Giovanni Zonta, 87 years old, known as "Mistero," has passed away. He was from Nove, in the province of Vicenza. He spent his free time for over 40 years with a passion for cycling, first as a manager with the Velo Junior Nove team of Giacomo Comacchio (he followed races by motorcycle) and later worked for five years with the wheel change team "Iscaselle" managed by Flavio Milani, already vice president of the Italian Cycling Federation, traveling throughout Italy. After this experience, he personally made his sponsored vehicles from Carrozzeria Europa available to serve cycling, hosting race officials, race directors, and organizers.

The distinctive feature of Giovanni Zonta was that he found a Fiat 1500 convertible from RAI Italian Radio Television, custom-built in 1964 in Turin. He had restored it and used it to follow cycling races in the Veneto region. "It was a fantastic vehicle that was greatly admired by those who encountered it, and many enthusiasts asked me for information; it is my pride and joy" he said in an interview with Enzo Casarotto in the magazine "Sportivissimo." "I was often invited to vintage car shows because all the organizers looked good if they could include my jewel among the cars on display. Adriano De Zan and many personalities from the sports and entertainment world have ridden in this car, and I won't hide it, even beauty queens were 'passengers worth considering...' I also followed many stages of the Giro d'Italia cycling race. In Valdobbiadene, RAI dedicated a special feature to my jewel."

Always in cycling. "Around Villaraspa," he continued in his interview with Enzo Casarotto, "I noticed a young boy who was always on his bike. He intrigued me, so I got him a pair of wheels. That's how Gianni Faresin's cycling adventure began. I told him that if he remained humble and serious, the doors of professionalism would open for him. And that's exactly what happened. In the Vicenza area we had champions besides Faresin: Battaglin, Loro, Vedovello, Colpo, Bertacco, Moro, and Enrico Battaglin, great personalities who matured also thanks to their sports managers. There are many memories linked to this passion of mine, and every day they bring important emotions."

Giovanni Zonta was also a prominent figure in football. He was in Switzerland (from 1959 to '66), with Berna Thun, an amateur team of Italian emigrants, where as a goalkeeper he had the honor of winning the championship of Italian communities abroad in 1959. After returning to the Vicenza area, he continued playing football with Marosticense and Nove.

In his working life, Giovanni Zonta had opened a body shop in Villaraspa (Vi) which in 1982 he moved to Via De Gasperi in Pianezze San Lorenzo near Marostica. His Carrozzeria Europa, now managed with his children Silvio and Monica, is a destination for continuous visits from many athletes who appreciate the warmth of this remarkable person. In recent years, illness and various complications made Giovanni Zonta's "old age" more challenging, confining him to a wheelchair.

The farewell to Giovanni Zonta will take place on Thursday at 10 a.m. in the Arcipretale Church of Nove (Vi). He is survived by his wife Ivana, his children Monica with Luca and Silvio with Eliana, and his grandchildren Riccardo, Eugenio, Annachiara, and Adriana.