[1] In the weeks preceding the Giro's start, Jacques Anquetil and the Helyett–Leroux–Fynsec–Hutchinson team were interested in participating in the race; however, they desired an appearance fee.
[2] Ultimately, thirteen teams were invited by the race organizers to participate in the 1959 edition of the Giro d'Italia.
[9] The route for the race was released on 2 April 1959 at the Casino della Valle in Saint Vincent in front of journalists, local dignitaries, and various industrialists.
[12] Regarding the route for the Giro d'Italia, Corriere dello Sport writer Cesare Facetti felt that the route was very difficult and would make it very difficult for a rider to complete the Giro d'Italia and be successful in the Tour de France in late June.
[7] During the stage, only one breakaway was able to sustain a lengthy advantage over the peloton and that came 76 km (47 mi) into the race with a solo attack by Darrigade (Helyett).
[14] He managed to win the intermediate sprint on the course before being joined by six riders and another twenty as the stage wound down; however, the escapees were caught with 8 km (5 mi) to go.
[8][14] Anquetil won the day by twenty-five seconds ahead of Rolf Graf and assumed the race lead.
[15] In the breakaway, some riders cracked leaving Arturo Neri, Armando Pellegrini, Aurelio Cestari, and Gastone Nencini at the front.
[4][8] The next day's stage was a 9 km (6 mi) climbing individual time trial along a road on Mount Vesuvius, which ended at the observatory on the volcano.
[8] As the riders began the time trial in reverse of the standings for the general classification, contenders Anquetil and Gaul were the final two to get on the course.
[16] The course was rather hilly and was won by Antonino Catalano (Bianchi), while with respect to the general classification, Anquetil managed to gain 22 seconds on Gaul.
[4][16] After the leading riders had crossed the Costalunga during the fifteenth day, Gaul descended with an advantage on a group containing Poblet, Anquetil, and Van Looy.
[16] The trio opened a large gap and Poblet won the stage, while Gaul crossed 2 minutes and 33 seconds behind.
The leader of the general classification – calculated by adding the stage finish times of each rider – wore a pink jersey.