The Giro d’Italia is one of the world’s most important and popular bicycle races, yet there is almost no information in English about this magical Italian race’s rich past. With “The Story of the Giro d’Italia”, the fabulous history of Italy’s national tour is at last available. Volume One takes the story of the Giro from its origin as a desperate promotional gamble by a nearly broke newspaper to Eddy Merckx’s convincing 1970 victory. Volume 1 of “The Story of the Giro d’Italia” tells of Italy’s most celebrated riders: Costante Girardengo, the first campionissimo, or “Champion of Champions”; Alfredo Binda, who so dominated the Giro that one year he was paid by the organizers not to enter; Gino Bartali, who looked to become the dominating rider of his era; and Fausto Coppi, a fascinating personality and Bartali’s great rival, who became not only Italy’s, but the world’s finest rider. The great rivalry between Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali is known to many cycling fans, mostly because of their adventures in the Tour de France. But for much of bike racing’s history, the Alps have been a high wall, and Italian sponsors preferred to keep their racers at home where they could earn valuable publicity. Because of this, there is a whole world of great athletes who are virtually unknown to the non-Italian cycling fan. How about Giovanni Valetti? In 1939 Valetti beat Bartali when Gino was at the very peak of his powers. Has anyone heard of Giuseppe Enrici, the Giro winner who was born in Pittsburgh? Alfonsina Strada was the only woman who entered (and unofficially finished) a Grand Tour. And there was Giordano Cottur, who won a Giro stage in Trieste while guns blazed. Clearly, this is a story that has to be told, and it’s all there in “The Story of the Giro d’Italia”. 
 “Bill and Carol McGann had set a high standard with their compelling and authoritative ‘Story of the Tour de France’, and now they follow up with Le Tour’s inspired Italian offspring in ‘The Story of the Giro d’Italia’. In this Volume I covering the Giro’s debut in 1909 through 1970, this work of patient research, passionate writing, and insightful analysis lays out the struggles, battles, and rivalries in detail and sweep that have made Italy’s grand tour endure. And the American audience can read about Joseph Magnani―a native of LaSalle, Illinois―who rode in the 1946 Giro on the Olmo team and quietly made history as the first U.S. rider to compete in one of the grand tours in the era of dusty roads against Italy’s heroes Bartali and Coppi”. —Peter Joffre Nye, author of “The Six-Day Bicycle Races: America’s Jazz Age Sport” and “Hearts of Lions” and trustee of the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame 
 Volume Two of “The Story of the Giro d’Italia”, which will take the story from 1971 through 2011, is scheduled to be published in early 2012.

The Story of the Giro d'Italia: A Year-by-Year History of the Tour of Italy, Volume 1: 1909-1970

History

McGann, Bill

McGann, Carol

Europe

McGann Publishing LLC

The Giro d'Italia is one of the world's most important and popular bicycle races, yet there is almost no information in English about this magical Italian race's rich past. With "The Story of the Giro d'Italia", the fabulous history of Italy's national tour is at last available. Volume One took the story of the Giro from its origin as a desperate promotional gamble by a nearly broke newspaper to Eddy Merckx's convincing 1970 victory. Volume Two describes the growth of the Giro into a modern, vital international race that is followed by cycling fans all over the world. Along the way, the stories and races that have excited the public over the last forty years are told, including the Francesco Moser/Giuseppe Saronni rivalry, the tragic tale of Marco Pantani and the Alberto Contador affair that left the Spaniard stripped of his 2011 Giro championship.

The Story of the Giro d'Italia: A Year-by-Year History of the Tour of Italy, Volume Two: 1971-2011

At the dawn of the 20th century, French newspapers used bicycle races as promotions to build readership. Until 1903 these were one-day events. Looking to deliver a coup de grâce in a vicious circulation war, Henri Desgrange-editor of the Parisian sports magazine L'Auto-took the suggestion of one of his writers to organize a race that would last several days longer than anything else, like the six-day races on the track, but on the road.That's exactly what happened. For almost three weeks, the riders in the first Tour de France rode over dirt roads and cobblestones in a grand circumnavigation of France. The race was an electrifying success. Held annually (suspended only during the two World Wars), the Tour grew longer and more complex. Desgrange kept tinkering with an ever-changing set of rules for the Tour, looking for the perfect formula for his race.Each year a new cast of riders assembles to contest what has now become the greatest sporting event in the world.

