1924 Giro d'Italia

12th edition: May 10 - June 1

Results, stages with running GC, photos and history

1923 Giro | 1925 Giro | Giro d'Italia Database | 1924 Giro Quick Facts | 1924 Giro d'Italia Final GC | Stage results with running GC | The Story of the 1924 Giro d'Italia

---

Bill & Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, 2021: The Little Cannibal Dominates is available as an audiobook here. For the print and kindle eBook versions, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

1924 Giro Quick Facts:

3613 km raced at an average speed of 25.138 km/hr

90 starters and 30 classified finishers

Several important riders, including Costante Girardengo, Gaetano Belloni and Giovanni Brunero refused to ride the 1924 edition in a dispute with the teams over start money. The riders were supported by the Giro organization instead of the teams and are all considered independent.

The 1924 Giro was also famous because Alfonsina Strada became the first and only woman to start a Grand Tour.

For the first time since 1911, the Giro had twelve stages.

Winner Giuseppe Enrici's strong ride through terrible weather in stage eight earned him an ironclad grip on the lead, which he never relinquished.

---

1924 Giro d'Italia Complete Final General Classification:

1. Giuseppe Enrici: 143hr 43min 37sec
2. Federico Gay @ 58min 21sec
3. Angiolo Gabrielli @ 1hr 56min 53sec
4. Secondo Martinetto @ 2hr 13min 51sec
5. Enea Dal Fiume @ 2hr 19min 0sec
6. Gianbattista Gilli @ 2hr 59min 20sec
7. Vitaliano Lugli @ 3hr 28min 32sec
8. Giovanni Rossignoli @ 3hr 29min 9sec
9. Ottavio Pratesi @ 4hr 3min 0sec
10. Alfredo Sivocci @ 4hr 3min 36sec
11. Giovanni Tragella @ 4hr 21min 26sec
12. Luigi Ugaglia @ 5hr 21min 38sec
13. Domenico Sangiorgi @ 6hr 56min 41sec
14. Alfredo Comminetti @ 7hr 13min 52sec
15. Guido Masseri @ 7hr 32min 41sec
16. Arturo Ferrario @ 7hr 45min 35sec
17. Giovanni Bassi @ 8hr 10min 22sec
18. Romolo Lazzeretti @ 8hr 55min 32sec
19. Michele Robotti @ 10hr 7min 39sec
20. Livio Cattel @ 10hr 50min 32sec
21. Michele Tutolo @ 11hr 9min 49sec
22. Fortunato Manicardi @ 12hr 45min 51sec
23. Giuseppe Rizzo @ 15hr 29min 27sec
24. Enrico Sala @ 17hr 12min 42sec
25. Antonio Buelli @ 17hr 17min 30sec
26. Silvio Scrianti @ 17hr 19min 27sec
27. Luigi Gilardi @ 18hr 18min 39sec
28. Montanari (Arturo or Giuseppe?) @ 18hr 30min 44sec
29. Maurizio Garino @ 20hr 51min 22sec
30. Telesforo Benaglia @ 20hr 58min 37secz

---

1924 Giro stage results with running GC:

Stage 1: Saturday, May 10, Milano - Genova, 300 km

Ascent: Penice

1. Bartolomeo Aymo: 11hr 0min 23sec
2. Federico Gay @ 9min 50sec
3. Guido Masseri @ 16min 50sec
4. Gaetano Belloni @ 18min 39min
5. Giuseppe Enrici s.t.
6. Ermanno Vallazza @ 23min 33sec
7. Giovanni Bassi @ 25min 5sec
8. Riccardo Gagliardi @ 26min 33sec
9. Alfredo Sivocci s.t.
10. Enea Dal Fiume s.t.

