1935 Giro d'Italia

23rd edition: May 18 - June 9

Results, stages with running GC, photos and history

1934 Giro | 1936 Giro | Giro d'Italia Database | 1935 Giro Quick Facts | 1935 Giro d'Italia Final GC | Stage results with running GC | The Story of the 1935 Giro d'Italia |

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1935 Giro Quick Facts:

3577 km raced at an average speed of 31.36 km/hr.

102 starters and 62 classified finishers.

This was the first Giro with half stages, that is, two stages held the same day.

No time bonuses were awarded this Giro.

The winner, Vasco Bergamaschi, had been brought to the Giro to ride as a gregario for Costante Girardengo.

This was Gino Bartali's debut Giro. His first stage win was the seventh stage, where he won alone. Bergamaschi did well enough that stage to become the General Classification leader. He held that lead all the way to Milan.

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1935 Giro d'Italia Final General Classification:

1. Vasco Bergamaschi (Maino): 113 hr 22min 46sec
2. Giuseppe Martano (Fréjus) @ 3min 7sec
3. Giuseppe Olmo (Bianchi) @ 6min 12sec
4. Learco Guerra (Maino) @ 7min 22sec
5. Maurice Archambaud (Dei) @ 9min 19sec
6. Remo Bertoni (Legnano) @ 9min 46sec
7. Gino Bartali (Fréjus) @ 16min 1sec
8. Ezio Cecchi (Gloria) @ 16min 3sec
9. Luigi Augusto Introzzi (Gloria) @ 17min 1sec
10. Ambrogio Enrico Morelli (independent) @ 17min 13sec
11. Eugenio Gestri (independent) @ 19min 26sec
12. Mario Cipriani (Fréjus) @ 19min 38sec
13. Orlando Teani (Dei) @ 21min 22sec
14. Antonio Folco (Fréjus) @ 27min 54sec
15. René Debenne (Dei) @ 31min 11sec
16. Alfredo Binda (Legnano) @ 31min 13sec
17. Karl Altenburger (Fréjus) @ 33min 9sec
18. Aladino Mealli (Legnano) @ 33min 48sec
19. Cesare Grassi (independent) @ 39min 23sec
20. Michele Benente (Gloria) @ 40min 14sec
21. Renato Scorticati (independent) @ 40min 26sec
22. Isidoro Piubellini (Legnano) @ 41min 4sec
23. Giovanni Baroni (independent) @ 41min 49sec
24. Léon Level (Helyett) @ 46min 30sec
25. Carlo Moretti (independent) @ 49min 23sec
26. Armando Zucchini (independent) @ 50min 3sec
27. Paride Scacchetti (independent) @ 50min 35sec
28. Carlo Romanatti (independent) @ 50min 40sec
29. Carlo Oria (independent) @ 50min 53sec
30. Luigi Giacobbe (Maino) @ 53min 35sec
31. Giovanni Zandona (independent) @ 54min 41sec
32. Raffaele Di Paco (Dei) @ 54min 57sec
33. Giovanni Gotti (Legnano) @ 55min 46sec
34. Albert Gabard (Helyett) @ 58min 10sec
35. Antonio Giuseppe Negrini (Frejus) @ 1hr 0min 12sec
36. Ernesto Merlini (independent) @ 1hr 0min 46sec
37. Ruggero Balli (independent) @ 1hr 3min 41sec
38. Henri Ernest Puppo (Legnano) @ 1hr 10min 21sec
39. Attilio Masarati (independent) @ 1hr 10min 29sec
40. Joseph "Jef" Demuysère (Bianchi) @ 1hr 11min 18sec
41. Eugène Le Goff (Dei) @ 1hr 13min 37sec
42. Domenico Piemontesi (Maino) @ 1hr 17min 3sec
43. René Bernard (Helyett) @ 1hr 24min 23sec
44. Pierre-Marie Cloarec (Dei) @ 1hr 25min 12sec
45. Carlo Castagnoli (Fréjus) @ 1hr 25min 33sec
46. Attilio Morbiatto (independent) @ 1hr 30min 36sec
47. Domenico Terragni (independent) @ 1hr 32min 32sec
48. Domenico Oggero (Gloria) @ 1hr 36min 15sec
49. Renaldo Gerini (Maino) @ 1hr 36min 17sec
50. Lucien Lauk (Helyett) @ 1hr 46min 55sec
51. Carlo Rovida (independent) @ 1hr 48min 8sec
52. Walter Fantini (Gloria) @ 1hr 48min 8sec
53. Igino Ciccotelli (independent) @ 1hr 48min 49sec
54. Ermano Moser (independent) @ 1hr 56min 2sec
55. Augusto Zanzi (Bianchi) @ 2hr 1min 4sec
56. Alfredo Bovet (Bianchi) @ 2hr 3min 16sec
57. Romeo Rossi (Maino) @ 2hr 13min 25sec
58. Malachie Adrien Buttafocchi (Helyett) @ 2hr 14min 46sec
59. Abramo Clerici (independent) @ 2hr 32min 10sec
60. Mauro Valle (independent) @ 2hr 33min 19sec
61. Pio Giovanni Rossi (Giovanni) @ 2hr 46min 12sec
62. Oreste Emilio Boccaccio (independent) @ 2hr 50min 15sec

