The UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The first professional world championship took place on July 1927 at the Nürburgring in Germany, where legendary Italian Alfredo Binda won the professional men’s race.
Tag Archives: Louison Bobet
Black Jersey is Back
Between 1946 and 1951, the Giro d’Italia had a special jersey, “maglia nera” (English: black jersey), for the last-placed rider. There was a real competition between many riders, to win this highly-coveted jersey. The last-placed rider would ride the final victory lap with the race winner each year around the historic Vigorelli Velodrome in Milan.
Koblet-Coppi battle, Giro d’Italia 1953
Hugo Koblet, “Pédaleur de charme“, and Fausto Coppi, “Il Campionissimo”, two post-war era giants. They were good friends, until the Giro d’Italia 1953 edition. After that Giro, they would never speak to each other again. But, what happened?
Charly Gaul on Mont Ventoux, Tour de France 1958
Today’s historic photo of the day: Charly Gaul on Mont Ventoux; Tour de France 1958, stage 18, July 13, Sunday, 21.5 km Individual Time Trial. A 21.5-kilometer individual time trial from Bédouin – up Mount Ventoux. Charly Gaul, as usual, let himself lose some time on the flat stages, always confident that he could make […]
Fausto Coppi on the cover of Tintin magazine
Today’s historic photo of the day: well, it’s actually not a photo of a cyclist, just a photo of a magazine – 11 August 1960 edition of “The Adventures of Tintin”. “Il Campionissimo” Fausto Coppi was on the cover of the magazine. Fausto Coppi was already dead, when the magazine was published.
Giovanni Pinarello passes away
Today, Giovanni Pinarello, the founder of the Pinarello bicycles has died at 92. The death of Italian framebuilder has been announced on the Italian bike manufacturer’s Facebook page.
Coppi and Bartali smoking cigars – in “Totò al Giro d’Italia” (video)
Today’s historic photo of the day: Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali smoking cigars in “Totò al Giro d’Italia” (Totò in Giro d’Italia), a 1948 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Totò.
Hugo Koblet: Pédaleur de charme
Pédaleur de charme, meaning “Pedaler of Charm“, was Hugo Koblet‘s nickname (He won Tour de France in 1951 and Giro d’Italia in 1950). He also won the Mountain Classification of Giro d’Italia in 1950.
Nicknames of Cyclists – B
Early 20th journalists started creating nicknames for the cyclists. This effort popularized the cycling sport and make the racers interesting to the people who were not interested in cycling much. This tradition is still continuing today. Here the list of cyclists’ nicknames in alphabetical order (by surname, starting with B): By Surname: A B C […]