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By Barry Boyce, CyclingRevealed Historian |
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Late Heroics Gained the Victory for Coppi
A star studded field started the 1953 Giro d'Italia. Through the middle stages Suisse Hugo Koblet seemed well on his way to the victory with Italian Fausto Coppi entering stage 19 +1'59” behind with only 3 stages until the finish in Milan.
Coppi attacked on the climb of the Passo de Pordoi and moved away from the peloton. An attentive Koblet managed to bridge up to Coppi and the two entered the finishing (cinder) track in Bolzano together. Coppi took the stage win but Koblet held onto the Maglia Rosa. There were now 2 stages to go. The race was thought to be decided, but Coppi's heroics were not over.
SPECIAL NOTE: 1953 marked the first inclusion of the Passo de Stelvio on the Giro schedule.
The following day on stage 20 Coppi remained on the attack and on the legendary climb of the Passo de Stelvio, he managed to crack the race leader. In Bormio Coppi with the stage win gained a 3'28” on Koblet and took the race lead.
Fausto Coppi rolled into Milan for his record tying fifth and final Giro d'Italia victory.
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Stage 1 Milan-Albano, 263 km |
Wim Van Est (Ned) |
Wim Van Est (Ned) |
Stage 2 Albano-Rimini, 278 km |
Pasquale Fornara (Ita) |
Guido De Santi (Ita) |
Stage 3 Rimini-San Benedetto d Tronto, 182 km |
Albino Crespi (Ita) |
Guido De Santi (Ita) |
Stage 4 San Bene dTronto-Roccaraso, 171 km |
Fausto Coppi (Ita) |
Pasquale Fornara (Ita) |
Stage 5 Roccaraso-Napoli, 149 km |
Ettore Milan (Ita) |
Pasquale Fornara (Ita) |
Stage 6 Napoli-Rome, 285 km |
Giuseppe Minardi (Ita) |
Guido De Santi (Ita) |
Stage 7 Rome-Grossetto, 178 km |
Giovanni Corrieri (Ita) |
Giovanni Corrieri (Ita) |
Stage 8 Grossetto-Follonica, 48.5 km ITT |
Hugo Koblet (Sui) |
Hugo Koblet (Sui) |
Stage 9 Follonica-Pisa, 114 km |
Rik Van Steenbergen (Bel) |
Hugo Koblet (Sui) |
Stage 10 Pisa-Modena, 189 km |
Fiorenzo Magni (Ita) |
Hugo Koblet (Sui) |
Stage 11 Modena Autodrome, 30 km TTT |
BIANCHI |
Hugo Koblet (Sui) |
Stage 12 Modena-Genova, 278 km |
Giorgio Albani (Ita) |
Hugo Koblet (Sui) |
Stage 13 Genova-Bordighera, 256 km |
Oreste Conte (Ita) |
Hugo Koblet (Sui) |
Stage 14 Bordighera-Torino, 242 km |
Pietro Giudici (Ita) |
Hugo Koblet (Sui) |
Stage 15 Torino-San Pellegrino, 232 km |
Nino Assirelli (Ita) |
Hugo Koblet (Sui) |
Stage 16 San Pelleg.-Riva Garda, 279 km |
Fiorenzo Magni (Ita) |
Hugo Koblet (Sui) |
Stage 17 Riga Garda-Vicenza, 166 km |
Bruno Monti (Ita) |
Hugo Koblet (Sui) |
Stage 18 Vicenza-Auronzo, 186 km |
Bruno Monti (Ita) |
Hugo Koblet (Sui) |
Stage 19 Auronzo-Bolzano, 164 km |
Fausto Coppi (Ita) |
Hugo Koblet (Sui) |
Stage 20 Bolzano-Bormio, 125 km |
Fausto Coppi (Ita) |
Fausto Coppi (Ita) |
Stage 21 Bormio-Milan, 220 km |
Fiorenzo Magni (Ita) |
 Fausto Coppi (Ita)
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Mountain Classification |
Pasquale Fornara (Ita) |
GdI May 12 - June 2, 1953 |
| 4,035 Km |
1. Fausto COPPI (Ita) 118h37'26" |
| 2. Hugo Koblet (Sui) +1'29" |
| 3.
Pasquale Fornara (Ita) +6'55" |
Starters: 112 |
Finishers: 72 |
Average Speed: 34.021 km/h |
GdI 1954
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