Climbers’ competition:
1. Gino Bartali (Fréjus) 44 points
2. Remo Bertoni (Legnano) 28
3. Mario Cipriani (Fréjus) 14
4. Franceco Camusso (Legnano) 9
5. Giuseppe Martano (Fréjus)9

Winning team: Fréjus

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1935 Giro stage results with running GC:

Stage 1: Saturday, May 18, Milano - Cremona, 165 km

1. Vasco Bergamaschi: 4hr 30min 26sec
2. Domenico Piemontesi s.t.
3. Adrien Buttafocchi s.t.
4. Armando Zucchini s.t.
5. Giuseppe Olmo s.t.
6. Attilio Masarati s.t.
7. Antonio Folco s.t.
8. Karl Altenburger s.t.
9. Gino Bartali s.t.
10. Fabio Battesini s.t.

Stage 2: Sunday, May 19, Cremona - Mantova, 175 km

Ascent: Colle San Eusebio

1. Domenico Piemontesi: 4hr 47min 24sec
2. Walter Fantini @ 4sec
3. Raffaele Di Paco @ 1min 26sec
4. Jean Fontenay @ 1min 32sec
5. Aldo Bini @ 1min 39sec
6. Ettore Meini s.t.
7. René Debenne s.t.
8. Attilio Masarati s.t.
9. Giuseppe Olmo s.t.
10. Alfredo Binda s.t.

GC after Stage 2:

1. Domenico Piemontesi: 9hr 17min 50sec
2. Walter Fantini @ 1min 27sec
3. Vasco Bergamaschi @ 1min 39sec
4. Adrien Buttafochi s.t.
5. Armando Zucchini s.t.
6. Raffaele Di Paco @ 2min 49sec
7. Jean Fontenay @ 2min 55sec
8. Aldo Bini @ 3min 2sec
9. Giuseppe Olmo s.t.
10. Attilio Masarati s.t.

Stage 3: Monday, May 20, Montova - Rovigo, 162 km

1. Learco Guerra: 4hr 31min 42sec
2. Giuseppe Olmo s.t.
3. Aldo Bini s.t.
4. Ettore Meini s.t.
5. Aurelio Scazzola s.t.
6. Ruggero Balli s.t.
7. Attilio Masarati s.t.
8. Aldo Canazza s.t.
9. Karl Altenburger s.t.
10. Antonio Andretta s.t.

GC: after Stage 3:

1. Domenico Piemontesi: 13hr 49min 33sec
2. Walter Fantini @ 1min 27sec
3. Vasco Bergamaschi @ 1min 39sec
4. Adrien Buttafochi s.t.
5. Armando Zucchini s.t
6. Raffaele Di Paco @ 2min 49sec
7. Jean Fontenay @ 2min 55sec
8. Aldo Bini @ 3min 2sec
9. Giuseppe Olmo @ 3min 2sec
10. Attilio Masarati @ 3min 2sec.

