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By Barry Boyce, CyclingRevealed Historian
GdI May 17 - June 8, 1952 |
3,964 Km |
Starters: 119 (112 - 7 DNS)
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Finishers: 91 |
Average Speed: 34.560 km/h |
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Coppi's Best Year
The 1952 Giro d'Italia marked the return of Fausto Coppi to ‘prime form’ after injury and the loss of his brother in 1951. He delivered a superb, dominating performance. He overwhelmed one of the finest starting fields of riders in Giro history.
Pre-Race Notes:
The "Italian Tripod " (Big Three) of Italian cycling started the race.
- Reigning champion Fiorenzo Magni (Ganna-Ursus) started the race with hopes of winning the Giro a third time.
- Three-time champion Fausto Coppi (Bianchi-Pirelli) came to the race with great fitness.
- Gino Bartali (Bartali) was making his twelfth Giro start. His history showed three GC victories, four second-place finishes, and seven Mountain Classification victories.
A strong contingent of non-Italian riders were included on the start list:
- Swiss Road Race Champion and World Road Race Champion Ferdinand Kubler (Benotto-Fiorelli-Salus).
- 1950 Giro Champion Hugo Koblet (Guerra-Usus) posed a large threat for victory.
- The Belgian’s had strong starters with last year's runner-up Rik Van Steenbergen and teammate Stan Ockers (Girardengo-Clement)
Teams:
The teams entering the race were:
- Atala-Pirelli
- Bianchi
- Legnano
- Fiorelli
- Arbos-Pirelli
- Bartali
- Benotto-Fiorelli-Salus
- Bottecchia
- Welter-Ursus
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- Ganna-Ursus
- Girardengo-Clement
- Nilux
- Frejus
- Torpado
- Garin-Wolber
- Guerra-Ursus
- Paglianti * (7 German riders from Paglianti Did Not Start)
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Classification Leadership:
The leader of the General Classification, calculated by adding each stage times of each rider and subtracting time bonuses, wore the Maglia Rosa (Pink Jersey).
The Mountains Classification was contested on various mountain climbs to the riders who crossed them first accumulated “climbing points.”
Race Summary:
Stage 4: * TRAGIC NOTE: The 1952 race featured the first death of a rider in the during the race. On stage 4 (May 20, 1952) of the Giro, Italian climber Orfeo Ponsin crashed heavily. While the peloton was descending at more than 60 km/h, Ponsin hit a raised curb, lost control, and struck a tree. All efforts to revive him failed and Orfeo Ponsin passed away at the hospital.
Stage 11: Coppi took the race lead on stage 10 but his dramatic stamp on the race’s General Classification came on stage 11. Coppi attacked on all the climbs from Venice to Bolzano and rode solo into the stadium (a cinder track) for a 5'20” stage win.
Fausto Coppi cruised into Milan for the victory and took the first part of his second Giro/Tour de France double. Tour de France 1952
Stage 19 from Saint-Vincent to Verbania featured the climbs of Great St Bernard Pass, which was the highest pass of the race at 2,473 meters, and Simplon Pass.
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Stage 1 Milan-Bologna, 217 km |
Giorgio Albani (Ita) |
Giorgio Albani (Ita) |
Stage 2 Bologna-Montecatini, 197 km |
Angelo Conterno (Ita) |
Angelo Conterno (Ita) |
Stage 3 Montecatini-Siena, 205 km |
Antonio Bevilacqua (Ita) |
Nino Defilippis (Ita) |
Stage 4 Siena-Rome, 250 km |
