La Gazzetta dello Sport
The Italian sports paper that’s been synonymous with cycling since 1896
Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport has been intrinsically linked with cycling since its inception. First published on April 3, 1896, the entire front page of the inaugural edition was dedicated to the sport. Among the stories was an article on a 1,000km track event in Milan; results of handicap races held at the Agricultural Hall, Islington; and a preview of Milano-lecco-erba, to be held three days later and promoted by the paper.
La Gazzetta was founded by Eugenio Camillo Costamagna and Eliso Rivera. Costamagna was the director of the cycling journal La Tripletta; Rivera the editor of Il Ciclista. To challenge the success of other cycling-dedicated journals they formed the idea of launching a sports paper that featured more than just cycling. And so was born La Gazzetta dello Sport, published for the first time just three days before the first modern Olympic Games.
With a staff of just five and printed twice a week on green paper, its popularity grew from its initial run of 20,000 copies. Among the sports covered were cycling, rowing, athletics and boxing. The first edition to be printed on the pink paper for which it is now famous was published on January 2, 1899.
La Gazzetta is responsible for founding some of cycling’s most important races. By 1905 it was faced with a serious rival, with Gli Sports keen to steal readers by organising its own races. Arranging races was a tried and tested method of increasing circulation and La Gazzetta fought back by announcing an “Autumn Criterium that we have entitled the Tour of Lombardy.” The race was won in controversial circumstances by Giovanni
Gerbi, a rider well known to
La Gazzetta. The venture was successful enough to encourage the paper to hold a second edition in 1906 and arrange the first Milan-san
Remo the following year.
La Gazzetta famously founded the Giro d’italia. Again born from the need to keep ahead of rival publications, the first Giro was a hastily arranged affair pulled together only when the publication got wind of Il Corriere della Sera’s intentions to hold a national, multi-stage bike race. Just two days after hearing of its rival’s plans La Gazzetta ran a front page announcing its “Giro d’italia… one of the biggest, most ambitious, races in international cycling.”
Over the years the paper has become an Italian institution. Cycling is a fundamental part of Italy’s culture and La Gazzetta has long been central to it. Today the paper is part of the powerful RCS media group, organisers of the Giro d’italia, Il Lombardia and Milan-san Remo races, among others.
“La Gazzetta famously founded the Giro”