1937 Giro d'Italia

25th edition: May 8 - May 30

Results, stages with running GC, photos and history

1936 Giro | 1938 Giro | Giro d'Italia Database | 1937 Giro Quick Facts | 1937 Giro d'Italia Final GC | Stage results with running GC | Teams | The Story of the 1937 Giro d'Italia

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1937 Giro Quick Facts:

3,840 km raced at an average speed of 31.365 km/hr

93 starters and 41 classified finishers

The Giro went into the Dolomites for the first time with crossings of the Rolle and Costalunga passes.

A team time trial, long a staple of the Tour de France, used used for the first time by the Giro in 1937.

Some of the independent riders were grouped into "clubs" with names like Il Littoriale and Italiani all'Estero.

Gino Bartali won through his domination of the hilly stages, including a superb ride in the Dolomites.

Les Woodland's book Paris-Roubaix: The Inside Story - All the bumps of cycling's cobbled classic is available as an audiobook here.

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1937 Giro d'Italia Complete Final General Classification:

1. Gino Bartali (Legnano): 122hr 25min 40sec
2. Giovanni Valetti (Fréjus) @ 8min 18sec
3. Enrico Mollo (Fréjus) @ 17min 38sec
4. Severino Canavesi (Ganna) @ 21min 38sec
5. Cesare Del Cancia (Ganna) @ 23min 18sec
6. Walter Generati (Fréjus) @ 27min 28sec
7. Edoardo Molinar (independent) @ 30min 31sec
8. Bernardo Rogora (independent) @ 32min 7sec
9. Ambrogio Morelli (Italiani all'Estero) @ 48min 22sec
10. Adriano Vignoli (independent) @ 55min 19sec
11. Aladino Mealli (Legnano) @ 57min 52sec
12. Fausto Montesi (independent) @ 1hr 1min 5sec
13. Leo Amberg (Switzerland) @ 1hr 4min 15sec
14. Glauco Servadei (Ganna) @ 1hr 12min 52sec
15. Luigi Barral (Bertoldo) @ 1hr 13min 49sec
16. Settimo Simonini (Il Littoriale) @ 1hr 16min 45sec
17. Zoarino Guidi (Il Littoriale) @ 1hr 29min 0sec
18. Vasco Bergamaschi (Bianchi) @ 1hr 41min 54sec
19. Francesco Patti (independent) @ 1hr 46min 10sec
20. Ezio Cecchi (independent) @ 1hr 46min 51sec
21. Giovanni Cazzulani (Legnano) @ 2hr 0min 30sec
22. Augusto Introzzi (Ganna) @ 2hr 0min 36sec
23. Aldo Bini (Bianchi) @ 2hr 4min 15sec
24. Michele Benente (Ganna) @ 2hr 7min 10sec
25. Mario Cipriani (Fréjus) @ 2hr 23min 47sec
26. Marco Cimatti (Italiani all'Estero) @ 2hr 43min 8sec
27. Primo Zucchotti (independent) @ 2hr 52min 11sec
28. Enrico Mara (independent) @ 2hr 52min 22sec
29. Battista Astrua (Bertoldo) @ 2hr 53min 45sec
30. Pietro Rimoldi (Ganna) @ 2hr 57min 19sec
31. Alfons Deloor (Belgium) @ 2hr 57min 19sec
32. Mario Valle (independent) @ 3hr 3min 6sec
33. Orlando Teani (independent) @ 3hr 19min 3sec
34. Domenico Piemontesi (Bianchi) @ 3hr 31min 6sec
35. Camille Beeckman (Belgium) @ 3hr 49min 29sec
36. Marco Bovio (Bertoldo) @ 3hr 50min 1sec
37. Antonio Bertola (Italiani all'Estero) @ 4hr 7min 7sec
38. Giacinto Sessa (independent) @ 4hr 13min 57sec
39. Augusto Como (independent) @ 4hr 31min 13sec
40. Alfredo Malmesi (Italiani all'Estero) @ 6hr 0min 32sec
41. Elio Maldini (Fréjus) @ 6hr 3min 15sec

Climbers' Competition:

1. Gino Bartali (Legnano): 37 points
2. Enrico Mollo (Fréjus): 25
3. Luigi Barral (Bertoldo): 22
4. Ezio Checchi (independent): 9
5. Aladino Mealli (Legnano): 8

Team Classifification:

1. Fréjus 367hr 50min 24sec
2. Ganna @ 1hr 24min 24sec
3. Legnano @ 2hr 24min 58sec

 

1937 Giro stage results with running GC:

There were four days with split stages. Some accounts call them a & b, thus giving 1937 19 stages. Others (and this is the more common Italian practice) give each stage a unique number, making 1937 have 23 stages. I have followed that second practice with the alternative numbers also noted.

