni believed Brunero should have been ejected from the race.

Angry, their Maino and and Bianchi teams stormed out of the Giro, leaving Brunero's Legnano team by far the most powerful squad left. Legnano, as the reader can see looking at the final GC below, dominated the 1922 Giro.

Bill & Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, 2019: A Year of New Faces is available as an audiobook here.

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1922 Giro d'Italia Complete Final General Classification:

1. Giovanni Brunero (Legnano): 119hr 43min 0sec
2. Bartolomeo Aymo (Legnano) @ 12min 29sec
3. Giuseppe Enrici (Legnano) @ 1hr 35min 33sec
4. Alfredo Sivocci (Legnano) @ 1hr 52min 16sec
5. Domenico Schierano (Lygie, but rode as indenpendent) @ 4hr 17min 42sec
6. Pietro Aymo (Legnano) @ 5hr 28min 58sec
7. Paride Ferrari (Peugeot) @ 6hr 14min 55sec
8. Nicola Di Biase (independent) @ 8hr 39min 36sec
9. Romolo Lazzaretti (independent) @ 10hr 28min 45sec
10. Dino Bertolino (independent) @ 10hr 59min 0sec
11. Giovanni Bassi @ 11hr 49min 23sec
12. Angelo Guidi @ 12hr 9min 48sec
13. Pietro Sigbaldi @ 16hr 37min 26sec
14. Luigi Sinchetto @ 20hr 7min 26sec
15. Romolo Valpreda @ 23hr 48min 14sec

Winning team: Legnano

Independent classification: Domenico Schierano

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1922 Giro stage results with running GC:

Regarding ascents in this Giro. I have a list of 1922 Giro ascents that includes Cinquemiglia and Macerone which are not on the stage elevations I have. I presume that if these these two climbs were ridden, they occured in stage four, but I have no way of knowing and have not listed them in the stage results.

Stage 1: Wednesday, May 24, Milano - Padova, 326 km

Ascents: Colle San Eusebio, Pian della Fugazza

First across the line was Giovanni Brunero @ 12hr 34min 17sec, but after protests from competing riders because of an illegal wheel change, he was declassified and penalized 25 minutes.

I think the corrected results go this way:

1. Gaetano Belloni: 12hr 50min 0sec
2. Giovanni Brunero @ 9min 17sec
3. Michele Gordini s.t.
4. Giovanni Trentarossi s.t.
5. Costante Girardengo @ 22min 21sec
6. Bartolomeo Aymo s.t.
7. Emilio Petiva @ 24min 44sec
8. Camillo Arduino @ 28min 38sec
9. Giuseppe Enrici @ 29min 9sec
10. Lucien Buysse @ 29min 13sec

GC after Stage 1: Same as stage results

Stage 2: Friday, May 26, Padova - Portorose, 268 km

1. Costante Girardengo: 9hr 51min 45sec
2. Giuseppe Azzini s.t.
3. Giovanni Brunero s.t.
4. Bartolomeo Aymo s.t.
5. Luigi Annoni @ 2min 58sec
6. Emilio Petiva s.t.
7. Lucien Buysse @ 4min 11sec
8. Gaetano Belloni @ 5min 21sec
9. Fderico Gay s.t.
10. Alfredo Sivocci @ 7min 25sec

GC after Stage 2:

1. Giovanni Brunero: 22hr 26min 2sec
2. Gaetano Belloni @ 21min 4sec
3. Costante Girardengo @ 22min 21sec
4. Bartolomeo Aymo @ 22min 22sec
5. Emilio Petiva @ 27min 42sec
6. Michele Gordini @ 32min 17sec
7. Lucien Buysse @ 33min 24sec
8. Federico Gay @ 36min 36sec
9. Giovanni Trentarossi @ 36min 56sec
10. Camillo Arduino @ 40min 51sec

