A look back on recent and distant past for the race's 100th edition
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1988, Giro d'Italia, stage 18 Andy Hampsten would go on to win the overall(Image credit: Sirotti)
Felice Gimondi climbing the Brocon during the 20th stage of the 1967 Giro D''Italia
Mario Cipollini holds the record for stage wins in the Giro d'Italia
Mario Cipollini and Marco Pantani were the predominant figures in the Giro d'Italia in the late 1990s.
Stage 11 of the 2003 Giro - Mario Cipollini as world champion, taken down in the final turn on a wet finish
Stefano Garzelli (L), Gilberto Simoni (C) and Marco Pantani (R) on the Monte Zoncolan in the 2002 Giro
Alessandro Petacchi dominated the sprints in the middle of the 2000s
The 2003 Giro overall winner Italian Gilberto Simoni kisses the trophy as Stefano Garzelli looks on
The Pirate: Marco Pantani, one of the great champions of the Giro d'Italia
Bradley McGee in pink in 2004
Mario Cipollini in all his style and glory
That time when Cannondale did this…
Damiano Cunego won the Giro d'Italia in 2004
Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) in the maglia rosa in 2005
The time Paolo Bettini put Baden Cooke into the barriers
Paolo Bettini has it out with Baden Cooke in 2005
Ivan Basso
Ivan Basso won the Giro d'Italia before Operacion Puerto blew up
Marco Pinotti dons the maglia rosa in 2007
Danilo Di Luca technically won the 2007 Giro d'Italia
Charly Gaul wins the Dolomites stage of the Giro d'Italia in 1956 before he collapsed from cold and exhaustion. He went on to win the overall.
Michele Scarponi on his way to winning the stage 6 of the 2009 Giro d'Italia
Mark Cavendish wins stage 11 of the 2009 Giro d'Italia
Michele Scarponi won again on stage 18 in the 2009 Giro
Denis Menchov, Danilo Di Luca and Franco Pellizotti on the podium in 2009…
Laurent Fignon won the 1989 Giro d'Italia over Flavio Giupponi
Bradley Wiggins celebrates after winning the time trial, the first stage of the Giro d'Italia in Amsterdam, on May 8, 2010.
Team Sky in their first Grand Tour, the 2010 Giro d'Italia
Australian Cadel Evans won in 2010 when the Giro d'Italia raced over the 'strade bianche' in the rain.
Richie Porte wore the maglia rosa in 2010
Michele Scarponi wins stage 19 of the 2010 Giro d'Italia
Laurent Fignon led the 1984 Giro d'Italia until Francesco Moser took the win on the final stage
Charly Gaul won the Giro d'Italia twice
Mark Cavendish took the pink jersey on stage 2 of the 2011 Giro d'Italia
The riders of Leopard-Trek team and Tyler Farrar cross the finish line together in tribute to Wouter Weylandt
Jan Ullrich came to the 2006 Giro d'Italia a bit out of shape
Taylor Phinney wore the maglia rosa in the 2012 Giro d'Italia
Ryder Hesjedal became the first Canadian Giro d'Italia winner in 2012
Britain's world champion Mark Cavendish (C) celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the 13th stage of the Giro d'Italia, a 121km ride from Savona to Cervere, on May 18, 2012 in Cervere
The Gavia Pass in the 1960 Giro
Team Sky won the opening TTT in 2013
Italian Vincenzo Nibali celebrates on the podium the pink jersey after the 55,5kms eigth stage of the 96th Giro d'Italia time trial from Gabicce Mare to Saltara on May 11, 2013 in Saltara, Italy.
