The history of Italian cycling is rich with races that are no longer held but have made history: that's why we thought of offering you a new column that brings them out of the memory drawer. If you have an archive photo in the drawer, a newspaper clipping, or want us to tell the story of this or that race, don't hesitate to write to us at info@tuttobiciweb.it or daniloviga@gmail.com. Enjoy reading.
Thanks to the passion for the two-wheel fascination shown by a handful of men from the Velo Club Mendrisio, the Swiss city of Mendrisio manages to attract the attention and interest of the public and cycling enthusiasts by setting up the Giro del Mendrisiotto, one of the most important and beautiful amateur races in nearby Switzerland. We may not know the roots of the first organizers dating back to 1933, but we know people like Renzo Bordogna, Alfredo Maranesi, and Andrea Bellati who have marked the history of the "Mendrisiotto" throughout almost its entire existence.

Skipping the chronicles of editions from the Thirties to the Sixties, rankings, statistical data (see honor roll) characterized by some victories of Italian athletes such as Fausto Introzzi in 1934, Rino Benedetti in 1951, Vittorio Mazzuchelli in 1954, Arturo Sabbadin over Squizzato and Cogliati in 1959, Vladimiro Palazzi over Ghezzi and Nardello in 1966, Franco Maietti over Barotto and Hurlimann in 1969, we quickly arrive at the year 1976.
With a solo finish, Gabriele Mirri of Comense-Meggiarin triumphs after 151 km, anticipating the Swiss Thalmann and Wolfer by 22" and Frei by 3'12". For the pleasure of Swiss sports fans, who make no secret of appreciating the success of local riders, the following year it was indeed Gilbert Glaus who hit the target. Glaus had a good career among professionals, winning a stage at the Tour de France, and was the only one to win three editions of the "Mendrisiotto". With his triumph in 1977, the only one with the Velo Club Mendrisio colors, the rider from Thun added the double conquered in the 1980-'81 two-year period. The red-cross supremacy continued for four consecutive years with Bruggmann, Trinkler, Wyss, Wegmuller and ended in 1986 with the victory of Australian Stephen Hodge ahead of Trinckler and his compatriot Jamieson. The Australians lived other moments of glory two years later with the success of Scott Sunderland in the sprint over Steiger and Magnus Moser. This was followed by the achievements of the French Saint George, Jaccard and Huwyler, victorious for the second time in Mendrisio. In the following three years, the athletes of the Velo Club Mendrisio came to the forefront of the chronicles: the Ukrainian Ouchakov imposed himself by overtaking Huwyler and Huber, the Danish Andersen placed himself behind Andrea Guidotti and Roman Jeker, the Austrian Luttenberger prevailed ahead of the Brianza rider Stefano Dante and the Swiss Ralph Gartmann, who took his revenge by winning the 1995 edition.

Then from 1996, the Giro del Mendrisiotto took on a new look with the entry of Elite and Under 23 categories and UCI Class 1.2 races, meaning a mixed race for amateurs and professionals. In the same year, and then pre-world under 23, Salvatore (Totò) Commesso (Casini Vigorplant Vellutex) prevailed over Danish Nicolaj Bo Larsen and Felice Puttini. Subsequently, Beat Zberg emerged ahead of Danilo Di Luca and Mauro Radaelli, the local Felice Puttini was good at preceding Vainsteins and Markus Zberg, the late Valentino Fois who triumphed for Vini Caldirola by overtaking Luca Paolini and his then teammate Guido Trentin, up to the encore by Felice Puttini in 2000 with Patrick Calcagni second and Pietro Pellizzotti third.

The new Millennium coincided with the victory of Alexandre Moos (third Massimo Donati), immediately imitated by Ruslan Gryshchenko. The Ukrainian from Zoccorinese Palazzago freed himself from his opponents near the finish, anticipating his teammate Giairo Ermeti and the Polish rider Wiesiak. The 2002 edition was valid as the first test of the U23 World Cup. We find the Polish Mariusz Wiesiak victorious in 2003 after a beautiful duel with Mauro Santambrogio (2nd), while twelve months later it was Giuseppe De Maria (Palazzago ABI Isolanti) who toasted on the winner's podium. Italians were great protagonists also in the 2005-2006 two-year period: first with Michele Maccanti over Contrini and again Santambrogio, and subsequently with Daniele De Paoli who crossed the finish line solo ahead of Australian Hansen and Ivan Fanelli. And then Andreas Dietizker before the last Italian victory signed by Eddy Serry with the Miche Silvers Cross jersey in 2008, in which he managed to prevail over Enrico Rossi. From 2009 to 2012, the Lithuanian Ignatas Konovalovas, again Dietziker, Mirco Saggiorato, and finally Marcel Aregger followed in the history books. In 2013 the race was not held due to traffic issues. The Mendrisio-Monte Generoso was proposed as an alternative.

There are 72 editions of the Giro del Mendrisiotto, with the unprecedented 1956 edition that took place uphill over the short distance of 21 km, won by the Swiss Adriano De Gasperi, of the Velo Club Mendrisio, with 56" over Canuti and 2'25" over Verda. The most victorious are: 3 wins Glaus (Sui), 2 wins Luthi (Sui), Huwyler (Sui), Radaelli (Sui), Felice Puttini (Sui), Dietziker (Sui).