GC after Stage 1: Same as stage results

Stage 2: Monday, May 12, Genova - Firenze, 308 km

Ascent: Bracco

1. Federico Gay: 11hr 52min 36sec
2. Giuseppe Enrici @ 1sec
3. Michele Gordini @ 7min 13sec
4. Giovanni Trentarossi s.t.
5. Bartolomeo Aymo @ 7min 16sec
6. Adriano Zanaga @ 7min 57sec
7. Alfredo Sivocci @ 10min 27sec
8. Giovanni Bassi @ 10min 28sec
9. Guido Messeri s.t.
10. Alighiero Burroni @ 13min 58sec

GC after Stage 2:

1. Bartolomeo Aymo: 23hr 0min 15sec
2. Federico Gay @ 3min 14sec
3. Giuseppe Enrici @ 11min 43sec
4. Guido Merreri @ 20min 2sec
5. Giovanni Bassi @ 28min 17sec
6. Adriano Zanaga @ 29min 34sec
7. Alfredo Sivocci @ 29min 44sec
8. Enea Dal Fiume @ 33min 37sec
9. Vitaliano Lugli @ 34min 39sec
10. Ermanno Vallazza @ 37min 38sec

Stage 3: Wednesday, May 14, Firenze - Roma, 284 km

Ascent: Radicofani

1. Federico Gay: 10hr 56min 6sec
2. Enea Dal Fiume @ 2min 30sec
3. Michele Gordini @ 3min 8sec
4. Giuseppe Enrici @ 5min 48sec
5. Angelo Gabrielli @ 18min 54sec
6. Adriano Zanaga @ 21min 54sec
7. Giovanni Tragella @ 23min 45sec
8. Secondo Martinetto s.t.
9. Carlo Mellera @ 35min 39sec
10. Fortunato Manicardi s.t.

GC after Stage 3:

1. Federico Gay: 33hr 59min 35sec
2. Giuseppe Enrici @ 14min 23sec
3. Enea Dal Fiume @ 32min 53sec
4. Michele Gordini @ 38min 46sec
5. Guido Messeri @ 42min 28sec
6. Adrian Zanaga @ 48min 14sec
7. Secondo Martinetto @ 1hr 0min 33sec
8. Alfredo Sivocci @ 1hr 2min 12sec
9. Angelo Gabrielli @ 1hr 3min 51sec
10. Giovanni Tragella @ 1hr 7min 47sec

Stage 4: Friday, May 16, Roma - Napoli, 249 km

1. Adriano Zanaga: 9hr 46min 14sec
2. Federico Gay @ 4min 28sec
3. Giovanni Trentarossi s.t.
4. Giuseppe Enrici @ 6min 21sec
5. Itaiano Lugli @ 7min 31sec
6. Giovanni Tragella @ 11min 36sec
7. Angelo Gabrielli @ 13min 49sec
8. Secondo Martinetto @ 14min 7sec
9. Giovanni Bassi @ 17min 51sec
10. Michele Gordini s.t.

GC after Stage 4:

1. Federico Gay: 43hr 50min 17sec
2. Giuseppe Enrici @ 16min 16sec
3. Adriano Zanaga @ 40min 42sec
4. Michele Gordini @ 52min 9sec
5. Guido Messeri @ 55min 52sec
6. Enea Dal Fiume @ 55min 54sec
7. Angelo Gabrielli @ 1hr 6min 44sec
8. Secondo Martinetto @ 1hr 10min 12sec
9. Giovanni Tragella @ 1hr 14min 55sec
10. Giovanni Trentarossi @ 1hr 18min 1sec

Stage 5: Sunday, May 18, Potenza - Taranto, 265 km

Ascent: Santerasmo in Colle

1. Federico Gay: 9hr 47min 18sec
2. Secondo Martinetto s.t.
3. Giuseppe Enrici @ 1sec
4. Angelo Gabrielli s.t.
5. Italiano Lugli @ 3min 22sec
6. Gianbattista Gilli @ 4min 50sec
7. Ottavio Pratesi @ 8min 10sec
8. Adriano Zanaga @ 9min 15sec
9. Giovanni Rossignoli @ 12min 23sec
10. Giovanni Tragella s.t.