Stage 3: Sunday, May 28, Portorose - Bologna, 375 km

1. Gaetano Belloni: 14hr 30min 35sec
2. Costante Girardengo s.t.
3. Federico Gay s.t.
4. Pietro Linari s.t.
5. Alfredo Sivocci s.t.
6. Giuseppe Azzini s.t.
7. 41 riders at the same time and placing, ex aequo

GC after Stage 3:

1. Gaetano Belloni: 37hr 17min 43sec
2. Costnate Girardengo @ 1min 15sec
3. Bartolomeo Aymo @ 1min 16sec
4. Giovanni Brunero @ 3min 54sec
5. Emilio Petiva @ 6min 36sec
6. Michele Gordini @ 11min 11sec
7. Lucien Buysse @ 12min 18sec
8. Federico Gay @ 15min 30sec
9. Camillo Arduino @ 19min 45sec
10. Pierino Bestetti @ 26min 51sec

Stage 4: Tuesday, May 30, Bologna - Pescara, 367 km

1. Alfredo Sivicci: 12hr 17min 55sec
2. Pietro Linari s.t.
3. Luigi Annoni s.t.
4. Giovanni Brunero s.t.
5. Giuseppe Santhià @ 7sec
6. Bartolomeo Aymo s.t.
7. Giuseppe Enrici s.t.
8. Pietro Aymo s.t.
9. Romolo Lazzaretti @ 20sec
10. Sala (either Pietro or Enrico) @ 4min 52sec

GC after Stage 4:

1. Bartolomeo Aymo: 49hr 30min 44sec
2. Giovanni Brunero @ 2min 36sec
3. Giuseppe Enrici @ 29min 51sec
4. Alfredo Sivocci @ 36min 49sec
5. Giuseppe Santhià @ 54min 22sec
6. Luigi Annoni @ 1hr 1min 2sec
7. Pietro Linari @ 1hr 5min 16sec
8. Domenico Schierano @ 1hr 11min 8sec
9. Pietro Aymo @ 1hr 17min 23sec
10. Angelo Erba @ 1hr 25min 34sec

Stage 5: Thursday, June 1, Pescara - Napoli, 267 km

Ascents: Roccaraso, Rionero Sannitico

1. Bartolomeo Aymo: 10hr 56min 17sec
2. Giovanni Brunero s.t.
3. Pietro Linari @ 17min 43sec
4. Luigi Annoni s.t.
5. Domenico Schierano @ 24min 46sec
6. Alfredo Sivocci @ 26min 45sec
7. Giuseppe Enrici @ 26min 57sec
8. Domenico Allasia @ 35min 32sec
9. Giovanni Bassi @ 40min 28sec
10. Angelo Erba @ 42min 48sec

GC after Stage 5:

1. Bartolomeo Aymo: 60hr 20min 1sec
2. Giovanni Brunero @ 2min 36sec
3. Alfredo Sivocci @ 1hr 1min 34sec
4. Giuseppe Enrici @ 1hr 4min 45sec
5. Luigi Annoni @ 1hr 16min 45sec
6. Pietro Linari @ 1hr 20min 59sec
7. Domenico Schierano @ 1hr 33min 54sec
8. Giuseppe Santhià @ 1hr 36min 52sec
9. Pietro Aymo @ 2hr 1min 55sec
10. Angelo Erba @ 2hr 6min 22sec

Stage 6: Saturday, June 3, Napoli - Roma, 254 km

Ascent: San Nicola

1. Pietro Linari: 10hr 33min 22sec
2. Alfredo Sivocci s.t.
3. Luigi Annoni @ 3sec
4. Giovanni Brunero s.t.
5. Bartolomeo Aymo s.t.
6. Italiano Lugli @ 10sec
7. Giuseppe Enrici s.t.
8. Pietro Aymo s.t.
9. Paride Ferrari @ 6min 45sec
10. Romolo Lazzeretti @ 20min 16sec

GC after stage 6:

