The day Charly Gaul spent an hour in hot water at the Giro going after winning Monte Bondone

Part of the magic and romanticism of Italy is spinning It is written about the brutal peaks like the one that the 128 survivors of the 106th edition of the race were crowned yesterday, in tribute to the extreme toughness that sometimes martyred the cyclists here. trentino is huge (2,180 meters) which is the Mount Bondone.

The first time it was included in the patron’s 1956 tour Vincenzo Torriani (c.started working with Armando Counet in the organization of the Giro d’Italia in 1946, and in 1949 he became the sole director), a distant June 8, he already showed all his rawness in the penultimate stage of the 1956 Giro, which was 242 km apart. meran and Mount Bondone. One runner prevailed under the snowstorm, the Luxembourger Charlie Gaulnamed the ‘Mountain Angel’.

That morning it was raining in Merano and an icy wind heralded an episode of salvation. Gaul, timid and reckless, began to attack from the first ramps, as the weather worsened and the runners retreated one after another, including the leader. Pasquale Fornarawho was thrown from his bike by his sporting director for fear of seriously injuring himself, despite his 16-minute lead over Gaul.

A snow storm broke out in Bondone. Gaul He staggered but continued through the mist and wall of snow. He reached the finish line and won, but he was semi-conscious. They had to get him off the bike. passed out They cut his jersey with a knife and took him to the hotel, where he was immersed in a hot bath for an hour. A few minutes later he arrives and is told that he is the new ‘pink jersey’ and one step away from winning the Giro.

The extreme experiment was liked, and since that day Monte Bondone has completed the stage nine times, including yesterday, with the Spanish victories in Miquel Poblet (1957) and Michael Landa (2014).