Stage 1: Saturday, May 8, Milano - Torino, 165 km

1. Nello Troggi: 4hr 22min 24sec
2. Giuseppe Olmo @ 1min 42sec
3. Attilio Masarati s.t.
4. Vasco Bergamaschi s.t.
5. Cesare Del Cancia s.t.
6. Mario Cipriani s.t.
7. Luigi Barral s.t.
8. Walter Fantini s.t.
9. Luigi Macchi s.t.
10. Francesco Camusso s.t.

Stage 2: Sunday, May 9, Torino - Acqui Terme, 148 km

1. Quirico Bernacchi: 4hr 17min 9sec
2. Olimpio Bizzi s.t.
3. Giovanni Gotti s.t.
4. Camille Beeckman s.t.
5. Elio Bavutti s.t.
6. Attilio Masarati s.t.
7. Vasco Bergamaschi s.t.
8. Werner Buchwalder s.t.
9. Giovanni Valetti s.t.
10. Battista Astrua s.t.

GC after Stage 2:

1. Quirico Bernacchi: 8hr 41min 13sec
2. Olimpio Bizzi s.t.
3. Giovanni Gotti s.t.
4. Gino Bartali @ 46sec
5. Elio Bavutti s.t.
6. Vasco Bergamaschi s.t.
7. Severino Canavesi s.t.
8. Attilio Masarati s.t.
9. Giovanni Valetti s.t.
10. Werner Buchwalder @ 1min 7sec

Stage 3: Monday, May 10, Acqui Terme - Genova, 158 km

1. Giovanni Valetti: 4hr 53min 18sec
2. Mario Vicini @ 5sec
3. Marco Cimatti s.t.
4. Olimpio Bizzi @ 2min 30sec
5. Gino Bartali s.t.
6. Cesare Del Cancia s.t.
7. Jozef Huts @ 2min 37sec
8. Attilio Masarati s.t.
9. Enrico Mara s.t.
10. Leo Amberg s.t.

GC after Stage 3:

1. Giovanni Valetti: 13hr 34min 31sec
2. Olimpio Bizzi @ 2min 30sec
3. Gino Bartali s.t.
4. Quirico Bernacchi @ 2min 37sec
5. Giovanni Gotti s.t.
6. Severino Canavesi s.t.
7. Attilio Masarati s.t.
8. Cesare Del Cancia @ 4min 22sec
9. Faustino Montesi @ 4min 48sec
10. Bernardo Rogora s.t.

Stage 4: Tuesday, May 11, Genova - Viareggio, 186 km

Major ascent: Fosdinovo

1. Olimpio Bizzi: 6hr 8min 7sec
2. Aldo Bini s.t.
3. Enrico Mollo s.t.
4. Gino Bartali s.t.
5. Leo Amberg s.t.
6. Ezio Cecchi s.t.
7. Giovanni Valetti s.t.
8. Luigi Barral s.t.
9. Cesare Del Cancia s.t.
10. Severino Canavesi s.t.

GC after Stage 4:

1. Giovanni Valetti: 19hr 43min 24sec
2. Olimpio Bizzi @ 2min 30sec
3. Gino Bartali s.t.
4. Severino Canavesi @ 3min 1sec
5. Cesare Del Cancia @ 4min 0sec
6. Bernardo Rogora @ 4min 28sec
7. Leo Amberg @ 5min 31sec
8. Walter Generati @ 6min 19sec
9. Enrico Mollo @ 7min 29sec
10. Luigi Barral @ 8min 9sec

Stage 5: (or stage 5a) Wednesday, May 12, Viareggio - Marina di Massa 60 km team time trial (cronometro a squadre)

1. Legnano (Di Paco, Battesini, Favalli, Bartali, Mealli): 1hr 22min 0sec

6. Ganna (Servadei, Rimoldi, Vicini, Del Cancia, Canavesi, Introzzi, Benente) @ 18sec

13. Italiani all'estero (Troggi, Cimatti, Malmesi, Morelli, Bertola) @ 2min 18sec

18. Edoardo Molinar s.t.

19. Bianchi (Bergamaschi, Bovet, Olmo, Balli) @ 3min 0sec

23. Fréjus (Valetti, Mollo)

GC after Stage 5:

1. Gino Bartali: 21hr 7min 54sec
2. Severino Canavesi @ 49sec
3. Giovanni Valetti @ 54sec
4. Cesare Del Cancia @ 1min 18sec
5. Olimpio Bizzi @ 3min 59sec
6. Bernardo Rogora @ 6min 26sec
7. Mario Vicini @ 7min 38sdec
8. Quirico Bernacchi @ 7min 49sec
9. Walter Generati @ 8min 14sec
10. Enrico Mollo @ 8min 23sec

Stage 6: (or stage 5b) Wednesday, May 12, Marinia di Massa - Livorno, 114 km

1. Olimpio Bizzi: 3hr 10min 2sec
2. Alfons Deloor @ 18sec
3. Luigi Macchi @ 1min 1sec
4. Cesare Del Cancia @ 38sec
5. Enrico Mollo @ 1min 6sec
6. Francesco Patti s.t.
7. Luigi Barral s.t.
8. Giovanni Valetti s.t.
9. Glauco Servadei @ 1min 19sec
10. Alfredo Bovet s.t.