1. Bartolomeo Aymo: 71hr 1min 26sec
2. Giovanni Brunero @ 2min 38sec
3. Giuseppe Enrico @ 55min 55sec
4. Alfredo Sivocci @ 1hr 3min 41sec
5. Luigi Annoni @ 1hr 17min 47sec
6. Pietro Linari @ 1hr 21min 56sec
7. Pietro Aymo @ 2hr 3min 0sec
8. Domenico Schierano @ 2hr 31min 30sec
9. Paride Ferrari @ 2hr 41min 9sec
10. Italiano Lugli @ 3hr 32min 56sec

Stage 7: Monday, June 5, Roma - Firenze, 319 km

Ascents: Cimini(?), Radicofani

1. Giovanni Brunero: 12hr 39min 17sec
2. Bartolomeo Aymo @ 3min 58sec
3. Giuseppe Enrici @ 4min 12sec
4. Pietro Linari @ 6min 38sec
5. Alfredo Sivocci @ 32min 13sec
6. Italiano Lugli @ 34min 5sec
7. Domenico Schierano @ 50min 34sec
8. Pietro Sigbaldi @ 1hr 17min 21sec
9. Pietro Aymo @ 1hr 24min 33sec
10. Luigi Annoni @ 1hr 56min 50sec

GC after Stage 7:

1. Giovanni Brunero: 83hr 44min 41sec
2. Bartolomeo Aymo @ 1min 20sec
3. Giuseppe Enrici @ 1hr 0min 31sec
4. Alfredo Sivocci @ 1hr 32min 16sec
5. Pietro Linari @ 1hr 34min 46sec
6. Luigi Annoni @ 3hr 11min 59sec
7. Domenico Schierano @ 3hr 24min 35sec
8. Pietro Aymo @ 3hr 24min 55sec
9. Italiano Lugli @ 4hr 4min 23sec
10. Paride Ferrari @ 5hr 4min 14sec

Stage 8: Wednesday, June 7, Firenze - Santa Margherita, 292 km

Ascent: Passo del Bracco

1. Luigi Annoni: 11hr 38min 27sec
2. Giovanni Burnero s.t.
3. Giuseppe Enrici @ 19sec
4. Alfredo Sivocci @ 2min 18sec
5. Romolo Lazzeretti @ 3min 9sec
6. Giovanni Bassi @ 5min 33sec
7. Bartolomeo Aymo s.t.
8. Domenico Schierano @ 12min 53sec
9. Pietro Aymo @ 17min 36sec
10. Nicola Di Biase s.t.

GC after Stage 8:

1. Giovanni Brunero: 95hr 21min 48sec
2. Bartolomeo Aymo @ 6min 53sec
3. Giuseppe Enrico @ 1hr 0min 44sec
4. Alfredo Sivocci @ 1hr 23min 34sec
5. Pietro Linari @ 1hr 54min 9sec
6. Luigi Annoni @ 3hr 21min 59sec
7. Domenico Schierano @ 3hr 27min 15sec
8. Pietro Aymo @ 3hr 42min 31sec
9. Italiano Lugli @ 5hr 26min 33sec
10. Paride Ferrari @ 5hr 29min 37sec

Stage 9: Friday, June 9, Genova - Torino, 277 km

Ascent: Melogno

1. Bartolomeo Aymo: 10hr 10min 19sec
2. Giovanni Bunero @ 13min 22sec
3. Alfredo Sivocci @ 15min 41sec
4. Giuseppe Enrici s.t.
5. Domenico Schierano @ 31min 25sec
6. Paride Ferrari @ 35min 42sec
7. Pietro Aymo @ 53min 8sec
8. Dino Bertolino s.t.
9. Romolo Valpreda @ 1hr 12min 50sec
10. Giovanni Bassi @ 1hr 28min 42sec

GC after Stage 9:

