The 1991 Giro d'Italia was the 74th edition of the race. It began on May 26 with a mass-start stage that began and ended in the Italian city of Olbia. The race came to a close in Milan on June 16. Twenty teams entered the race, which was won by the Italian Franco Chioccioli of the Del Tongo-MG Boys Maglificio team. Second and third respectively were the Italians Claudio Chiappucci and Massimiliano Lelli.
The nineteenth stage, a 192 km (119 mi) mass-start stage, began in Savigliano and finished in the mountainous village Sestriere (pictured).
Z's Philippe Casado shown after being presented with the race leader's maglia rosa (English: pink jersey) from winning the race's opening leg
The autobus climbing Sestriere during the thirteenth stage that saw the Alpine mountain crossed twice.
The Pordoi Pass was the Cima Coppi for the 1991 running of the Giro d'Italia.
The Giro d'Italia is an annual multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 1909 to increase sales of the newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, and the race is still run by a subsidiary of that paper's owner. The race has been held annually since its first edition in 1909, except during the two world wars. As the Giro gained prominence and popularity the race was lengthened, and the peloton expanded from primarily Italian participation to riders from all over the world. The Giro is a UCI World Tour event, which means that the teams that compete in the race are mostly UCI WorldTeams, with some additional teams invited as 'wild cards'.
Luigi Ganna, the winner of the inaugural Giro d'Italia
Alfredo Binda, winner of five editions of the Giro in the 1920s and 1930s
Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali
Jacques Anquetil (left) and Felice Gimondi (right, wearing the Maglia Rosa) at the 1967 Giro d'Italia