1963 Giro d'Italia

Twelve teams were invited by the race organizers to participate in the 1963 edition of the Giro d'Italia.^[3][4][5] Each team sent a squad of ten riders, which meant that the race started with a peloton of 120 cyclists.^[3][4][5] From the riders that began the race, 86 made it to the finish in Milan.^[6]

The teams entering the race were:^[3][4][5]

Most of the riders were Italian riders. The exceptions were 8 riders from Belgium, 3 from Switzerland, 2 from Spain and 2 from the Netherlands.^[4]

The race route was revealed to the public on 25 March 1963 by race director Vincenzo Torriani.^{[7][8][9][10]}

More information Stage, Date ...

Stage results^[6][11]

Stage	Date	Course	Distance	Type		Winner
1	19 May	Naples to Potenza	182 km (113 mi)		Plain stage	Vittorio Adorni (ITA)
2	20 May	Potenza to Bari	185 km (115 mi)		Plain stage	Pierino Baffi (ITA)
3	21 May	Bari to Campobasso	252 km (157 mi)		Plain stage	Jaime Alomar (ESP)
4	22 May	Campobasso to Pescara	213 km (132 mi)		Stage with mountain(s)	Guido Carlesi (ITA)
5	23 May	Pescara to Viterbo	263 km (163 mi)		Plain stage	Vendramino Bariviera (ITA)
6	24 May	Bolsena to Arezzo	192 km (119 mi)		Plain stage	Vendramino Bariviera (ITA)
7	25 May	Arezzo to Riolo Terme	173 km (107 mi)		Stage with mountain(s)	Nino Defilippis (ITA)
8	26 May	Riolo Terme to Salsomaggiore Terme	203 km (126 mi)		Plain stage	Adriano Durante (ITA)
9	27 May	Salsomaggiore Terme to La Spezia	173 km (107 mi)		Stage with mountain(s)	Giorgio Zancanaro (ITA)
10	28 May	La Spezia to Asti	225 km (140 mi)		Plain stage	Vito Taccone (ITA)
11	29 May	Asti to Santuario di Oropa	130 km (81 mi)		Stage with mountain(s)	Vito Taccone (ITA)
12	30 May	Biella to Leukerbad (Switzerland)	214 km (133 mi)		Stage with mountain(s)	Vito Taccone (ITA)
13	31 May	Leukerbad (Switzerland) to Saint-Vincent	152 km (94 mi)		Stage with mountain(s)	Vito Taccone (ITA)
14	1 June	Saint-Vincent to Cremona	260 km (162 mi)		Plain stage	Marino Vigna (ITA)
15	2 June	Mantua to Treviso	155 km (96 mi)		Plain stage	Franco Magnani (ITA)
	3 June	Rest day
16	4 June	Treviso to Treviso	56 km (35 mi)		Individual time trial	Vittorio Adorni (ITA)
17	5 June	Treviso to Gorizia	213 km (132 mi)		Plain stage	Vendramino Bariviera (ITA)
18	6 June	Gorizia to Belluno Nevegal	248 km (154 mi)		Stage with mountain(s)	Arnaldo Pambianco (ITA)
19	7 June	Belluno to Moena	198 km (123 mi)		Stage with mountain(s)	Vito Taccone (ITA)
20	8 June	Moena to Lumezzane	240 km (149 mi)		Plain stage	Guido Carlesi (ITA)
21	9 June	Brescia to Milan	136 km (85 mi)		Plain stage	Antonio Bailetti (ITA)
	Total		4,063 km (2,525 mi)

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Shortly before the Giro, the Italian National Road Race Championships were held. In 1963, this was not a one-day-race, but held over several stages. In the second stage, Marino Fontana had a flat tire, and was then assisted by a rider from a different team, which was against the rules. The union of Italian professional cyclists (organizers of the event) did not see this as a problem, but the Italian cycling union decided to disqualify Fontana. The organization ignored the union, and allowed Fontana to ride the third stage. Fontana gained enough points to win the championship, and was given the national jersey to wear. At the start of the Giro, Fontana wore this national jersey. The Giro was organized by the Italian cycling union, and they forbade him to wear this jersey because they did not see him as national champion. Fontana came to the start of the second stage again wearing this jersey, and the jury told him that he should take it off or else he would not be allowed to start. Fontana did not change this jersey, and the jury collectively quit. Without a jury, the race could not start, so the start of the second stage was delayed until a new jury could be found. The GBC team, made out of Belgian and Dutch riders, then abandoned the race. They gave the reason that the race no longer appeared to be sanctioned by the Italian cycling union, and so it could be seen as an illegal race, and the Belgian and Dutch cycling unions could suspend them. After this, the Italian National Olympic Committee took responsibility for the rest of the race.^[12]

One leader's jersey was worn during the 1963 Giro d'Italia. The leader of the general classification – calculated by adding the stage finish times of each rider – wore a pink jersey. This classification is the most important of the race, and its winner is considered as the winner of the Giro.^[13] There were no time bonuses in 1963.^[14]

A major secondary classification was the mountains classification. In this ranking, points were won by reaching the summit of a climb ahead of other cyclists. There were three categories of mountains. The first category awarded 50, 40, 30, 20, and 10 points, the second distributed 40, 30, 20, and 10 points, and the third category gave 30, 20, and 10 points.^[15]

There were also intermediate sprints, called "traguardi tricolori", and this year there was a classification related to these.^[16] The first five riders at each intermediate sprint scored points.^[17]

Although no jersey was awarded, there was also one classification for the teams, in which the teams were awarded points for their rider's performance during the stages. This classification was named the "Ramazzotti" classification, and points were given for high positions in stages, intermediate sprints and mountain tops, and leading the general classification.^[18]

More information Stage, Winner ...

Classification leadership by stage^[19]

Stage	Winner	General classification	Mountains classification	Team classification
1	Vittorio Adorni	Vittorio Adorni	not awarded	GBC
2	Pierino Baffi			Cynar
3	Jaime Alomar			Carpano
4	Guido Carlesi	Diego Ronchini	Vito Taccone	Molteni
5	Vendramino Bariviera			Carpano
6	Vendramino Bariviera
7	Nino Defilippis
8	Adriano Durante
9	Giorgio Zancanaro		Giorgio Zancanaro
10	Vito Taccone
11	Vito Taccone
12	Vito Taccone	Franco Balmamion	Vito Taccone
13	Vito Taccone
14	Marino Vigna
15	Franco Magnani
16	Vittorio Adorni	Diego Ronchini
17	Vendramino Bariviera
18	Arnaldo Pambianco	Vittorio Adorni
19	Vito Taccone	Franco Balmamion
20	Guido Carlesi
21	Antonio Bailetti
Final		Franco Balmamion	Vito Taccone	Carpano

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