Mountains classification in the Giro d'Italia

Mountains classification in the Giro d'Italia
Giulio Ciccone in the blue jersey of classification leader during the 2019 Giro d'Italia
SportRoad Cycling
CompetitionGiro d'Italia
Awarded forBest climber in mountain stages
Local nameGran Premio della Montagna (Italian)
History
First award1933
Editions87 (as of 2024)
First winner Alfredo Binda (ITA)
Most wins Gino Bartali (ITA)
(7 wins)
Most recent Tadej Pogacar (SLO)

The Mountains classification in the Giro d'Italia is a secondary classification that is a part of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tour races. In this classification, points are awarded to the leading riders over designated climbs. The climbs are put into different classifications based on difficulty and their position on that day's stage. Bonus points are given to mountain top finishes and to the first riders over the Cima Coppi, traditionally adjudged as the highest point of the entire Giro.

The classification was first calculated in 1933; from 1974 to 2011, the leader of the mountains classification in the Giro d'Italia wore the maglia verde (from Italian: "green jersey"): in 2012, as part of a sponsorship deal, the jersey color was changed to blue (maglia azzurra).

History

Until 2011 (pictured, second from the left), the jersey for the mountains classification was green.

The mountains classification was added to the Giro d'Italia in 1933.[1] In the inaugural year of the classification, the organizers chose select climbs and awarded points to the first three riders who crossed the climbs.[1] Alfredo Binda was first over each climb and won the first mountains classification.[1] In 1974, the organizers added a green jersey to designate the leader of the classification.[2] The green jersey was used until 2012, when the classification's sponsor, Banca Mediolanum, renewed its sponsorship for another four years and desired the jersey to be blue rather than green.[3]

