The Giro d’Italia has been a fixture of the cycling calendar since 1909, and this year will be the 109th edition of the famed race. There have been many winners over the years, with some being legends of the sport and some being the ultimate dark horses.
This year, the favourite to win is Jonas Vingegaard, who has never won the Giro before. The last nine winners of the Giro were first-time winners, and with the last three winners not competing due to retirement and personal choice, the stage looks set for another new winner.
Below, we look at all the previous winners of the Giro d’Italia and some interesting statistics around the winners, too.
The Roll of Honour: Giro d’Italia General Classification Winners
*(Year, Winner, Team, Margin of Victory)
2025 - Simon Yates - Team Visma | Lease a Bike - 3' 56"
2024 - Tadej Pogačar - UAE Team Emirates - 9' 56"
2023 - Primož Roglič - Jumbo–Visma - 14"
2022 - Jai Hindley - Bora–Hansgrohe - 1' 18"
2021 - Egan Bernal - Ineos Grenadiers - 1' 29"
2020 - Tao Geoghegan Hart - Ineos Grenadiers - 39"
2019 - Richard Carapaz - Movistar Team - 1' 05"
2018 - Chris Froome - Team Sky - 46"
2017 - Tom Dumoulin - Team Sunweb - 31"
2016 - Vincenzo Nibali - Astana - 52"
2015 - Alberto Contador - Tinkoff–Saxo - 1' 53"
2014 - Nairo Quintana - Movistar Team - 2' 58"
2013 - Vincenzo Nibali - Astana - 4' 43"
2012 - Ryder Hesjedal - Garmin–Barracuda - 16"
2011 - Michele Scarponi - Lampre–ISD - 46"
2010 - Ivan Basso - Liquigas–Doimo - 1' 51"
2009 - Denis Menchov - Rabobank - 41"
2008 - Alberto Contador - Astana - 1' 57"
2007 - Danilo Di Luca - Liquigas - 1' 55"
2006 - Ivan Basso - Team CSC - 9' 18"
2005 - Paolo Savoldelli - Discovery Channel - 28"
2004 - Damiano Cunego - Saeco Macchine per Caffè - 2' 02"
2003 - Gilberto Simoni - Saeco Macchine per Caffè - 7' 06"
2002 - Paolo Savoldelli - Index–Alexia Alluminio - 1' 41"
2001 - Gilberto Simoni - Lampre–Daikin - 7' 31"
2000 - Stefano Garzelli - Mercatone Uno–Albacom - 1' 27"
1999 - Ivan Gotti - Team Polti - 3' 35"
1998 - Marco Pantani - Mercatone Uno–Bianchi - 1' 33"
1997 - Ivan Gotti - Saeco Estro - 1' 27"
1996 - Pavel Tonkov - Panaria–Vinavil - 2' 43"
1995 - Tony Rominger - Mapei–GB–Latexco - 4' 13"
1994 - Evgeni Berzin - Gewiss–Ballan - 2' 51"
1993 - Miguel Induráin - Banesto - 58"
1992 - Miguel Induráin - Banesto - 5' 12"
1991 - Franco Chioccioli - Del Tongo–MG Boys - 3' 48"
1990 - Gianni Bugno - Chateau d'Ax–Salotti - 6' 33"
1989 - Laurent Fignon - Super U–Raleigh–Fiat - 1' 15"
1988 - Andrew Hampsten - 7-Eleven–Hoonved - 1' 43"
1987 - Stephen Roche - Carrera Jeans–Vagabond - 3' 40"
1986 - Roberto Visentini - Carrera Jeans–Vagabond - 1' 02"
1985 - Bernard Hinault - La Vie Claire - 1' 08"
1984 - Francesco Moser - Gis Tuc-Lu - 1' 03"
1983 - Giuseppe Saronni - Del Tongo–Colnago - 1' 07"
1982 - Bernard Hinault - Renault–Elf–Gitane - 2' 35"
1981 - Giovanni Battaglin - Inoxpran - 38"
1980 - Bernard Hinault - Renault–Elf–Gitane - 5' 43"
1979 - Giuseppe Saronni - Scic–Bottecchia - 2' 09"
1978 - Johan De Muynck - Bianchi–Faema - 59"
1977 - Michel Pollentier - Flandria–Velda–Latina - 2' 32"
1976 - Felice Gimondi - Bianchi–Campagnolo - 19"
1975 - Fausto Bertoglio - Jollj Ceramica - 41"
1974 - Eddy Merckx - Molteni - 12"
1973 - Eddy Merckx - Molteni - 7' 42"
1972 - Eddy Merckx - Molteni - 5' 30"
1971 - Gösta Pettersson - Ferretti - 2' 04"
1970 - Eddy Merckx - Faemino–Faema - 3' 14"
1969 - Felice Gimondi - Salvarani - 3' 35"
1968 - Eddy Merckx - Faema - 5' 01"
1967 - Felice Gimondi - Salvarani - 3' 36"
1966 - Gianni Motta - Molteni - 3' 57"
1965 - Vittorio Adorni - Salvarani - 11' 26"
1964 - Jacques Anquetil - Saint-Raphaël–Gitane–Dunlop - 1' 22"
1963 - Franco Balmamion - Carpano - 2' 24"
1962 - Franco Balmamion - Carpano - 3' 57"
1961 - Arnaldo Pambianco - Fides - 3' 45"
1960 - Jacques Anquetil - Helyett–Leroux–Fynsec–Hutchinson - 28"
1959 - Charly Gaul - EMI–Guerciotti - 6' 12"
1958 - Ercole Baldini - Legnano - 4' 17"
1957 - Gastone Nencini - Chlorodont - 19"
1956 - Charly Gaul - Faema–Guerra - 3' 27"
1955 - Fiorenzo Magni - Nivea–Fuchs - 13"
1954 - Carlo Clerici - Guerra–Ursus - 24' 16"
1953 - Fausto Coppi - Bianchi–Pirelli - 1' 29"
1952 - Fausto Coppi - Bianchi–Pirelli - 9' 18"
1951 - Fiorenzo Magni - Ganna–Ursus - 1' 46"
1950 - Hugo Koblet - Guerra–Ursus - 5' 12"
1949 - Fausto Coppi - Bianchi–Pirelli - 23' 47"
