Moser, triumphs and disappointments of a cycling ace in the evening of Stradella

The time trial lost with Bombini at the 1981 Giro, the purchase of a Dallapè accordion for his brother: at the Sociale many anecdotes with the Trentino champion

THE EVENT

The chronometer lost for having taken the wrong road, the cold suffered in the wind tunnel in Turin to prepare the time record in Mexico City, but also the Dallapè accordion purchased in the stradellina factory for his music-loving brother. These are some of the memories, sports and non-sports, told on the stage of the Sociale di Stradella, at the “Sportiva .. a Teatro” event, by Francesco Moser, ace of blue cycling in the seventies and eighties. Pressed by Riccardo Magrini, former racer and today TV commentator, “Lo Sceriffo”, winner – among other things – of a Giro d’Italia, three Paris-Roubaix and a world road championship, has let himself go to a series of anecdotes about his extraordinary career. As when he convinced the organizers of Roubaix to change the prize for the winner: «I had already won twice, as a prize they gave a simple medal – he said -. I went to the organizers and explained that in Italy they delivered nice cups instead. So they decided to create a particular trophy, made with the stone taken from the road of the course, as it still is today. Fortunately I won another one and they gave it to me too ».

the rivalry with saronni

The former runner Emanuele Bombini, on stage together with Evgenij Berzin, Professor Mario Ireneo Sturla and the journalist of the “Gazzetta” Riccardo Crivelli, then recalled “one of the only two times I beat Moser”, at the Bibione time trial Giro 1981: «They sent us on the wrong road and deviated by 700 meters», however, specified the champion ». A hint of the rivalry with Beppe Saronni could not be missing: «Even after retiring from racing he seemed to be angry with me – said Moser -. Then I invited him to a party at my house and we reconciled. ‘ There was space for an exchange of bottles between Moser, owner with his children of a winery in the hills of Trento, and the producer from beyond the Po Valley, Fabiano Giorgi. Absent, for personal reasons, Sonny Colbrelli, the Italian winner of the last Roubaix, but he greeted the audience on the phone. At the end of the evening, the proceeds of which went to the non-profit organization “La Casa del Sole”, the mayor Alessandro Cantù, the councilor Andrea Frustagli and Moser himself awarded the young promising little street girl Andrea D’Amato, fresh from the success in the Italian Cup. ‘Winter. –

Oliviero Maggi