Winners

Chepe González winning a stage while leading the mountains classification during the 1997 Giro d'Italia
Koldo Gil receives the leader's green jersey at the 2005 Giro d'Italia
Key
* Winner won general classification in the same year
‡ Winner won general and points classification in the same year
  • The "Year" column refers to the year the competition was held, and wikilinks to the article about that edition of the race.
  • The "Points" column refers to the number of points that the rider had in the mountains classification.
  • The "Margin" column refers to the margin of time or points by which the winner defeated the runner-up.
  • The "Stage wins" column refers to the number of stages wins the winner had during the race.
Giro d'Italia mountains classification winners[4][5]
Year Country Cyclist Sponsor/team Points Margin Stage wins
1933  Italy Alfredo Binda* Legnano ? ? 6
1934  Italy Remo Bertoni Legnano 31 10 0
1935  Italy Gino Bartali Fréjus 44 16 1
1936  Italy Gino Bartali* Legnano 38.5 13.5 3
1937  Italy Gino Bartali* Legnano 37 12 4
1938  Italy Giovanni Valetti* Fréjus 29 3 3
1939  Italy Gino Bartali Legnano 22 3 4
1940  Italy Gino Bartali Legnano 25 4 2
1941 — ~Not contested — — — —
1942 — ~Not contested — — — —
1943 — ~Not contested — — — —
1944 — ~Not contested — — — —
1945 — ~Not contested — — — —
1946  Italy Gino Bartali* Legnano 27 7 0
1947  Italy Gino Bartali Legnano 24 3 1
1948  Italy Fausto Coppi Bianchi 25 9 0
1949  Italy Fausto Coppi* Bianchi 46 5 3
1950   Switzerland Hugo Koblet* Guerra–Svizzera 43 14 2
1951  France Louison Bobet Bottecchia 29 2 1
1952  France Raphaël Géminiani Bianchi 31 3 0
1953  Italy Pasquale Fornara Cilo 33 13 1
1954  Italy Fausto Coppi Bianchi 6 1 1
1955  Italy Gastone Nencini Leo–Chlorodont 7 1 2
1956  Luxembourg Charly Gaul*[N 1] Faema 20 15 3
 Spain Federico Bahamontes[N 1] Girardengo 30 17 0
1957  France Raphaël Géminiani Saint Raphaël 56 18 0
1958  Belgium Jean Brankart Saint Raphaël 56 17 4
1959  Luxembourg Charly Gaul* Emi 560 240 3
1960  Belgium Rik Van Looy Faema 250 40 3
1961  Italy Vito Taccone Atala 270 140 1
1962  Spain Angelino Soler Ghigi 260 160 3
1963  Italy Vito Taccone Lygie 520 400 5
1964  Italy Franco Bitossi Spring Oil 200 60 4
1965  Italy Franco Bitossi Filotex 250 90 1
1966  Italy Franco Bitossi Filotex 490 170 2
1967  Spain Aurelio González KAS–Kaskol 460 370 1
1968  Belgium Eddy Merckx‡ Faema 340 160 1
1969  Italy Claudio Michelotto Max Meyer 330 80 1
1970  Belgium Martin Van Den Bossche Molteni 460 40 0
1971  Spain José Manuel Fuente KAS 360 90 1
1972  Spain José Manuel Fuente KAS 490 040 0
1973  Spain José Manuel Fuente KAS 550 40 1
1974  Spain José Manuel Fuente KAS 510 180 5
1975  Spain Andrés Oliva[N 2] KAS 300 60 0
 Spain Francisco Galdós[N 2] KAS 300 60 1
1976  Spain Andrés Oliva KAS 535 145 0
1977  Spain Faustino Fernández Ovies KAS 675 185 0
1978   Switzerland Ueli Sutter Zonca 830 310 0
1979  Italy Claudio Bortolotto Sanson 495 165 1
1980  Italy Claudio Bortolotto San Giacomo 670 270 0
1981  Italy Claudio Bortolotto Santini 510 10 0
1982  Belgium Lucien Van Impe Metauromobili 860 480 0
1983  Belgium Lucien Van Impe Metauromobili 70 27 1
1984  France Laurent Fignon Renault–Elf 53 13 1
1985  Spain José Luis Navarro Zor 54 7 0
1986  Spain Pedro Muñoz Fagor 54 19 1
1987  United Kingdom Robert Millar Panasonic–Isostar 97 44 1
1988  United States Andrew Hampsten* 7–Eleven–Hoonved 59 4 2
1989  Colombia Luis Herrera Café de Colombia 70 32 2
1990  Italy Claudio Chiappucci Carrera Jeans–Vagabond 74 18 0
1991  Spain Iñaki Gastón CLAS–Cajastur 75 6 0
1992  Italy Claudio Chiappucci Carrera Jeans–Vagabond 76 31 0
1993  Italy Claudio Chiappucci Carrera Jeans–Tassoni 42 2 1
1994   Switzerland Pascal Richard GB–MG Maglificio 78 20 1
1995  Italy Mariano Piccoli Brescialat 75 30 1
1996  Italy Mariano Piccoli Brescialat 69 32 0
1997  Colombia Chepe González Kelme–Costa Blanca 99 64 1
1998  Italy Marco Pantani* Mercatone Uno–Bianchi 89 27 2
1999  Colombia Chepe González Kelme–Costa Blanca 61 16 1
2000  Italy Francesco Casagrande Vini Caldirola–Sidermec 71 24 1
2001  Colombia Fredy González Selle Italia–Pacific 73 31 1
2002  Mexico Julio Alberto Pérez Colombia–Selle Italia 69 36 2
2003  Colombia Fredy González Colombia–Selle Italia 100 22 0
2004  Germany Fabian Wegmann Gerolsteiner 56 2 0
2005  Venezuela José Rujano Colombia–Selle Italia 143 86 1
2006  Spain Juan Manuel Gárate Quick-Step–Innergetic 64 8 1
2007  Italy Leonardo Piepoli Saunier Duval–Prodir 79 33 1
2008  Italy Emanuele Sella CSF Group–Navigare 136 73 3
2009  Italy Stefano Garzelli Acqua & Sapone–Caffè Mokambo 61 16 1
2010  Australia Matthew Lloyd Omega Pharma–Lotto 56 15 1
2011  Italy Stefano Garzelli Acqua & Sapone 67 24 0
2012  Italy Matteo Rabottini Farnese Vini–Selle Italia 84 40 1
2013  Italy Stefano Pirazzi Bardiani Valvole–CSF Inox 82 37 0
2014  Colombia Julián Arredondo Trek Factory Racing 173 41 1
2015  Italy Giovanni Visconti Movistar Team 125 3 0
2016  Spain Mikel Nieve Team Sky 152 18 1
2017  Spain Mikel Landa Team Sky 224 106 1
2018  United Kingdom Chris Froome* Team Sky 125 17 2
2019  Italy Giulio Ciccone Trek–Segafredo 267 152 1
2020  Portugal Ruben Guerreiro EF Pro Cycling 234 77 1
2021  France Geoffrey Bouchard AG2R Citroën Team 184 44 0
2022  Netherlands Koen Bouwman Team Jumbo–Visma 294 131 2
2023  France Thibaut Pinot Groupama–FDJ 237 37 0
2024  Slovenia Tadej Pogačar* UAE Team Emirates 270 64 6