Stage 4: Tuesday, May 21, Rovigo - Cesenatico, 140 km

1. Learco Guerra: 3hr 40min 36sec
2. Raffaele Di Paco s.t.
3. Aldo Bini s.t.
4. Alfredo Binda s.t.
5. Ambrogio Morelli s.t.
6. René Debenne s.t.
7. Giuseppe Olmo s.t.
8. Fabio Battesini s.t.
9. Maurice Archambaud s.t.
10. Ruggero Balli s.t.

GC after Stage 4:

1. Walter Fantini: 17hr 31min 36sec
2. Vasco Bergamaschi @ 12sec
3. Adrien Buttafochi s.t.
4. Armando Zucchini s.t.
5. Raffaele Di Paco @ 1min 22sec
6. Jean Fontenay @ 1min 28sec
7. Aldo Bini @ 1min 35sec
8. Giuseppe Olmo s.t.
9. René Debenne s.t.
10. Alfredo Binda s.t.

Stage 5: Wednesday, May 22, Cesenatico - Riccione 35 km individual time trial

1. Giuseppe Olmo: 48min 47sec
2. Aldo Bini @ 1min 17sec
3. Learco Guerra @ 1min 24sec
4. Maurice Archambaud @ 1min 39sec
5. Vasco Bergamaschi @ 1min 57sec
6. Alfredo Binda @ 2min 16sec
7. Giuseppe Martano @ 2min 19sec
8. Antonio Folco @ 2min 26sec
9. Joseph Demuysère @ 2min 53sec
10. Raffaele Di Paco @ 3min 3sec

GC after Stage 5:

1. Giuseppe Olmo: 18hr 21min 58sec
2. Vasco Bergamaschi @ 34sec
3. Aldo Bini @ 1min 17sec
4. Learco Guerra @ 1min 24sec
5. Armando Zucchini @ 1min 40sec
6. Alfredo Binda @ 2min 14sec
7. Adrien Buttafochi @ 2min 15sec
8. Giuseppe Martano @ 2min 19sec
9. Antonio Folco @ 2min 26sec
10. Raffaele Di Paco @ 2min 50sec

Stage 6: Wednesday, May 22, Riccione - Portocivitanova, 136 km

1. Antonio Folco: 3hr 47min 59sec
2. Joseph Demuysère s.t.
3. Lucien Lauk s.t.
4. Learco Guerra @ 16sec
5. Aldo Bini s.t.
6. Karl Altenburger s.t.
7. Alfredo Binda s.t.
8. Raffaele Di Paco s.t.
9. Giuseppe Olmo s.t.
10. Antonio Andretta s.t.

GC after Stage 6:

1. Giuseppe Olmo: 22hr 10min 13sec
2. Vasco Bergamaschi @ 34sec
3. Aldo Bini @ 1min 17sec
4. Learco Guerra @ 1min 24src
5. Armando Zucchini @ 1min 40sec
6. Antonio Folco @ 2min 10sec
7. Alfredo Binda @ 2min 14sec
8. Adrien Buttafochi @ 2min 15sec
9. Giuseppe Martano @ 2min 19sec
10. Joseph Demuysère @ 2min 37sec

Stage 7: Friday, May 24, Portocivitanova - L'Aquila, 171 km

Major ascent: Capanelle (1,300m)

1. Gino Bartali: 4hr 37min 48sec
2. Ezio Cecchi @ 16sec
3. Ambrogio Morelli @ 1min 47sec
4. Vasco Bergamaschi s.t.
5. Maurice Archambaud @ 3min 15sec
6. Giuseppe Olmo @ 3min 22sec
7. Learco Guerra s.t.
8. Alfredo Binda s.t.
9. Karl Altenburger s.t.
10. Ruggero Balli s.t.

GC after Stage 7:

1. Vasco Bergamaschi: 26hr 50min 22sec
2. Giuseppe Olmo @ 1min 31sec
3. Learco Guerra @ 2min 35sec
4. Gino Bartali @ 3min 5sec
5. Ezio Cecchi @ 3min 27sec
6. Alfredo Binda @ 3min 45sec
7. Giuseppe Martano @ 3min 50sec
8. Raffaele Di Paco @ 4min 1sec
9. Ambrogio Morelli @ 4min 2sec
10. René Debenne @ 4min 43sec

Stage 8: Saturday, May 25, L'Aquila - Lanciano, 146 km

Major ascent: Casacanditella (433m)

1. Learco Guerra: 4hr 41min 25sec
2. Alfredo Binda s.t.
3. Karl Altenburger s.t.
4. Vasco Bergamaschi s.t.
5. Mario Cipriani s.t.
6. Ambrogio Morelli s.t.
7. Armando Zucchini s.t.
8. Isidoro Piubellini s.t.
9. Remo Bertoni s.t.
10. Attilio Masarati s.t.