1. Giovanni Brunero: 105hr 45min 29sec
2. Bartolomeo Aymo @ 6min 31sec (this doesn't seem to compute given the stage results, but I have never been able to resolve the GC standings for this Giro)
3. Giuseppe Enrici @ 1hr 3min 3sec
4. Alfredo Sivocci @ 1h 26min 53sec
5. Domenico Schierano @ 3hr 44min 18sec
6. Pietro Aymo @ 4hr 22min 17sec
7. Paride Ferrari @ 5hr 52min 0sec
8. Nicola Di Biase @ 7hr 47min 33sec
9. Romolo Lazzeretti @ 9hr 35min 42sec
10. Dino Bertolino @ 10hr 2min 19sec

10th and Final Stage: Sunday, June 11, Torino - Milano, 348 km

Ascents: Santa Maria Maggiore, Mont Olimpino

1. Giovanni Brunero: 13hr 57min 31sec
2. Bartolomeo Aymo @ 5min 58sec
3. Alfredo Sivocci @ 15min 23sec
4. PAride Ferrari @ 22min 55sec
5. Giovanni Bassi @ 32min 24sec
6. Domenico Schierano s.t.
7. Giuseppe Enrici @ 32min 30sec
8. Angelo Guidi @ 38min 48sec
9. Romolo Lazzaretti @ 52min 0sec
10. Nicola Di Biase s.t.

1922 Giro d'Italia Complete Final General Classification

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Teams:

Bianchi-Salga
Ganna-Dunlop
Legnano-Pirelli
Maino-Bergougnan

The Story of the 1922 Giro d'Italia

This excerpt is from "The Story of the Giro d'Italia", Volume 1. If you enjoy it we hope you will consider purchasing the book, either print, eBook or audiobook. The Amazon link here will make the purchase easy.

Since the end of the war Italy had been riven with a deep right-left political division. To improve morale during the fighting, the rank and file soldiers had been promised a land redistribution. Angry that the promise had not been fulfilled, some began to squat on the soil they had farmed as tenants. In the post-war economic collapse, the socialists gained ascendancy and for a while it seemed that Italy was on the verge of a revolution. The revolt didn’t come to pass but land and factory owners, smarting from the liberal government’s conciliatory policies towards the Socialists, gravitated to Mussolini’s Fascists.

In late 1920 his movement soared in popularity, a shift in sentiment that shocked Mussolini most of all. Armed paramilitary gangs formed all over central and northern Italy to fight the leftists. With these thugs standing behind him, Mussolini was able to force concessions from the government. Still, the Fascists remained unsatisfied.

On October 27, 1922, the Fascists marched on Rome. Mussolini was so afraid the coup attempt would fail, he stayed in Milan where he could easily escape to Switzerland and safety if things went wrong.

At this display of Fascist strength, the government had a complete failure of nerve. Even though the Fascists had seized some government offices, the army wasn’t given authorization to use lethal force against them.

Mussolini was dedicated to the end of liberal parliamentary government, yet he was invited by the king of Italy to form a new government and become prime minister. Initially he governed from what might be considered the center, trying to placate the various factions of the country. He made the great landowners of southern Italy happy by reversing the land grants that had been given to some of the World War I veterans. For now, Mussolini mostly acted the part of the conciliatory politician and Italy felt a bit relieved. Many thought that perhaps the country could at last find some internal peace. Most important for our story: Mussolini liked bicycle racing.

With the growing importance of the Giro in the sporting world, the organizers obtained trademark protection of their ownership of the Giro.

In 1922 the Giro reached a milestone by mounting its tenth edition. It started where the 1921 race left off with Brunero, Belloni, Girardengo and Aymo ready to have at it (and each other) again. In 1922 the Giro was still a ten-stage race, this year totaling 3,094 kilometers. The third and fourth stages remained old-school long at 375 and 367 kilometers respectively.

That spring Brunero took advantage of Girardengo’s seemingly bottomless well of bad luck. After Gira had an accident in Milan–San Remo, Brunero was able to beat the usually far quicker man in the sprint. Aymo showed he was also in good form with a third place in the 186-kilometer race. The only notable result I find for Belloni during that spring was a commendable sixth in Paris–Roubaix. Clearly, all four contenders were in excellent condition.

