1925 Giro d'Italia

13th edition: May 16 - June 7

Results, stages with running GC, photos and history

1924 Giro | 1926 Giro | Giro d'Italia Database | 1925 Giro Quick Facts | 1925 Giro d'Italia Final GC | Stage results with running GC | Teams | The Story of the 1925 Giro d'Italia

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1925 Giro Quick Facts:

3,520 km divided into 12 stages, ridden at an average speed of 25.60 km/hr.

126 starters and 39 classified finishers.

Neither Maino nor Bianchi entered teams in the 1925 Giro.

This was the first Giro for Alfredo Binda and was the first of five victories he would accrue.

Costante Girardengo won more stages, but he was never able to distance himself from the more powerful Binda.

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1925 Giro d'Italia Complete Final General Classification:

1. Alfredo Binda (Legnano): 137hr 31min 13sec
2. Costante Girardengo (Wolsit) @ 4min 58sec
3. Giovanni Brunero (Legnano) @ 7min 22sec
4. Gaetano Belloni (Wolsit) @ 26min 29sec
5. Nello Ciaccheri (Legnano) @ 37min 57sec
6. Ermano Vallaza (Legnano) @ 1hr 0min 27sec
7. Pietro "Pierino" Bestetti (Wolsit) @ 1hr 15min 10sec
8. Gianbattista Gilli @ 1hr 25min 18sec
9. Giovanni Trentarossi @ 1hr 40min 45sec
10. Pasquale Di Pietro @ 2hr 31min 23sec
11. Giuseppe Pancera (Aliprandi-Pirelli) @ 2hr 32min 24sec
12. Michele Gordini @ 3hr 8min 22sec
13. Antonio Tecchio @ 3hr 30min 39sec
14. Ottavio Pratesi @ 4hr 28min 47sec
15. Riccardo Gagliardi (independent) @ 4hr 45min 44sec
16. Antonio Pancera (Aliprandi-Pirelli) @ 5hr 17min 3sec
17. Angelo Verona @ 5hr 29min 24sec
18. Azzelio Terreni @ 5hr 50min 35sec
19. Giovanni Rossignoli @ 6hr 27min 46sec
20. Giovanni Del Taglio @ 7hr 41min 2sec
21. Giuseppe Casadio @ 7hr 54min 52sec
22. Luigi Cecilli @ 8hr 18min 18sec
23. Guido Oddone @ 8hr 50min 44sec
24. Gino Petri @ 9hr 4min 55sec
25. Antonio De Franceschi @ 9hr 26min 9sec
26. Arnaldo Bergami @ 9hr 39min 52sec
27. Guido Messina s.t.
28. Tito Brambilla @ 10hr 9min 21sec
29. Pierino Cazzaniga @ 11hr 9min 39sec
30. Antonio Buelli @ 11hr 46min 24sec
31. Augusto Rho @ 12hr 26min 22sec
32. Umberto Ripamonti @13hr 11min 15sec
33. Andrea Cazzaniga @ 15hr 12min 24sec
34. Paolo Baldieri @ 15hr 23min 3sec
35. Angelo Brumana @ 16hr 7min 40sec
36. Francesco Barbalonga @ 16hr 48min 26sec
37. Giuseppe Brenna @ 18hr 41min 45sec
38. Angelo Guidi @ 18hr 45min 38sec
39. Luigi Brivio @ 20hr 29min 10sec

Winning Team: Legnano, award given to the team of the winning rider.

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1925 Giro stage results with running GC:

Stage 1: Saturday, May 16, Milano - Torino, 278 km

Ascent: Serra

1. Pietro Linari: 9hr 42min 43sec
2. Gaetano Belloni s.t.
3. Alfredo Binda s.t.
4. Giovanni Brunero s.t.
5. Costante Girardengo s.t.
6. Pierino Bestetti s.t.
7. Emilio or Edoardo Petiva s.t.
8. Alfredo Dinale
9. Arturo Bresciani
10. Oreste Cignoli s.t.

