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By Barry Boyce,
CyclingRevealed Historian |
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Valetti Battle Bartali Again
With political turmoil looming and World War 2 close the organizers of the Giro d'Italia promoted a diminished race. Prizes were reduced and participation was nearly all Italian.
Defending champion Giovanni Valetti took control of the race on stage 6b, the 14 km individual time trial up the famed Terminillo. Valetti beat rival Gino Bartali by 28 seconds and held a slim lead in the overall classification.
In the mountains Bartali regains the Maglia Rosa with an inspired stage win in Trento . The very next stage featured miserable weather conditions and snow in the mountain passes. Valetti broke away from the Bartali group on the climb of the Aprica and soloed for brilliant stage win. Valetti's nearly 7 minute time gain on Bartali put him back in the race lead with one stage to go.
An always aggressive Gino Bartali made one last attempt to drop Valetti on the climb of the Madonna di Ghisallo. Giovanni Valetti answered the attack and rode into Milan for the victory.
Stage 1 Milan-Torino, 180 km |
Vasco Bergamaschi (Ita) |
Vasco Bergamaschi (Ita) |
Stage 2 Torino-Genova, 226 km |
Gino Bartali (Ita) |
Gino Bartali (Ita) |
Stage 3 Genova-Pisa, 187 km |
Cino Cinelli (Ita) |
Cino Cinelli (Ita) |
Stage 4 Pisa-Grosseto, 154 km |
Carmine Saponetti (Ita) |
Cino Cinelli (Ita) |
Stage 5 Grosseto-Rome, 222 km |
Olimpio Bizzi (Ita) |
Cino Cinelli (Ita) |
Stage 6a Rome-Rieti, 85 km |
Carmine Saponetti (Ita) |
Cino Cinelli (Ita) |
Stage 6b Rieti-Terminillo, 14 km ITT |
Giovanni Valetti (Ita) |
Cino Cinelli (Ita) |
Stage 7 Rieti-Pescara, 191 km |
Adolfo Leoni (Ita) |
Cino Cinelli (Ita) |
Stage 8 Pescara-Senigallia, 177 km |
Diego Marabelli (Ita) |
Cino Cinelli (Ita) |
Stage 9a Senigallia-Forli, 116 km |
Glauco Servadei (Ita) |
Secundo Magni (Ita) |
Stage 9b Forli-Firenze, 106 km |
Gino Bartali (Ita) |
Giovanni Valetti (Ita) |
Stage 10 Firenze-Bologna, 120 km |
Olimpio Bizzi (Ita) |
Giovanni Valetti (Ita) |
Stage 11 Bologna-Venezia, 231 km |
Pietro Chiappini (Ita) |
Giovanni Valetti (Ita) |
Stage 12 Venezia-Trieste, 173 km |
Giordano Cottur (Ita) |
Giovanni Valetti (Ita) |
Stage 13 Trieste-Gorizia, 39.8 km ITT |
Giovanni Valetti (Ita) |
Giovanni Valetti (Ita) |
Stage 14 Gorizia-Corti d'Ampezzo, 195 km |
Secondo Magni (Ita) |
Giovanni Valetti (Ita) |
Stage 15 Corti d'Ampezzo-Trento, 256 km |
Gino Bartali (Ita) |
Gino Bartali (Ita) |
Stage 16 Trento-Sondrio, 166 km |
Giovanni Valetti (Ita) |
Giovanni Valetti (Ita) |
Stage 17 Sondrio-Milan, 168 km |
Gino Bartali (Ita) |
 Giovanni Valetti (Ita)
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Mountain Jersey |
 Gino Bartali (Ita) |
GdI April 28 - May 18, 1939
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| 3,007 Km |
1. Giovanni VALETTI (Ita) 88h02'00" |
| 2.
Gino Bartali (Ita) +2'59" |
| 3.
Mario Vicini (Ita) +5'07" |
| Starters: 89 |
| Finishers: 54 |
| Average Speed: 34.150 km/h |
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Return to the Race Snippets ToC |
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27th Giro d'Italia 1939 (Italy) 