The first stage went northeast over the Pian delle Fugazze, north of Verona, on the way to Padua. By the time Brunero had reached the Fugazze he was alone in front. But misfortune struck and he crashed, ruining a wheel. Some accounts have him crashing on the Fugazze and others on the descent to Riva del Garda. In any case, he was a long way from the finish with a busted bike.

Giovanni Brunero works on his bike

He got a replacement wheel from his Legnano teammate Sivocci when he finally arrived on the scene. Sivocci in turn took a wheel from Pietro Linari’s bike. Linari received a wheel from Franco Giorgetti when Giorgetti showed up. Finally Ruggero Ferraro came by. Giorgetti joined Ferraro on his bike, the two of them on the one working machine heading for the Riva del Garda feed and sign-in station, Giorgetti’s broken bike balanced on his shoulders. The result after all that? Brunero was the first rider into Padua, beating Belloni by almost sixteen minutes.

Wait…While Legnano’s wheel changes were a clever solution, they were illegal. Complicating things, they had been unseen by the officials. The judges’ car had gone on ahead to Riva del Garda while the Legnano riders and their wheels were moving around. At the first possible moment both the Maino and Bianchi teams filed protests.

The first move from the race jury was to do as Girardengo requested, throw Brunero out of the race. But Brunero and his Legnano team appealed and Brunero was allowed to stay in the race. The stink from the dispute forced the race judges to get a ruling from the Italian federation. That came a few days later, after the end of the third stage. Brunero was allowed to stay in the race, but with a penalty of 25 minutes.

Furious at what they thought was an inadequate penalty, both the Maino and Bianchi teams quit the race. That took out Girardengo (again) as well as Belloni.

Before the two teams stormed out of the Giro, the General Classification had stood thus:
1. Gaetano Belloni
2. Costante Girardengo @ 1 minute 15 seconds
3. Bartolomeo Aymo @ 1 minute 16 seconds
4. Giovanni Brunero @ 3 minutes 54 seconds
The first and second place riders had left the race. Surely this would have been an extraordinary race if those two had remained, as Girardengo had won the second stage and Belloni the third.

Legnano was now far and away the strongest team in the reduced peloton. After Sivocci won the fourth stage into Pescara, the standings:
1. Bartolomeo Aymo
2. Giovanni Brunero @ 2 minutes 36 seconds
3. Giuseppe Enrici @ 29 minutes 51 seconds
4. Alfredo Sivocci @ 36 minutes 49 seconds

The near equipoise between Aymo and Brunero remained as the race went south to Naples and then turned north. It was in the seventh stage to Florence that Brunero’s superior climbing allowed him to break free of Aymo and take almost four minutes out of his only real competitor. Brunero was now the leader with Aymo at 1 minute 20 seconds.

Brunero and Aymo away together

Over the next three stages Brunero extended his lead. Aymo won the penultimate stage but Brunero soloed to victory in Milan, winning his second consecutive Giro d’Italia.

1921 and 1922 Giro d'Italia winner Giovanni Brunero

Final 1922 Giro d’Italia General Classification:
1. Giovanni Brunero (Legnano-Pirelli) 119 hours 43 minutes
2. Bartolomeo Aymo (Legnano-Pirelli) @ 12 minutes 29 seconds
3. Giuseppe Enrici (Legnano-Pirelli) @ 1 hour 35 minutes 33 seconds
4. Alfredo Sivocci (Legnano-Pirelli) @ 1 hour 52 minutes 13 seconds
5. Domenico Schierano (independent) @ 4 hours 17 minutes 42 seconds

The 1922 Giro must have been terribly hard. 75 riders started but only 15 made it back to Milan. Even allowing for the Bianchi and Maino withdrawals, this was a really high attrition rate. One Italian writer called it a race for uomini veri, true men. Yet, because of the untimely exit of two of Italy’s greatest riders, the fans found little to be enthusiastic in this race of mille polemiche, a thousand arguments.

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