In the early 1960s Franco Balmamion won successive
editions of the Giro d'Italia, an achievement no Italian
cyclist has been able to emulate in almost half a
century since. In the post-war era only Balmamion and
the three great champions Coppi, Merckx and Indurain,
have successfully defended the fabled maglia rosa, the
pink jersey of the Giro winner. And yet virtually
nothing is known of this rider whose Giro record
surpassed all but the very best, and who, with a
fraction of the support others enjoyed, might well have
won not only a third Giro, but also the Tour de France.
In capturing the 1962 Giro Balmamion, the so-called
'Silent Champion', displayed extraordinary mental and
physical courage, overcoming not only his rivals but
also the mutiny and skullduggery of a famous, celebrated
team-mate. His epic performance, at the age just
twenty-two, was the equal of anything achieved by any of
the true giants of the sport, but remains a story
untold, ignored by the cycling world, obscured by the
mists of time. How then has cycling contrived to
disregard the achievements of such a rider?That is the
question Herbie Sykes asks in an unforgettable quest to
recover the memory of 'The Eagle of the Canavese'. In so
doing he rediscovers the romantic, parochial community
of Italian cycling, revealing for the first time the
secrets of the race, and of the heroes and villains
involved. Their stories, by turns heroic, astonishing
and heartbreaking, are as immediate today as they were
back then. |
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