There was a time when there were events that were something more than simple races, competitions, contestsThere was a time when the competition was certainly heated, coveted, fought over, dreamed of, but it was almost an excuse to meet up, say goodbye, hug, say goodbye, share passions, joys, sorrows, professional and personal. Among these was the Baracchi Trophy, a time trial in pairs which was contested over a distance of 100 kilometers and effectively concluded the cycling season (opened by Moser and Hinault in the 1984 edition). One last day of school before winter, the long break, before the same group met again on the Riviera, for the Laigueglia and Sanremo.
The Capitals of Culture
The last edition of this race, invented by the Bergamo businessman Mino Baracchi in 1949, it was held in 1991, but in 2023 it will finally returnThe competition will be held with the same formula as the time trial for couples, it will be reserved for professionals and women on a course that It will unite Bergamo and Brescia. The two cities, cousins and rivals, will be united by the fact that they will be Capitals of Culture next year..
Here, the race becomes a reason to share, exchange, merge, unite, and inspireNostalgics, longtime cycling enthusiasts who grew up with Coppi and Bartali, will once again savor the sweet taste of cycling as it once was. Young riderser riders, those born under the stars of Pantani, Nibali, or Ganna, will be able to fall in love with cycling a little deeper and understand its deepest roots, which have flourished to this day.
Stanga's hand
Those who wanted the return of the legendary "Baracchi" were Gianluigi Stanga, president ofBergamo Cycling Union; Beppe Manenti, organizer of the Granfondo Felice Gimondi and Mario Morotti who was a sort of right-hand man to Mino Baracchi.
Many champions won the trophy, such as Coppi, Motta, Anquetil, Merckx, Gimondi Baldini. The race was held November 1st or 4th because they were two symbolic days: All Saints' Day or what was once the National Unity DayBaracchi's "idea" was a true businessman's, wanting the spotlight to be on the race and his hometown of Bergamo. And so it was, every year, a little more so, despite some adjustments to the organization, the route, and the participants.
Bergamo was the heart of the race with the arrival at the Dalmine velodrome which served as a large stage, but at the end of his epic it also took place in Trentino and Tuscany.
Moser and Saronni
It wasn't even always played in pairs, for example. the last edition was individual and won by Tony RomingerThousands of people, especially on the day of celebration, poured into the streets to applaud their champions, especially in the era in which televisions did not exist and radios narrated the exploits at the Giro or the Tour, with the fans having to imagine, dreaming, drawing, fantasizing about Coppi's face, Bartali's legs, Magni's grimaces. A crazy, insane, folkloristic race, where the strongest in legs didn't always win, but the strongest in mind.
In recent days Bergamo paid homage to Mino Baracchi on the 100th anniversary of his birth (the creator died in 2012, on the eve of his 90th birthday) with Francesco Moser and Giuseppe Saronni as guests of honor. The two bitter rivals ran for the trophy together in 1979 and won it, even then with a few jabs along the way. Baracchi, who even united them despite their initial hesitations, will also unite Bergamo and Brescia for a new era, hopefully filled with further anecdotes and emotions.