The Story of the Tour de France, Volume 1: 1903-1975: How a Newspaper Promotion Became the Greatest Sporting Event in the World

Volume 1 of The Story of the Tour de France concluded with Bernard Thévenet’s dramatic victory over Eddy Merckx in the 1975 Tour. Volume two opens with super-climber Lucien van Impe’s taking advantage of a course made for the riders with wings. His win was followed by the dominating presence of Bernard Hinault, who became the third rider to win the Tour five times.
Unable to fulfill his destiny as a likely five-time winner because of a hunting accident, Greg LeMond won the Tour three times. LeMond’s era was followed by that of the remarkable Spaniard Miguel Indurain, the first man to win the Tour five times in a row.
The late 1990s were a time of extreme crises for the Tour as the culture of doping within the professional cycling community erupted into the scandal of 1998. The Story of the Tour de France deals with this episode at length.
At first, it looked like Lance Armstrong had done what no other rider in the Tour’s history had ever accomplished, win the Tour seven times in a row. Both he and his successor, Floyd Landis, were revealed to have used drugs to win.
For decades, Great Britain was a marginal player in professional cycling, but no longer. British riders have become a dominating presence in recent Tours.
The book concludes with a quest for the greatest-ever Tour de France rider and an epilogue explaining the reason for the extraordinary success of the Tour.

The Story of the Tour de France, Volume 2: 1976-2018: How a Newspaper Promotion Became the Greatest Sporting Event in the World

"After forty years of study on the subject, I can with some confidence say Bill and Carol McGann’s The Story of the Tour de France is the finest such work ever produced in the English language, and perhaps in any." -From the preface by Owen Mulholland, author of Uphill Battle "Besides towering over all bicycle races, the Tour de France endures for its unique Gaulic character, like Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. The McGann's passionate and insightful writing evokes the raucous cast of riders, promoters, and journalists thrusting through highs and lows worthy of opera. This volume stands out as a must-read book for anyone seeking to appreciate cycling's race of races." -Peter Joffre Nye, author of The Six-Day Bicycle Races: America's Jazz Age Sport and Hearts of Lions "There are LOTS of books on the Tour de France. An increasing number of them are actually written in English. However, of those, none educates Americans about this grand spectacle’s rich past. The Tour de France has a history as fascinating and sordid as Rome’s and it is high time someone undertook to explain this to our American sensibility. Our guide for the trip is a man with a ravenous appetite for both world history and bicycle racing, just the sort of person to paint a Tour champion with the dramatic grandiosity befitting Hannibal himself." -Pat Brady, Editor, Asphalt Magazine At the dawn of the 20th Century, French newspapers used bicycle races as promotions to build readership. Until 1903 these were one-day events. Looking to deliver a coup de grace in a vicious circulation war, Henri Desgrange—editor of the Parisian sports magazine L’Auto—took the suggestion of one of his writers to organize a race that would last several days longer than anything else, like the 6-day races on the track, but on the road. That’s exactly what happened. For almost 3 weeks the riders in the first Tour de France rode over dirt roads and cobblestones in a grand circumnavigation of France. The race was an electrifying success. Held annually (suspended only during the 2 World Wars), the Tour grew longer and more complex with an ever-changing set of rules, as Desgrange kept tinkering with the Tour, looking for the perfect formula for his race. Each year a new cast of riders would assemble to contest what has now become the greatest sporting event in the world.

The Story of the Tour De France: 1903-1964: How a Newspaper Promotion Became the Greatest Sporting Event in the World

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