Aldo Parecchini, from Nave, in the heart of the province of the Leonessa d'Italia, where he was born on December 21, 1950, was a valid, excellent rider, professional from 1973 to 1980 in top-level international teams.

Ferruccio Manza, also from the same municipality, a powerful rouleur born in 1943, won silver at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics in the 100-kilometer team with Severino Andreoli, Luciano Dalla Bona, and Pietro Guerra, three from the nearby province of Verona, all with powerful engines who also won the world title in the specialty at the 1964 World Championships in Sallanches, France. These were the times when the Italian team was at the top of this spectacular event, somewhat a thermometer revealing the health of a cycling movement, an exercise relegated and forgotten since 1994, despite (poorly successful) attempts to propose it at the professional club team level at the world championships.

Let's focus back on Aldo Parecchini by briefly retracing his cycling career, which began with Fenotti Comini in Nave and then, as an amateur, with the IAG Gazoldo squad, (I.A.G. is the acronym for Industria Alimentare Gazoldo), a reality from the province of Mantua that was connected to the famous Molteni both in production and sporting contexts. In fact, the I.A.G. of Gazoldo degli Ippoliti was somewhat the reservoir of Molteni from Arcore, which grew and selected the most promising talents to then bring them to professionalism with the blue-chamois jersey, the mythical jersey of the patrons, "Sciur Piero" and his son Ambrogio, with Giorgio Albani and Ernesto Colnago in the team car.

With Parecchini, nicknamed "Parecca", among various others from the team directed by Pierino Livraghi, especially Luigi Castelletti, Davide Boifava, and Giacinto Santambrogio should be remembered, all with valid careers in the top category, with Davide Boifava standing out as the soul and manager of internationally significant teams for decades.

Aldo Parecchini among the "pure" is known as a fast rouleur, Italian champion in 1970 and 1971, multiple times in the national team, winner of significant races such as the Amedeo Guizzi trophy, the local classic Milano-Busseto, and the Targa Crocifisso of Bari.

In 1973 he raced with Molteni led by Eddy Merckx while the following year, in 1974, he moved to Brooklyn, another cycling powerhouse of the famous "bridge rubber" of the Perfetti brothers with a beautiful "gallery" of champions and directed by the sagacious Franco Cribiori. It's here that he matures the choice to propose himself as a significant collaborator for team leaders, especially when it was necessary to set the pace, protect from the wind, and shield the designated champion. A special understanding linked Parecchini with the Flemish Ronald De Witte, a tough Belgian from the prolific Flandria nursery, friend of Roger De Vlaeminck, a classic hunter of extraordinary stature known as the "Gypsy of Eeklo", his hometown and origin of Monsieur Roubaix.

It's with the stars and stripes jersey of the Lainate team that Parecchini signs his cycling "masterpiece" by winning, after a solo breakaway of about 200 kilometers, the sixth stage of the 1976 Tour de France, from Bastogne, Belgium, to Nancy, in Lorraine, at almost 39 km/h average, often with headwind, after catching Luis Ocana right after the start and continuing alone. Enrico Paolini from Marche finished second, 4'29" behind. For about a hundred kilometers, Parecchini was the virtual yellow jersey. He dedicated the feat to the memory of his father Andrea, who had passed away shortly before. In 1977 he won the Pietra Ligure criterium.

In 1978 he raced for Selle Royal and with this team, directed by Florentine Carlino Menicagli, he won the second stage of the Giro di Puglia. In 1979 he joined Bianchi-Faema led by team manager Giancarlo Ferretti and concluded his professional career in 1980 with Famcucine, a Tuscan team directed by Luciano Pezzi.

He leaves professional cycling but not the bicycle, indeed, as a cycling amateur he literally dominates various categories for many years, depending on his advancing age, collecting podiums and cups.

However, it's not personal ambition that drives him to engage seriously in his new cycling role but the pleasure of pedaling just for the pleasure of pedaling, not for the nature prizes, many also of significant value, which constituted the rewards for the first classified, but as Parecchini explains, for the taste and pleasure of pedaling without the tactical constraints of professionalism, experiencing the emotion of competition and challenges with sporting rivals, often friends in "normal" life.

Competitions took place especially in small provincial centers during weekends, but to compete at best, it was essential to care for training and specific preparation.

And this was well present in Parecchini, who willingly subjected himself to the constraints and dictates required to be in shape. For him, pedaling was not - and is not -, albeit with due caution, a constraint but a constant pleasure that aligned, with personal sacrifices, with work in the steel mill sector (as a true Brescian, one would say), reaching his twin brother Alfio, while punctually corresponding to family and work commitments.

Even now he enjoys cycling, with great attention and some concern, meeting various companions from the prolific Brescian cycling territory, especially from his era.