Yummy Places in the Giro d'Italia Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. After Alfredo Binda and Fausto Coppi, Eddy Merckx was the third cyclist (and the first non-Italian) to win the Giro five times. His first victory was in 1968. Where did the Giro end that year? The arrival city gave its name to a pizza with anchovy, although the pizza recipe is not from this port.

Answer: Naples

Eddy Merckx won each and every ranking in the Giro 1968. He won the general classification (pink jersey), the points classification (red jersey) and the mountain classification (which at that time had no specific jersey). He also won four stages out of 22.

The pizza Napoletana with anchovy finds its origin in Lazio, the region around Rome. There is however a basic pizza (with as only toppings tomato and mozzarella) named Pizza Napoletana, too.

The final stage in the Giro d'Italia is always a city in Italy itself. Contrary to the Tour de France, there is no fixed arrival city in the Giro.

2. Stage 7 in 1983 saw Moreno Argentin as winner. However, Giuseppe Saronni took over the pink jersey from Silvano Conti, and he would keep the first place in the general classification until the end. Stage 7 arrived in a port city about 55 km to the south east of Naples, a town that has given its name to a few fine wines. What is the name of this town?

Answer: Salerno

Saronni won the Giro for his second and final time in 1983. His first victory was in 1979. He also won the points classification and 3 stages in 1983.

Salerno has welcomed the Giro quite a few times. This town served at least 6 times as a stage departure, and at least 9 times as a stage finish. The Colli di Salerno are a group of wine territories near Salerno which produce white or red wine. The red herrings (the other three answers) are all situated on Sicily.

3. In 1988, the eleventh stage to the Giro (from Parma to Colle don Bosco) was cancelled. Why?

Answer: Environmental demonstration

A plain stage was planned from Parma to Colle don Bosco. The peloton started in Parma, the city well known for its bacon and cheese. But in the few last kilometers, a large group of environmentalists occupied the road. They protested against a project for a chemical plant operated by Montedison SpA.The Giro directors declared that all cyclists who started in Parma, arrived on the same time in Colle don Bosco.
The Stelvio is more than 360 km north of Parma, so a bit out of reach for a normal cycling stage.

4. In 1994, the Giro started in a city which has given its name (outside Italy) to a sauce with minced meat and tomatoes. Italians name this sauce "ragu". Where did the Giro 1994 start?

Answer: Bologna

The Giro of 1994 started with a short stage around Bologna, followed by an individual time event in the city center of Bologna. Endrio Leoni won the first short stage, and the French cyclist Armand de las Cuevas won the time trial. Both had the pink jersey for one single stage. Moreno Argentin won the next stage, and the Russian cyclist Evgeny Berzin would win the general classification. The university city of Bologna gave its name to the sauce Bolognese, which true Italians call "ragu".
Bibione, Merano and Potenza were other departure cities for a stage in the 1994 Giro.

5. In 1999, a French cyclist won the time trial in and around Ancona on the 9th stage. He also won the fourth and the 16th stage, and would win the points classification. Who was this French cyclist, who never won the general classification?

Answer: Laurent Jalabert

Jalabert (born 1968) was the cyclist we're looking for. He was active from 1989 until 2002, and had his best result in the Vuelta d'Espana 1995 (winner of the general classification as well as the points classification and the mountain classification). For the gourmets, Ancona has given its name to a preparation of stockfish. You can search the internet for stoccafissa all'anconitana.
Hinault retired in 1986, Anquetil in 1969 and Garin in 1911.

6. In 2000, the Giro started in Rome with a prologue won by Jan Hruska. What is his nationality?

Answer: Czech

Jan Hruska was born in 1975 in Czechoslowakia. He started his career as a Czech cyclist in 1996 and retired in 2007. His palmares is not very large: he won two stages in the Giro of 2000 (the prologue and the second individual time trial). Gourmets might associate Rome to the saltimbocca alla romana: veal cutlets with sage and bacon.

7. The Giro 2004 started in Christopher Columbus' birthplace, a city also known for the recipe of pesto named after the city. So where did the Giro 2004 start?

Answer: Genoa

The Australian cyclist Bradley McGee won the individual time trial in Genoa at the start of the Giro 2004. The second stage arrived in Alba, and other stages would arrive in Spoleto and in Treviso.Damiano Cunego won the 2004 Giro. Alessandro Petacchi won nine stages and the points classification.
Pesto genovese is a sauce with olive oil, garlic, basil and roasted pine nuts.

8. Which Tuscan tourist city was the terminal for the individual time trial in the eighth stage of the Giro 2005?

Answer: Florence

The official winner of this time trial was the American David Zabriskie. However, he was disqualified a few years later because of a dope infraction. After the time trial in Florence, Danilo di Luca stayed leader in the general classification - but only for a few stages. The final race winner would be Paolo Savoldelli.
Gourmets are probably acquainted with the preparation "alla fiorentina", with spinach and cheese sauce.

9. The fourth stage in the Giro 2009 started in a city known for its cheese (the Grana Padano). Stefano Garzelli won this first mountain stage. Where did this stage start?

Answer: Padua

The fourth stage in the Giro 2009 went from Padua to San Martino di Castrozza. After this stage, the Swedish cyclist Thomas L�fkvist was the leader in the general classification - but he lost the pink jersey the day after to Danilo di Luca. Later on, di Luca was suspended and Denis Menchov finally won the Giro.

10. In 2012, the Giro ended in the city that had previously hosted the arrival of the final stage. This Lombard city is known to gourmets for ossobuco. What is this city?

Answer: Milan

The 2012 edition of the Giro d'Italia started in ... Denmark. Yes indeed, three stages were in Denmark. After a rest day, the peloton then headed for the Italian roads starting in Verona.

The pink jersey denoting the first in the general classification has been worn by five different cyclists. Taylor Phinney held the pink jersey in Denmark, and lost it in Verona to Ramunas Navardauskas. After Adriano Malori held the pink jersey for one single stage, it were the Spanish Joaquim Rodirguez and the Canadian Ryder Hesjedahl who contested the general classification. Hesjedahl finally won.

Ossobucco milanese is a dish with veal shanks, white wine, vegetables and broth.

Source: Author JanIQ

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Let's explore some notorious places in which a stage of the Giro departed or arrived. It so happens that there was also a dish named after these places. Have fun.

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>