Combination classification in the Giro d'Italia
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The Combination classification was a competition in the annual Giro d'Italia bicycle race. It was first introduced in the 1985 Giro d'Italia, where it was first won by the Swiss rider Urs Freuler.[1] The classification was run annually until the 1988 Giro d'Italia, where the American Andrew Hampsten won the classification.[2] The combination classification was replaced in the 1989 Giro d'Italia by the intergiro classification. The classification reappeared after an 11-year hiatus in 2001. It was the absent from the succeeding Giro d'Italia editions until it returned in 2006, where Paolo Savoldelli won the classification.[3] The classification did not return in 2007, as it was replaced by the return of the Young rider classification.
| |
| Sport | Road Cycling |
|---|---|
| Competition | Giro d'Italia |
| Awarded for | Winning the combination classification |
| English name | Blue jersey |
| Local name | Maglia Azzurra (in Italian) |
| History | |
| First award | 1972 |
| Editions | 12 |
| Final award | 2006 |
| First winner |  Eddy Merckx (BEL) |
| Most wins | Eddy Merckx (BEL) (2 wins) |
| Most recent |  Paolo Savoldelli (ITA) |
For the 1988 and the 2006 editions of the Giro, the leader of the classification was awarded a blue jersey.[3][4][5]
Combination classification standings
| Year | First | Points | Second | Points | Third | Points | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Eddy Merckx (BEL) |
[6] | |||||
| 1973 | Eddy Merckx (BEL) |
4 | Felice Gimondi (ITA) |
9 | Giovanni Battaglin (ITA) |
17 | [7] |
| 1976 | Francesco Moser (ITA) |
12 | Eddy Merckx (BEL) |
31 | Arnaldo Caverzasi (ITA) |
52 | [8] |
| 1977 | Wilmo Francioni (ITA) |
Mario Beccia (ITA) |
Gianbattista Baronchelli (ITA) |
[9] | |||
| 1978 | Giuseppe Saronni (ITA) |
Wladimiro Panizza (ITA) |
 Ueli Sutter (SUI) |
[10] | |||
| 1980 |  Bernard Hinault (FRA) |
8 | Wladimiro Panizza (ITA) |
11 |  Tommy Prim (SWE) |
12 | [11] |
| 1985 | Urs Freuler (SUI) |
44 |  Acácio da Silva (POR) |
38 | Paolo Rosola (ITA) |
30 | [12] |
| 1986 | Guido Bontempi (ITA) |
52 |  Pedro Muñoz (ESP) |
38 | Eric Vanderaerden (BEL) |
30 | [13] |
| 1987 |  Stephen Roche (IRL) |
80 |  Robert Millar (GBR) |
68 | Paolo Rosola (ITA) |
60 | [14] |
| 1988 |  Andrew Hampsten (USA) |
8 |  Erik Breukink (NED) |
12 | Urs Zimmermann (SUI) |
20 | [2] |
| 2001 | Gilberto Simoni (ITA) |
13 | Pietro Caucchioli (ITA) |
35 | Unai Osa (ESP) |
38 | [15] |
| 2006 | Paolo Savoldelli (ITA) |
775 | José Enrique Gutiérrez (ESP) |
651 | Ivan Basso (ITA) |
595 | [3] |