A two-man breakaway. Two teammates, wearing the maroon jersey of Unione Sportiva Pontedecimo. Mario Aldo Rossi, the older one, and Sergio Ferrando, the younger, almost a sporting generation apart, six years between them. A breakaway that succeeded. Just before arriving in Voltri, Ferrando told Rossi that the victory should go to him, Rossi, the older rider. Rossi responded to Ferrando that the victory rightfully belonged to him, Ferrando, the younger. He was convincing: "You have a career ahead of you". First Ferrando, second Rossi.

Mario Aldo Rossi would have turned one hundred this year (on February 5th), officially Mario, simply Aldo to everyone, from runner to cyclocross and road cyclist, Italian cyclocross champion in 1955. His San Martino di Paravanico, a fraction of Ceranesi, in the metropolitan area of Genoa, about twenty kilometers inland, more than enough to seem like living in another world, dedicates two events to him: Thursday, June 19th, at 9 PM, a celebration with speeches, testimonies, memories, and an affectionate exhibition with tricolor jersey, helmet, photographs, and newspaper clippings at the Le Piane multi-sports center in Ceranesi, in a tent named after him; and Tuesday, June 24th, the Mountain Grand Prix at Livellato during the first edition of the Women's Giro dell'Appennino.

Rossi had cycling talent, that natural talent born from the territory, lakes and passes, climbs and descents, merchants' routes and cyclo-paths, carrying the bike up and down, but also that family talent born from simplicity, modesty, dignity if not poverty of existences. He became one of Luigi Ghiglione's "puppies" (the term "puppies" is from his nephew Fulvio Rapetti), the creator of the Apennine Circuit in 1935 (promoted to Giro dell'Appennino in 1955), patron of Unione Sportiva Pontedecimo. And Rossi became, with Ferrando, Elio Magnanego and Valerio Chiarlone, one of Ghiglione's four musketeers, third in the Coppa Adriana in Desio in 1949, a sort of Italian team time trial championship for juniors. Then amateur, from 1949 to 1955, Rossi collected victories and titles: five Ligurian cyclocross championships in 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953 and 1955, the Italian championship in 1955 (and second in 1954 behind Graziano Pertusi and ahead of Luigi Malabrocca nicknamed Luisìn), six times in the blue jersey with five world participations and fourth place at the 1953 World Championships in Crenna. On the road in 1950 he won the Bologna-Passo della Raticosa classic, in 1953 the Coppa Azzari (Milan-Sestri Ponente) tied with Angelo Malvicini. Until in 1956 he turned professional with Nilux-Ursus from Vigevano, where Malabrocca had also been: third in the Italian championships held at home in Pontedecimo (a home of familiar paths and steps: first Amerigo Severini, second Dante Benvenuti). Third again in the 1958 Italian championships. His last victory in a cross classic, that of Solbiate Olona, on Epiphany Day, in 1958. In his medal collection also the world team silver in 1955 and the world team bronze in 1957, always in cyclocross.

In Ceranesi, and particularly in San Martino di Paravanico, seventy percent of inhabitants are named Rossi. He was one of the minority, Sergio Repetto nicknamed Sergìn, who suggested the opportunity for a deserved remembrance. And it was one of the majority, Maria Teresa Rossi, distantly related to the cyclist, Culture Assessor of Ceranesi, who first consulted the cyclist's family, then the Unione Sportiva Pontedecimo, and finally the municipal council to organize the event. Everyone agreed. Because Aldo was "a wonderful person". Son of a basket maker, fifth of ten children, bakery delivery boy on bicycle at eleven-twelve years old, then in a steel company in Bolzaneto, later at Italsider in Cornigliano as an electrician, Aldo was "shy, reserved, generous, available - says his daughter Angela -. We didn't know he was a cycling champion, but we already knew he was a champion as a dad". He remained connected to cycling by training kids from the Mobili Casaccia Sports Group. "My doping - he would explain to Angela - were dates. I would buy a kilo and eat them on the train going to the race". A progress compared to when he went to races with the Pontedecimo support car: a Balilla, driven by Ghiglione, with the four musketeers and their bicycles.

Rossi died on July 15th, 2009. He was 84 years old. If he could comment on the double celebration organized by his fellow villagers, happy and content, proud and moved, he would say that it wasn't really necessary.