GC after Stage 1: Same as stage results

Stage 2: Monday, May 18, Torino - Arenzano, 279 km

Ascent: Castino

1. Costante Girardengo: 9hr 58min 30sec
2. Alfredo Binda s.t.
3. Giovanni Brunero s.t.
4. Nello Ciaccheri s.t.
5. Arturo Bresciani @ 1mn 5sec
6. Pietro Linari @ 2min 19sec
7. Adriano Zanaga @ 4min 11sec
8. Umberto Berni @ 4min 40sec
9. Enea Dal Fiume @ 7min 48sec
10. Pierino Bestetti @ 11min 13sec

GC after Stage 2:

1. Costante Girardengo: 19hr 41min 13sec
2. Alfredo Binda s.t.
3. Giovanni Brunero s.t.
4. Nello Ciaccheri @ 28sec
5. Arturo Bresciani @ 1min 5sec
6. Pietro Linari @ 2min 19sec
7. Adriano Zanaga @ 4min 11sec
8. Enea Dal Fiume @ 7min 48sec
9. Gaetano Belloni 2 11min 13sec
10. Oreste Cignoli @ 11min 13sec

Stage 3: Wednesday, May 20, Arenzano - Pisa, 315 km

Ascents: Bracco, Foce Carpinelli

1. Pierino Bestetti: 11hr 58min 50sec
2. Alfredo Binda s.t.
3. Costante Girardengo s.t.
4. Nello Ciaccheri s.t.
5. Gianbattista Gilli @ 4min 21sec
6. Giovanni Brunero s.t.
7. Pietro Linari @ 8min 27sec
8. Giuseppe Pancera @ 9min 16sec
9. Giovanni Tragella @ 12min 19sec
10. Antonio Tecchio @ 12min21sec

GC after Stage 3:

1. Costante Girardengo: 31hr 49min 3sec
2. Alfredo Binda s.t.
3. Nello Ciaccheri @ 28sec
4. Giovanni Brunero @ 4min 21sec
5. Pietro Linari @ 10min 46sec
6. Pierino Bestetti @ 11min 13sec
7. Adriano Zanaga @ 17min 43sec
8. Gianbattista Gilli @ 21min 52sec
9. Oreste Cignoli @ 23min 44sec
10. Arturo Bresciani @ 26min 22sec

Stage 4: Friday, May 22, Pisa - Roma, 337 km

Ascents: Volterra, Radicofani, Cimini

1. Costante Girardengo: 13hr 45min 30sec
2. Gaetano Belloni s.t.
3. Alfredo Binda s.t.
4. Pierino Bestetti s.t.
5. Adriano Zanaga s.t.
6. Giovanni Brunero s.t.
7. Arturo Bresciani s.t.
8. Pasquale Di Pietro s.t.
9. Giovanni Tragella @ 5sec
10. Ermanno Vallaza @ 7sec

GC after Stage 4:

1. Costante Girardengo @ 45hr 23min 54sec
2. Alfredo Binda s.t.
3. Nello Ciaccheri @ 1min 4sec
4. Giovanni Brunero @ 4min 20sec
5. Pierino Bestetti @ 11min 13sec
6. Adrian Zanaga @ 17min 42sec
7. Gianbattista Gilli @ 23min 11sec
8. Ermanno Vallazza @ 26min 6sec
9. Arturo Bresciani @ 26min 31sec
10. Gaetano Belloni @ 27min 3sec

Stage 5: Sunday, May 24, Roma - Napoli, 260 km

1. Gaetano Belloni: 10hr 30min 10sec
2. Alfredo Binda s.t.
3. Pierino Bestetti s.t.
4. Nello Ciaccheri s.t.
5. Giovanni Brunero @ 15sec
6. Costante Girardengo @ 32sec
7. Gianbattista Gilli @ 8min 33sec
8. Armanno Vallazza s.t.
9. Alfredo Sivocci s.t.
10. Fortunato Manicardi s.t.

