Costante Girardengo
Italy's first 'Campionissimo,' a cycling idol whose popularity in the 1920s rivaled that of the nation's political leaders.
1893–1978 (age 85)·Italian cyclist·Birthday: March 18·The Lost Generation
Biography
Costante Girardengo didn't just win bike races; he captured the soul of a nation recovering from World War I. Turning professional in 1919, he dominated the Italian racing scene with a style that combined raw power with tactical cunning. His victories in the Giro d'Italia and Milan-San Remo were national events, and his rivalry with Alfredo Binda defined an era. His fame was so immense that the fascist government, recognizing his symbolic power, co-opted his image, though Girardengo himself remained largely apolitical. A crash and illness shortened his peak, but his legacy as the prototype of the Italian cycling hero—passionate, stylish, and unbeatable on his day—endured, setting the standard for every champion who followed.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Costante was born in 1893, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Costante Was Born
The biggest hits of 1893
Costante's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1893Born
World's Columbian Exposition dazzles Chicago
President: Grover Cleveland
1898Started school
Spanish-American War; US emerges as a world power
President: William McKinley
1906Became a teenager
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Could drive
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1911Could vote
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1914Turned 21
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Turned 30
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1933Turned 40
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1943Turned 50
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1953Turned 60
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 70
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 80
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Died at 85
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
Key Achievements
- Won the Giro d'Italia twice (1919, 1923) and secured six victories in the classic Milan-San Remo.
- Was the first rider to be given the unofficial title 'Campionissimo' (champion of champions) by the Italian press and public.
- Led the Italian national team to victory in the inaugural Team Time Trial World Championship in 1927.
Did You Know?
Express trains were ordered to stop at his small hometown of Novi Ligure, an honor typically reserved for heads of state.
He was a mechanic and test rider for the Bianchi bicycle company after his racing career.
During his peak in the mid-1920s, Italian newspapers reported his popularity was greater than that of Benito Mussolini.
“The race is won by the head, not just the legs.”