GC after Stage 5:

1. Federico Gay: 53hr 37min 35sec
2. Giuseppe Enrici @ 16min 17sec
3. Adriano Zanaga @ 49min 57sec
4. Angelo Gabrielli @ 1hr 6min 45sec
5. Secondo Martinetto @ 1hr 10min 12sec
6. Giovanni Tragella @ 1hr 27min 18sec
7. Italiano Lugli @ 1hr 29min 42sec
8. Enea Dal Fiume @ 1hr 39min 52sec
9. Giovanni Rossignoli @ 1hr 57min 6sec
10. Gianbattista Gilli @ 2hr 6min 39sec

Stage 6: Tuesday, May 20, Taranto - Foggia, 230 km

1. Federico Gay: 53hr 37min 35sec
2. Gianbattista Gilli s.t.
3. Giuseppe Enrici s.t.
4. Enea Dal Fiume @ 32sec
5. Angelo Gabrielli @ 5min 52sec
6. Secondo Martinetto s.t.
7. Michele Robotti @ 8min 8sec
8. Giovanni Tragella @ 8min 10sec
9. Livio Cattel s.t.
10. Guido Messeri s.t.

GC after Stage 6:

1. Federico Gay: 62hr 42min 53sec
2. Giuseppe Enrici @ 16min 17sec
3. Angelo Gabrielli @ 1hr 12min 37sec
4. Secondo Martinetto @ 1hr 12min 37sec
5. Giovanni Tragella @ 1hr 35min 28sec
6. Enea Dal Fiume @ 1hr 40min 24sec
7. Italiano Lugli @ 1hr 40min 27sec
8. Gianbattista Gilli @ 2hr 6min 39sec
9. Giovanni Rossignoli @ 2hr 17min 22sec
10. Alfredo Sivocci @ 2hr 42min 0sec

Stage 7: Thursday, May 22, Foggia - L'Aquila, 304 km

Ascent: Vinchiatoro, Rionero Sannitico(?)

1. Giuseppe Enrici: 12hr 47min 27sec
2. Italiano Lugli @ 3min 45sec
3. Gianbattista Gilli @ 12min 7sec
4. Giovanni Tragella s.t.
5. Secondo Martinetto @ 17min 0sec
6. Angelo Gabrielli @ 17min 5sec
7. Guido Messeri @ 17min 10sec
8. Alfredo Sivocci @ 17min 22sec
9. Federico Gay @ 17min 25sec
10. Luigi Ugaglia @ 18min 39sec

GC after Stage 7:

1. Giuseppe Enrici: 75hr 46min 37sec
2. Federico Gay @ 1min 8sec
3. Angelo Gabrielli @ 1hr 13min 25sec
4. Secondo Martinetto @ 1hr 16min 47sec
5. Italiano Lugli @ 1hr 27min 55sec
6. Giovanni Tragella @ 1hr 31min 18sec
7. Enea Dal Fiume @ 1hr 58min 11sec
8. Gianbattista Gilli @ 2hr 2min 29sec
9. Giovanni Rossignoli @ 2hr 34min 51sec
10. Alfredo Sivocci @ 2hr 43min 14sec

Stage 8: Saturday, May 24, L'Aquila - Perugia, 296 km

Ascents: Campannelle, Forca Canapine

1. Giuseppe Enrici: 11hr 12min 18sec
2. Enea Dal Fiume @ 1min 25sec
3. Giovanni Rossignoli @ 19min 7sec
4. Angelo Gabrielli @ 22min 42sec
5. Guido Messeri @ 31min 42sec
6. Gianbattista Gilli @ 33min 6sec
7. Italiano Lugli @ 34min 19sec
8. Ottavio Pratesi @ 35min 34sec
9. Alfredo Sivocci @ 39min 15sec
10. Federico Gay @ 39min 16sec

GC after Stage 8:

1. Giuseppe Enrici: 86hr 58min 55sec
2. Federico Gay @ 40min 14sec
3. Angelo Gabrielli @ 1hr 30min 7sec
4. Enea Dal Fiume @ 1hr 59min 18sec
5. Italiano Lugli @ 2hr 2min 14sec
6. Secondo Martinetto @ 2hr 6min 16sec
7. Gianbattista Gilli @ 2hr 35min 39sec
8. Giovanni Rossignoli @ 2hr 52min 58sec
9. Alfredo Sivocci @ 3hr 22min 39sec
10. Ottavio Pratesi @ 3hr 30min 43sec

