[1] This Giro saw the last participation of Alfredo Binda and the first of Gino Bartali, then 20 years old, who won the mountains classification.

[3] The field featured seven former Giro d'Italia champions in five-time winner Alfredo Binda, two-time champion Costante Girardengo, and single race winners, Francesco Camusso, Luigi Marchisio, Antonio Pesenti, Learco Guerra, and Vasco Bergamaschi.

[2][3] Other notable Italian riders that started the race included Giuseppe Olmo, Raffaele Di Paco, Remo Bertoni, and Domenico Piemontesi.

[2][3] French cyclist and two-time Tour de France champion André Leducq entered the Giro d'Italia for the first time in his career.

[3] The leader of the general classification – calculated by adding the stage finish times of each rider – wore a pink jersey.