article by Nicola Pucci
Professional since 1966, Marino Bassoa sprinter from Vicenza from Caldogno born in 1945 who also adapts well to undulating tracks, he has built up a good CV, achieving a fair number of successes over the years.
Hired by Mainetti in the first year among the “large“, he immediately takes a victory in the Giro d’Italia on the finish line in Naples, and then, the following year, he scored a double at the Tour de Francein Amiens and Bordeaux, adding in 1968, having moved to the court of Gianni Motta at Molteni, a second success at the Corsa Rosa in Imola. In the three years that followed, Basso considerably increases his tally, collecting a total of 20 victories (another 9 at the Giro and 4 at the Tour)among which the Giro del Piemonte, the Giro di Campania, the Tre Valli Varesine and the Trofeo Matteotti in 1969 also stand out, and the Milano-Vignola (already won in 1968) in 1971, the year in which he also made the jersey his own. points at the Giro d’Italia.
Ergo, if we count the third place at Milan-Sanremo (behind Merckx and Roger De Vlaeminck) and at the Tour of Flanders (beaten bycannibal” and by Felice Gimondi) in 1969, and the third step of the podium also at Paris-Roubaix in 1971 (following Roger Rosiers and Herman Van Springel), Marino already has a good place in the panorama of international cycling. To make the definitive leap in quality that transforms a good runner into a champion, all he needs is a success in a class “A” race.. And when she finally goes to get him, he chooses theater and the decidedly most mocking way you can think of. The Gap World Championship in 1972.
The season, in fact, announces a Bass in great shape. Settled to Salvarani of Gimondi, Marino manages to win the only stage race in his career (the Giro di Sardegna in March, triumphing over the finishes of Sant’Antioco and Oristano), finishing third again at Milan-Sanremo, beaten by the inevitable Merckx and by Motta , winning the first stage of the Giro d’Italia in Ravenna which grants him the enormous honor of wearing the pink jersey for two days (dressed for 24 hours also in 1971) and win the Bernocchi Cup in the sprint over Patrick Sercu. Enough to be selected by the coach Mario Ricci for the world championship challenge at Gap on 6 August, after having already been part of the Italian national team in 1967 and in the last three years.
The Savoyard circuit, in truth, does not lend itself to great flashes of imagination, although it is not exactly suitable for sprinters, with an arrival ramp that seems tailor-made for fast sprinters like Basso. The favorite on the eve is obviously Eddy Merckxthe cyclist who leaves nothing to anyone, winner the previous year in Mendrisio and who comes to the event with the declared intention of winning a third rainbow jersey, crowning a season which saw him win Milan-Sanremo, Freccia Walloon, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Giro d’Italia and Tour de France. And if Gimondi, vice-world champion and also second in the Grande Boucle, is the most formidable rival, nevertheless the Italian national team has good arrows to play at the victory table.
In fact, on the last lap, 7 of them leave: Bitossi, Basso, Dancelli, Merckx, Guimard, Zoetemelk and Mortensen. It’s the good escape, and the Italians know well that they are the favourites, given their numerical superiority. Everyone has their eyes on Merckx, soon awaiting his lethal attack, from “cannibal” True. Suddenly, when the kilometer count shows -4 at the finish line, the Frenchman Guimard stops playing supporting role and leaves. She runs into the house and feels the pressure of the whole of France on her skin. The history of the Gap World Championship is all in these last, dramatic kilometres.
“There’s no point in shooting, because I’ll pick you up in Belgium“, Basso says to Merckx at the end of the Belgian’s last escape attempt. Bitossi cleverly gets in the middle of the duelists and shoots like a cannonball. “Crazy Heart” he is alone, chasing Guimard, he takes his wheel and lets him cook well until 1300 meters from the finish line. The Frenchman takes a breath, he doesn’t seem to have any left, he’s exhausted and Franco decides to strike the decisive blow.
The hole becomes a chasm, with Merckx choosing not to pull the small group chasing the fugitive. And this is exactly where Franco finds himself face to face with one of his terrible enemies. No, the dancing heart has nothing to do with it this time. It is the psychological tension that has Bitossi’s head in a vice1300 meters have never been so long.
The Tuscan he begins to do reasoning and calculations, just at the moment when you need to concentrate all your energy on pushing on the pedals. “Merckx is a friend of Guimard, he certainly won’t want to take him back“. “Basso and Dancelli are my companions, they will let me go“. “The only ones I should worry about are Mortensen and Zoetemelk“. Merckx himself joins Basso and hisses at him “I’m happy, Bitossi wins“.
While Bitossi is lost in his calculations, at -500 meters Merckx responds and sets off, followed by Marino Basso. An acceleration that is like whiplash. Everyone almost pushes to break the chain. There in front, just a glance from the finish line, there is Bitossi who plants himself on the pedals and it almost seems that it doesn’t concern him. It is when there are 300 meters to go that the sporting drama unfolds Of “crazy Heart“. Franco is now in the throes of an emotional rather than physical crisis. He turns repeatedly, as if fleeing from a tidal wave, he flounders in search of the right relationship. His blue jersey is a handful of meters from the finish line.
Just when the line is within pedaling distance, here is the thriller epilogue. Basso makes his formidable comeback, pretends to pass him on the right, then sprints to the left and overtakes his teammate’s blue jersey, destined not to be painted in the colors of the rainbow. Bitossi gets up one meter from the line, Guimard discards him to the right to avoid it, Merckx joins him on the other side.
However, the first runner on the line is Marino Bassotwo arms that leave the handlebars to cling to the sky. Behind him, Bitossi’s incredulous expression, two haunted eyes staring at a point into infinity. Merckx is still on the pedals in a collected position on the saddle, he is still pushing in the sprint, launched very long, right at the end of the slight climb that opened the final straight.
But it’s not enough this time. Marino Basso wins the cycling world championship in Gap, France, and on the day of the great Italian victory, he enters the cycling elite.