The Tour of the Alps is an annual professional
cycling stage race
Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most common ...
in Italy and Austria. First held in 1962, it was named Giro del Trentino ( en, Tour of Trentino) until 2016, and run over four stages in the
Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
it, Trentino (man) it, Trentina (woman) or it, Altoatesino (man) it, Altoatesina (woman) or it, Sudtirolesegerman: Südtiroler (man)german: Südtirolerin (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title = Official ...
region of Italy. In
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
, the race merged with the nearby one-day race
Trofeo Melinda
Trofeo Melinda was a single-day road bicycle race held annually in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Italy. After 2005, the race was organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. It was created after the disappearance of Giro dell'Umbria, held be ...
, and the 2015 edition was called the Giro del Trentino Melinda.
In
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
, the event was renamed Tour of the Alps, as it addresses the entire
Euroregion
In European politics, the term Euroregion usually refers to a transnational co-operation structure between two (or more) contiguous territories located in different European countries. Euroregions represent a specific type of cross-border region. ...
of
Tyrol–South Tyrol–Trentino, formed by three different regional authorities in two countries: the Austrian
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
Tyrol
Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Emp ...
and the Italian
of
South Tyrol
it, Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano – Alto Adige lld, Provinzia Autonoma de Balsan/Bulsan – Südtirol
, settlement_type = Autonomous province
, image_skyline =
, image_alt ...
and
Trentino
Trentino ( lld, Trentin), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento, is an autonomous province of Italy, in the country's far north. The Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, an autonomous region ...
. It should not be confused with the similarly named
Giro al Sas di Trento, an annual
road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road. This differs from track and field on a regular track and cross country running over natural terrain.
These events are usually classified as long-distance ac ...
competition in the city of
Trento
Trento ( or ; Ladin and lmo, Trent; german: Trient ; cim, Tria; , ), also anglicized as Trent, is a city on the Adige River in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol in Italy. It is the capital of the autonomous province of Trento. In the 16th centu ...
.
[Un balzo nel passato]
. Giro al Sas. Retrieved on 2010-11-03.
Since its rebranding, the race is run mid-to-late April over five stages, as a
2.HC event of the
UCI Europe Tour
The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitions which were introduced in 2005 by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to expand cycling around the world. The five circuits (representing the continents of Africa, the ...
, the level beneath the
UCI World Tour
The UCI WorldTour (2009–2010: ''UCI World Ranking'') is the premier men's elite road cycling tour, sitting above the UCI ProSeries and various regional UCI Continental Circuits. It refers to both the tour of 38 events and, until 2019, an annual ...
. The race became part of the new
UCI ProSeries
The UCI ProSeries is the second tier men's elite road cycling tour. It was inaugurated in 2020. The series is placed below the UCI World Tour, but above the various regional UCI Continental Circuits.
Development
In December 2018, the UCI announ ...
in 2020.
The Tour of the Alps, typically featuring short and mountainous stages, is considered a last preparation race for the key contenders of the
Giro d'Italia, which starts two weeks after the Tour of the Alps finishes. Ten winners of the Giro del Trentino have also won the Giro d'Italia, all of them Italians:
Francesco Moser
Francesco Moser ( or ; ; born 19 June 1951), nicknamed "Lo sceriffo" (The sheriff), is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer. He finished on the podium of the Giro d'Italia six times including his win in the 1984 edition.
Moser ...
,
Giuseppe Saronni
Giuseppe Saronni (born 22 September 1957), also known as Beppe Saronni, is an Italian former racing cyclist. He had remarkable success riding in the Giro d'Italia. In 1980 he won 7 stages and finished 7th overall, in 1981 he won 3 stages and fin ...
,
Franco Chioccioli
Franco Chioccioli (born 25 August 1959 in Castelfranco di Sopra) is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist. The highlight of his career was his overall win in the 1991 Giro d'Italia.
Major results
;1977
: 1st Overall Giro dell ...
,
Gianni Bugno
Gianni Bugno (; born 14 February 1964) is a retired Italian professional road racing cyclist.
Biography
Bugno was a versatile rider, able to do well in different types of races. He won numerous stages in the Tour de France, and the Milan–S ...
,
Gilberto Simoni
Gilberto Simoni (born 25 August 1971 in Palù di Giovo, Trentino) is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer, most recently for . Simoni is twice winner of the Giro d'Italia cycling race (2001 and 2003 editions). Simoni might have wo ...
,
Paolo Savoldelli
Paolo Savoldelli (born 7 May 1973 in Clusone, province of Bergamo) is a former Italian road racing cyclist and winner of the 2002 and 2005 Giro d'Italia.
Savoldelli was a climber but known for his fast downhill riding. He is nicknamed ''Il F ...
,
Damiano Cunego
Damiano Cunego (born 19 September 1981) is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2002 and 2018 for the , and teams.
Cunego's biggest wins were the 2004 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Amstel Gold Race, a ...
,
Vincenzo Nibali
), The Nibbler
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Messina, Sicily, Italy
, height =
, weight =
, currentteam =
, discipline = Road
, role = Rider
, ridertype = Climber
, proyears1 = 2005
, proteam1 =
, proyears2 = 2006–2012
, protea ...
,
Ivan Basso
Ivan Basso (born 26 November 1977) is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 1999 and 2015 for seven different teams. Basso, nicknamed Ivan the Terrible, was considered among the best mountain riders in ...
and
Michele Scarponi
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Jesi, Marche, Italy
, death_date =
, death_place = Filottrano, Marche, Italy
, height =
, weight =
, discipline = Road
, role = Climbing specialistDomestique
, amateuryears1= 1988â ...
. Damiano Cunego holds the race record with three overall wins.
History
The first edition of the race was held in 1962. It consisted of a single stage that started and finished in Trento. It was won by
Enzo Moser
Enzo Moser (5 November 1940 – 25 July 2008) was an Italian professional road bicycle racer from 1962 to 1967. He was the first winner of the Giro del Trentino in 1962. He came from a famous family of cyclists, the most famous of whom is his you ...
. After a second edition in 1963, the third edition was not held until 1979. There were two unofficial races, in 1977 and 1978 but they remain disputed and usually not treated as official Giro del Trentino races. The 1986 edition of the race was unusual in that there was no individual prize awarded. It was instead a team competition called the Coppa Italia and the first place went to . One of the stages of the 1995 Giro del Trentino went to
Innsbruck
Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian ) is the capital of Tyrol (state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the ...
in neighbouring Austria, and stages to and from
Lienz
Lienz (; Southern Bavarian: ''Lianz'') is a Town privileges, medieval town in the Austrian state of Tyrol (state), Tyrol. It is the administrative centre of the Lienz (district), Lienz district, which covers all of East Tyrol. The municipality a ...
in
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
have remained a regular feature of the race since that time. In 2012, the race included a
team time trial
A team time trial (TTT) is a road bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock (see individual time trial for a more detailed description of ITT events).
The winning team in a TTT is determined by the comparing the times of ( ...
for the first time, which constituted the first stage of the race.
The team time-trial was retained for the 2013 edition.
List of winners
Repeat winners
Wins per nation
References
External links
*
{{Tour of the Alps
Cycle races in Italy
Recurring sporting events established in 1962
1962 establishments in Italy
UCI Europe Tour races
Sport in Trentino
Sport in South Tyrol
Sport in Tyrol (state)