Review by Booklist Review
Just as the Tour de France was launched as a sporting event to sell newspapers, so marked the birth of the Giro d'Italia and the race for the coveted Maglia Rosa (pink jersey). Irish sportswriter O'Brien traces the race's rich history from its inception in 1909 to the current day, weaving in the historical context and lending insight into Italian history and culture. Notable highlights include epic battles among rivals Gino Bartali (three-time champion) and Fausto Coppi (considered by many as the greatest Italian cyclist) to the modern era with the rise and tragic fall of Marco Pantani, 1998 champion, and the grit of 2013 and 2016 winner Vincenzo Nibali. The narrative is markedly stronger in chapters with interviews of past winners, including the only American to win the coveted title, Andrew Hampsten, who achieved his dream in 1988. Overall, this is a solid introduction to the Giro d'Italia and the personalities who created, directed, and competed in the grueling three-week competition. Includes photos, a list of winners, and index, but missing is a bibliography.--Barrera, Brenda Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
O'Brien, an Irish sportswriter living in Rome, wonderfully captures the colorful characters and landscapes that have shaped a century of Italy's national cycling race. As he explains, the adage goes that the Giro, which started in 1909, did more to unite Italy than Giuseppe Garibaldi's Risorgimento in 1870. There is plenty here to support that assertion, especially through the 1950s, when the stars of the Corsa Rosa-the Pink Race, so named for the pink jersey worn by the race leader-were primarily Italian and came from all over the country. Founding director Armando Cougnet oversaw a grueling race that contrasted with the established and rigid Tour de France; the Giro immediately drew swarms of passionate cycling fans. O'Brien hits the historical highlights of the race, starting with the 1920s dominance of Alfredo Binda, then details the 1950s rivalry between Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi, which symbolized two sides of midcentury Italy (Bartali was a religious Florentine; Coppi came from working-class Turin), and the globalization of the race in the 1960s with riders such as Belgian Eddy Merckx. The author provides seven "Salita Famosa" sections that illustrate how formidable climbs have influenced racing (the Passo Croce d'Aune inspired the quick-release lever design, for example). O'Brien has written an excellent, detailed narrative that expertly places the Giro within the context of modern Italian history. Photos. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
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