1948 - Fiorenzo Magni - Wilier Triestina - 11"
1947 - Fausto Coppi - Bianchi - 1' 43"
1946 - Gino Bartali - Legnano - 47"
1940 - Fausto Coppi - Legnano - 2' 40"
1939 - Giovanni Valetti - France Sport–Wolsit - 2' 59"
1938 - Giovanni Valetti - France Sport–Wolsit - 8' 52"
1937 - Gino Bartali - Legnano - 8' 18"
1936 - Gino Bartali - Legnano - 2' 36"
1935 - Vasco Bergamaschi - Maino–Girardengo - 3' 07"
1934 - Learco Guerra - Maino–Clement - 51"
1933 - Alfredo Binda - Legnano - 12' 34"
1932 - Antonio Pesenti - Wolsit–Hutchinson - 11' 09"
1931 - Francesco Camusso - Gloria–Hutchinson - 2' 47"
1930 - Luigi Marchisio - Legnano - 52"
1929 - Alfredo Binda - Legnano - 3' 44"
1928 - Alfredo Binda - Legnano - 18' 13"
1927 - Alfredo Binda - Legnano - 27' 24"
1926 - Giovanni Brunero - Legnano–Pirelli - 15' 28"
1925 - Alfredo Binda - Legnano–Pirelli - 4' 58"
1924 - Giuseppe Enrici - Independent - 58' 21"
1923 - Costante Girardengo - Maino - 37"
1922 - Giovanni Brunero - Legnano–Pirelli - 12' 29"
1921 - Giovanni Brunero - Legnano–Pirelli - 41"
1920 - Gaetano Belloni - Bianchi - 32' 24"
1919 - Costante Girardengo - Stucchi–Pirelli - 51' 56"
1914 - Alfonso Calzolari - Stucchi–Dunlop - 1h 57' 26"
1913 - Carlo Oriani - Maino - Points System
1912 - Atala–Dunlop - Team Win - Points System
1911 - Carlo Galetti - Bianchi - Points System
1910 - Carlo Galetti - Atala–Dunlop - Points System
1909 - Luigi Ganna - Atala–Dunlop - Points System
The "Big Three"
The Big Three in the Giro are Alfredo Binda, Fausto Coppi and Eddy Merckx. These three riders have won the Giro five times each over the years and are the most decorated cyclists in the history of the Giro.
Alfredo Binda (ITA): 5 wins (1925, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1933)
Fausto Coppi (ITA): 5 wins (1940, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953)
Eddy Merckx (BEL): 5 wins (1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974)
National Dominance: The change from the start to the modern era
In total, riders representing 16 countries have won the Giro d’Italia. At the top of that table are Italy, who have won the Giro 69 times thanks to 44 different cyclists. The hosts won the race every year it was on from 1909, up until 1950, when Swiss rider Hugo Koblet broke that dominance.
Switzerland are only fifth on the list of countries that have won the Giro with three. Second on the list of country wins is actually Belgium with seven (five from Eddy Merckx), followed by France with six and then Spain with four.
Italy were regularly the champion’s until the past 12 years, in which only one Italian has won the race (Vincenzo Nibali, 2016). The longest that an Italian had not won the Giro before that was a five-year period - 1992 to 1996, and 1970 to 1974.
Great Britain’s Simon Yates won the race most recently in 2025 and was the third Briton in eight years to win the Giro, after Chris Froome in 2018 and Tao Geoghegan Hart in 2020. There has been recent dominance from Slovenia too, with Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic winning in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
FAQ Section (Writer to complete)
Who has the most wins in Giro d'Italia history?
Italy have the most wins in Giro history with 69.
Has anyone ever won the Giro, Tour, and Vuelta in the same year?
No male rider has ever won the Giro, Tour, and Vuelta in the same year. This is different, however, from what is classed as the Triple Crown of Cycling, which is winning the Giro, Tour, and UCI Road World Championships in the same year. Three men have done this: Eddy Merckx in 1974, Stephen Roche in 1987 and Tadej Pogacar in 2024.
Who is the youngest winner of the Giro d'Italia?
Fausto Coppi is the youngest winner of the Giro, winning at 20 years and 158 days old in 1940.
What is the "Cima Coppi" and why is it significant?
The Cima Coppi is the title given to the highest mountain peak in the Giro, and it awards more mountain classification points to the rider who climbs it first.
Why is the leader's jersey pink?
The jersey is pink to represent La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italian sports newspaper that created the race in 1909. The paper is printed on pink paper, so the jersey represents that.
Who was the most recent British winner of the Giro?
Simon Yates in 2025.