Desire Keteleer (Bel) |
Nino Defilippis (Ita) |
Stg 5 Rome-Rocca di Papa, 35 km ITT |
Fausto Coppi (Ita) |
Giancarlo Astrua (Ita) |
Stage 6 Rome-Napoli, 238 km |
Rik Van Steenbergen (Bel) |
Giancarlo Astrua (Ita) |
Stage 7 Napoli-Roccaraso, 140 km |
Giorgio Albani (Ita) |
Giancarlo Astrua (Ita) |
Stage 8 Roccaraso-Ancona, 224 km |
Rino Benedetti (Ita) |
Giancarlo Astrua (Ita) |
Stage 9 Ancona-Riccione, 250 km |
Rik Van Steenbergen (Bel) |
Giancarlo Astrua (Ita) |
Stage 10 Riccione-Venice, 285 km |
Rik Van Steenbergen (Bel) |
Fausto Coppi (Ita) |
Stage 11 Venice-Bolzano, 276 km |
Fausto Coppi (Ita) |
Fausto Coppi (Ita) |
Stage 12 Bolzano-Bergamo, 226 km |
Oreste Conte (Ita) |
Fausto Coppi (Ita) |
Stage 13 Bergamo-Como, 143 km |
Alfredo Pasotti (Ita) |
Fausto Coppi (Ita) |
Stage 14 Erba-Como, 65 km ITT |
Fausto Coppi (Ita) |
Fausto Coppi (Ita) |
Stage 15 Como-Genova, 247 km |
Giuseppe Minardi (Ita) |
Fausto Coppi (Ita) |
Stage 16 Genova-San Remo, 141 km |
Annibale Brasola (Ita) |
Fausto Coppi (Ita) |
Stage 17 San Remo-Cuneo, 190 km |
Nino Defilippis (Ita) |
Fausto Coppi (Ita) |
Stage 18 Cuneo-St Vincent, 190 km |
Pasquale Fornara (Ita) |
Fausto Coppi (Ita) |
Stg 19 St Vincent-Verbania, 298 km |
Fritz Schaer (Sui) |
Fausto Coppi (Ita) |
Stage 20 Verbania-Milan, 147 km |
Antonio Bevilacqua (Ita) |
 Fausto Coppi (Ita)
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Mountain Classification |
Raphael Geminiani (Fra) |
General Classification:
Final General Classification |
Rank |
Rider |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Fausto COPPI (Ita)  |
Bianchi-Pirelli |
114h36'43" |
2 |
Fiorenzo Magni (Ita) |
Ganna-Ursus |
+9'18" |
3 |
Ferdi Kubler (Sui)  (1st Forgein rider) |
Fiorelli |
9'24" |
4 |
Donato Zampini (Ita)  (1st Indep) |
Benotto-Fiorelli-Salus |
+10'29" |
5 |
Gino Bartali (Ita) |
Bartali |
+10'33" |
6 |
Stan Ockers (Bel) |
Girardengo-Clement |
+10'58" |
7 |
Giancarlo Astrua (Ita) |
Atala-Pirelli |
+14'30" |
8 |
Hugo Koblet (Sui) |
Guerra-Ursus |
+14'38" |
9 |
Raphael Geminiani (Ita) |
Bianchi-Pirelli |
+16'44" |
10 |
Giorgio Albani (Ita) |
Legnano |
+18'14" |
11 |
Giacomo Zampieri (Ita) |
Benotto-Fiorelli-Salus |
+18'52" |
12 |
Alfredo Pasotti (Ita) |
Welter-Ursus |
+22'33" |
13 |
Alex Close (Bel) |
Garin-Wolber |
+23'05" |
14 |
Giovanni Roma (Ita) |
Bottecchia-Ursus |
+23'56" |
15 |
Vittorio Rossello (Ita) |
Frejus |
+24'29" |
16 |
Arrigo Padovan (Ita) |
Atala-Pirelli |
+25'57" |
17 |
Giovanni Corrieri (Ita) |
Bartali |
+26'27" |
18 |
Giuseppe Minardi (Ita) |
Legnano |
+26'59" |
19 |
Elio Brasola (Ita) |
Bottecchia-Ursus |
+28'02" |
20 |
Vincenzo Rossello (Ita) |
Arbos-Pirelli |
+28'53" |
21 |
Alfredo Martini (Ita) |
Welter-Ursus |
+32'00" |
22 |
Nino Defilippis (Ita) |
Legnano |
+32'37" |
23 |
Carlo Clerici (Ita) |
Welter-Ursus |
+35'29" |
24 |
Angelo Conterno (Ita) |
Frejus |
+37'28" |
25 |
Raymond Impanis (Bel) |
Garin-Wolber |
+38'36" |
26 |
Armando Barducci (Ita) |
Frejus |
+38'50" |
27 |
Fritz Schaer (Sui) |
Arbos-Pirelli |
+39'57" |
28 |
Livio Isotti (Ita) |
Arbos-Pirelli |
+39'59" |
29 |
Attilio Lambertini (Ita) |
Arbos-Pirelli |
+43'07" |
30 |
Serafino Biagoni (Ita) |
Guerra-Ursus |
+43'09" |
31 |
Pasquale Fornara (Ita) |
Bottecchia-Ursus |
+45'25" |
32 |
Renzo Soldani (Ita) |
Legnano |
+45'55" |
33 |
Desire Keteleer (Bel) |
Garin-Wolber |
+46'05" |
34 |
Andrea Carrea (Ita) |
Bianchi-Pirelli |
+50'02" |
35 |
Bernardo Ruiz (Spa) |
Torpado |
+52'09" |
36 |
Primo Volpi (Ita) |
