Race details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dates | 26 May — 16 June 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stages | 21, including one split stage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Distance | 3,715 km (2,308 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Winning time | 99h 35' 43" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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 race was first led by Frenchman Philippe Casado who won the first stage into Olbia. Casado lost the race leader's maglia rosa (English: pink jersey) after stage 2a that contained a mountainous course. Éric Boyer took the race lead from Chioccioli after winning the event's fourth stage. However, he lost the lead back to Chioccioli the following day. Chioccioli protected his lead and built upon his advantage by winning three stages of the race before the race's finish.
In the race's other classifications, Massimiliano Lelli of the Ari-Ceramiche Ariostea team finished as the best rider aged 25 or under in the general classification, finishing in third place overall; Carrera Jeans–Tassoni rider Claudio Chiappucci won the points classification, Iñaki Gastón of the CLAS–Cajastur team won the mountains classification, and CLAS–Cajastur rider Alberto Leanizbarrutia won the intergiro classification. Carrera Jeans-Tassoni finished as the winners of the team classification.