When the road becomes history

It is a multi-stage cycling competition that demands sustained effort and years of preparation, rigorous training, and unwavering dedication. Those who choose to participate must possess the ability to overcome both physical and mental limits.

Participating in a Grand Tour is, above all, a monumental athletic feat, encompassing three weeks of uninterrupted competition: 21 days of relentless racing that offer no respite to recover between stages. There is no room to slow down, as none of the other competitors will. Fatigue builds up and intensifies day after day, making each stage increasingly challenging.

One must be prepared to tackle the variety of terrains—from flat roads to mountainous climbs—and time trial challenges, each demanding different types of effort, all while enduring climates that can range from scorching heat to the icy chill of the peaks. The climbs feel like you're scaling a cliff face, taking your breath away and gripping your leg muscles in a vice; when you reach the descent, there's no time to catch your breath, as you must confront your fears without slowing down.

Then there's the mental strain: managing stress, staying focused for hours each day, living with tension and pain.

That's why those who can endure all this are heroes of athletics, their feats truly memorable.

The Tour de France is one of the most famous cycling races in the world. The French call it “La Grande Boucle”, an affectionate nickname meaning "the Great Loop," reflecting the race's typically circular route that occasionally ventures beyond France into neighbouring countries.

The inaugural edition took place in 1903, and since then, the race has been held annually, typically in July, with the exception of the two World Wars.

The first Tour featured around 60 riders competing over six stages, starting and finishing in Paris. The early editions, up until the suspension due to World War I, are part of the heroic era, featuring stages of over 400 km per day on poorly maintained roads with low-quality equipment, under extremely harsh conditions. This gave rise to the famous play on words, “Tour de France, Tour de Souffrance” (Tour of France, Tour of Suffering).

The leader of the general classification wears the Yellow Jersey; while the equally famous red and white polka-dot jersey is awarded to the best climber, known as the grimpeur.

The first edition of the Tour de France exceeded 2,000 kilometres. In recent years, the average distance has reached 3,400 km, making the initial figure seem modest. However, these kilometres were divided into just six gruelling and extremely long stages, often even ridden at night. Riders had to contend with rough roads, constant flat tyres, and every other imaginable obstacle. Without support vehicles, cyclists had to manage unexpected challenges using only their own skills and the equipment they carried.

The race was under way on the 6th stage, through the Pyrenees, with Eugène Christophe leading the pack and ascending the Col du Tourmalet, one of the Tour's most challenging climbs. On the descent, due to the terrible road conditions, he had a serious accident that caused the fork of his bicycle to break, but he decided to continue, carrying his bicycle by hand for 14 kilometres until he reached a village. There, he found a blacksmith and borrowed the necessary tools. For three and a half hours, he worked tirelessly, single-handedly repairing the fork himself, in accordance with the rules. He remounted his bike and resumed the race, even though any chance of victory had vanished.

He never won the Tour, but his unwavering determination cemented his place as a legendary figure, remembered as the cyclist who could overcome any adversity.

Since 1909, it has crossed much of Italy, passing through the Alps and the Apennines, where some of the toughest climbs in world cycling are found: the Stelvio, the Gavia, the Mortirolo and the Zoncolan. It's one of the oldest and most prestigious cycling competitions in the world, boasting a rich history filled with legendary moments, such as the epic rivalries between Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali, and the remarkable achievements of champions like Marco Pantani and Vincenzo Nibali. The symbol of the leader of the general classification is the Pink Jersey.

It is famous for being a tough and unpredictable Grand Tour, due to the variability of the routes and weather conditions, which range from the suffocating heat of the plains to the snowfalls on the Alpine passes. The climbs, often with gradients exceeding 10%, make the Giro a race feared even by the strongest climbers.

The inaugural Giro d'Italia was won by Luigi Ganna. Despite not being considered the strongest contender among more renowned cyclists, Ganna remained a formidable presence in the leading group throughout the race. He managed to stay at the front of the race thanks to his mental strength, despite the precarious conditions, the long distances, the fatigue and the loneliness in the race, factors that would have brought any modern rider to their knees. In the final phase, he managed to resist the attacks of his opponents even during the longest and most gruelling stretch, summoning up all his energy. His victory marked the history of Italian cycling: starting from that edition, the Giro d'Italia gained great fame, attracting the attention of cycling enthusiasts from all over the world.

