When the Giro d'Italia began in 1909, there was no signature pink leader's jersey or golden-spiralled Infinity Trophy. The maglia rosa arrived in 1931 to signify the race leader, while a new trophy, the Trofeo Senza Fine, was only created 25 years ago to celebrate the overall winner.
Regarded as one of the most unique awards in pro sports, the Trofeo Senza Fine, also known as the 'endless trophy', is a long, curling band of brass plated in gold with the names of the Italian Grand Tour winners etched on the curved surface. It stands approximately 54cm (21 inches) tall and weighs approximately 9.5kg (21 pounds), which makes it easy to transport and provides infinite space to engrave the names of champions for future years.
Do those numbers of 21 sound familiar? The Giro d'Italia, now in its 108th edition, will crown a champion after the completion of 21 stages, the winding scroll of metal replicating the twisting and 'endless' roads of the Grand Tour.
The trophy was designed and crafted by an Italian company, Penello Mario SRL, which also created the bronze-inlaid trident trophy that has become the highest treasure at the weeklong Tirreno-Adriatico. Two trophies have been created, one for the race winner, which is returned after a year, then passed to a new champion, and one for the offices of race organisers, RCS Sport.
In 2019 Paolo Bellino, CEO of RCS Sport, told FloBikes the Trofeo Senza Fine was more important than the pink jersey because it told the history of the race, as the name of the current winner will be engraved along with the long list of accomplished riders dating back to 1909.
"We worked with a very particular design for the trophy for the centennial edition. We did not expect that [the popularity] would grow," Bellino said about the introduction of the new design in 2000. "The value of the trophy for the riders is incredible. It is 'infinito'."
Stefano Garzelli (Mercantone Uno-Albacome) was the first overall winner of the Giro to receive the new trophy. While all names of the previous winners are listed on the trophy, it was only Garzelli and the winners since 2020 who actually received the actual infinity trophy.
In 2025, a small band of the same gold-covered copper was fashioned into a medal, which is now awarded to every stage winner at the Giro d'Italia.
When Giro organisers rebranded the women's Grand Tour for 2024, a reimagined 'inifinity trophy' was created for that race. The same Italian company uses white gold to cover a brass band that twists into an 'endless' figure-eight shape. Each stage winner of the Giro d'Italia Women also receives a custom 'strada' medal, with eight flower buds, one for each stage, on the figure-eight form.