GC after Stage 6:

1. Giovanni Valetti: 24hr 19min 56sec
2. Severino Canavesi @ 8sec
3. Cesare Del Cancia @ 26sec
4. Gino Bartali @ 43sec
5. Olimpio Bizzi @ 1min 59sec
6. Mario Vicini @ 6min 57sec
7. Enrico Mollo @ 7min 29sec
8. Walter Generati @ 7min 33sec
9. Vasco Bergamaschi @ 8min 32sec
10. Luigi Barral @ 9min 13sec

Stage 7: (or stage 6) Thursday, May 13, Livorno - Arezzo, 190 km

1. Giuseppe Olmo: 5hr 36min 2sec
2. Enrico Mara s.t.
3. Walter Generati s.t.
4. Glauco Servadei @ 2min 30sec
5. Bernardo Rogora s.t.
6. Luigi Macchi s.t.
7. Aldo Bini s.t.
8. Attilio Masarati s.t.
9. Ambrogio Morelli s.t.
10. Edmondo Toccaceli s.t.

GC after Stage 7:

1. Giovanni Valetti: 29hr 58min 28sec
2. Gino Bartali 2 43sec
3. Severino Canavesi @ 1min 38sec
4. Cesare Del Cancia @ 1min 56sec
5. Olimpio Bizzi @ 4min 3sec
6. Walter Generati @ 5min 23sec
7. Enrico Mollo @ 7min 29sec
8. Luigi Barral @ 9min 13sec
9. Bernardo Rogora @ 10min 51sec
10. Mario Vicini @ 11min 38sec

Stage 8: (or stage 7) Saturday, May 15, Arezzo - Rieti, 206 km

1. Aldo Bini: 6hr 31min 50sec
2. Marco Cimatti s.t.
3. Glauco Servadei s.t.
4. Pietro Rimoldi s.t.
5. Tolmino Gios (yes that Gios who started the framebuilding company)
6. Giovanni Cazzulani s.t.
7. Pierino Favalli s.t.
8. Learco Guerra s.t.
9. Ambrogio Morelli s.t.
10. Leo Amberg s.t.

GC after Stage 8:

1. Giovanni Valetti: 36hr 30min 18sec
2. Gino Bartali @ 43sec
3. Severino Canavesi @ 1min 38sec
4. Cesare Del Cancia 2 2min 6sec
5. Olimpio Bizzi @ 4min 3sec
6. Walter Generati @ 5min 3sec
7. Enrico Mollo @ 7min 29sec
8. Luigi Barral @ 9min 13sec
9. Bernardo Rogora @ 10min 38sec
10. Mario Vicini @ 11min 38sec

Stage 9: (or stage 8a) Sunday, May 16: Rieti - Terminillo 20 km individual time trial (timed hill climb)

Ascent: Terminillo

1. Gino Bartali: 52min 35sec
2. Aladino Mealli @ 41sec
3. Giovanni Valetti @ 1min 3sec
4. Ascanio Arcangeli @ 2min 1sec
5. Enrico Mollo @ 2min 29sec
6. Walter Generati @ 2min 40sec
7. Edoardo Molinar @ 2min 50sec
8. Olimpio Bizzi @ 3min 17sec
9. Leo Amberg @ 3min 18sec
10. Mario Vicini @ 4min 0sec

GC after Stage 9:

1. Gino Bartali: 37hr 23min 36sec
2. Giovanni Valetti @ 20sec
3. Severino Canavesi @ 5min 19sec
4. Olimpio Bizzi @ 6min 37sec
5. Walter Generati @ 7min 0sec
6. Cesare Del Cancia @ 7min 15sec
7. Enrico Mollo @ 9min 15sec
8. Aladino Mealli @ 11min 56sec
9. Luigi Barral @ 12min 49sec
10. Bernardo Rogora @ 14min 15sec

Stage 10: (or stage 8b) Sunday, May 16, Rieti - Roma, 152 km

Major ascent: Rocca di Papa

1. Raffaele Di Paco: 4hr 42min 25sec
2. Giuseppe Olmo s.t.
3. Glauco Sevadei s.t.
4. Edmondo Toccaceli s.t.
5. Tolmino Gios s.t.
6. Aladino Mealli s.t.
7. Francesco Patti s.t.
8. Zoarino Guidi s.t.
9. Leo Amberg s.t.
10. Ascanio Arcangeli s.t.