ALBO D’ORO
1933- Gerosa Enrico (Sui-Società Sport Lugano)
1934- Introzzi Fausto (Velo Club Fino Mornasco)
1935- Maestranzi Arturo (Sui-Velo Club Gordola)
1936- Radaelli Fermo (Sui-Velo Club Mendrisio)
1937- Radaelli Fermo (Sui-Velo Club Mendrisio)
1938- Diggelmann Walter (Sui-R.V. Zurigo)
1939- Kuhn Ernesto (Sui-R.V. Schur)
1947- Fanri Franco (Velo Club Bustese)
1949- Pianezzi Remo (Sui-Velo Club Lugano)
1950- Pfenninger Hans (Sui-Velo Club Oerlikon)
1951- Benedetti Rino (Pirelli Legnano)
1952- Lurati Fausto (Sui-Velo Club Lugano)
1953- Moresi Attilio (Sui-Velo Club Lugano)
1954- Mazzuchelli Vittorio (Nazionale Italiana)
1955- Ceroni Armando (Sui-Velo Club Lugano)
1956- De Gasperi Adriano (Sui-Velo Club Mendrisio)
1957- Ruegg Alfredo (Sui-Velo Club Zurigo)
1958- Poaino Giancarlo (Società Cademartori)
1959- Sabbadin Arturo (UC Bustese)
1960- Maurer Rolf (Sui-Velo Club Zurigo)
1961- Jourden Jean (Fra-Leroux Ferrot)
1962- Hintermuller Robert (Sui-R.F. Schlatt)
1963- Gilbert Fatton (Sui-Velo Club Losanna)
1964- Luthi Hans (Suisse)
1965- Luthi Hans (Suisse)
1966- Palazzi Vladimiro (Velo Club Varese Ganna)
1967- Richard Walter (Sui-R.V. Zurigo)
1968- Schlatter Arthur (Sui-R.V. Emmenthal)
1969- Maietti Franco (Velo Club Varese Ganna)
1970- Mignami Germano (Sui-Velo Club Brissago)
1971- Fuchs Joseph (Sui-Mobel Marki Bonanza)
1972- Kurmann Xaver (Sui-GS Allegro)
1973- Thalmann Robert (Sui-GS Allegro)
1974- Schmid Ivan (Sui-GS Allegro)
1975- Schar Roland (Sui-GS Peugeot)
1976- Mirri Gabriele (UC Comense-Meggiarin 1887)
1977- Glaus Gilbert (Sui-Velo Club Mendrisio)
1978- Mutter Stefan (Sui-GS Bonanza)
1979- Ehrensberger Kurt (Sui-GS Schumacker(
1980- Glaus Gilbert (Sui-GS Vuille)
1981- Glaus Gilbert (Sui-GS Vuille)
1982- Bruggmann Jurg (Sui-Kraft Pierozunino)
1983- Trinckler Richard (Sui-Bianchi Piaggio Weimann)
1984- Wyss Benno (Sui-Olmo Equipe Thalmann)
1985- Wegmuller Thomas (Sui-Wuthrich Edco)
1986- Hodge Stephan (Aus-Rory O’Brien)
1987- Huwyler Daniel (Sui-GS Schort)
1988- Sunderland Scott (Aus-Holden)
1989- Saint George Barney (Fra-Albion Cycles)
1990- Jaccard Pascal (Sui- Ferraroli-VCF Genève)
1991- Huwyler Daniel (Sui-Tigra Gusto Rowo)
1992- Ouchakov Seregei (Ukr-Velo Club Mendrisio)
1993- Andersen Christian (Den-Velo Club Mendrisio)
1994- Luttenberger Peter (Aut-Velo Club Mendrisio)
1995- Gartmann Ralph (Sui-PMU Romand Bepsa)
1996- Commesso Salvatore (Casini Vellutex VigorplantI)
1997- Zberg Beat (Sui-Mercatone Uno)
1998- Puttini Felice (Sui-Alessio Cerchi)
1999- Fois Valentino (Vini Caldirola Sidermec)
2000- Puttiini Felice (Ros Mary Amica Chips)
2001- Moos Alexandre (Sui-Phonak Hearing System)
2002- Gryshchenko Ruslan (Ukr-Zoccorinese Palazzago Vellutex)
2003- Wiesiak Mariusz (Pol-Daver Pacific)
2004- De Maria Giuseppe (Palazzago ABI Isolant)§
2005- Maccanti Michele (Team LPR)
2006- De Paoli Daniele (Team LPR)
2007- Dietziker Andreas (Sui-Team LPR)
2008- Serri Eddy (Miche Silver Cross)
2009- Konovalovas Ignatas (Ltu-Cervelo Test Team)
2010- Dietziker Andreas (Sui-Vorarlberg Corratec)
2011- Saggiorato Mirco (Sui- Atlas Personal Jakroo)
2012- Aregger Marcel (Sui-Atlas Personal Jakroo)