"The best moment of my career? When I stopped..."

In this phrase, which you never know how true or how much a product of his personality, many peculiarities that make Roberto Visentini unique are condensed, and his entry into the Giro d'Italia Hall of Fame, celebrated this morning. And if the Giro is the event that represents and spreads Italian excellence in the world, what better location than Eataly Smeraldo in Milan, and what better partner than the Italian Trade Agency? In the presence of Gianni Bugno (entered in the HoF here at Eataly at the end of 2024) and other champions and teammates like Claudio Chiappucci and Guido Bontempi, another great friend of the protagonist like Giro d'Italia director Stefano Allocchio, and a bicycle legend like Ernesto Colnago, with RCS direction by Sportweek director Pier Bergonzi, Roberto Visentini officially entered the parterre de roi of the pink race.

After institutional greetings from Eataly CEO Andrea Cipolloni, ITA Chief Innovation Officer Luca Di Persio and Rcs Sport CRO Matteo Mursia, the floor was given to the dialogue between Bergonzi and Visentini:

"Around Gardone Riviera, cycling was a natural choice. I joined the local team and then made my way. In 1975 I became the first Junior World Champion in history, in a Gazzetta dello Sport survey I was 'man of the year' ahead of Lauda and Borg. I remember the early years in the peloton, with a wonderful person like Mr. Felice Gimondi and other champions. After years in good teams, in 1983 in Inoxpran I had the best overall time at the Giro but Saronni won with half-minute bonuses. Then Boifava's team became Carrera Jeans and in 1985 I wore the maglia rosa for nine days, but due to a health issue I ended up in Brescia hospital and had to withdraw; anyway I'd never have beaten Hinault. Then, the 1986 Giro: I started with a fiberglass bandage for a scaphoid fracture, but from the first stage in Palermo I forgot every pain and felt good right away. I won a stage in the Basilicata region, but I won the Giro in Foppolo arriving third despite a gear problem. Muñoz won and the stage favorite Lemond was second, but in the GC I managed to stay ahead of him, Saronni, Baronchelli, Moser... and defended the pink jersey in the final in Merano on my 29th birthday."

Many other considerations will be heard in Monday, February 2nd's episode of our podcast BlaBlaBike, but here's how Visentini continued his story at Eataly: "Me, wealthy? In the Seventies everyone was doing well, and thieves were doing best of all (jokes, ed). Other riders came from the farming world and I didn't? What does that mean, farmers had more money than craftsmen! Chiappucci and 'Bontemponi' here present? They were among my most honest teammates. I fondly remember Davide Cassani, my roommate in that 1986 Giro. The Sappada betrayal? I'm pleased to think I saved certain people from ***. Did I win less than I could have? The others were really strong! I left cycling overnight and gave away almost all prizes and memorabilia, I only keep the Giro cup I won and now I'll keep the Trofeo Senza Fine. I still don't know the riders, the Giro passed twice near my house and I didn't go see it. I told my son that if he had raced bikes I would have cut his legs, I had made so many sacrifices and didn't want him to do the same."

Final remarks: "Sometimes I could have done better or worse, but I'd say I'm satisfied with my career. The rider with the most talent I've seen? Bernard Hinault. The one with most grit and determination, Francesco Moser. Think of all those hours and training days in Mexico City for the record."

Others' final remarks... Beppe Conti: "Visentini was fast on any terrain, time trials and mountains. If only we had more like him. He raced in an era where they designed Giri d'Italia for Moser and Saronni, because the Giro was losing appeal and kept being won by anti-characters..." and another journalism veteran, Gianfranco Josti: "When Visentini won the Giro d'Italia, the next day we went to his home and the press conference was practically done by his mother, explaining what her son was like; the lady gave us a perfect portrait." Maestro Colnago instead addressed him directly: "Roberto, I'm so happy to be here celebrating you. You could have won more, but what matters is that you were always yourself, with your character. Please get involved in cycling and help the movement. Help us find and develop Italian talents, because young riders need help in this cycling where they are forced to become domestiques!" Bontempi: "I remember all mornings training together, including the one where, 50-70 km from home, we stopped to drink wine instead of water (smiles). When we wanted to train 'for real' we were always me, him and Bruno Leali." Chiappucci: "I turned professional in 1985 and did Roberto's first Giro with him, I remember when we went out training for the first time in rain and snow, for me he was impressive, great captain; also downhill, which maybe few remember... The only time I saw him truly angry was in Sappada." Bugno: "Roberto was one of the few to truly compete with Moser, Saronni and Hinault, I really liked watching him on television and he was one of those I looked up to." Allocchio: "My only fault is not having been to his house yet, but I'm perhaps the only one with whom he has seen and spoken without interruption in over thirty years after his retirement." Vincenzo Nibali's concluding cameo: "I remember as a child how much I liked watching him with his innovative ITT posture, he was one of the champions my dad talked about most."

At the end of this parade of stars and memories, including that bike cut and returned in forty pieces in 1984 "because something in the squad was not working correctly", here's the highlight: delivering the Trofeo Senza Fine and the ITA jersey with Piazza XXV Aprile in the background to Roberto Visentini, together with his friends present, his wife Elisabetta and children Matteo and Alice. A moment you can see in video on our Instagram profile.