The ''Cima Coppi'' is the title given to the highest peak in the yearly running of the
Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the principally 17th- to early 19th-century custom of a traditional trip through Europe, with Italy as a key destination, undertaken by upper-class young European men of sufficient means and rank (typically accompanied by a tu ...
races. The mountain that is given this title each year awards more
mountains classification
The King of the Mountains (KoM) is an award given to the best climbing specialist in a men's cycling road race; in women's cycle racing, Queen of the Mountains (QoM) is used.
While the title may be given to the rider who achieves the highest p ...
points to the first rider than any of the other categorized mountains in the race.
History
The categorization was first introduced for the
1965 Giro d'Italia in honor of the late
Fausto Coppi who won five editions of the Giro d'Italia and three mountain classification titles during his career.
It was first announced on 22 April 1965 by then race director Vincenzo Torriani that the highest peak would award two times as many mountains classification points.
Torriani thought of possibly awarding time bonuses to the first to summit the mountain; however, after many dissenting opinions, he opted to award more mountains classification points.
The Cima Coppi changes from year to year, depending on the altitude profile of the Giro d'Italia, but the Cima Coppi par excellence is the
Stelvio Pass
''Giogo dello Stèlvio''german: Stilfser Joch
, photo = The_Stelvio_pass.jpg
, photo_caption = Some of the 48 hairpin turns near the top of the eastern ramp of the Stelvio Pass
, photo_alt =
, map = Alps
, map_caption = Location of Stelvio Pass in ...
, which at 2758m is the highest point ever reached by the Giro. The Stelvio has been used in the 1972, 1975, 1980, 1994, 2005, 2012, 2014, 2017 and 2020 editions. It was also scheduled in 1965, 1988, and 2013, but in each case the course was modified due to weather conditions, with various effects on the Cima Coppi designation.
List
Multiple winners
The following riders have won the Cima Coppi on 2 or more occasions.
Winners by nationality
Riders from eleven different countries have won the Cima Coppi.
See also
*
Souvenir Henri Desgrange
The Souvenir Henri Desgrange is an award and cash prize given in the yearly running of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tour races. It is won by the rider that crosses a particular point in the race, mostly the summits of the highest a ...
– a similar award given in France's Grand Tour, the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consist ...
.
References
Footnotes
Citations
Bibliography
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{{Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
Cycling awards
Cima Coppi