GC after Stage 10:

1. Gino Bartali: 42hr 6min 1sec
2. Giovanni Valetti @ 20sec
3. Severino Canavesi @ 5min 19sec
4. Olimpio Bizzi @ 6min 37sec
5. Walter Generati @ 7min 0sec
6. Cesare Del Cancia @ 7min 15sec
7. Enrico Mollo @ 9min 15sec
8. Aladino Mealli @ 11min 56sec
9. Luigi Barral @ 12min 49sec
10. Bernardo Rogora @ 14min 2sec

Stage 11: (or stage 9) Monday, May 17, Roma - Napoli, 250 km

1. Learco Guerra: 7hr 38min 57sec
2. Vasco Bergamaschi s.t.
3. Aladino Mealli s.t.
4. Giuseppe Olmo @ 2min 35sec
5. Glauco Servadei s.t.
6. Aldo Bini s.t.
7. Ambrogio Morelli s.t.
8. Pierino Favalli s.t.
9. Enrico Mara s.t.
10. Carlo Gambacurta s.t.

GC after Stage 11:

1. Gino Bartali: 49hr 47min 32sec
2. Giovanni Valetti @ 20sec
3. Severino Canavesi @ 5min 19sec
4. Olimpio Bizzi @ 6min 37sec
5. Walter Generati @ 7min 0sec
6. Cesare Del Cancia @ 7min 13sec
7. Aladino Mealli @ 9min 11sec
8. Enrico Mollo @ 9min 45sec
9. Luigi Barral @ 12min 49sec
10. Bernardo Rogora @ 14min 2sec

Stage 12: (or stage 10) Wednesday, May 19, Napoli - Foggia, 166 km

Major ascent: Ariano Irpino

1. Gino Bartali: 5hr 2min 1sec
2. Attilio Masarati @ 1min 12sec
3. Enrico Mollo s.t.
4. Luigi Barral s.t.
5. Giovanni Valetti s.t.
6. Ruggero Balli s.t.
7. Bernardo Rogora @ 3min 20sec
8. Severino Canavesi s.t.
9. Cesare Del Cancia s.t.
10. Faustino Montesi s.t.

GC after Stage 12:

1. Gino Bartali: 54hr 49min 34sec
2. Giovanni Valetti @ 1min 32sec
3. Severino Canavesi @ 8min 39sec
4. Cesare Del Cancia @ 10min 35sec
5. Enrico Mollo @ 10min 57sec
6. Aladino Mealli 2 12min 41sec
7. Luigi Barral @ 14min 1sec
8. Olimpio Bizzi @ 14min 29sec
9. Bernardo Rogora @ 17min 22sec
10. Edoardo Molinar @ 19min 27sec

Stage 13: (or stage 11a) Thursday, May 20, Foggia - San Severo, 186 km

Major ascent: Monte Sant'Angelo

1. Walter Generati: 6hr 23min 0sec
2. Marco Cimatti @ 1min 43sec
3. Glauco Servadei s.t.
4. Aldo Bini s.t.
5. Learco Guerra s.t.
6. Pietro Rimoldi s,t,
7. Elio Maldini s.t.
8. Carlo Gambacurta s.t.
9. Vasco Bergamaschi s.t.
10. Domenico Piemontesi s.t.

GC after Stage 13:

1. Gino Bartali: 61hr 14min 17sec
2. Giovanni Valetti @ 1min 32sec
3. Severino Canavesi @ 6min 39sec
4. Cesare Del Cancia @ 10min 35sec
5. Enrico Mollo @ 10min 57sec
6. Aladino Mealli @ 12min 41sec
7. Luigi Barral @ 14min 1sec
8. Olimpio Bizzi @ 14min 29sec
9. Bernardo Rogora @ 16min 35sec
10. Edoardo Molinar @ 19min 27sec

Stage 14: (or stage 11b) Thursday, May 20, San Severo - Campobasso, 105 km

1. Cesare Del Cancia: 3hr 18min 55sec
2. Gino Bartali s.t.
3. Enrico Mollo @ 2min 8sec
4. Severino Canavesi s.t.
5. Edoardo Molinar s.t.
6. Adriano Vignoli s.t.
7. Walter Generati s.t.
8. Leo Amberg s.t.
9. Giovanni Valetti s.t.
10. Glauco Servadei @ 5min 40sec

GC after Stage 14:

1. Gino Bartali: 64hr 33min 12sec
2. Giovanni Valetti @ 3min 45sec
3. Cesare Del Cancia @ 10min 35sec
4. Severino Canavesi @ 10min 47sec
5. Enrico Mollo @ 13min 5sec
6. Edoardo Molinar @ 21min 35sec
7. Luigi Barral @ 22min 45sec
8. Walter Generati @ 22min 54sec
9. Bernardo Rogora @ 26min 24sec
10. Aladino Mealli @ 27min 17sec

Stage 15: (or stage 12) Friday, May 21, Campobasso - Pescara, 258 km

Major ascent: Chieti

1. Marco Cimatti: 9hr 23min 12sec
2. Glauco Servadei s.t.
3. Edoardo Molinar s.t.
4. Faustino Montesi
5. Luigi Barral s.t.
6. Bernardo Rogora s.t.
7. Michele Benente s.t.
8. Severino Canavesi s.t.
9. Cesare Del Cancia s.t.
10. Enrico Mollo s.t.