Stage 9: Monday, May 26, Perugia - Bologna, 280 km

Ascents: Madrioli, Passo Carnaio

1. Arturo Ferrario: 10hr 47min 26sec
2. Giuseppe Enrici @ 1sec
3. Giovanni Tragella @ 1min 58sec
4. Secondo Martinetto @ 8min 0sec
5. Federico Gay @ 8min 45sec
6. Enea Dal Fiume @ 10min 49sec
7. Gianbattista Gilli @ 11min 10sec
8. Angiolo Gabrielli @ 12min 3sec
9. Domenico Sangiorgi @ 15min 17sec
10. Alfredo Comminetti @ 16min 44sec

GC after Stage 9:

1. Giuseppe Enrici: 97hr 46min 22sec
2. Federico Gay @ 48min 9sec
3. Angiolo Gabrielli @ 1hr 48min 9sec
4. Enea Dal Fiume @ 2hr 10min 16sec
5. Secondo Martinetto @ 2hr 14min 15sec
6. Gianbattista Gilli @ 2hr 46min 48sec
7. Italiano Lugli @ 3hr 10min 21sec
8. Giovanni Rossignoli @ 3hr 29min 19sec
9. Ottavio Pratesi @ 3hr 55min 17sec
10. Alfredo Sivocci @ 4hr 4min 24sec

Stage 10: Wednesday, May 28, Bologna - Fiume, 415 km

Ascent: Castelnuovo

1. Romolo Lazzaretti: 17gr 29min 12sec
2. Alfredo Sivocci s.t.
3. Arturo Ferrario s.t.
4. Secondo Martinetto @ 22sec
5. Giovanni Tragella @ 34sec
6. Giovanni Rossignoli @ 37sec
7. Giuseppe Enrici @ 48sec
8. Ottavio Pratesi @ 7min 31sec
9. Federico Gay @ 9min 32sec
10. Enea Dal Fiume s.t.

GC after Stage 10:

1. Giuseppe Enrici: 115hr 16min 22sec
2. Federico Gay @ 56min 21sec
3. Angiolo Gabrielli @ 1hr 56min 53sec
4. Secondo Martinetto @ 2hr 13min 51sec
5. Enea Dal Fiume @ 2hr 19min 0sec
6. Gianbattista Gilli @ 2hr 59min 20sec
7. Italiano Lugli @ 3hr 28min 32sec
8. Giovanni Rossignoli @ 3hr 29min 6sec
9. Ottavio Pratesi @ 4hr 3min 0sec
10. Alfredo Sivocci @ 4hr 3min 36sec

Stage 11: Friday, May 30, Fiume - Verona, 366 km

1. Arturo Ferrario: 18hr 15min 54sec
2. Federico Gay s.t.
3. Giovanni Bassi s.t.
4. Michele Robotti s.t.
5. Enea Dal Fiume s.t.
6. Romolo Lazzaretti s.t.
7. Alfredo Sivocci s.t.
8. Giovanni Rossignoli s.t.
9. Ottavio Pratesi s.t.
10. Telesforo Benaglia s.t.

GC after Stage 11:

1. Giuseppe Enrici: 133hr 32min 16sec
2. Federico Gay @ 58min 21sec
3. Angiolo Gabrielli @ 1hr 56min 53sec
4. Secondo Martinetto @ 2hr 13min 51sec
5. Enea Dal Fiume @ 2hr 19min 0sec
6. Gianbattista Gilli @ 2hr 59min 20sec
7. Italiano Lugli @ 3hr 28min 32sec
8. Giovanni Rossignoli @ 3hr 29min 8sec
9. Ottavio Pratesi @ 4hr 3min 0sec
10. Alfredo Sivocci @ 4hr 3min 36sec