GC after Stage 8:

1. Vasco Bergamaschi: 31hr 31min 47sec
2. Giuseppe Olmo @ 2min 16sec
3. Learco Guerra @ 2min 55sec
4. Gino Bartali @ 3min 5sec
5. Ezio Cecchi @ 3min 27sec
6. Alfredo Binda @ 3min 45sec
7. Giuseppe Martano @ 3min 50sec
8. Ambrogio Morelli @ 4min 2sec
9. Remo Bertoni @ 5min 14sec
10. Mario Cipriani @ 5min 35sec

Stage 9: Sunday, May 26, Lanciano - Bari, 308 km

1. Learco Guerra: 11hr 4min 5sec
2. Alfredo Binda s.t.
3. Giuseppe Olmo s.t.
4. Attilio Masarati s.t.
5. Isidoro Piubellini s.t.
6. Domenico Piemontesi s.t.
7. Karl Altenburger s.t.
8. Antonio Folco s.t.
9. Carlo Romanatti s.t.
10. Ambrogio Morelli s.t.

GC after Stage 9:

1. Vasco Bergamaschi: 43hr 35min 52sec
2. Giuseppe Olmo @ 2min 16sec
3. Learco Guerra @ 2min 55sec
4. Gino Bartali @ 3min 5sec
5. Ezio Cecchi @ 3min 27sec
6. Alfredo Binda @ 3min45sec
7. Giuseppe Martano @ 3min 50sec
8. Ambrogio Morelli @ 4min 2sec
9. Remo Bertoni @ 5min 14sec
10. Mario Cipriani @ 5min 35sec

Stage 10: Tuesday, May 28, Bari - Napoli, 333 km

Major ascents: Tricario (698m), Balvano (845m)

1. Raffaele Di Paco: 11hr 37min 55sec
2. Giuseppe Martano s.t.
3. Learco Guerra s.t.
4. Attilio Masarati s.t.
5. René Debenne s.t.
6. Karl Altenburger s.t.
7. Gino Bartali s.t.
8. Remo Bertoni s.t.
9. René Bernard s.t.
10. Maurice Archambaud s.t.

GC after Stage 10:

1. Vasco Bergamaschi: 54hr 13min 47sec
2. Giuseppe Olmo 2 2min 16sec
3. Learco Guerra @ 2min 55sec
4. Gino Bartali @ 3min 5sec
5. Ezio Cecchi @ 3min 27sec
6. Alfredo Binda @ 3min 45sec
7. Giuseppe Martano @ 3min 50sec
8. Ambrogio Morelli @ 4min 35sec
9. Remo Bertoni @ 5min 14sec
10. Mario Cipriani @ 5min 35sec

Stage 11: Thursday, May 30, Napoli - Roma, 250 km

Major ascent: Rocca di Papa (540m)

1. Learco Guerra: 8hr 15min 36sec
2. Giuseppe Olmo s.t.
3. Armando Zucchini s.t.
4. Mario Cipriani s.t.
5. Ambrogio Morelli s.t.
6. Karl Altenburger s.t.
7. Maurice Archambaud s.t.
8. Ruggero Balli s.t.
9. Giovanni Baroni s.t.
10. Gino Bartali s.t.