Multiple winners

As of 2023, 15 cyclists have won the mountains classification more than once.[7]

Multiple winners of the Giro d'Italia mountains classification
Cyclist Total Years
 Gino Bartali (ITA) 7 1935, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1940, 1946, 1947
 José Manuel Fuente (ESP) 4 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974
 Fausto Coppi (ITA) 3 1948, 1949, 1954
 Franco Bitossi (ITA) 3 1964, 1965, 1966
 Claudio Bortolotto (ITA) 3 1979, 1980, 1981
 Claudio Chiappucci (ITA) 3 1990, 1992, 1993
 Raphaël Géminiani (FRA) 2 1952, 1957
 Charly Gaul (LUX) 2 1956, 1959
 Vito Taccone (ITA) 2 1961, 1963
 Andrés Oliva (ESP) 2 1975, 1976
 Lucien Van Impe (BEL) 2 1982, 1983
 Mariano Piccoli (ITA) 2 1995, 1996
 Chepe González (COL) 2 1997, 1999
 Fredy González (COL) 2 2001, 2003
 Stefano Garzelli (ITA) 2 2009, 2011

By nationality

Riders from fifteen different countries have won the Mountains classification in the Giro d'Italia.[7]

Giro d'Italia mountains classification winners by nationality
Country No. of winning cyclists No. of wins
 Italy 22 39
 Spain 13 17
 Belgium 5 6
 France 5 6
 Colombia 4 6
  Switzerland 3 3
 United Kingdom 2 2
 Luxembourg 1 2
 United States 1 1
 Mexico 1 1
 Germany 1 1
 Venezuela 1 1
 Australia 1 1
 Portugal 1 1
 Netherlands 1 1

Distribution of points

The points that are gained by consecutive riders reaching a mountain top are distributed according to 5 categories:

Tipologia 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
Cima Coppi 50 30 20 14 10 6 4 2 1
First Category 40 18 12 9 6 4 2 1 -
Second Category 18 8 6 4 2 1 - - -
Third Category 9 4 2 1 - - - - -
Fourth Category 3 2 1 - - - - - -

The organization of the race determines which mountains are included for the mountains classification and in which category they are. The points for the Cima Coppi are awarded once every Giro, for the summit at the highest altitude in that Giro.

Days in leader's jersey

after the end of 2024 Giro d'Italia

Rider Days Stages
Italy Gino Bartali 73 83
Belgium Eddy Merckx 56 57
Spain Jose Manuel Fuente 46 50
Italy Mariano Piccoli 45 45
Italy Claudio Bortolotto 41 41
Italy Vito Taccone 39 39
Italy Fausto Coppi 37 37
Spain Federico Bahamontes 34 35
Belgium Lucien Van Impe 34 35
Colombia Fredy González 33 33
Luxembourg Charly Gaul 31 32
Italy Claudio Chiappucci 28 28
France Raphaël Géminiani 27 28
Spain Andrés Oliva 26 29
Italy Michele Dancelli 25 26
Spain Julio Jiménez 25 25

Riders leading all stages of an edition

No rider wore the jersey in all stages of a single edition.

In some editions the Mountain Classification was not compiled in the first stages (no points awarded in the first stages). Some riders led all the stages after the first points were awarded:

References

Footnotes
  1. ^ a b The 1956 Giro d'Italia had two mountain competitions: the Trofeo Dolomiti and the Trofeo Appennini. Charly Gaul won the former and Federico Bahamontes, the latter.
  2. ^ a b Francisco Galdós & Andrés Oliva, both Spanish riders from the KAS team, finished the race with the same number of points in the mountains classification and were both winners.[6]
Citations
  1. ^ a b c Bill and Carol McGann. "1933 Giro d'Italia". Bike Race Info. Dog Ear Publishing. Archived from the original on 2014-02-27. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
  2. ^ Bill and Carol McGann. "1974 Giro d'Italia". Bike Race Info. Dog Ear Publishing. Archived from the original on 2017-07-25. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
  3. ^ "Blue Mountains Jersey For 2012 Giro D'Italia". Cycling News. 17 December 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  4. ^ "Past winners". Cyclingnews.com. 9 May 2009. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  5. ^ "Giro d'Italia – Fight for Pink: Il Garibaldi" (PDF). Giro d'Italia. RCS MediaGroup. p. 38. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 19, 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  6. ^ "Clasificaciones oficiales" [Official classifications]. El Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 8 June 1975. p. 19. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Giro d'Italia 2009" (PDF). Infostrada sports. 2009. p. 187. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 December 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2011.