GC after Stage 5:

1. Alfredo Binda: 55hr 37min 49sec
2. Nello Ciaccheri @ 57sec
3. Giovanni Brunero @ 4min 15sec
4. Costante Girardengo @ 5min 32sec
5. Pierino Bestetti @ 11min 13sec
6. Gaetano Belloni @ 27min 3sec
7. Gianbattista Gilli @ 34min 6sec
8. Ermanno Vallazza @ 24min 34sec
9. Giovanni Trentarossi @ 49min 58sec
10. Giovanni Tragella @ 50min 39sec

Stage 6: Tuesday, May 26, Napoli - Bari, 314 km

Ascents: San Angelo dei Lombardi, La Toppa, Rapolla

1. Alfredo Binda: 13hr 3min 40sec
2. Costante Girardengo s.t.
3. Gaetano Belloni s.t.
4. Pierino Bestetti s.t.
5. Italiano Lugli s.t.
6. Gianbattista Gilli s.t.
7. Nello Ciaccheri s.t.
8. Michele Gordini @ 15sec
9. Psquale Di Pietro @ 56sec
10. Giuseppe Panvera s.t.

GC after Stage 6:

1. Alfredo Binda: 68hr 41min 29sec
2. Nello Ciaccheri @ 57sec
3. Costante Girardengo @ 5min 32sec
4. Giovanni Brunero @ 7min 47sec
5. Pierino Bestetti @ 11min 13sec
6. Gaetano Belloni @ 27min 3sec
7. Gianbattista Gilli @ 34min 6sec
8. Ermanno Vallazza @ 36min 19sec
9. Giovanni Tragella @ 51min 53sec
10. Oreste Cignoli @ 56min 28sec

Stage 7: Thursday, May 28, Bari - Benevento, 235 km

Ascent: Ariano di Puglia

1. Costante Girardengo: 9hr 19min 49sec
2. Gaetano Belloni s.t.
3. Giovanni Brunero s.t.
4. Alfredo Binda @ 28sec
5. Ermanno Vallazza @ 6min 41sec
6. Giovanni Tragella s.t.
7. Giovanni Trentarossi @ 6min 58sec
8. Nello Ciaccheri @ 11min 13sec
9. Italiano Lugli @ 22min 51sec
10. Oreste Cignoli @ 29min 9sec

GC after Stage 7:

1. Alfredo Binda: 78hr 1min 46sec
2. Costante Girardengo @ 5min 4sec
3. Giovanni Brunero @ 7min 19sec
4. Nello Ciaccheri @ 11min 52sec
5. Gaetano Belloni @ 26min 35sec
6. Ermanno Vallazza @ 42min 42sec
7. Pierino Bestetti @ 51min 17sec
8. Giovanni Tragella @ 58min 5sec
9. Gianbattista Gilli @ 1hr 3min 17sec
10. Giovanni Trentarossi @ 1hr 23min 10sec

Stage 8: Saturday, May 30, Benevento - Sulmona, 275 km

Ascents: Vinchiaturo, Fontanelle, Rocccaraso, Cinquemiglia

1. Giovanni Brunero: 11hr 32min 6sec
2. Costante Girardengo @ 19sec
3. Alfredo Binda s.t.
4. Pasquale Di Pietro s.t.
5. Gaetano Belloni s.t.
6. Ermanno Vallazza s.t.
7. Giovanni Trentarossi @ 3min 59sec
8. Giovanni Tragella s.t.
9. Gianbattista Gilli @ 10min 18sec
10. Italiano Lugli s.t.