GC after Stage 11:

1. Vasco Bergamaschi: 62hr 29min 13sec
2. Giuseppe Olmo @ 2min 16sec
3. Learco Guerra @ 2min 55sec
4. Gino Bartali @ 3min 5sec
5. Ezio Cecchi @ 3min 27sec
6. Alfredo Binda @ 3min 45sec
7. Giuseppe Martano @ 3min 50sec
8. Ambrogio Morelli @ 4min 35sec
9. Remo Bertoni @ 5min 14sec
10. Mario Cipriani @ 5min 35sec

Stage 12: Friday, May 31, Roma - Firenze, 317 km

Major ascent: Radicofani (716m), Cimini (865m)

1. Vasco Bergamaschi: 10hr 58min 30sec
2. Giuseppe Martano s.t.
3. Mario Cipriani s.t.
4. Remo Bertoni s.t.
5. Ezio Cecchi s.t.
6. Maurice Archambaud s.t.
7. Antonio Folco @ 4min 37sec
8. Carlo Zandonà @ 5min 30sec
9. Renato Scorticati s.t.
10. Orlando Teani s.t.

GC after Stage 12:

1. Vasco Bergamaschi: 73hr 27min 43sec
2. Ezio Cecchi @ 3min 27sec
3. Giuseppe Martano @ 3min 50sec
4. Remo Bertoni @ 5min 14sec
5. Mario Cipriani @ 5min 35sec
6. Giuseppe Olmo @ 7min 47sec
7. Learco Guerra @ 8min 25sec
8. Gino Bartali @ 8min 35sec
9. Alfredo Binda @ 9mn 15sec
10. Ambrogio Morelli @ 10min 5sec

Stage 13: Sunday, June 2, Firenze - Montecatini, 124 km

Major ascent: Porretta (932m)

1. Giuseppe Olmo: 4hr 38min 1sec
2. Joseph Demuysère s.t.
3. Alfredo Binda s.t.
4. Karl Altenburger s.t.
5. Mario Cipriani s.t.
6. Ambrogio Morelli s.t.
7. Ruggero Balli s.t.
8. Giovanni Baroni s.t.
9. Gino Bartali s.t.

GC after Stage 13:

1. Vasco Bergamaschi: 62hr 29min 13sec
2. Giuseppe Olmo 2 2min 16sec
3. Learco Guerra @ 2min 55sec
4. Gino Bartali @ 3min 5sec
5. Ezio Cecchi @ 3min 27sec
6. Alfredo Binda @ 3min 45sec
7. Giuseppe Martano @ 3min 50sec
8. Ambrogio Morelli @ 4min 35sec
9. Remo Bertoni @ 5min 14sec
10. Mario Cipriani @ 5min 35sec

Stage 14: Monday, June 3, Montecatini - Lucca, 99 km

Major ascents: Prunetta (958m), Vellano (500m)

1. René Debenne: 2hr 54min 45sec
2. Aladino Mealli s.t.
3. Giuseppe Olmo s.t.
4. Eugenio Gestri s.t.
5. Augusto Zanzi s.t.
6. Michele Benente s.t.
7. Vasco Bergamaschi s.t.
8. Gino Bertali s.t.
9. Remo Bertoni s.t.
10. Luigi Augusto Introzzi s.t.

GC after Stage 14:

1. Vasco Bergamaschi: 81hr 0min 39sec
2. Ezio Cecchi @ 3min 27sec
3. Giuseppe Martano @ 3min 50sec
4. Remo Bertoni @ 5min 14sec
5. Giuseppe Olmo @ 7min 46sec
6. Learco Guerra @ 8min25sec
7. Gino Bartali @ 8min 35sec
8. Mario Cipriani @ 10min 55sec
9. Luigi Augusto Introzzi @ 11min 21sec
10. Maurice Archambaud @ 11min 58sec

Stage 15: Monday, June 3, Lucca - Viareggio 43 km individual time trial

1. Maurice Archambaud: 1hr 16min 50sec
2. Giuseppe Olmo @ 1min 5sec
3. Learco Guerra @ 1min 36sec
4. Giuseppe Martano @ 1min 56sec
5. Giuseppe Baroni @ 2min 0sec
6. Vasco Bergamaschi @ 2min 2sec
7. René Debenne @ 3min 6sec
8. Alfredo Binda @ 4min 4sec
9. Raffaele Di Paco @ 4min 21sec
10. Antonio Folco @ 4min 41sec

GC after Stage 15:

