after the ninth stage of the 1949 edition, fausto coppi was close to ten minutes behind the race leader adolfo leoni in the general classification. coppi gained over nine minutes on leoni during the tenth stage, but leoni remained in the lead. the race's seventeenth leg went over five major climbs before finishing in pinerolo. coppi attacked off the start and was the first over all the climbs and the finish line in pinerolo; his efforts gained him the race lead and a sizable lead over his rival gino bartali. coppi went on to win the giro, his third such victory. coppi came into the 1950 giro d'italia as the favorite to win the general classification; however, bad luck struck as he broke his pelvis in the race's ninth day. in the eighth leg, hugo koblet attacked on the pian delle fugazze to win the stage and gain the overall lead. koblet kept the lead all the way to the giro's finish in milan and in doing so he became the first foreigner to win the giro d'italia. in addition, koblet won the mountains classification.