the 1956 edition of the giro was without much drama until the twenty-first stage that stretched from merano to the summit finish on monte bondone, a mountain in the dolomites. the stage was bitterly cold with temperatures near that forced over sixty riders to abandon the race including the race leader pasquale fornara. charly gaul attacked during the stage and won the stage, while also gaining enough time to take the lead. after the gaul crossed the stage's finish, he was taken to the hospital because his jersey was stuck to his skin. gaul won the race and became the first luxembourgian rider to win the giro d'italia. gaul returned to the race in 1957 and regained the after the sixteenth leg. during the eighteenth stage, gaul stopped to urinate which led his fierce rival louison bobet to initiate an attack with gastone nencini and miguel poblet. gaul lost to nencini; however, gaul took out his frustration by aiding nencini with his bid to win just to spite bobet. with gaul's help, nencini went on to win the event by nineteen seconds over bobet.