1. Vasco Bergamaschi: 82hr 19min 31sec
2. Giuseppe Martano @ 3min 44sec
3. Ezio Cecchi @ 6min 39sec
4. Giuseppe Olmo @ 6min 49sec
5. Learco Guerra @ 7min 59sec
6. Maurice Archambaud @ 9min 56sec
7. Remo Bertoni s.t.
8. Alfredo Binda @ 14min 40sec
9. Luigi Augusto Introzzi @ 14min 45sec
10. Gino Bartali @ 15min 39sec

Stage 16: Tuesday, June 4, Viareggio - Genova, 172 km

Ascent: Passo del Bracco

1. Raffaele Di Paco: 5hr 29min 25sec
2. Giuseppe Olmo s.t.
3. Alfredo Binda s.t.
4. Attilio Masarati s.t.
5. Mario Cirpriani s.t.
6. Gino Bartali s.t.
7. Joseph Demuysère s.t.
8. Vasco Bergamaschi s.t.
9. Remo Bertoni s.t.
10. Giuseppe Martano s.t.

GC after Stage 16:

1. Vasco Bergamaschi: 87hr 48min 56sec
2. Giuseppe Martano @ 3min 44sec
3. Ezio Cecchi @ 6min 39sec
4. Giuseppe Olmo @ 6min 49sec
5. Learco Guerra @ 7min 59sec
6. Maurice Archambaud @ 9min 56sec
7. Remo Bertoni s.t.
8. Alfredo Binda @ 14min 40sec
9. Luigi Augusto Introzzi @ 14min 45sec
10. Gino Bartali @ 15min 39sec

Stage 17: Thursday, June 6, Genova - Cuneo, 148 km

Ascent: Fabbrica

1. Giuseppe Olmo: 4hr 25min 17sec
2. Learco Guerra s.t.
3. Remo Bertoni s.t.
4. Ambrogio Morelli s.t.
5. Giuseppe Martano s.t.
6. Eugenio Gestri s.t.
7. Orlando Teani s.t.
8. Gino Bartali s.t.
9. Giovanni Gotti s.t.
10. Maurice Archambaud s.t.

GC after Stage 17:

1. Vasco Bergamaschi: 92hr 14min 14sec
2. Giuseppe Martano @ 3min 44sec
3. Giuseppe Olmo @ 6min 49sec
4. Lerco Guerra @ 7min 59sec
5. Maurice Archambaud @ 9min 56sec
6. Remo Bertoni s.t.
7. Gino Bartali @ 15min 40sec
8. Ezio Cecchi @ 15min 44sec
9. Luigi Augusto Introzzi @ 17min 38sec
10. Ambrogio Morelli @ 18min 0sec

Stage 18: Friday, June 7, Cuneo - Asti, 91 km

1. Giuseppe Olmo: 2hr 38min 49sec
2. Alfredo Binda s.t.
3. Joseph Demuysère s.t.
4. Ambrogio Morelli s.t.
5. Raffaele Di Paco s.t.
6. Armando Zucchini s.t.
7. René Debenne s.t.
8. Carlo Romanatti s.t.
9. Adrien Buttafocchi s.t.
10. Abramo Clerici s.t.

GC after Stage 18:

1. Vasco Bergamaschi: 94hr 53min 39sec
2. Giuseppe Martano @ 3min 7sec
3. Giuseppe olmo @ 6min 12sec
4. Learco Guerra @ 7min 22sec
5. Maurice Archambaud @ 9min 19sec
6. Remo Bertoni @ 9min 56sec
7. Gino Bartali @ 15min 3sec
8. Ezio Cecchi @ 15min 7sec
9. Luigi Augusto Introzzi @ 17min1sec
10. Ambrogio Morelli @ 17min 13sec

Stage 19: Saturday, June 8, Asti - Torino, 250 km

Major ascent: Sestriere (2,033m)

1. Raffaele Di Paco: 8hr 35min 58sec
2. Giuseppe Martano s.t.
3. Alfredo Binda s.t.
4. Vasco Bergamaschi s.t.
5. Karl Altenburger s.t.
6. Domenico Piemontesi s.t.
7. Alfredo Bovet s.t.
8. Attilio Masarati s.t.
9. Maurice Archambaud s.t.
10. Ruggero Balli s.t.

