4th stage - Tuesday, 24th May
COSENZA - SALERNO 292 kilometers
FIRST WARNING FROM COPPI
A very fast start for the first seven kilometers from Cosenza to Castiglione Cosentino; after seven kilometers of racing, there is already a prime sprint for a big cash prize: 20,000 Lire prize to Pasquetti ahead of Brasola. Some rolling hills on the way to Tarsio and Albanian Sprezzano, but the peloton takes a moderate pace. The race takes flame ten kilometers from the intermediate sprint into Castrovillari: De Santi escapes in a large cloud of dust, gains a hundred meters on Pontisso, Ronconi, and De Santi's teammate Fumagalli, who refuses to help in the pursuit; the winner of the previous stage forces the pace, increases the gap, and wins the intermediate sprint; 45 seconds ahead of Fumagalli and the two other chasers. They are chased in turn by 30 others, and are eventually caught. After 75 kilometers the average speed is a little bit ahead of a 32kph time schedule.
The road rises towards Mormanno. At the feedzone in Castelluccio the front group has increased it's lead over the rest of the field. So far the main field has been pretty relaxed, a few small attacks but no real effort to chase. Marangoni tries an attack: the native of Bergamo escapes, then is joined by Della Giustina, Croci Torti, Bresci, Pasquini, Logli, Goldschmidt, Brasola, Monari, Vincenzo Rossello e Castellucci. The beautiful attack is however extinguished by the main contenders for overall victory. Fondelli takes the prime at 211 kilometers, and a series of attacks begins. Scavalcano attacks the climb to Postiglione followed only by Cargioli, Bevilacqua and Leoni. The advantage grows and quickly exceeds a minute. The pursuers, lead by Coppi, are still in eye shot. By now they are nearing Salerno, and the young Barozzi makes an attack, and is briefly in the lead. See-saw of emotions. Four riders in the lead, Leoni, Bevilacqua, Cargioli and Barozzi, fifteen or so second ahead of the next group of chasers. Before entering into the final section to Renato Casalbore, home of the Tuttusport daily paper, they must deal with the major climb, and it is here that Coppi plays his hand, and he joins the back of the breakaway.
Leoni is first onto the track in Salerno, and he leads until the final turn, when Coppi, bursting forward and accelerating fast, uses his track experience to overpower the others. Third to the line is Bartali. Carrea suffered an ill-timed mechanical problem and finished 1 minute down, meaning he looses the white jersey to Mario Fazio.
ORDINE D'ARRIVO 1° Fausto COPPI Italia gs.Bianchi chilometri 292 in 9 ore 59' 21" media: 29,231 2° Adolfo LEONI st 3° Gino BARTALI st 4° Soldani st - 5° Drei st - 6° Frosini st - 7° Barozzi st - 8° Logli st 9° Ricci st - 10° Fazio st
CLASSIFICA GENERALE 1° Giordano COTTUR Maglia Rosa 2° Fazio a 1'18" 3° Schaer a 1'34" 4° Ronconi a 1'49" 5° Jomaux a 2'02"
Maglia Bianca: Fazio