A famous exploit of the Giro d'Italia is linked to the Cuneo-Pinerolo stage in 1949. It was there that the famous phrase was born: “One man alone in the lead, his jersey is white and sky blue, his name is Fausto Coppi”, spoken by radio commentator Mario Ferretti.

The stage covered a distance of 192 km, not very long but very tough because it had to face five Alpine passes: the Maddalena, the Vars, the Izoard, the Monginevro and the Sestriere. With very long uphill stretches, difficult descents and many gravel roads.

For Coppi it was a solitary race: after 62 km from the start of the stage, on the Colle della Maddalena, he decided to attack. A risky move, given the distance still to cover. But not for Coppi, who maintained an unsustainable pace, even progressively increasing the gap also towards his main rival, Gino Bartali.

It was the definitive consecration of Fausto Coppi, the ‘Campionissimo', who, thanks to the advantage gained, and then maintained, won the 1949 Giro d'Italia.

In 1998, Marco Pantani arrived at the start line after many unfortunate seasons, plagued by injuries: the route included a series of challenging mountain stages, in which he was favoured, but he still had to contend with tough opponents, such as the Swiss Zülle and the Russian Tonkov.

On 18th May 1998, Pantani completed one of the most spectacular climbs in the history of cycling. It was the 15th stage, and it concluded with a mountain top finish in Montecampione, in the Brescia Pre-Alps. It was Pavel Tonkov, a powerful and consistent climber, who gave him a hard time. 6-7 km from the finish, Pantani began to set the pace with his style: accelerating while standing on the pedals. Tonkov initially held on, but Pantani launched the decisive attack about 3 km from the finish, leaving him behind decisively and crossing the finish line alone. A few days later Pantani won the 1998 Giro d'Italia and in the same year the Tour de France too.

The Vuelta a España is the youngest of the three competitions, launched in 1935; the symbol of the leader of the general classification is the Red Jersey. It winds its way through the thousand faces of the Iberian Peninsula, and challenges are never lacking: the majesty of the Sierra Nevada and the scorching wind of the coast are accompanied by the warmth of the crowd that explodes like a wave in the villages.

The riders have to face impossible climbs, where the asphalt seems to disappear among the clouds: the Alto de l'Angliru, a climb of narrow roads with an average gradient of 9.8% and the last sections that touch 25%; the Machucos, with the final wall at 28%; and finally the Lagos de Covadonga, the historic climb of the Vuelta, where the riders have to overcome murderous slopes with few stretches to recover.

The ascent to the Alto de Angliru is not only a very difficult climb, it has long been a dangerous stretch to travel. So much so that in 1999 David Millar threw his bike to the ground in protest. With prohibitive slopes, often wet and slippery asphalt, it is a very treacherous route, especially downhill, representing an extreme challenge for cyclists. Millar, along with other riders, rebelled against a system that he believed prioritised spectacle at the expense of safety. He was criticised for interrupting the race and damaging the image of the sport, but many cyclists and fans shared his concerns. Thus the organisers of the Vuelta a España were forced to reconsider their choices, and although no significant structural changes were made, various initiatives followed in favour of greater safety. Today it has become one of the most iconic passes of the Spanish race.

Among the epic stories of the Vuelta a España is that of Bernard Hinault's feat against destiny. Hinault, a prominent athlete and winner of several Tours de France, presented himself at the 1983 Vuelta with the goal of winning. The competition proved more difficult than he expected: it was his first Spanish race and the roads, the climate and the tight pace of the group placed tremendous obstacles in his way. The champion's mettle was not long in showing: on the climb to Lagos de Covadonga, with gradients over 15%, Hinault was in difficulty due to tendinitis that caused him severe pain, but despite this he pedalled on, fighting against the extreme slopes, the continuous attacks of his opponents and the inclement weather. Towards the end of the stage, tormented by pain, he seemed to give way but detached himself from the group with impressive force.

This psychological and tactical dominance earned him the trust and the leadership of the classification which he finally maintained until Madrid, thus becoming one of the few riders who won all three major stage races: the Giro, the Tour and the Vuelta.