The Velo Club Of Today celebrated the 50th anniversary of its foundation with a special stop, from Sanremo to Milan. Obviously accomplished by bicycle, on two wheels. It was February 17, 1974 when some cycling enthusiasts from today gathered to create the association.
50 years later, to celebrate the anniversary, some members went to the Ligurian city, and then made a bicycle trip backwards, until they returned home. A route, Sanremo-Oggiono, which was not chosen randomly and completed with a special t-shirt celebrating the 50th anniversary.
In 1999, in fact, the cyclists of the Velo Club, to celebrate the then 25th anniversary of its foundation, set off by bicycle from Oggiono to Sanremo. The decision to retrace the same route – 25 years later – but, in the opposite direction, was an opportunity to celebrate the continuity of the history of the cycling association.
A route completed by bicycle, divided into two stages, and carried out on the roads of the Milan-Sanremo, the classic race par excellence of professional cycling. A first stage departing from the Ligurian city on the morning of Saturday 11 May and arriving in Gavi in the province of Alessandria. Place where the Velo Club group, made up of around twenty cyclists, arrived after traveling approximately 186 kilometers and 1800 meters of altitude difference. In the second stage, on Sunday, the Velo Club cyclists returned to the saddle of Gavi and headed towards Oggiono, also passing through Milan, the starting point of the very classic at the end of winter.
A return journey that saw the Velo Club group cross Pavia and stop in the city for a souvenir photo near the Covered Bridge. Place from which they resumed pedaling until they reached Piazza Duomo in Milan where they took another group photo to remember the special journey undertaken on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the association. A new climb back into the saddle and a final effort brought the group back to Oggiono.
Fifty years of activity also represent an opportunity to take stock of the history of the Velo Club, also remembering the many changes that have involved the world of amateur cycling. Daniele Fumagalli who has held the role of president of the Velo Club for 25 years, was present way back in 1974 when the association was founded on an idea by Franco Pirovano. At the time the name assumed was that of VC Tino Conti, as a tribute to the rider from Brianza. ”We started as simple cycle tourists in the Seventies and we participated in many cycling rallies, even in the Eighties, when they were very popular” recalls Fumagalli, recalling the victory of the Italian Cup for clubs in 1980 and again in 1983. In the end of the Seventies there was also the experience of the rookie team, of which Fumagalli was sporting director.
”In the mid-nineties the Gran Fondos became widespread and we participated in these competitions achieving excellent results. In 1999 we came first as a company at the Nove Colli di Cesenatico, also obtaining placings at the Gran Fondos, such as the Pinarello, the Dolomiti Marathon and several others” explains the president, retracing the history of that period.
In the second half of the 2000s the Velo Club changed focus again. He focuses on cycling trips abroad, with trips to Prague, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Austria, France and Belgium, following his passion for the great cycling classics, with the desire to travel the roads of the most iconic and historical. Without neglecting the stops in Italy, such as in the art cities of Florence and Rome.
These are the years in which the activities of the Velo Club have an important turning point. At the end of the 2000s the association accepted the great challenge of reviving and reorganizing the Piccolo Giro di Lombardia. An under 23 cycling classic that has over one hundred years of history and has been won by the greatest champions of world cycling. Today the competition, recognized by the International Cycling Union, has taken the name of Lombardia Under 23 and sees the participation of the most important cycling teams from all over the world. ”It’s our flagship, we try to carry it forward in the best possible way and over time” explains Fumagalli announcing the work for the next edition, the 96th. ”We aim to reach the 100th edition… and even beyond”.
