Alfredo Binda was born in Cittiglio, Italy on August 11th, 1902. He was an Italian cyclist of the 1920s and 1930s, and later the trainer of Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali. Binda was the first multiple Giro d'Italia champion, securing five victories between 1925 and 1933.
Three road world championship titles, five Giro wins, two Milan-San Remo crowns and four Giro di Lombardia victories all indicate the immense capabilities Binda possessed.
Altough born in Cittiglio near Varese, Binda grew up in Nice, in southern France. Learning to become a plasterer, Binda could often be found at the cycling track. A real cycling talent, strong both in the mountains and in the individual time trialing, he was an all-arounder.
Binda became a professional in 1922. He won the Giro a record five times in 1925, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1933 (1933 was also the first year the Giro held a "King of the Mountains" competition, which Binda won too). His dominance in the Giro was overwhelming: besides the five overall victories, he won 41 stages (a record only broken in 2003 by Mario Cipollini). In 1927, he won 12 out of 15 stages, and in 1929 he won 8 consecutive stages. Because of this domination, he was offered money not to compete in the Giro of 1930.
Binda won the World Championships three times in 1927,1930 and 1932. Other victories of Binda include the Italian Championships (four times), and Milan-San Remo (twice).
Alfredo Binda lived to be 83 years old and died July 19th, 1986 in Cittiglio, Italy where he was born.
Alfredo Binda
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