Between 1908 and 1946 the first rider to the top of the Turchino went on to win no less than 14 times. In a five year period from 1917-1921 every man reaching the top of the climb in first place won the race.

Several riders have made lone breaks whch saw them win the Turchino prime and then carry on alone to win by a distance (1908 Cyrille Van Hauwaert, 1917 Gaetano Belloni, 1918 Costante Girardengo, 1927 Pietro Chesi, 1946 Fausto Coppi).

The longest race-winning break was by six-time winner Costante Girardengo who in 1918 attacked at the Rivalta Scrivia with 200km to the finish. When Girardengo went away he still had about 55km to ride before he reached the top of the Turchino. However the competition was not great as 1918 saw the least number of starters ever with only 32 riders taking the line. Only seven finished due to very poor weather conditions, which saw the riders struggle through intense rain and wind. Girardengo came home 13 minutes ahead of his nearest rival Gaetano Belloni. The last man into San Remo, Luigi Vertemati, was over four hours behind.

The greatest winning margin from a lone attack either before or on the "Passo" was by the great Fausto Coppi in 1946. Coppi attacked at Masone with 147km remaining. His competitors did not see him again and he won by 14 minutes from the French rider Lucien Teisseire.

Belloni takes Turchino prime 1917