12th and Final Stage: Sunday, June 1, Verona - Milano, 313 km

Ascents: Pieve di Ledro, San Eusebio

1. Giovanni Bassi: 12hr 51min 21sec
2. Federico Gay s.t.
3. Alfredo Sivocci s.t.
4. Romolo Lazzaretti s.t.
5. Michele Robotti s.t.
6. Enea Dal Fiume s.t.
7. Giovanni Rossignoli s.t.
8. Giovanni Tragella s.t.
9. 28 riders came in at the same time and were given the same time and place

Alfonsina Strada @ 31min 59sec

1924 Giro d'Italia Complete Final General Classification

---

The Story of the 1924 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.

At the line in Milan for the start of the Giro’s 1924 edition were several well regarded riders including Bartolomeo Aymo, Federico Gay and Giuseppe Enrici. But the quality of the 1924 field was not what it had been the previous year because the best riders, including Girardengo, Bottecchia, Belloni and Brunero, were on bad terms with the Giro organizers as well as their own teams. The top riders demanded money from their teams to race the Giro and the teams, in turn, demanded start money from the Giro organizers. The Giro wanted to strangle this baby in its crib and firmly said no. The result of this standoff? The top riders did not ride.

To get the peloton up to the size they needed, the Giro offered openings to individuals without teams who wanted to compete. Moreover, the offer came with the added inducement of room and board for the 90 riders they would accept. The Giro’s grocery list included 600 chickens, 720 eggs, 4,800 bananas, 2,000 bottles of mineral water, 750 kilograms of meat plus jams, cookies, apples and oranges.

The 1924 route showed that the organizers were feeling ambitious and confident. The race had twelve stages, which hadn’t been tried since 1911, and went all the way down to Taranto in the arch of the Italian boot. The race was a monster at 3,613 kilometers with an average stage length of 302 kilometers.
Among the independent applicants who were accepted was a starter who was given racing number 72. This rider, who registered under the name Alfonsin Strada, was more remarkable than any of the other entrants. Number 72 was actually Alfonsina Morini Strada. Yes, that’s right, Alfonsina. Mrs. Strada.
Strada was born on a farm in Castelfranco in Emilia. At an early age she developed a deep love for the bicycle and cycle competition. Her nickname among the locals where she tore around the dirt roads on her bike was the “Devil in a Dress”. Although her parents did all they could to discourage her bike racing, she was strong-willed as well as a fine athlete.

Getting married didn’t dull her love of cycling either, as her family had hoped. Her husband, who was also a bicycle racer, became her trainer and gave her a new racing bike with dropped bars as a wedding present. She was very successful, racing all over Europe, even finishing thirty-second (last place) in the 1917 Tour of Lombardy.

The story of Alfonsina Strada

Given that she had registered under the sexually ambiguous name of Alfonsin, it seems no one knew that a woman was going to ride the Giro. Once it became clear that they did have a rider without a “Y” chromosome, Emilio Colombo decided to keep her in the race. Her presence, not without a touch of scandal in those days, had a great deal of promotional value. At first she did well.

Alfonsina Strada

Although she lost a lot of time she finished ahead of many male riders in the 300-kilometer first stage to Genoa, won by Bartolomeo Aymo. Up at the pointy part of the race Aymo had started the Giro auspiciously by beating second-place Federico Gay by almost ten minutes.

Alfonsina came in 56th out of 65 finishers in the second stage that finished in Florence, 2 hours 6 minutes behind stage winner Federico Gay, while Aymo retained the lead. And when the race went to Rome in the third stage, she finished 2 hours 33 minutes behind the stage winner and new leader, Federico Gay. Race leader Aymo abandoned.

After the third stage the standings were thus:
1. Federico Gay
2. Giuseppe Enrici @ 14 minutes 23 seconds
3. Enea Dal Fiume @ 32 minutes 53 seconds

Strada also did well enough in the fourth stage into Naples, coming in 56th, 2 hours 21 minutes behind stage winner Adriano Zanaga. Gay still had a healthy sixteen-minute lead over Enrici.

