The Beautiful Race: The Story of the Giro d'Italia

Nonfiction, Sports, Cycling, History
Cover of the book The Beautiful Race: The Story of the Giro d'Italia by Colin O'Brien, Pegasus Books
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Author: Colin O'Brien ISBN: 9781681777191
Publisher: Pegasus Books Publication: April 3, 2018
Imprint: Pegasus Books Language: English
Author: Colin O'Brien
ISBN: 9781681777191
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Publication: April 3, 2018
Imprint: Pegasus Books
Language: English

A celebration of the Giro d'Italia in all its kaleidoscopic glory after more than one-hundred stagings of this glorious race.

Born of tumult in 1909, the Giro d'Italia helped unite a nation. Since then, it has reflected it's home country—the Giro's capricious and unpredictable nature matches the passions and extremes of Italy itself.

A desperately hard race through a beautiful country, the Giro has bred characters and stories that dramatize the shifting culture and society of its home.  There was Alfonsina Strada, who cropped her hair and raced against the men in 1924, or Ottavio Bottecchia, expected to challenge for the winner's "Maglia Rosa," the famed pink jersey, in 1928, until he was killed on a training ride—most likely by Mussolini's Black Shirts. And what would a book about the Giro d'Italia be without Fausto Coppi, the metropolitan playboy with amphetamines in his veins, guided by a mystic blind masseur, who seemed to glide up the peaks.  But let us not forget his arch rival Gino Bartali—humble, pious and brave.  It recently emerged that he smuggled papers for persecuted Jewish Italians. Then there is the Giro's most tragic hero, Marco Pantani, born to climb but fated to lose.

Halted only by World Wars, the Giro has been contested for over a century, and *The Beautiful Race *is a richly written celebration of this legendary race. 

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

A celebration of the Giro d'Italia in all its kaleidoscopic glory after more than one-hundred stagings of this glorious race.

Born of tumult in 1909, the Giro d'Italia helped unite a nation. Since then, it has reflected it's home country—the Giro's capricious and unpredictable nature matches the passions and extremes of Italy itself.

A desperately hard race through a beautiful country, the Giro has bred characters and stories that dramatize the shifting culture and society of its home.  There was Alfonsina Strada, who cropped her hair and raced against the men in 1924, or Ottavio Bottecchia, expected to challenge for the winner's "Maglia Rosa," the famed pink jersey, in 1928, until he was killed on a training ride—most likely by Mussolini's Black Shirts. And what would a book about the Giro d'Italia be without Fausto Coppi, the metropolitan playboy with amphetamines in his veins, guided by a mystic blind masseur, who seemed to glide up the peaks.  But let us not forget his arch rival Gino Bartali—humble, pious and brave.  It recently emerged that he smuggled papers for persecuted Jewish Italians. Then there is the Giro's most tragic hero, Marco Pantani, born to climb but fated to lose.

Halted only by World Wars, the Giro has been contested for over a century, and *The Beautiful Race *is a richly written celebration of this legendary race. 

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