Arbos-Pirelli |
+52'16" |
37 |
Giulio Bresci (Ita) |
Bartali |
+52'50" |
38 |
Rik Van Steenbergen (Bel) |
Girardengo-Clement |
+57'11" |
39 |
Gottfried Weilenmann (Sui) |
Guerra-Ursus |
+58'12" |
40 |
Danilo Barozzi (Ita) |
Atala-Pirelli |
+58'57" |
41 |
Adolfo Grosso (Ita) |
Benotto-Fiorelli-Salus |
+1h00'53" |
42 |
Pietro Giudici (Ita) |
Ganna |
+1h02'35" |
43 |
Rinaldo Moresco (Ita) |
Arbos-Pirelli |
+1h06'53" |
44 |
Ettore Milano (Ita) |
Bianchi-Pirelli |
+1h07'38" |
45 |
Virgilio Salimbeni (Ita) |
Ganna-Ursus |
+1h08'28" |
46 |
Umberto Drei (Ita) |
Legnano |
+1h09'23" |
47 |
Dino Ottusi (Ita) |
Nilux |
+1h10'13" |
48 |
Rino Benedetti (Ita) |
Legnano |
+1h10'55" |
49 |
Franco Franchi (Ita) |
Ganna-Ursus |
+1h11'01" |
50 |
Nedo Logli (Ita) |
Welter-Ursus |
+1h14'29" |
51 |
Luciano Frosini (Ita) |
Nilux |
+1h17'06" |
52 |
Lido Sartini (Ita) |
Benotto-Fiorelli-Salus |
+1h17'21" |
53 |
Dante Rivola (Ita) |
Guerra-Ursus |
+1h17'49" |
54 |
Giuseppe Ciarcia (Ita) |
Guerra-Ursus |
+1h20'21" |
55 |
Edward Van Ende (Bel) |
Garin-Wolber |
+1h20'36" |
56 |
Alberto Ghirardi (Ita) |
Benotto-Fiorelli-Salus |
+1h20'44" |
57 |
Giovanni Pettinati (Ita) |
Benotto-Fiorelli-Salus |
+1h21'24" |
58 |
Bruno Pasquini (Ita) |
Fiorelli |
+1h21'41" |
59 |
Annibale Brasola (Ita) |
Bottecchia-Ursus |
+1h22'10" |
60 |
Luciano Maggini (Ita) |
Atala-Pirelli |
+1h22'13" |
61 |
Oreste Conte (Ita) |
Bottecchia-Ursus |
+1h22'34" |
62 |
Rodolfo Falzoni (Ita) |
Guerra-Ursus |
+1h28'47" |
63 |
Sergio Vitali (Ita) |
Fiorelli |
+1h29'39" |
64 |
Waldemaro Bartolozzi (Ita) |
Atala-Pirelli |
+1h30'47" |
65 |
Luigi Casola (Ita) |
Atala-Pirelli |
+1h31'30" |
| 66 |
Marcello Ciolli (Ita) |
Frejus |
+1h32'15" |
| 67 |
Loretto Petrucci (Ita) |
Bianchi-Pirelli |
+1h33'35" |
| 68 |
Cesare Olmi (Ita) |
Bottecchia-Ursus |
+1h36'58" |
| 69 |
Antonio Bevilacqua (Ita) |
Benotto-Fiorelli-Salus |
+1h40'14" |
| 70 |
Guido De Santi (Ita) |
Benotto-Fiorelli-Salus |
+1h41'31" |
| 71 |
Girardengo Bernardini (Ita) |
Girardengo-Clement |
+1h41'41" |
| 72 |
Leo Castellucci (Ita) |
Welter-Ursus |
+1h41'59" |
| 73 |
Franco Giacchero (Ita) |
Bianchi-Pirelli |
+1h42'18" |
| 74 |
Mario Gestri (Ita) |
Ganna-Ursus |
+1h42'10" |
75 |
Renzo Zanazzi (Ita) |
Ganna-Ursus |
+1h45'27" |
76 |
Mario Gervasoni (Ita) |
Girardengo-Clement |
+1h46'23" |
77 |
Luciano Pezzi (Ita) |
Atala-Pirelli |
+1h47'27" |
78 |
Mario Baroni (Ita) |
Ganna-Ursus |
+1h51'19" |
79 |
Bruno Gianelli (Ita) |
Bartali |
+1h51'48" |
80 |
Ersilio Dordoni (Ita) |
Arbos-Pirelli |
+1h53'11" |
81 |
Albert Dubuisson (Bel) |
Bartali |
+1h53'36" |
82 |
Ugo Fondelli (Ita) |
Welter-Ursus |
+1h54'04" |
83 |
Giuseppe Doni (Ita) |
Girardengo-Clement |
+1h56'00" |
84 |
Emilio Croci-Torti (Sui) |
Fiorelli |
+2h13'26" |
85 |
Eugen Kamber (Sui) |
Fiorelli |
+2h16'30" |
86 |
Alfio Baronti (Ita) |
Bartali |
+2h16'50" |
87 |
Ugo Massocco (Ita) |
Girardengo-Clement |
+2h21'16" |
88 |
Angelo Venzi (Ita) |
Girardengo-Clement |
+2h28'35" |
89 |
Donato Piazza (Ita) |
Bianchi-Pirelli |
+2h31'03" |
90 |
Georges Aeschlimann (Sui) |
Fiorelli |
+2h32'20" |
91 |
Dante Colombo (Ita) |
Nilux |
+3h16'08" |
Final Mountains Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Raphael GEMINIANI (Fra) |
Bianchi-Pirelli |
31 |
2 |
Fausto Coppi (Ita) |
Bianchi-Pirelli |
28 |
3 |
Gino Bartali (Ita) |
Bartali |
23 |
4 |
Giancarlo Astrua (Ita) |
Atala-Pirelli |
16 |
GdI 1953
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