| Foreign Riders Return to Lombardia During WW1
The 13th edition of the Giro di Lombardia was held on November 4, 1917. The race rolled out of Milan at 8:12 am under clear skies, but with cold temperatures.
SPECIAL NOTE: after the devastating Italian defeat at the Battle of Caporetto (the Isonzo Front, east of Milan) on October 24, 1917, the race had to be given special authorization by Italian military authorities to proceed. The race became a means to demonstrate national resilience.
The outbreak of World War I profoundly disrupted European cycling and cancelled many of the top races around Europe. For the 1917 Lombardia, La Gazzetta, the newspaper and promoter of the race, went to great lengths to attract two of cycling biggest international stars, Belgian Philippe Thys (Tour de France winner in 1913 and 1914) and Frenchman Henri Pelissier (Lombardia champion in 1911 and 1913). The two would contest for Lombardia victory while on leave from their military units.
The early flat kilometers were covered rapidly thanks to Henri Pelissier (Fra).
Race Status:
The favorites were still together at the beginning of the Brinzio climb (55 Km into the race / 204 km), where defending champion Leopoldo Torricelli (Maino) took over the pace making. Constante Girardengo (Bianchi), Philippe Thys (Bel-Peugeot), Pelissier (Ganna), Charles Jusseret (Bel-Isolati) and Luigi Lucotti (Bianchi) followed over the summit. Gaetano Belloni (Bianchi), Giuseppe Azzini (Isolati) and Angelo Gremo (Bianchi) immediately return to the six leaders on the descent.
On the second passage through Varese (89 Km / 204 km), the now nine leaders began to have bad luck changing the group’s situation.
At the foot of the steep Binago climb (107 Km / 204 km), Belloni and Girardengo punctured and stopped for repairs. Pelissier and Thys attacked their delay and sprinted away. Azzini and Gremo struggled and fell off the pace. The breakaway became five riders.
In Como (130 Km / 204 km), the five leaders held a 2'00” gap on Azzini and a 5'00” on Girardengo, Belloni and Alfredo Sivocci (Dei).
At the control station in Cicognola (191 Km / 204 km), Jusseret and Thys in the lead group try to force the action. The two Belgians took over the fast pace and separated from the breakaway. Pelissier realized the danger furiously led the chase and his effort led the regrouping.
Thys, Pelissier, Jusseret, Lucotti and Torricelli passed the summit of the Cicognola with a gap of over 3'00” to the main chasing group.
The two strongest, Thys and Pelissier, drove the 5-rider breakaway into the finish in Milan. Belgian Charles Jusseret led out the sprint for Thys (Bel), alertly Pelissier jumped on Thys’ wheel. Pelissier, known as the faster sprinter, caused an intense finish to the race.
As the Frenchman sprinted to the lead with 100 meters to go, jerseys were grabbed and fists were thrown. Philippe Thys survived chaos and held on to the lead. He crossed the finish line first. An angry Henri Pelissier (Fra) launched a heated protest, but officials ruled that both were responsible for the aggressive tactics.
Philippe Thys was announced as the 1917 winner of the Giro di Lombardia.
SPECIAL NOTE: the 29th place of Alfonsina Strada was the only woman to finish the Giro di Lombardia in 1917 (29th place). She repeated her Lombardia finish again in 1918 (21st place).
GdL November 4, 1917 |
204 Km, Milan-Milan |
1.
Philippe THYS (Bel) 6h58'02" |
2.
Henri Pelissier (Fra) |
3.
Lepoldo Torricelli (Ita) |
Starters: 54 / Finishers: 29 Average Speed: 29.279 km/h |
|
Lomb 1916
Lomb 1918
Return to the Timeline ToC
Return to the Race Snippets ToC |
