Giro d’Italia 1946 was the first edition of the race held after World War II, and Italy was in a state of flux. The country was still reeling from the devastation of the war: cities were bombed-out, the economy was shattered, and the monarchy was on the verge of collapse (Italy would become a republic just days after the race ended). Amid this uncertainty, the Giro became more than just a sporting event — it was a symbol of national rebirth.
The decision to hold the race at all was a bold one.
Roads were in poor condition, infrastructure was broken, and even obtaining fuel for support vehicles was a challenge. Yet the Giro was revived, in part, to reunite a divided country, to offer a sense of continuity, pride, and hope. The riders pedaled through regions that had seen partisan warfare, Nazi occupation, and civil conflict, cheered on by people desperate for a sense of normalcy and unity.
The stage to Trieste was the most explosive intersection of sport and politics.
Including Trieste in the route wasn’t just a geographical decision — it was a deliberate act of Italian nationalism.
By staging a finish there, the organizers made a statement: Trieste was Italian, and the Giro would assert that publicly and symbolically. The presence of anti-Italian protesters and Yugoslav sympathizers along the route was a stark reminder that not everyone agreed.
Trieste’s troubles didn’t begin with World War II — they go back much further.
After World War I, the city and its surrounding region became a symbol of nationalist struggle and territorial disputes.
Trieste had long been part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but after its collapse in 1918, it was annexed by Italy under the Treaty of Saint-Germain. This created significant tension, as the region was home to a mixed population of Italians, Slovenes, and Croats. Italian authorities launched aggressive campaigns of Italianization, stoking resentment among the Slavic communities.
These tensions only deepened during the fascist era and exploded again after World War II. In 1945, Yugoslav partisans under Tito occupied Trieste for over a month, clashing with Allied forces and alarming Italian nationalists who feared the city would be absorbed into the new Yugoslavia. Although the Allies eventually took control and established the Free Territory of Trieste under international administration, the city remained a political flashpoint, caught between competing claims from Italy and Yugoslavia. By 1946, Trieste was a symbol of unresolved national identity, a raw nerve on the map of postwar Europe — and into this environment rode the Giro d’Italia.
On June 30, 1946, the 13th stage of the Giro ran from Udine to Trieste.
As the riders approached the outskirts of Trieste, anti-Italian Yugoslav partisans blocked the road near Opicina, just before the final descent into the city. They reportedly threw stones and nails, and even fired gunshots. Chaos ensued.
The race was neutralized at that point. Many riders turned back, fearing for their safety.
But there was a symbolic twist:
Despite the turmoil, Giordano Cottur, a native of Trieste and a crowd favorite, pushed on alone and finished the stage inside the city. Though the official result had the stage neutralized and shortened (the classification was taken from a checkpoint before the violence), Cottur’s symbolic arrival in Trieste became a legendary image — a quiet act of defiance and national pride.