When Fausto Coppi headed the Carpano team in 1956, he issued to all his riders eight pieces of advice. With everything the great “campionissimo” said and wrote having become hallowed and revered, the so-called eight commandments of the champion of champions have survived the intervening decades and are still very pertinent. Here is what Coppi wrote:
- Good manners are the first requisite of the rider.
- Show your education by the control of your tongue and by your bearing. A rider doesn’t have to be a dandy, but he should be properly dressed.
- A rider must honor all the engagements for which he has signed.
- Courtesy is the sign of a rider conscious of his responsibilities.
- Politeness is the foundation of all education.
- The journalist is the representative of public opinion. The rider is responsible in contact with the press for his own standing, and he should help it do its job without ever seeking flattery.
- Loyalty distinguishes a great rider, in competition and outside it.
- A rider must control his nerves in all circumstances and must accept good and bad luck with equal serenity.
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