Italy's Cycling Legend Lives On: Novi Ligure Celebrates Girardengo with Elite Weekend Races

The Italy city of Novi Ligure in Alessandria province commemorated cycling legend Costante Girardengo 133 years after his birth, using twin marquee races on March 21-22, 2026, to honor the man many still consider Italy's first "Campionissimo." With the elite Milano-Sanremo passing through on March 21 and the Giro dell'Appennino Donne launching on March 22 from the town's celebrated Museo dei Campionissimi, the municipality leveraged sport to spotlight a heritage that shaped Italian cycling identity.

Why This Matters:

• Girardengo's legacy remains unmatched: 9 consecutive Italian national championships, 6 Milano-Sanremo wins, and 131 road victories in 24 years.

• The Museo dei Campionissimi is Europe's largest cycling museum, featuring 3,000 square meters of exhibits honoring both Girardengo and Fausto Coppi.

• The women's race marked the upgraded second edition of the Giro dell'Appennino Donne, now classified as UCI 1.1 category.

The Man Who Defined Italian Cycling

Born Costantino in Novi Ligure on March 18, 1893, Girardengo turned professional at just 19 and dominated Italian cycling during the sport's "heroic era" of heavy steel frames, minimal gearing, and unpaved roads. Known as "l'omino di Novi" for his compact stature, he excelled across every discipline: sprinting, time trialing, climbing, and descending. His versatility positioned him among cycling's all-time greats, a reputation cemented when Emilio Colombo of La Gazzetta dello Sport christened him "Campionissimo" in 1919—the first cyclist to receive that title.

His dominance was quantifiable. Between 1913 and 1925, Girardengo won nine consecutive Italian national championships, a record that stands untouched. He claimed two Giri d'Italia (1919 and 1923), winning an astonishing 30 stages across those editions. In the 1919 Giro, he took 7 of 10 stages and wore the maglia rosa from start to finish. His six Milano-Sanremo victories (1918, 1921, 1923, 1925, 1926, 1928) remained the benchmark until Eddy Merckx surpassed it decades later. Add three Giro di Lombardia titles, five Milano-Torino wins, and 965 track victories, and the career total reaches 131 road wins from just 289 starts.

Yet Girardengo never seriously contested the Tour de France—his brief 1914 attempt ended quickly—and the world championship eluded him, though he earned silver at the 1927 Nürburgring worlds. His 1924 triumph at the Gran Premio Wolber in France, then considered an unofficial world championship, offered some consolation.

Cycling Royalty in Novi Ligure

Mayor Rocchino Muliere framed the weekend's double-header as the ideal tribute: "There's no better way to honor Costante Girardengo's birthday than bringing elite cycling, men's and women's, to our roads. Girardengo, who triumphed six times at Sanremo, symbolizes a tenacity that lives on in these two competitions."

The 117th Milano-Sanremo, won on March 21 by Slovenia's Tadej Pogačar in 6 hours 35 minutes 49 seconds, passed through the Alessandria province with the professional route entering Novi Ligure via Mazzini, crossing Piazza della Repubblica, and continuing along Viale dei Campionissimi. The symbolic weight of the Classicissima transiting through the town center on the eve of Girardengo's birthday resonated locally.

Women Take Center Stage

On March 22, the Giro dell'Appennino Donne departed at 12:30 from the Museo dei Campionissimi, a 111-kilometer route crossing Piedmont and Liguria before finishing in Genoa's Corso Guglielmo Marconi near the Waterfront di Levante. Promoted to UCI 1.1 status after a successful inaugural edition in 2025, the race attracted 25 teams, including seven World Tour squads like UAE Team ADQ and FDJ United-SUEZ, plus the Ukrainian national team.

The course featured two categorized climbs—Passo dei Giovi at kilometer 71 and Livellato at kilometer 90—along with intermediate sprints in Ronco Scrivia, Campomorone, and Bolzaneto. For a region steeped in male cycling mythology, the elevation of a women's race to this level represents both homage and progression.

Europe's Cycling Cathedral

The Museo dei Campionissimi, housed in a converted 3,000-square-meter industrial warehouse, stands as Europe's largest cycling museum, jointly dedicated to Girardengo and Fausto Coppi, Novi Ligure's honorary citizen. The permanent collection traces cycling's evolution from the draisina to cutting-edge prototypes, employing multimedia and virtual reality stations to engage visitors.

Current exhibitions include:

• Mostra delle Illusioni: Running through this month, this interactive display by Innovation CGMZ features over 100 installations combining optical illusions, immersive scenography, and VR experiences. Designed for families and schools, it blends scientific education with entertainment.

• Il Viaggio nel Tempo (2025-2026): A fifth-edition educational program for children aged 6–11, running bi-monthly through May, exploring themes from dinosaurs to Leonardo da Vinci via hands-on activities and digital tools.

Visitor Information:

• Hours (Winter, through April 30): Friday 15:00–19:00; weekends and holidays 10:00–13:00 and 15:00–19:00. Group bookings (minimum 10) available other days.

• Admission: Permanent collection €7 (€4 reduced for over-60s, students under 25, military); combined ticket with Mostra delle Illusioni €13 (€9 reduced).

• Facilities: Wheelchair accessible, guided tours, multimedia stations, bike tourism itineraries.

• Contact: 0143 772266 / 772230; museodeicampionissimi@comune.noviligure.al.it

The museum recorded 2,800 visitors in 2021; current figures for 2026 are not yet available, though events like the March races typically drive seasonal spikes.

Cultural Echo

Girardengo's influence transcended sport. In the 1920s, his fame rivaled Mussolini's, and express trains made unscheduled stops in Novi Ligure in his honor. Decades later, singer-songwriter Francesco De Gregori immortalized him in "Il bandito e il campione," a ballad recounting the legendary relationship between the cyclist and bandit Sante Pollastri.

After retiring in 1936, Girardengo became Italy's first national team technical director, guiding Gino Bartali to the 1938 Tour de France title. He later lent his name to a bicycle factory in Alessandria. He died in nearby Cassano Spinola on February 9, 1978, at age 84.

What This Means for Residents

For Novi Ligure residents and Alessandria province locals, the March 21-22 event confirmed the municipality's strategy of wedding heritage tourism to live sport. The combination of the Museo dei Campionissimi's year-round programming and the annual spring cycling calendar positions the town as a pilgrimage site for cycling enthusiasts across Italy and Europe.

For families and tourists, the museum offers substantive weekend programming beyond the permanent collection, with the Mostra delle Illusioni providing accessible science education and the children's Viaggio nel Tempo program offering structured activities.

For cycling fans, the Giro dell'Appennino Donne's elevation to UCI 1.1 status signals rising international profile, with seven World Tour squads participating, potentially attracting more resources and sponsors in future editions, which could mean greater economic impact and visibility for the region.

The Milano-Sanremo route through Alessandria province—touching Viguzzolo, Tortona, Ovada, and Novi Ligure's town center—brought significant attention, with television coverage amplifying the region's visibility to millions of viewers across Europe.

Ultimately, the commemoration of Girardengo is less about nostalgia than strategic positioning: leveraging a storied past to anchor contemporary sports tourism and cultural programming in a province that produced two of Italy's greatest cyclists.