GC after Stage 19:

1. Vasco Bergamaschi: 103hr 29min 37sec
2. Giuseppe Martano @ 3min 7sec
3. Giuseppe Olmo @ 6min 12sec
4. Learco Guerra @ 7min 22sec
5. Maurice Archambaud @ 9min 19sec
6. Remo Bertoni @ 9min 56sec
7. Gino Bartali @ 15min 3sec
8. Ezio Cecchi @ 15min 7sec
9. Luigi Augusto Introzzi @ 17min 1sec
10. Ambrogio Morelli @ 17min 13sec

20th and Final Stage: Sunday, June 9, Torino - Milano, 290 km

1. Raffaele Di Paco: 9hr 53min 9sec
2. Alfredo Binda s.t.
3. Giuseppe Martano s.t.
4. Isidoro Piubellini s.t.
5. Mario Cipriani s.t.
6. Remo Bertoni s.t.
7. Karl Altenburger s.t.
8. Ambrogio Morelli s.t.
9. Renato Scorticati s.t.
10. Eugenio Gestri s.t.

1935 Giro d'Italia Complete Final General Classification

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The Story of the 1935 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 or electronic. The Amazon link here will make either purchase easy.

The twenty-third Giro had, depending on how you count, eighteen or twenty stages. For the first time the Giro had “half-stages”. That’s right, two races in a single day. The organizers stuffed a road stage into the same day as each of the two time trials. For now, time bonuses for stage wins were discontinued.
The quality of the Giro peloton kept improving. The Italian contingent had Guerra, Binda, Di Paco, Bertoni, Piemontesi, Girardengo (42 years old), Marchisio, Pesenti, Camusso and three other riders unmentioned so far in this story.

Giuseppe Martano had been enjoying a sparkling career since he turned pro in 1932, with a second and third place in the Tour already under his belt. Vasco Bergamaschi had been brought to the Tour to ride as a gregario for Guerra. Out of four Grand Tour starts so far, he had been able to finish only once. There was also a young rider who had just turned pro the year before, a 21-year-old Tuscan named Gino Bartali. More about him later.

The French sent a powerful contingent. Arriving to ride their first Giro were André Leducq, winner of the 1930 and 1932 Tours de France, though perhaps a bit past his best years, and Maurice Archambaud, part of the French national team that had won five consecutive Tours.

Archambaud was nicknamed “Chubby Cheeks” by Desgrange and “The Dwarf” by others. This short, powerful man was one of the finest riders in an age teeming with talent. We’ve already noted that he was the first winner of the Grand Prix des Nations.

René Vietto and Demuysère filled out the roster of quality riders from the north.
The first stage shot southeast across the Lombardy Plain for a big sprint finish in Cremona. The winner there was Guerra’s new helper, Bergamaschi.

The next day Piemontesi managed to get four seconds clear in Mantua, where he took the lead. So far, Guerra, the man whose name was on the tip of every tongue, had been buried in the pack. On stage three, Guerra was the day’s winner, just in front of Olmo, who had beaten him that spring at Milan–San Remo. Guerra won stage four as well but Piemontesi’s hopes were crushed after he lost nearly nine minutes. A second-year pro named Walter Fantini found himself the shock owner of the maglia rosa.

The dream of finishing another Giro was over for Girardengo who retired after stage four.

Young Fantini’s ownership of the lead couldn’t last. At Cesenatico, in Emilia-Romagna, Giuseppe Olmo surprised the experts by winning the 35-kilometer time trial, distancing Guerra by 84 seconds and Bergamaschi by almost two minutes. The Human Locomotive had not brought his 1934 Giro form to the 1935 race.

Olmo now had a 34-second lead in the Overall ahead of Bergamaschi. He kept it until the historic seventh stage at L’Aquila in the mountainous region of Abruzzo.

The stage was historic, not only because it was the first Giro stage win for young Gino Bartali, but also because it turned out to be a decisive day in the 1935 Giro d’Italia. Bartali finished first and alone in the stage which included a crossing of the Capannelle pass, which Bartali cleared before the others. At the end of the day Ambrogio Morelli and Bergamaschi were 1 minute 47 seconds behind the young phenom. Olmo, Guerra, and Binda were in the group that finished 3 minutes 22 seconds down. That made for an interesting General Classification:
1. Vasco Bergamaschi
2. Giuseppe Olmo @ 1 minute 31 seconds
3. Learco Guerra @ 2 minutes 35 seconds
4. Gino Bartali @ 3 minutes 3 seconds
5. Ezio Cecchi @ 3 minutes 27 seconds
6. Alfredo Binda @ 3 minutes 45 seconds
7. Giuseppe Martano @ 3 minutes 50 seconds

Giuseppe Martano and Gino Bartali after a stage ended.

