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FEATURES: RACY LANGUAGE: A SLICE OF ITALIAN CYCLING NEWS
Tim Maloney
February 21, 2012
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Go Go Moser!
Not a bad track record so far for Liquigas-Cannondale neo-pro Moreno Moser, nephew of Francesco Moser. First race at Italy's Trofeo Laigueglia, first pro win. It wasn't Moser's first pro race but Trofeo Laigueglia is the first major race on the Italian calendar and the honor role there includes names like Lance Armstrong, Johan Museeuw, Michele Bartoli and Giuseppe Saronni.
When the Italian media swarmed him after his Laigueglia win, Moser explained "If you'd asked me to bet on myself to win at the start, I wouldn't have done it," he said. "To be honest, I wouldn't have even done it two meters from the finish line: it was only when I raised my arms in the air that I realized I'd won. This is a dream come true: my first win, in Italy, and just how I wanted it to be."
Young Moser just turned 21 last Christmas Day and his Uncle Francesco (above), a
former World Champion, was one of the best Italian riders of the last
century, winning 273 pro races in his career, setting the World Hour
Record and winning Paris-Roubaix, a World Pro road championships and the
1984 Giro d'Italia. Uncle Aldo was also top pro, while Moreno's dad
Diego rode as a pro in the 1970's on small Italian outfits like Gbc and
Filotex. Today Diego runs the family's vineyards in Palù di Giovo in the
mountains above Trento, while Moreno, the latest chip off the old
block, adds to the win total of the #1 family of Italian cycling. At
just 21, young Moser has his feet firmly on the ground.
Moser may be a factor at the Italian championships this coming June, to be run on a hard, hilly course in his home region of Trentino. Next up in the Moser dynasty? Francesco's 20year old son Ignazio is already winning big races in the U23 ranks in Italy and may be the next chip off the old block for Italian cycling.
Tough or Stupid? You Make The Call
At the recent Tour of Qatar, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia's Filippo Pozzato crashed 30 kilometers from the end of Stage 5 and fractured his right clavicle. The Italian stallion was counting on a big spring season on his new Farnese squad, a Pro Conti outfit far from the ProTour squad Pippo Pozzatto was used to. It looked like Pozzato was out of luck as the cracked collarbone would likely compromise his spring campaign, but the stylish Italian took his destiny into his own hands.
After the crash, Pozzato flew back to Italy and was operated on in a special clinic in Brescia, where surgeons put a plate on his cracked clavicle. After day of recuperation, Pozzato was on the rollers for an hour. The next day he was on the road for 2 hours and the next day he did a 4 hour training ride with 6000 feet of climbing! "I feel good and was able to get back on the bike right away", Pozzato said. "The pain is just in your head; you have to ignore it."
Nine days after his crash Filippo Pozzato lined up on the starting line of Italy's Trofeo Laigueglia, a race he has won twice. At Laigueglia, Pozzato did 130km and he commented afterwards "I'm happy for this test at Laigueglia, I felt good and now I'll work together with my team for my next steps."
Pozzato is brave for sure but another crash could have damaged his broken collarbone further. But that didn't seem to factor much for Pippo in his ride for redemption in what many observers say is a now or never season for the 30 year old rider.
Addio Brotto
The Wilier Wrecking Crew, circa 1946 - Brotto is 2nd from right in photo.
In the foothills of Bassano where I ride frequently, there is never a shortage of old men riding their old city bikes through the narrow roads. Giovanni Brotto Pastega was one such old gentleman and at 95 years of age, Giovanni Brotto Pastega recently passed away in Cassola, Italy. Up until a few years ago, I would see the him riding his old-school road bike around Bassano del Grappa. Little did I know of his illustrious past as a top rider in the 1930's and 40's.
Giovanni Brotto Pastega was born on July 31, 1917 while WWI raged in the mountains above Bassano del Grappa. Giovanni was the 11th child of a well know family in his hometown of Cassola and his father was never enthusiastic about his like his passion for cycling, because Giovanni would skip school to ride in the hills around Bassano for training.
Brotto began his career as an amateur in 1931 and won the prestigious la Popolarissima and the Bassano Valrovina race in the yellow & red colors of Veloce Club Bassano as well as multiple Veneto championships. He was know as a fast sprinter who ruled the roost at the Velodrome Mercante in Bassano and as an amateur before WWII, rode for Bianchi. In 1941, Brotto was pro with Bianchi,
where he was teammates with Fausto Coppi. Brotto rode the Giro d'Italia three times and one Tour de France and was part of the legendary Wilier Triestina 1946 Giro d'Italia team that supported winner Giordano Cottur. Brotto retired from cycling in 1950 and had a small business in Cassola and his son Agostino Brotto Pastega became a well-known author and historian. In 2006 Giovanni was awarded the
"premio Cassola", the keys to his city. Brotto called his beloved bicycle "il cavallo d'accaio" (horse of steel), so Godspeed Giovanni Brotto.
Photos: Bettini |
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