GC after Sage 15:

1. Gino Bartali: 73hr 57min 20sec
2. Giovanni Valetti @ 2min 40sec
3. Cesare Del Cancia @ 9min 30sec
4. Severin Canavesi @ 9min 42sec
5. Enrico Mollo @ 12min 0sec
6. Edoardo Molinar @ 20min 30sec
7. Luigi Barral @ 21min 40sec
8. Walter Generati @ 21min 49sec
9. Bernardo Rogora @ 25min 19sec
10. Leo Amberg @ 30min 13sec

Stage 16: (or stage 13) Saturday, May 22, Pescara - Ancona, 194 km

1. Aldo Bini: 6hr 29minn 22sec
2. Marco Cimatti s.t.
3. Pietro Rimoldi s.t.
4. Bernardo Rogora s.t.
5. Faustino Montesi s.t.
6. Giovanni Cazzulani s.t.
7. Ambrogio Morelli s.t.
8. Vasco Bergamaschi s.t.
9. Domenico Piemontesi s.t.
10. Francesco Patti s.t.

GC after Stage 16:

1. Gino Bartali: 80hr 26min 51sec
2. Giovanni Valetti @ 2min 40sec
3. Cesare Del Cancia @ 9min 30sec
4. Severino Canavesi @ 10min 55sec
5. Enrico Mollo @ 12min 0sec
6. Luigi Barral @ 21min 40sec
7. Edoardo Molinar @ 21min 43sec
8. Walter Generati @ 21min 49sec
9. Bernardo Rogora @ 25min 19sec
10. Leo Amberg @ 30min 32sec

Stage 17: (or stage 14) Sunday, May 23, Ancona - Forlì, 178 km

1. Aldo Bini: 5hr 43min 51sec
2. Glauco Servadei s.t.
3. Pietro Rimoldi s.t.
4. Elio Maldini s.t.
5. Giovanni Cazzulani s.t.
6. Cesare Del Cancia s.t.
7. Ambrogio Morelli s.t.
8. Leo Amberg s.t.
9. Luigi Barral s.t.
10. Gino Bartali s.t.

GC after Stage 17:

1. Gino Bartali: 86hr 10min 12sec
2. Giovanni Valetti @ 2min 40sec
3. Cesare Del Cancia @ 9min 30sec
4. Severino Canavesi @ 10min 55sec
5. Enrico Mollo @ 12min 0sec
6. Luigi Barral @ 21min 40sec
7. Edoardo Molinar @ 21min 43sec
8. Walter Generati @ 21min 49sec
9. Bernardo Rogora @ 25min 19sec
10. Leo Amberg @ 30min 32sec

Stage 18: (or stage 15) Tuesday, May 25, Forlì - Vittorio Veneto, 266 km

1. Glauco Servadei: 8hr 0min 0sec
2. Aldo Bini s.t.
3. Pietro Rimoldi s.t.
4. Gino Bartali s.t.
5. Enrico Mara s.t.
6. Bernardo Rogora s.t.
7. Ambrogio Morelli s.t.
8. Edoardo Molinar s.t.
9. Otto Weckerling s.t.
10. Leo Amberg s.t.

GC after Stage 18:

1. Gino Bartali: 94hr 10min 42sec
2. Giovanni Valetti @ 2min 40sec
3. Cesare Del Cancia @ 9min 30sec
4. Severino Cacavesi @ 10min 55sec
5. Enrico Mollo @ 12min 0sec
6. Edoardo Molinar @ 21min 43sec
7. Walter Generati @ 21min 49sec
8. Bernardo Rogora @ 25min 19sec
9. Leo Amberg @ 30min 32sec
10. Ambrogio Morelli @ 34min 34sec

Stage 19: (or stage 16) Wednesday, May 26, Vittorio Veneto - Merano, 227 km

The Giro's first trip into the Dolomites
Major ascents: Rolle, Costalunga

1. Gino Bartali: 8hr 1min 22sec
2. Enrico Mollo @ 5min 38sec
3. Walter Generati s.t.
4. Giovanni Valetti s.t.
5. Aldo Bini @ 10min 43sec
6. Faustino Montesi s.t.
7. Severino Canavesi s.t.
8. Edoardo Molinar s,t,
9. Marco Cimatti @ 13min 48sec
10. Bernardo Rogora s.t.