Guerra won three of the next four stages. But as in the year before, he wasn’t able do his own cause much good because his rivals were always right on his wheel. He couldn’t distance himself from his competitors in the hills and despite his prowess in riding against the clock, big breakaways were either not his style or simply beyond him. His powerful sprint served him well, but it was no way to gain time, especially in an edition with no time bonuses.

Owning the leadership of a Grand Tour does things to a man. The maglia rosa stiffens the spine and strengthens the legs. Lesser men who find themselves wearing pink often rise to the occasion and ride like great champions. Vasco Bergamaschi was no exception. The twelfth stage took the race over the Tuscan hills, from Rome into Florence. The peloton was still largely together with about 100 kilometers to go. Bartali was first to the top in Radicofani, a hill town south of Siena. Next came a group of six who’d broken away, including Bergamaschi, Archambaud and Martano. They caught young Bartali, with Bergamaschi winning the stage while the other great aces needed another five and a half minutes to finish.

Stage twelve on the climb to Radicofani: Olmo, Bergamaschi and Bartali

The new standings:
1. Vasco Bergamaschi
2. Ezio Cecchi @ 3 minutes 27 seconds
3. Giuseppe Martano @ 3 minutes 50 seconds
4. Remo Bertoni @ 5 minutes 14 seconds
5. Mario Cipriani @ 5 minutes 35 seconds

The fifteenth stage was a 43-kilometer time trial between Lucca and Viareggio, and a real threat to Bergamaschi’s hegemony. Archambaud took the day’s prize with Olmo second at 65 seconds and Guerra third, 96 seconds down. Bergamaschi had to concede 2 minutes 2 seconds to Archambaud, but Archambaud—a stocky rider prone to crashing—wasn’t really a Classification threat. The real danger was Martano and he’d only dinged him for six seconds. Bergamaschi’s ownership of the Pink Jersey was safe for now. Cecchi lost enough time to drop to third place.

The penultimate stage had the Sestriere pass in the way, and as had happened before in this Giro, Bartali was first to the top.

After Bergamaschi took the lead for good in the sixth stage he never seemed to be under any real threat of losing it. It was a superb performance by a man who would never again rise to such heights. The Italian press called him “Il Singapore” because of they thought his face had an Asian aspect.

1935 Giro d'Italia winner Vasco Bergamaschi

Final 1935 Giro d’Italia General Classification:
1. Vasco Bergamaschi (Maino) 113 hours 22 minutes 46 seconds
2. Giuseppe Martano (Frejus) @ 3 minutes 7 seconds
3. Giuseppe Olmo (Bianchi) @ 6 minutes 12 seconds
4. Learco Guerra (Maino) @ 7 minutes 22 seconds
5. Maurice Archambaud (Dei) @ 9 minutes 19 seconds.

Climbers’ competition:
1. Gino Bartali
2. Remo Bertoni
3. Mario Cipriani

André Leducq abandoned after having made it only to Florence, the twelfth stage. From here the storied rider would earn only two more professional wins before retiring.

This was 33-year old Alfredo Binda’s last Giro. In addition to his five Giro wins he had also won 41 stages, a record that stood from 1933 until 2003 when Mario Cipollini won his 42nd Giro stage. In addition, he was World Road Champion three times, won Milan–San Remo and the Tour of Lombardy each four times. Beyond being one of cycling’s greatest-ever riders and a talented musician, legend has it that Binda designed the famous Legnano logo of the sword-wielding knight Alberto da Giussano, who defeated Barbarossa at the battle of Legnano. Binda would retire from racing in 1936 after crashing and breaking his femur in Milan–San Remo.

That fall Olmo would break the world hour record, bringing it to 45.090 kilometers, which Archambaud would break in 1937. This was a class peloton.

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