The first edition was held in 1906, with victory going to Giovanni Gerbi. The race usually takes place at the end of the season, three days before the Giro di Lombardia – the “Classic of the falling leaves”.
Giovanni Gerbi, Costante Girardengo, Aldo Bini, Gino Bartali and Fiorenzo Magni were the most successful riders at the Giro del Piemonte, each taking three wins. Back in 1951, the race proved fatal for Fausto Coppi’s younger brother, Serse, who died from a brain haemorrhage due to a crash along the course, a few hours after the finish. Some years, the race crossed the border with the Aosta Valley, finishing in Saint-Vincent.
The evolution of the route through the years
The route of this classic changed repeatedly throughout the years. The first editions finished in Alessandria, then after changing further, the finish was moved to Turin in 1925, where it remained until 1940. In 2008, the course ran 199 km from Novi Ligure to Lagnasco. In 2009, the race changed name and finish location, running from Novi Ligure to Fossano. Victory went to the Belgian rouleur and classics specialist Philippe Gilbert. In the following years, both the start and finish locations were changed: in 2010, the route ran from Cossato to Cherasco, in 2011 from Piasco to Novi Ligure, and in 2012 from Fossano to Biella. The race was not contested in 2013 and in 2014, and it came back in 2015. In 2017, it counted as Italian National Championship (with victory going to Fabio Aru). The most recent edition finished in the stunning scenery of the Sanctuary of Oropa, with victory going to Colombia’s Egan Bernal, who had swept the competition at the Tour de France two months before.