GC after Stage 19:

1. Gino Bartali: 102hr 12min 4sec
2. Giovanni Valetti @ 8min 18sec
3. Enrico Mollo @ 17min 38sec
4. Severino Canavesi @ 21min 38sec
5. Cesare Del Cancia @ 23min 18sec
6. Walter Generati @ 27min 27sec
7. Edoardo Molinar @ 32min 26sec
8. Bernardo Rogora @ 39min 7sec
9. Ambrogio Morelli@ 51min 22sec
10. Adriano Vignoli @ 55min 10sec

Stage 20: (or stage 17) Thursday, May 27, Merano - Gardone Riviera, 190 km

Major ascent: Mendola

1. Gino Bartali: 6hr 39min 11sec
2. Aldo Bini s.t.
3. Enrico Mollo s.t.
4. Pietro Rimoldi s.t.
5. Alfredo Malmesi s.t.
6. Ezio Cecchi s.t.
7. Aladino Mealli s.t.
8. Francesco Patti s.t.
9. Glauco Servadei s.t.
10. Severino Canavesi s.t.

GC after Stage 20:

1. Gino Bartali: 108hr 51min 15sec
2. Giovanni Valetti @ 8min 18sec
3. Enrico Mollo @ 17min 38sec
4. Severino Canavesi @ 21min 38sec
5. Cesare Del Cancia @ 23min 18sec
6. Walter Generati @ 27min 27sec
7. Edoardo Molinar @ 35min 10sec
8. Bernardo Rogora @ 39mn 7sec
9. Ambrogio Morelli @ 51min 22sec
10. Adriano Vignoli @ 55mn 19sec

Stage 21: (or stage 18) Saturday, May 21, Gardone Riviera - San Pellegrino, 129 km

1. Glauco Servadei: 4hr 7min 15sec
2. Pietro Rimoldi s.t.
3. Bernardo Rogora s.t.
4. Enrico Mara s.t.
5. Giovanni Cazzulani s.t.
6. Domenico Piemontesi s.t.
7. Faustino Montesi s.t.
8. Orlando Teani s.t.
9. Aldo Bini s.t.
10. Leo Amberg s.t.

GC after Stage 21:

1. Gino Bartali: 112hr 58min 30sec
2. Giovanni Valetti @ 8min 18sec
3. Enrico Mollo @ 17min 38sec
4. Severino Canavesi @ 21min 38sec
5. Cesare Del Cancia @ 23min 18sec
6. Walter Generati @ 27min 27sec
7. Edoardo Molinar @ 35min 1sec
8. Bernardo Rogora @ 39min 7sec
9. Ambrogio Morelli @ 51min 22sec
10. Adriano Vignoli @ 55min 19sec

Stage 22: (or stage 19a) Sunday, May 30, San Pellegrino - Como, 151 km

1. Marco Cimatti: 4hr 42min 55sec
2. Glauco Servadei s.t.
3. Aldo Bini s.t.
4. Pietro Rimoldi s.t.
5. Enrico Mara s.t.
6. Ambrogio Morelli s.t.
7. Giovanni Cazzulani s.t.
8. Elio Maldini s.t.
9. Domenico Piemontesi s.t.
10. Francesco Patti s.t.

GC after Stage 21:

1. Gino Bartali: 117hr 41min 25sec
2. Giovanni Valetti @ 8hr 18min
3. Enrico Mollo @ 17min 38sec
4. Severino Canavesi @ 21min 38sec
5. Cesare Del Cancia @ 23min 18sec
6. Walter Generati @ 27min 27sec
7. Edoardo Molinar @ 35min 1sec
8. Bernardo Rogora @ 39min 7sec
9. Ambrogio Morelli @ 51min 22sec
10. Adriano Vignoli @ 55min 19sec

23rd and Final Stage: (or stage 19b) Sunday, May 30, Como - Milano, 141 km

Major ascent: Ghisallo

1. Aldo Bini: 4hr 44min 15sec
2. Domenico Piemontesi s.t.
3. Giovanni Cazzulani s.t.
4. Marco Cimatti s.t.
5. Enrico Mollo s.t.
6. Elio Maldini s.t.
7. Cesare Del Cancia s.t.
8. Vasco Bergamaschi s.t.
9. Pietro Rimoldi s.t.
10. Leo Amberg s.t.

