Born in 1891, Alfonsina Morini Strada had already ridden the Giro di Lombardia in 1917 and 1918. In 1924 she became the first woman to start the Giro d’Italia, taking her place in a sporting world where women’s participation was far from routine.
A crash and broken handlebars delayed her on the stage to Perugia. Strada arrived beyond the time limit but did not end her journey: Emilio Colombo paid for her accommodation so she could continue to Milan.
She continued outside the official classification. Completing the route and earning a place in the final standings are therefore different claims. That distinction does not diminish the achievement: her story invites us to consider endurance alongside the question of who gets the chance to reach a starting line.