GC after Stage 8:

1. Alfredo Binda: 89hr 34min 13sec
2. Costante Girardengo @ 4min 58sec
3. Giovanni Brunero @ 6min 12sec
4. Nello Ciaccheri @ 24min 0sec
5. Gaetano Belloni @ 25min 29sec
6. Ermanno Vallazza @ 43min 32sec
7. Giovanni Tragella @ 1hr 1min 22sec
8. Pierino Bestetti @ 1hr 3min 25sec
9. Gianbattista Gilli @ 1hr 13min 28sec
10. Giovanni Trentarossi @ 1hr 28min 38sec

Stage 9: Monday, June 1, Sulmona - Arezzo, 377 km

Ascent: Forca Caruso

1. Costante Girardengo: 15hr 33min 55sec
2. Pierino Bestetti s.t.
3. Gaetano Belloni s.t.
4. Giovanni Brunero s.t.
5. Alfredo Binda s.t.
6. Nello Ciaccheri s.t.
7. Giovanni Tragella s.t.
8. Antonio Pancera @ 1sec
9. Gianbattista Gilli s.t.
10. Giovanni Trentarossi s.t.

GC after Stage 9:

1. Alfredo Binda: 105hr 6min 8sec
2. Costante Girardengo @ 4min 58sec
3. Giovanni Brunero @ 7min 12sec
4. Nello Ciaccheri @ 24min 0sec
5. Gaetano Belloni @ 26min 29sec
6. Ermanno Vallazza @ 42min 58sec
7. Giovanni Tragella @ 1hr 1min 22sec
8. Pierino Bestetti @ 1hr 3min 25sec
9. Gianbattista Gilli @ 1hr 13min 29sec
10. Giovanni Trentarossi @ 1hr 28min 39sec

Stage 10: Wednesday, June 3, Arezzo - Forlì, 224 km

Ascents: Consuma, Mandrioli

1. Costante Girardengo: 7hr 54min 17sec
2. Gaetano Belloni s.t.
3. Giovanni Brunero s.t.
4. Alfredo Binda s.t.
5. Giuseppe Pancera @ 6min 49sec
6. Pierino Bestetti @ 11min 49sec
7. Nello Ciaccheri s.t.
8. Gianbattista Gilli s.t.
9. Giovanni Trentarossi s.t.
10. Ermanno Vallazza 2 17min 29sec

GC after Stage 10:

1. Alfredo Binda: 113hr 2min 25sec
2. Costante Girardengo @ 4min 58sec
3. Giovanni Brunero @ 6min 25sec
4. Gaetano Belloni @ 26min 29sec
5. Nello Ciaccheri @ 35min 45sec
6. Ermanno Vallazza @ 1hr 0min 27sec
7. Pierino Bestetti @ 1hr 15min 10sec
8. Gianbattista Gilli @ 1hr 25min 18sec
9. Giovanni Trentarossi @ 1hr 40min 28sec
10. Giovanni Tragella @ 2hr 13min 47sec

Stage 11: Friday, June 5, Forlì - Verona, 318 km

1. Costante Girardengo: 12hr 17min 19sec
2. Alfredo Binda s.t.
3. Gaetano Belloni s.t.
4. Pierino Bestetti s.t.
5. Giovanni Brunero s.t.
6. Antonio Pancera s.t.
7. Giuseppe Pancera s.t.
8. Pasquale Di Pietro s.t.
9. Antonio Tecchio s.t.
10. Gianbattista Gilli s.t.

GC after Stage 11:

1. Alfredo Binda: 125hr 19min 44sec
2. Costante Girardengo @ 4min 58sec
3. Giovanni Brunero @ 7min 22sec
4. Gaetano Belloni @ 26min 29sec
5. Nelli Ciaccheri @ 37min 57sec
6. Ermanno Vallazza @ 1hr 0min 27sec
7. Pierino Bestetti @ 1hr 15min 10sec
8. Gianbattista Gilli @ 1hr 25min 18sec
9. Giovanni Trenatarossi @ 1hr 40min 28sec
10. Pasquale Di Pietro @ 2hr 31min 6sec

