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By Barry Boyce, CyclingRevealed Historian |
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Valetti Battle Bartali Again
Political turmoil was looming and the turmoil of World War 2 was rapidly closing-in, the organizers of the Giro d'Italia promoted a diminished race. Prizes were reduced and participation was nearly all an Italian start list.
Defending champion Giovanni Valetti took control of the race on stage 6b, the 14 km individual time trial up the famed Monte Terminillo. Valetti beat rival Gino Bartali by 28 seconds and moved into 4th place in the GC, 1’50” ahead of Bartali.
Valetti climbed into the Maglia Rosa on mountain stage 9b. Bartali took the stage win, while Valetti took the race lead from Secundo Magni (Ita).
Bartali regained the race lead in the mountains with an inspired stage win in Trento (Stg.15, two stages before the finish in Milan).
The very next stage featured miserable weather conditions with snow on the mountain passes. Valetti broke away from the Bartali group on the climb of the Aprica and soloed for a 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 and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
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 Prize |
Gino Bartali (Ita) |
GdI April 28- May 18, 1939 |
| 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 |
GdI 1940
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