There are images that remain indelibly imprinted in the mind of a cycling enthusiast. Eddy Merckx in the Molteni jersey is one of these, also because with that jersey the Cannibal won everythingThanks to the Belgian, the Molteni name has become known around the world, in a story that, from 1958 to 1976, the year the team closed down, defined the sport of cycling. Even those who didn't experience those epic seasons know what Molteni was. Perhaps they also know that it was the name of a world-famous cured meats company that closed its doors in 1986.
Mario and Pierangela, for reasons of age, experienced that epic “only briefly”: “I remember well, however, the times my father Pietro took us to races,” Mario says, “instilling in me that love for cycling that has always remained with us. In those almost twenty years we have received so much, it was a duty for us to give something back to this wonderful world: this is why it was born Ambrogio Molteni Foundation, in honor of my grandfather who founded the team."
Serlini, a story of pain and hope
The Foundation was founded in 2018, during a luxurious evening in London, not only to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the historic team, but also to provide concrete assistance to people who have made their living from cycling and who, for various reasons, have become weak in the face of life and in need of support.
«We have always remained owners of the Molteni brand – continues Mario – even if the company with that name no longer exists (actually the family has another small salami factory in Milan, with another name, ed.). We've always received requests for sponsorship from various sources, but that wasn't what we were interested in. We wanted something different, aimed at give concrete help to those who really need it».
The first case, in 2019, was that of Angelo Serlini, born in Brescia in 1998, Lombardy champion among rookie track riders, a future that could have been bright on two wheels but which was shattered on November 17, 2012 by a terrible mountain bike accident. After remaining in a coma for two weeks, with the hopes of his family clashing with the reality of the vegetative state to which he seemed condemned, in 2013 Angelo began to look back at life, regaining a little bit of it every day., but the treatments are expensive and his will to live needed support, which the Foundation decided to give him.
Eighteen years of great names
«In 2020 – Mario continues – we helped a former pro, whose identity we mutually decided not to disclose, who had heart problems that caused him to lose his jobThis year, we're considering a different, broader commitment. Those who have a serious work-related bicycle accident are supported and compensated by the state, but what about those who have a serious work-related accident? We are convinced that cycling is a wonderful tool for exercising and for protecting our health. For this reason we want to provide E-bikes for those who need them.We don't go through organizations or associations; we want to do good without third parties, providing directly."
The Foundation's history is still recent, but at Molteni there are many ideas to put into practice: «Always in the name of charity, because for us today sport must be this, we have had a great deal of competitive satisfaction., not only with the great Eddy: champions such as Motta e Dancelli, Rudy Altitude He won a world championship there, then Merckx arrived at the end of his relationship with Faema, bringing his Belgian core, and the Molteni name became famous throughout the world. Now is the time to give, we've received enough."
The Van Looy Tragedy
There is a case that particularly struck the Molteni family, which occurred after the foundation was founded.
«We found out about it after the fact – explains Mario Molteni – Frans Van Looy, Eddy's henchman, left us at the age of 69: his house had been foreclosed, he could not resist the humiliation and took his own life.The purpose of the Foundation must be to prevent such tragic events from happening, for people who have given so much to our sport and who deserve helpWe are putting all our good will into it, but in addition to the money we also want to send a message, because Together we can do much more, so anyone who can help us just needs to connect to our website».
The team's history has been chronicled in a book, "Molteni, history of a family and a team," published by Prima Pagina Edizioni. The €50 fee will be donated entirely to the Foundation for the aforementioned purposes, as will the purchase of the historic Molteni jersey, specially reproduced.
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Mario, however, has not distanced himself from the current world of cycling, which he follows with the same passion as then, even if the differences are enormous.
«It's another world – he says – uIn the past, the 6 Days were run to prepare for the Milan-Sanremo, then we went on to the Northern Classics, the Giro d'Italia and so on.Today, we prepare for a specific event and start racing for it in January, supported by professionals like trainers, nutritionists, and managers who didn't exist and weren't even conceivable in Molteni's time. It was a different kind of cycling."
Looking at the exploits of today's champions, is there a hint of nostalgia? "More than anything, there's the awareness that today's cycling is hyper-specialized and decidedly too expensive, not just for our pockets. Finding sponsors in Italy is really difficult, considering the general situation and the very high costs involved in having a high-level team like ours.Today, for me, the bike is a companion for walks in the open air, nothing more, and that's fine."