12th and Final Stage: Sunday, June 7, Verona - Milano, 308 km

Ascents: Ledro, San Eusebio

1. Gaetano Belloni: 12hr 11min 29sec
2. Costante Girardengo s.t.
3. Alfredo Binda s.t.
4. Pierino Bestetti s.t.
5. Antonio Pancera s.t.
6. Giovanni Del Taglio s.t.
7. Michele Gordini s.t.
8. Azzelio Terreni s.t.
9. 15 riders, all given the same time and place

1925 Giro d'Italia Complete Final General Classification

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Teams:

Aliprandi-Pirelli
Jenis
Legnano-Pirelli
Olympia-Pirelli
Peugeot-Pirelli
Wolsit-Pirelli

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The Story of the 1925 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.

 Neither Maino nor Bianchi entered a team in this twelve-stage, 3,520-kilometer edition of the Giro d’Italia. Emilio Bozzi’s Legnano team, however, came in strength with Brunero, Linari and a rider who had turned pro three years earlier, Alfredo Binda. To make the firm’s dominance complete, Wolsit, another brand owned by Bozzi, fielded a team with Girardengo, Belloni and Pierino Bestetti (gregario di lusso for Girardengo). Observers assumed the race would be between Girardengo and Brunero. The other 124 entrants were considered pack fill.

In early spring at Milan–San Remo, Girardengo and Brunero broke away, beating third-place Linari by fifteen minutes. Linari’s ride was nonetheless an excellent effort as fourth place Bestetti came in a further seven minutes later.
Bestetti came in second in that year’s Paris–Roubaix while Girardengo, Binda and Brunero were in the cobbled classic’s final rush of 26 riders, all of whom were given seventh place by the judges.

Clearly the contenders were fit as fiddles and the Giro’s first stage, 278 kilometers from Milan to Turin, confirmed it. Eighteen riders separated themselves from the pack and entered Turin with nearly a five-minute gap. Linari was the stage winner, with Belloni, Binda, Brunero, Girardengo and Bestetti the next five riders across the line.

Pietro Linari wins stage 1

The second stage in Liguria thinned the herd a bit. Girardengo won a four-up sprint with Binda, Brunero and Nello Ciaccheri. That put Girardengo in the lead with Binda and Brunero second and third with the same time and Ciaccheri fourth at 28 seconds. Over the next two stages the race headed south to Rome with Girardengo and Binda clearly the only real contestants for the lead.

After the stage four arrival in Rome the General Classification stood thus:
1. Costante Girardengo
2. Alfredo Binda @ same time
3. Nello Ciaccheri @ 1 minute 4 seconds
4. Giovanni Brunero @ 4 minutes 20 seconds

As cycling history has shown over and over, having several fine, ambitious riders on the same team, as with the Wolsit and Legnano teams, can be a recipe for trouble. In the third stage Girardengo successfully worked to help his devoted gregario Bestetti win. Belloni, a Wolsit teammate of Girardengo’s, finished sixteen minutes down that day. He was resentful over Gira’s efforts on behalf of a gregario when he, a former Giro winner, was struggling and deserved help. So when Girardengo flatted in the Rome–Naples stage Belloni helped Binda break away.

Racing in that era was almost a bare-knuckle sport. That fact that Girardengo was the race’s leader (and Belloni’s teammate) made no difference to the others who attacked him while he repaired his flat. Belloni won the stage while Binda, content with the results of his day’s work, came in second and became the Giro’s new leader.

The new General Classification:
1. Alfredo Binda
2. Nello Ciaccheri @ 57 seconds
3. Giovanni Brunero @ 4 minutes 15 seconds
4. Costante Girardengo @ 5 minutes 32 seconds

This young leader of the Giro had already made his presence known to the cycling world. He won three races in 1922, his first year as a pro, and placed a notable third in the Nice–Mont Chauve hill climb. In 1923 he won at Mont Chauve, beating Girardengo, Belloni, Sivocci, Alavoine and 1923 Tour winner Henri Pélissier. About the young rider’s victory over the world’s best racers, one paper wrote, “A star is born!”

