Bobet’s tough Italian “Double Victory”
The 45th edition of the Giro di Lombardia was held on October 21, 1951.
The 1951 “Race of the Falling Leaves” drew a star-studded field. Newly crowned World Champion Ferdi Kubler (Frejus) led Italian superstars Fausto Coppi (Bianchi), Gino Bartali (Bartali-Ursus), Fiorenzo Magni (Ganna), defending Lombardia champion Renzo Soldani (Legnano), and Frenchman Louison Bobet (Stella).
Kubler leading Bobet and Coppi.
Kubler set a hard pace leading to the climb of the Madonna del Ghisallo.
Bobet's hard pace on the Ghisallo
Louison Bobet moved to the front and crossed the Ghisallo (133 km / 226 km) with Fausto Coppi. On the descent an 8-rider elite group formed. Ferdi Kubler began to fade.
The eight breakaway riders jockeyed for position entering the Vigorelli Velodrome. Legnano teammates Renzo Soldani and Giuseppe Minardi took turns leading a fierce pace.
Riding against seven Italians in the breakaway, Bobet found himself ‘boxed-in’ while setting up for the sprint. He managed get free and moved up the track as the Italians eased off the pace. Coming off high banking on the final turn Bobet jumped quickly down the track and hit the final straight at full speed. Louison Bobet had great closing speed and held onto the lead at the finish line for the huge victory.
SPECIAL NOTE: With the Lombardia victory Bobet became the first foreign rider to achieve the tough Milan-San Remo/Giro di Lombardia double victory in the same season.
SPECIAL NOTE: After the race controversy confronted World Champion Ferdi Kubler, who finished 11th and earned enough points to win the yearlong competition: Challenge Desgrange-Colombo (CD-C). In the days following Lombardia, Team Bottecchia protested Kubler’s illegal wheel change to the Italian Cycling Federation (FCI). In November, the FCI upheld the protest and sanctioned Kubler for taking a wheel from a teammate. He was declassified for the race losing the CD-C points. Without these points Louison Bobet became the CD-C winner in 1951.
GdL October 21, 1951 |
226 Km, Milan-Milan (Vigorelli Velodrome) |
1.
Louison BOBET (Fra) 5h51'03" |
2.
Giuseppe Minardi (Ita) |
3.
Fausto Coppi (Ita) |
Starters: 139 / Finishers: 76 Average Speed: 38.626 km/h |
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Lomb 1950 Lomb 1952
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