On this day (June 8th 1956) - The Angel of the Mountains

Charly Gaul emerged from the blizzard like a ghost. The 1956 Giro d'Italia's Monte Bondone stage had become a battle against nature itself. As temperatures plummeted below zero, riders abandoned in droves. But Gaul, the "Angel of the Mountains," pressed on. Through snow and ice, he gained 8 minutes, then 10, then 12. By the summit, he had secured not just the stage, but the pink jersey. A victory that defined the golden age of cycling.