‘It’s great they remember my father like this’ – Vuelta a España pays homage to its first-ever Italian winner, Angelo Conterno, with Grande Partenza in Turin

When the Vuelta a España announced late last year that it would be having its first-ever start in Italy this summer, only a few fans realised that the chosen city for the Grande Partenza, Turin, was also the birthplace of its first-ever Italian winner, Angelo Conterno.

Only a few fans, that is – barring the cycling tifosi in Turin, who knew full well that back in 1956, Conterno had triumphed overall in the Spanish Grand Tour, the biggest victory of his career, despite suffering a major fever on the last day.

Conterno himself died in 2007, but in the countdown to the Vuelta a España’s start on Saturday, the city council organised an exhibition, “Torinesi di Spagna” – Turin-born riders from Spain – to commemorate his victory and the contribution of riders from the north-westerly city and its environs to the Vuelta throughout its 90-year history.

“It makes me very proud that the Vuelta has come all the way from Spain to start here,” Marco Conterno – Angelo’s son, who still lives near Turin – told Cyclingnews earlier this week.

“It’s the Vuelta a España, but bike races are special because they belong to everybody, and a foreign start like this just reflects that even more. That’s the beauty of the sport, it’s something that everybody can enjoy, because the roads where you spectate are open to everyone.

“Obviously, a start like this is designed to promote tourism. But my father would have been 100 in 2025, and it’s nice that even so, what he and others managed to achieve as racers in the Vuelta and other events is still remembered by so many people. And that’s also part of the Vuelta start here in Turin.”

Conterno’s victory in the Vuelta a España came after starting the race as co-leader with fellow-Turin rider Nino Defilippis of the Italian national squad.

But then, in keeping with so many Vueltas over the years, one seemingly unimportant first week stage then turns out to be the key to the entire race. In shades of – for example – Sepp Kuss moving up the GC hierarchy on the first summit finish of the 2023 Vuelta before going on to win it, Conterno got in a break on stage 2, winning it and surprisingly took the lead, a lead he’d never relinquish.

“That lead defined the hierarchy of the…