1968 Giro d'Italia
| Race details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | 20 May - 12 June | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stages | 22 + Prologue | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance | 3,917.3 km (2,434 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Winning time | 108h 42' 27" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
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 |
Winner |
 Eddy Merckx (BEL)
|
(Faema) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second |
 Vittorio Adorni (ITA)
|
(Faema) | |
| Third |
Felice Gimondi (ITA)
|
(Salvarani) | |
|
|
|||
 |
Points |
Eddy Merckx (BEL)
|
(Faema) |
| Mountains |
Eddy Merckx (BEL)
|
(Faema) | |
| Team | Faema | ||
The 1968 Giro d'Italia was the 51st running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tour races. The Giro started in Campione d'Italia, on 20 May, with a 5.7 km (3.5 mi) stage and concluded in Naples, on 11 June, with a 235 km (146.0 mi) mass-start stage. A total of 130 riders from 13 teams entered the 22-stage race, which was won by Belgian Eddy Merckx of the Faema team. The second and third places were taken by Italians Vittorio Adorni and Felice Gimondi, respectively.
A total of 13 teams were invited to participate in the 1968 Giro d'Italia. Each team sent a squad of ten riders so the Giro began with a peloton of 130 cyclists. Out of the 130 riders that started this edition of the Giro d'Italia, a total of 98 riders made it to the finish in Naples where eight riders were subsequently disqualified for testing positive for drugs leaving the general classification tally at 90 riders. The starting peloton consisted of 70 Italians, 16 Belgians, 15 Frenchmen, 11 Spanish, 7 Swiss, four Germans, three Dutch, two Danes, one English, and one Luxembourgian rider. The presentation of the teams – where each team's roster and manager were introduced in front the media and local dignitaries – took place on 20 May, in the Campione d'Italia at 9:30 AM local time.
The teams entering the race were:
The starting peloton did include the previous year's winner Felice Gimondi.Eddy Merckx was confirmed to participate with his Faema team. Eight-time Grand Tour winner Jacques Anquetil did not participate in the race because of a dispute over pay.
The starting date of the event was moved from the 18th or 19 May to the 20th because of the general election taking place within Italy at the time. The race was broadcast by RAI throughout Italy.
The race started with a 5.7 km (4 mi) prologue, which consisted of a 2.875 km (2 mi) circuit being crossed twice. The times from this stage were not included in the final times for the general classification, but were just done to determine the first person to wear the race leader's maglia rosa (English: pink jersey). This was the first Giro d'Italia to have a prologue to open the race. The 130 starting riders were divided into thirteen groups of ten, with each group of ten contesting the course at the same time. The times of the fastest riders from each group were put together and the fastest of those times was the rider that would wear the first pink jersey.
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