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Corsa Rosa: A history of the Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia is the cooler, tougher brother of the Tour de France. First staged in 1909, and only pausing for two World Wars, its hundredth edition takes place in 2017.Inspired by L'Auto 's improved circulation figures after establishing France's Grand Tour, the Gazzetta dello Sport saw an opportunity to outdo its rival paper, the Corriere della Sera , by organising its own race. From its first years the Giro pushed riders to their limits with brutal climbs, treacherous road conditions, appalling weather and epic distances. Time has changed the Giro to a degree, but it remains as ferociously testing - and as beloved of cycling's romantics - as ever.All the winners are from the first victors Luigi Ganna and Carlo Galetti, to the likes of Alfredo Binda, Costante Girardengo and Gino Bartali, past the legends of Fausto Coppi and Eddy Merckx, on to Bernard Hinault, Miguel Indurain and Marco Pantani, and then right up to today's champions Vincenzo Nibali, Nairo Quintana and Alberto Contador. The history of the Giro is the history of cycling's superstars.The battles for supremacy, the controversies and skulduggery, the fame and the glory, and the iconic stages all feature. In Corsa Rosa, Gallagher skillfully combines history, anecdote and analysis to bring this ultimate test of endurance vividly to life.
- GenresCycling
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 20, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 2, 2022
Each Grand Tour is a novel, and of course, a book that tries to cover 99 of them cannot do justice to the storylines and characters of each. However, Gallagher provides succinct, illuminating details on several of the compelling figures and illuminates some of the tensest and most thrilling stories, especially the interpersonal fights (Roche and Visentini in 1987, for example). In this sense, the book is successful, and as long as the reader is clear about what to expect, I think it will be a satisfying read for anyone looking for a primer on the sport's history.
The rivalry of Bartali and Coppi is a particular high point, and in general, the early stories are quite compelling (the founding of the Giro, the early rule changes, and the dominance of Binda in the late 20s / early 30s). As a cycling novice, I was able to follow the explanations of tactical errors and brilliancies in the races from the mid-century onwards. (The early races don't always follow the same tactical contours as grand tours today, but Gallagher still conveys clearly where they were lost and won; in contrast, many of the broad strokes of GT strategy have remained the same since the '50s, at least in the eyes of this recent convert to cycling).
I was especially impressed by Gallagher's overall viewpoint. Too often, cycling fans blind themselves to the flaws of their favourites (see, e.g. the fans of Lance Armstrong who even now write hagiographic and even false encomia), pretend that the sport is entirely fair / transparent, or else view the entire sport through a lens of cynicism. Gallagher gives an objective, seemingly honest account of suspected doping without discarding the accomplishments of the dopers, the way they impacted the sport, and the contemporaneous accounts of their achievements. He also captures the capricious and arbitrary implementation of rules by the race organizers, a theme that pervades cycling to the present day (see, for example, the recent DQs for improper bidon disposal (?) and supertucking, or the recent dismissal of charges against Chris Froome for his salbutamol usage).
All in all, a very enjoyable book capturing the broad strokes and some compelling details of the Giro d'Italia over its remarkable history.
The rivalry of Bartali and Coppi is a particular high point, and in general, the early stories are quite compelling (the founding of the Giro, the early rule changes, and the dominance of Binda in the late 20s / early 30s). As a cycling novice, I was able to follow the explanations of tactical errors and brilliancies in the races from the mid-century onwards. (The early races don't always follow the same tactical contours as grand tours today, but Gallagher still conveys clearly where they were lost and won; in contrast, many of the broad strokes of GT strategy have remained the same since the '50s, at least in the eyes of this recent convert to cycling).
I was especially impressed by Gallagher's overall viewpoint. Too often, cycling fans blind themselves to the flaws of their favourites (see, e.g. the fans of Lance Armstrong who even now write hagiographic and even false encomia), pretend that the sport is entirely fair / transparent, or else view the entire sport through a lens of cynicism. Gallagher gives an objective, seemingly honest account of suspected doping without discarding the accomplishments of the dopers, the way they impacted the sport, and the contemporaneous accounts of their achievements. He also captures the capricious and arbitrary implementation of rules by the race organizers, a theme that pervades cycling to the present day (see, for example, the recent DQs for improper bidon disposal (?) and supertucking, or the recent dismissal of charges against Chris Froome for his salbutamol usage).
All in all, a very enjoyable book capturing the broad strokes and some compelling details of the Giro d'Italia over its remarkable history.
July 4, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews