An old simple Italian game with nice graphics. It is presented as a board-only item; I have never seen any box, cyclists, dice, or other implements related to this game. There are at least two editions that, as far as I know, are identical except in the maker's logo (see below). The first edition, which you can see on the giochidellocca.it website was by "Sagdos, Off. Grafiche, Milano" and was dated in 1943 (they add that some copies are dated in 1944). The second edition, the one you see here, is by Piccoli Casa Editrice, Milano, and must be later since, according to the same website, Piccoli Casa Editrice was founded in 1945 by Osvaldo Dolci.

I used to believe that the name of the game was related to the well-known paced time trial French race Criterium des As, as may be this other game. However, not only does the game not represent a time trial, but there were many Italian races called Criterium degli Assi in the 1930s and 1940s. A simple search on the Italian Wikipedia reveals quite a few of them. To name a few, Alfredo Binda won an unspecified one in 1925; Costante Girardengo won one in Milano in 1926; Learco Guerra won five (in Torino, Milano, and Chieti) between 1930 and 1933...

 

These races appear to be local criteriums, not always held on a regular basis in subsequent years, and may even have had different names. According to Wikipedia, Fabio Battesini won the 1935 Criterium degli Assi at Cremona, but the news, as published by Il Littoriale (Il, 1935 - IX - Fascicolo 159 p2), mentioned the "Criterium di Cremona" and the "circuito cremonese degli Assi".

So, while the name of those Italian races may well have been inspired by the French race, the name of this game is not, or only very indirectly. (By the way, the French race did not seem to appeal much to the Italian riders; it was not won by an Italian until 1968, when Felice Gimondi finally broke the spell).

 

The game measures 49 x 34 cm.

 

The rules are very simple indeed. When we speak of cycling games of goose, it is this kind of game that we mean.

 

   

The graphics are nice.

 

Compare the Piccoli Casa Editrice Milano logo (above) with the Sagdos logo (found on the giochidelloca.it website).

As a curiosity, Fabio sent this picture of a version of the game printed on a mirror, apparently by some liquor brand, of which I cannot say much, except that it looks bigger than the original game.

Thanks, Siegfried L., for your motivating comments.

Description rewritten in July 2026.

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