Beniamino Schiavon, from Laigueglia, was the director for many years of the local Autonomous Care and Stay Agency, under whose impulse the Trofeo Laigueglia was born in 1964. Many stories from the first editions were collected by his sons Massimo and Roberto before Beniamino's passing in 2023. We present them in a sort of staged race towards the opening classification of Italian cycling.

1966 - SALVARANI IS WORTH A MASS

At that time, Laigueglia was poor in money but rich in ideas, and Pino Villa was a true master of this. One afternoon, Beniamino Schiavon and Giancarlo Garassino saw Villa arrive at the Stay Agency with that illuminated look, typical of when he was about to propose something borderline, but brilliant.

Every way was good to try to have the best at the start. During the winter, one of the Salvarani brothers had passed away. Salvarani was used to frequenting the Riviera and obviously the Trophy since its inception. To have the best of Salvarani that year at the start, Pino said: "I have an idea". Schiavon and Garassino's hands trembled for a moment. "We could have a mass celebrated in memory of Knight Salvarani who passed away in winter, you take care of the ecclesiastical part, I'll handle the rest. Salvarani will have to bring the best of its champions to Laigueglia, and we'll obtain the result without a great financial outlay".

After a small discussion, the project was implemented: Villa had not been wrong that time either.

3 - to be continued