1937 Giro d'Italia Complete Final General Classification

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Teams:

Bianchi
Fréjus
Ganna
Legnano

Rider Groups:

Italiani All'Estero
Bertoldo
Il Littoriale
S.S. Paroli

Foreign Rider Groups

Belgians
Swiss
Germans

The Story of the 1937 Giro d'Italia

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Italy’s isolation—imposed from both within and without—was relaxed, and foreign riders again came to compete in Italy. Mussolini still dreamed of Italian self-sufficiency, but his attempts at autarky did tremendous damage to the Italian economy. Throughout the 1930s the Fascists blamed all of Italy’s troubles on the external world, saying that Italy was fighting an international plutocratic conspiracy. This excuse was used by the Fascists to justify Italy’s isolation from the rest of the world.
To build loyalty the Fascist government continued to exert tremendous efforts to involve itself in the leisure-time activities of the Italian populace. More than ever sport, including but not limited to cycling, was considered an important part of Fascist life.

The rugged Dolomites with their steep ascents were finally made part of the Giro in 1937 when the organizers included the Passo Rolle and Passo Costalunga. This could not have been bad news for the gifted climber who had just won the 1936 Giro.

The Tour had used team time trials for years but they were new to the Giro in 1937. This was a gift for the big men with the big gears lucky enough to be on powerful teams.

The 1937 Giro would be recognizable to today’s race fan. It had 23 stages covering 3,835 kilometers. It had just one individual time trial, a 20-kilometer timed hill-climb to Terminillo, along with a team time trial. But there was no extended individual time trial on a flat road in 1937.

The only missing aspect of a modern Giro was the prologue time trial, which is not always a part of the current race. The Giro, like the Tour, still continued to allow independent riders to compete and gathered some of them into makeshift teams of Belgians, Swiss, Germans, riders from the coast, etc.

Perhaps the finest of the non-Italians entered in the 1937 Giro was Swiss rider Leo Amberg, eighth in the 1936 Tour, who would go on to place third in the ’37 Tour. Alfons Deloor, Antoine Dignef and Alfons Schepers were part of a fine Belgian squad.

One can’t look at the design of the 1937 Giro with its tougher climbing, reduced individual time trialing and new team time trial without coming to the conclusion that this was a race designed for Bartali. He faltered in the individual time trials but in Legnano he had a team with strength in depth. With Guerra, Di Paco, Mealli, Giovanni Cazzulani, Fabio Battesini and Pierino Favalli helping him in the team time trial, the advantage was certainly to the Tuscan.

Before we wag a finger at the Giro organizers, the accusation that a particular Grand Tour was designed for a popular rider (or against an undesired one) is one that has been accurately leveled against the promoters of all three Grand Tours.

Balanced against Bartali’s team of riders in the green and red of Legnano were the Bianchi team of Olmo with Bergamaschi, Bini and Piemontesi, the Frejus squad of Bizzi and Giovanni Valetti and the Ganna team with Del Cancia and Canavesi.

For all the power the sponsored teams brought to the race, members of the grouped independent riders who were gathered into “clubs” won the first two stages. The interestingly named but otherwise rather anonymous Nello Trogi was all alone when he crossed the Giro’s first finish line in Turin. Olmo led in the first chase group containing most of the contenders 1 minute 42 seconds later.

The next day a man who had just turned pro that year, Quirico Bernacchi, got into a four-man break and won the stage. Trogi, over five minutes behind, lost the lead to Bernacchi.

The Frejus team had good luck, winning the next two stages as the race headed to the Tuscan coast. Speedy Giovanni Valetti took the third stage and the lead after winning in a break with Vicini and Marco Cimatti that gapped Bartali, Del Cancia and Bizzi by 2 minutes 30 seconds. Bizzi took the fourth leg with no real change to the standing.

The race had arrived at Viareggio for the Giro’s first ever team time trial. Before the riders took off on the morning of May 12 (there was also a 112-kilometer road stage that afternoon) the General Classification looked like this:
1. Giovanni Valetti
2. Olimpio Bizzi @ 2 minutes 30 seconds
3. Gino Bartali @ same time
4. Severino Canavesi @ 3 minutes 1 second
5. Cesare Del Cancia @ 4 minutes

With the exception of the Legnano win, the time trial results were a bit surprising. The Ganna squad (with Vicini, Canavesi and De Cancia) lost only 18 seconds to Legnano. The club called “Italiani all’Estero” with Trogi and the excellent Ambrogio Morelli was third at 2 minutes 18 seconds, while the Bianchi team lost 3 minutes and Frejus 3 minutes 24 seconds.

Gino Bartali in the maglia rosa enjoys himself.

The new General Classification stood thus:
1. Gino Bartali
2. Severino Canavesi @ 49 seconds
3. Giovanni Valetti @ 54 seconds
4. Cesare Del Cancia @ 1 minute 18 seconds
5. Olimpio Bizzi @ 3 minutes 59 seconds

Bartali couldn’t keep the Pink Jersey for even a day. That afternoon’s ride was a short, 114-kilometer trip down the coast to Livorno. The pack completely came apart with the riders straggling in one at a time or in small groups. Valetti was hep to the action, even though he lost a minute to winner Bizzi. Bartali and Olmo were a further 1 minute 37 seconds back. Valetti was back in the lead, only 8 seconds ahead of Canavesi while Bartali was 43 seconds behind Valetti.