Oleg Tinkov took a lot of pleasure in Alberto Contador's 2015 Giro d'Italia win
Alberto Contador won the 2015 Giro d'Italia
The 2014 Giro d'Italia started in Belfast, Northern Ireland with huge crowds
Marcel Kittel in the 2014 Giro d'Italia
Michael Matthews led the 2014 Giro d'Italia in Ireland
A snowy stage in the 2014 Giro d'Italia
Nairo Quintana went on to win the overall 2014 Giro d'Italia
Mario Cipollini had a few spells in the maglia rosa
Paolo Savoldelli, Tyler Hamilton and Pietro Caucchioli in the 2002 Giro d'Italia
Gilberto Simoni (Saeco) celebrates a stage win in the Giro
Cadel Evans wore the maglia rosa in 2002
Mario Cipollini wins a stage in 2001. He holds the record for Giro d'Italia stage wins.
Gilberto Simoni enjoys his time in the maglia rosa
Alessandro Petacchi was on the rise in 2003, while Cipollini's decline had begun
Alberto Contador in the maglia rosa in 2008
Danilo Di Luca in 2005 - he admitted to doping throughout his career
Alessandro Petacchi in 2007 with stage win number 20
That time when all the riders fell down after the finish line because of slick roads
Riccardo Ricco.
Vincenzo Nibali's 2016 Giro win came in a dramatic final three stages that saw the maglia rosa change hands each day
Tony Rominger in 1995
Jacques Anquetil in 1960
Hugo Koblet in 1964
Robert Millar was second in the 1987 Giro d'Italia, the best finish by a British rider
1998, Giro d'Italia, stage 22 Pavel Tonkov, Pantani Marco, and Giuseppe Guerini on the podium in Milan(Image credit: Sirotti)
1986, Giro d'Italia, stage 22 Roberto Visentini in the maglia rosa(Image credit: Sirotti)
1976, Giro d'Italia, stage 19 Andres Sanchez(Image credit: Sirotti)
1976, Giro d'Italia, stage 19 Roger De Vlaeminck(Image credit: Sirotti)
1970, Giro d'Italia, stage 18 Felice Gimondi Felice, and Eddy Merckx on the Passo Fedaia(Image credit: Sirotti)
1971, Giro d'Italia(Image credit: Sirotti)
1972, Giro d'Italia, stage 16 Eddy Merckx on the attack(Image credit: Sirotti)
1972, Giro d'Italia, stage 17 Eddy Merckx on the Stelvio(Image credit: Sirotti)
1995, Giro d'Italia, stage 04 Tony Rominger in the maglia rosa(Image credit: Sirotti)
1975, Giro d'Italia, stage 21 Francesco Galdos on the Stelvio(Image credit: Sirotti)
1975, Giro d'Italia, stage 21 Felice Gimondi on the Stelvio(Image credit: Sirotti)
1987, Giro d'Italia Stephen Roche in the pink jersey(Image credit: Sirotti)
2004, Giro d'Italia, stage 18 Damiano Cunego leads through the snow on the Gavia pass(Image credit: Sirotti)
1990, Giro d'Italia, stage 01 Gianni Bugno in the maglia rosa(Image credit: Sirotti)
1990, Giro d'Italia, stage 20: Phil Anderson in the blue, Claudio Chiappucci in green, Gianni Bugno in pink and Mario Cipollini in the ciclamino jersey(Image credit: Sirotti)
1992, Giro d'Italia, stage 04 Miguel Indurain in the maglia rosa(Image credit: Sirotti)
On May 13, 1909, the first riders of the Giro d'Italia departed in the wee hours of the morning for the very first edition of the race. Modeled after the Tour de France and promoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport it would go on to become an enduring fixture of sport in Italy.
While the early years pre-date Cyclingnews' photo archives, the gallery begins after the decades of Italian domination in the race with Giovanni Brunero, Alfredo Binda, Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi. We pick up with the first foreign winner, Hugo Koblet of Switzerland, and Luxembourg's only winner, Charly Gaul, and have a smattering of images from Eddy Merckx's five overall victories.
Most of the photos date from the last two decades, and we hope the images can spark some fond memories and reignite your passion for the Italian Grand Tour, which celebrates its 100th edition this year.
Click or swipe through the gallery for 100 images of the 100th Giro d'Italia.
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