Binda was born in Cittiglio, in the province of Varese, 60 kilometers northwest of Milan. His parents moved the family to Nice in France where he became a plasterer. In his spare time he raced on the track. His talent for road racing, especially climbing, soon became evident. Belloni’s remarks to Girardengo during their return trip back to Italy after Mont Chauve show that Binda’s performance had shaken him. “You know, Champion, if this man from Varese comes to Italy he’ll beat everyone.”

In 1923 Binda won eleven races and the next year he won eighteen, including the French Tour du Sud-Est stage race (no longer held) overall with two stage wins along the way.

After Binda’s stunning win at Mont Chauve, Girardengo invited Binda to come race on the track with him in Italy. Upon arriving in Italy, Binda signed with Legnano and from there the man nicknamed il Trombettiere di Cittiglio (the trumpeter of Cittiglio) pursued a racing career that has few equals in cycling history. Why was this great racer given such an odd nickname? Binda played the trumpet in his hometown’s marching band, delighting the locals. His brothers were also musicians: Albini was a trombonist and Benito played the saxophone.

Girardengo tried with all his power to regain the lead in this Giro but Binda was unbelievably strong. In Bari, all the campionissimo could do was come in second to Binda with Belloni and Bestetti right behind. Girardengo was the quicker sprinter of the two but Binda possessed a huge engine that allowed him to overwhelm his competitors.

Alfredo Binda flips his rear wheel to change gears.

Finally, over the hilly, difficult roads of Campania, Girardengo was able to drop his powerful rival, but only by 28 seconds. After the 235 kilometers of racing ended in Benevento, Binda was still the leader with Girardengo now second, still five minutes behind.

In the eighth stage the two finished together. The ninth stage brought the race into Tuscany and while Girardengo won, Binda finished right with him. The same story was true of the tenth and eleventh stages. Girardengo could win stages, but he could gain no time on a Binda who was showing a surprising mastery of stage racing tactics at the young age of 23.

Belloni won the final stage into Milan with Girardengo second and Binda third. Girardengo, the great champion, had to yield to a new and extraordinarily talented rider who was nine years younger.

I’ve asked myself the question that if I could watch any great Grand Tour, of any era, which one would it be? The fabulous brawl between Girardengo and Binda in the 1925 Giro is certainly on my short list, perhaps the first duel in cycling history fought out between a great champion at his sunset versus the other with his fabulous career just dawning.

Binda had quickly overcome an initial difficulty he had with racing in Italy. In France, most of the roads he raced on were paved. Not so in Italy, where he had to learn to race on dirt roads. Italian team tactics were still rudimentary at this time and Binda knew that if he flatted, it was likely he wouldn’t get help from his team getting back to the peloton. He came prepared to compete on the rough Italian roads by having extra-heavy tires mounted on his bikes. Those 500-gram tires got him through the 3,520 kilometers of the 1925 Giro without a single flat.

While Girardengo would win a few more important races, he would never again finish the Giro d’Italia. He would try several more times, even giving it a shot as late as 1936.

In 1927 the team of Alfredo Binda and Costante Girardengo won the Milan Six-Day. Girardengo said that the relationship between two men was cordial, at best. When they parted from the 6-day race the two men didn’t even shake hands. They never really became friends.

Costante Girardengo and Alfredo Binda

Final 1925 Giro d’Italia General Classification:
1. Alfredo Binda (Legnano-Pirelli) 137 hours 31minutes 13 seconds
2. Costante Girardengo (Wolsit) @ 4 minutes 58 seconds
3. Giovanni Brunero (Legnano-Pirelli) @ 7 minutes 22 seconds
4. Gaetano Belloni (Wolsit) @ 26 minutes 29 seconds
5. Nello Ciaccheri (Legnano-Pirelli) @ 37 minutes 57 seconds

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