All of cycling mourns Imerio Massignan, champion of the Sixties, died at 87. Victim of a stroke a few weeks ago, he then recovered, but in the end he didn’t make it. He died in Novi Ligure hospital. The date of his funeral is not yet known.
Born in Valmarana in the Vicenza area on 2 January 1937, he had lived for years in Silvano d’Orba in the province of Alessandria and often took part in events celebrating cycling in the Alessandria area. In fact, he was present many times at the Campionissimi Museum in Novi Ligure.
Imerio Massignan on the right in an archive photo with Piero Coppi
His death comes on the eve of the start of the Giro d’Italia, with the first stage today 4 May, Venaria Reale – Turin, 140 km long.
A pure climber, his battles in the mountains were epic, especially with Charly Gaul: he is remembered as the hero of Gavia, in the 1960 Giro d’Italia in which he came fourth, but an unfortunate protagonist because he attacked, detaching Gaul in that stage where he climbed the epic mountain, but three punctures slowed him down, allowing Gaul to catch up and overtake him each time.