Stage nine was another Rieti-Terminillo cronoscalata. This time Bartali was the fastest as he rode up the hill through the snow, beating Valetti by 63 seconds. This made Bartali the leader with Valetti 20 seconds behind. Since Canavesi was sitting in third place at 5 minutes 19, seconds it was clear that Valetti and Bartali were turning the race into a private competition. Olmo was displaying none of the sparkling condition he had shown the year before, earning him a lashing from press for failing to ride the Giro in a manner that honored his Italian Road Champion’s jersey.

Guerra won the eleventh stage into Naples, but then, harassed with stomach troubles, quit the race after stage thirteen. Now 35 years old, Guerra would never again ride the Giro and in the six years left in his professional career, would win just two more important road races. The great human locomotive was finally running out of steam. He did go on to a successful career as a team director, guiding Hugo Koblet to victory as the first foreign winner of the Giro. Guerra died in 1966 following two operations attempting to mitigate his Parkinson’s disease.

As in the year before, Bartali was able to use the hills of southern Italy to his advantage. Going across the Apennines from Naples to Foggia in stage twelve, Bartali escaped and was first over the Ariano (where some of the television Sopranos claimed to have come from) midway through the stage. His efforts yielded him 72 precious seconds over Valetti, giving Bartali a lead of 1 minute 32 seconds.

In the fourteenth stage to Campobasso, Bartali and Del Cancia scooted over the hilly terrain, eluding Valetti. Now Bartali’s advantage was a more comfortable 3 minutes 45 seconds.

I believe this is the start of stage 15, from Forlí.

But Valetti was not without his own resources and the next day he took advantage of a split in the peloton (or might it be more correct to say, once again Bartali missed getting on the right side of the peloton’s fracture?) and recovered 65 seconds. The gap of 2 minutes 40 seconds between Bartali and Valetti remained unchanged over the next four stages so at the end of the eighteenth stage, when the race reached Vittorio Veneto at the foot of the Dolomites, Bartali still had a tenuous lead:
1. Gino Bartali
2. Giovanni Valetti @ 2 minutes 40 seconds
3. Cesare Del Cancia @ 9 minutes 30 seconds
4. Severino Canavesi @ 10 minutes 55 seconds
5. Enrico Mollo @ 12 minutes

The eagerly awaited stage nineteen in the Dolomites with its Rolle and Costalunga ascents marked another change in the Giro, bringing it closer to its current design. The rugged Dolomites are now generally the heart of the last week of the Giro and quite often the decisive stages. This first time up the mountains north of Veneto was no less important. Bartali was alone at the top of the first of the day’s major climbs, the Rolle. From there Bartali headed north and was again first over the crest of the Costalunga. After eight hours of backbreaking work he rolled into Merano 5 minutes 38 seconds ahead of Mollo and Valetti. The next day Bartali confirmed his magnificent form by winning the twentieth stage at Gardone Riviera.

The standings didn’t change over the few remaining stages to Milan. The Rolle and Costalunga had indeed decided the race. When Bartali crossed the final finish line in the Vigorelli velodrome at the ripe old age of 23, he had established himself as one of the finest riders in the world.

Gino Bartali (second rider from right, in maglia rosa) poses with his Legnano teammates.

Final 1937 Giro d’Italia General Classification:
1. Gino Bartali (Legnano) 122 hours 25 minutes 40 seconds
2. Giovanni Valetti (Frejus) @ 8 minutes 18 seconds
3. Enrico Mollo (Frejus) @ 17 minutes 38 seconds
4. Severino Canavesi (Ganna) @ 21 minutes 38 seconds
5. Cesare Del Cancia (Ganna) @ 23 minutes 18 seconds

Climbers’ Competition:
1. Gino Bartali (Legnano)
2. Enrico Mollo (Frejus)
3. Luigi Barral (Bertoldo)

There were 93 starters of whom 41 made it back to Milan. Of those 41, only three were foreigners. Amberg was the best placed of them at thirteenth place, over an hour behind Bartali.

Bartali’s mastery of the 1936 and 1937 Giri caused La Gazzetta to ponder how many this young man was going to win. Colombo thought Bartali’s domination of the Giro made the sport more interesting and thought it fair to wonder if he would be able to break Binda’s record of five Giro wins.

That July Bartali entered the Tour and after stage seven, with its Télégraphe and Galibier climb, was the leader. He was on his way to doing what no rider had ever done; winning the Giro and the Tour in the same year. But on the next stage he crashed and the injuries he sustained eventually forced him to abandon.

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