The Giro d'Italia has, since its beginning, played host to great drama, and one of these is the story of Fausto Coppi, a heroic and tragic figure of bike racing's Golden Age. On January 2 every year there is a big event in Castellania, a tiny village in Italy’s Piedmont region. Cycling fans from all over come to pay homage.

Thanks to “Maglia Rosa: Triumph and Tragedy at the Giro d’Italia” by British author/Italian resident Herbie Sykes we have not only an English-language history of the Giro d’Italia, which is in itself distressingly rare, but an extraordinarily entertaining book.

The best Italian negroni bars are often discovered by accident, or when you least expect it.  Early on in my career chasing the modern Giro d'Italia I began logging the best negronis, bars, and ristoranti as my travels took me to all corners of Italy.  Here are 5 of the best negroni bars, places to eat and stay at the Giro.

The 105th Giro d'Italia starts in Budapest on Friday and finishes three weeks later in Verona. Ed Hood takes up over the 3,410 kilometres and through the history of the Italian Grand Tour and gives us his 'protaganisti' for the win.

The Giro d'Italia has been won more than once by 22 riders, but only eight of riders have managed to win consecutive races. In the postwar period, only Coppi, Merckx and Indurain have managed. Oh, and a somewhat lesser figure-Franco Balmamion, who is the subject of a beautiful book from Rapha Editions that is as much a loving ode to cycling fandom and Italian quirkiness as it is about Balmamion.

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It's a sad time for Ed Hood, he should be in Italy for the Giro, but... As the 2021 Giro d'Italia starts later today, Ed has had his Giro photo album out to compile his personal 'Alternative A to Z' of the Italian Grand Tour. We love the Giro and Ed knows the race better than most, take note of his (near) complete guide to everything Giro.

Life with the Giro d'Italia: Peter Easton could guide you on a trip just about anywhere in the world. But Italy... well it's in his blood. As the 2021 Giro d'Italia is about to kick-off in Torino with a 9 kilometer time trial, Peter gives us his take on the Italian spirit... pre-covid.