Probably stage 5, the peloton passes through Cosenza.

Stage seven was the pivotal stage of the race and things tightened up considerably. As the Giro peloton raced north from Foggia, Gay lost twelve minutes on the 304-kilometer leg that finished in L’Aquila. More of a passista (a man who can roll a big gear on the flats) than a scalatore (climber), Gay imprudently attacked on the climb to Macerone and when he ran out of gas he was quickly overtaken by the true climbers. His gamble cost him more than seventeen minutes.

The General Classification now stood thus:
1. Giuseppe Enrici
2. Federico Gay @ 1 minute 8 seconds
3. Angiolo Gabrielli @ 1 hour 13 minutes 25 seconds
4. Secondo Martinetto @ 1 hour 16 minutes 47 seconds

It was during the stage eight journey to Perugia that both Strada’s and Gay’s fortunes shifted. Before the hilly stage started Enrici and Gay were nearly tied. The day’s weather was horrific, hard rain and powerful winds lashed the riders. Gay lost forty minutes and the stage winner and race leader Giuseppe Enrici assumed an ironclad grip on the lead.

Working on a bike

Strada endured numerous falls and punctures. Compounding her misery was a painful knee injury acquired in the previous stage. She arrived well after the cutoff time in Perugia after finally completing the 296-kilometer stage. The judges had a fierce argument as to whether she should be allowed to continue, considering her bad luck and courageous riding. Her handlebars broke in one crash and she had resorted to using a piece of broken broomstick to make the repair. The disqualifiers won out and Strada was no longer an officially classified rider in the 1924 Giro.

But Colombo was still conscious of the publicity Strada gave the race and let her keep riding, even going so far as continuing to pay for her room and board.
When Strada came into Fiume at the end of the tenth stage she was hurt and crying after a bad crash. The cheering crowds were enchanted with her grit and courage and lifted her from her bike. Meanwhile, Enrici added almost nine minutes to his lead over Gay.

Enrici’s foot had somehow become infected, causing him terrible suffering. He could ride, but was unable to walk. Despite this, he maintained his lead to the end, winning his one and only Giro d’Italia.

Strada ended up making it all the way to Milan as well, riding all 3,613 kilometers. She finished 38 hours behind Enrici, not bad when you consider the last classified finisher, 30th placed Telesforo Benaglia, was over 20 hours behind. But “not bad” was not good enough and Strada was never allowed to ride the Giro again, although she continued to compete in other races all over Europe.

In her time, she was quite the celebrity. The famous Italian writer Dino Buzzati wrote that when he was a boy cycling in a park in Milan he saw Alfonsina riding and managed to stay with her for two laps before “exploding”. After that she shot off down the path like an arrow.

Let’s raise a glass to Alfonsina, a courageous and fine athlete who only wanted to ride and race her bike. She rode in an era of single-speed bikes where competing in races of staggering length in a country with often abominable roads was the standard for all. It’s a shame she was born 60 years too soon.
It’s also a shame that the 1924 Giro didn’t have Belloni and Girardengo racing against obviously in-form riders Enrici and Gay.

Giuseppe Enrici

Final 1924 Giro d’Italia General Classification
1. Giuseppe Enrici (Legnano) 143 hours 43 minutes 37 seconds
2. Federico Gay (Alcyon) @ 58 minutes 21 seconds
3. Angiolo Gabrielli (independent) @ 1 hour 56 minutes 53 seconds
4. Secondo Martinetto (Ganna-Dunlop) @ 2 hours 13 minutes 51 seconds
5. Enea Dal Fiume (Jenis, but some historians doubt this team affiliation) @ 2 hours 19 minutes
Alfonsina Morini Strada @ 38 hours

Enrici was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but his family at some point moved to Piedmont in northern Italy. I asked Giro historian and La Gazzetta editor Pier Bergonzi about this. He said that Enrici was an Italian citizen when he won the 1924 Giro. Still, Enrici was the first American-born racer to win a Grand Tour.

.