“A friend of my father convinced him to let me race a motorbike, except that he was a little deaf and understood cycling”: Giacomo Agostini tells Fanpage.it about himself.
The profile of his legend is all in the impressive numbers: in 13 seasons contested, 15 world titles (7 in the 350 and 8 in the 500), 123 Grand Prix wins (54 in the 350, 68 in the 500, 1 in the 750), as well as 37 other podiums. More than 300 overall successes, 18 times Italian champion (2 as a junior). He is, with Valentino Rossi, the greatest champion the world of two wheels has ever known: Giacomo Agostini.
Since I was a child, the passion and vocation for motorbikes. Your father Aurelio, municipal secretary of Costa Volpino, in the Bergamo area, and owner of a transport company, with barges and tugboats on Lake Iseo, wanted you to be an accountant. But at 18, a misunderstanding from the family notary could give birth to the legend of Giacomo Agostini. Can you tell us about it?
My father didn’t want me to race motorbikes. I continually applied pressure, but he didn’t give in. He said that he would never sign the death of his son. Today I understand it, at the time I didn’t. One day we went to his notary friend, for a notarial deed. The notary, seeing me sad, asked me what was wrong. I replied: “I want to race a motorbike, he doesn’t.” He then (he was quite deaf) convinced my father, telling him that sport is good for young people, etc. My father then gave in and signed the authorization for official competitions. The notary had understood bicycle and not motorcycle! But it was done and it all started from there.
The Navigli clubs revolt against anti-nightlife regulations, Beppe Sala: “People want to sleep”
A great talent, yours. But it’s not enough on its own. How much did courage, determination, attention to detail, meticulousness count?
Talent is a very important factor, a gift that Mother Nature gives you. Just as you have courage within you, in your DNA. Then, you have to understand, however, that there are certain rules to respect: you cannot, for example, on the eve of a race go to the disco until 4 in the morning. You have to take care of your body and nutrition. To all this, we must add seriousness, meticulousness, attention to detail, sharing all updates with your mechanics.
Can the relationship between Giacomo Agostini and MV Agusta be defined as a long love story?
In my heart I have three brands: Morini which gave me the start, with the first victory (and the first love is never forgotten), MV Agusta, which gave me many world championships, and finally Yamaha, with which I won two more world titles. But, of course, MV was the most important. With her I won 13 world championships and she was my second family. I lived there for many years, the mechanics and I loved each other very much. A relationship of great friendship, but very professional. This contributed, in no small way, to all the successes achieved.
(Photo from Facebook)
Valentino Rossi has retired. An exceptional champion, too. What did you like most about him? Is there something you have in common?
What unites us are undoubtedly victories. He won a lot, I won a lot. Then there were different years. We were a little more closed, shy. He is more open, better at communicating, more smiling and imaginative. I liked him, because he won. He had a great talent, a gift of nature and he prepared his bike very well. Different riding styles: ours saw us riding as one with the motorbike. Many times you didn’t see the rider on the bike, he was so hugged to it. Instead, in Valentino’s era, he rode a little outside, you threw yourself off the bike, onto the asphalt, with your legs out. The style has changed a bit, due to the fact that we are talking about different bikes and wider tires (ours), so you had to keep the bike tilted with your body… In short, a few things have changed.
You’ve gone through generations and generations. Your myth still lives unaltered. Have you wondered why? And, above all, what answer did you give yourself?
I will tell you that this makes me very happy. It means that I have given emotions and joy to many people. I have always been in tune with the public: I have never refused an autograph, a photograph, even if I was tired and distraught. I understood, however, that the public loved me, adored me and I wanted to be grateful for the affection that people had towards me.
Has winning so much brought you more affection and sympathy or more (sports) hatred and antipathy?
I believe more sympathy and affection. The public wants the winner, the one who does things that others can’t do. The examples, just to name a few, are Cassius Clay, Valentino Rossi, Maradona, Schumacher and so on. People remember the greats, those who won everything.
Your most iconic rivals, united by a tragic fate, were two: Renzo Pasolini and Jarno Saarinen. You met, up close, the unbeatable adversary, death, in the tragic accident that took the lives of Pasolini and Saarinen on May 26, 1973, in Monza. You said, “You always think it will never happen to you.” Has this belief always given you the strength to continue?
I believe it applies not only to me, but to everyone. When a plane crashes with 200 people on board, the next day people are always at the airport to fly. This keeps us going, otherwise we would be stuck. You don’t think it could happen to you.
In 1976, at the closing race at the Nurburgring, you took the first victory of the season with MV, the last of your career. Precisely where, 20 years earlier, you had achieved your first success in the world championship, always riding the MV. An emotional and romantic epilogue. What did you think at that moment?
“I hadn’t thought about it before, then I thought about it, realizing that I had won my first world championship race right there and with the MV. Fate had wanted it that way. A truly romantic and emotional epilogue.
You have opened a museum in your home in Bergamo, but beware of calling it a museum. Why?
Usually the Museum is for those who have already left…(laughs). For now I’m calling it the Trophy Room. Then, one day, my parents will call it a museum.
One last curiosity. Why does everyone write “Bergamo champion”, when were you born in Brescia?
I was born in Brescia and lived in the province of Brescia for 13 years. Then my father moved the company to Lake Iseo and we went to live in Lovere. So, in terms of motoring, I was born in the Bergamo area. At 13 I started there, I got my racing license with the Costa Volpino motoclub, then Bergamo. So let’s say: born in Brescia, with a motorsport background from Bergamo.
