In the early hours of May 13, 1909, 127 cyclists set off from Piazzale Loreto, the headquarters of La Gazzetta dello Sport in Milan. The first-ever Giro d’Italia was officially underway.
Unlike the inaugural Tour de France, which began in the afternoon, the participants of Italy’s grand tour departed at 2:53 AM, embarking on an arduous journey. The opening stage, a grueling 397 kilometers from Milan to Bologna (via Padova), took more than 14 hours to complete. Dario Beni emerged victorious, claiming the stage win.
With an average stage length of 307 kilometers, the 1909 Giro d’Italia remains the shortest edition in history, covering a total of 2,447.9 kilometers across just eight stages.
The race was decided using a points system, where the rider with the fewest points was crowned the winner. Luigi Ganna claimed the title, finishing the race with just 25 points. Interestingly, had the classification been based on time rather than points, Giovanni Rossignoli would have been the first-ever Giro champion.