THE STORIES OF FIGIO. SAN MARCO VERTOVA, 60 YEARS OF CYCLING PASSION AND LOVE FOR YOUTH. GALLERY

HISTORY | 19/12/2024 | 08:15
di Giuseppe Figini
It is certainly a beautiful and long two-wheeled story written over the years by the San Marco society of Vertova, a notable center of Val Seriana with its own specific architectural characteristics, to the right of the Serio River, which here receives the waters of the Vertova stream. In the territory, diverse manufacturing activities in various sectors have been highly developed, grown alongside the textile industry.
Bergamo, the provincial capital, is located further south, about 30 kilometers away. Like all - or almost all - municipalities in the Bergamo province, cycling is not just a sport but has become a custom, is rooted in traditions, and is always experienced with renewed passion. It is the passion for two wheels that leads to the establishment, in the year 1965, of the San Marco Vertova Cycling Union.
The promoters of the society's birth, naturally great cycling enthusiasts, are a group of friends who want to give the opportunity to race to the many young people who, especially at the time, in very large numbers, wanted to compete. In the Bergamo land, cycling was very much felt - and even if to a lesser extent, it still is now, with names of considerable prestige.
1965 is the year of the "big surprise" of a young Felice Gimondi, winner of the Tour de France who strongly and qualitatively provided to represent a "testimonial", as they say now, an example, a stimulus, for many young people from all the Bergamo valleys. Vertova also gave birth in 1931 to a titled representative of cycling, track specialty, like Marino Morettini, who passed away in Milan in 1990. First, after a path studded with successes in the younger categories, then the prestigious titles culminating with the Olympic gold achieved at the Helsinki Games in 1952 in the team pursuit with Guido Messina, Mino De Rossi, and Loris Campana while, the following year, in 1953, he wore the world champion jersey in amateur speed in Zurich prevailing in the final over the Veneto rider Cesare Pinarello. He was an elegant and powerful track rider who, once turned professional, found extremely fierce competition both nationally and internationally, which barred him from accessing the absolute prestigious steps of the final podium. The U.C. San Marco Vertova has always been, by conscious and shared choice, a peculiar prominent presence in the "juniors" sector with remarkable results and pedaling protagonists who then established themselves and distinguished themselves in the highest professional category, achieving some maximum value achievements.
It is Giovanni Merelli who remembers, with vivid and circumstantial promptness, without emphasis but with the concrete Bergamo spirit that always transpires in his youthful "over 80", 83 to be precise, the various passages of the society that has always enjoyed, and still continues, the contribution of passion, also concrete, a sign above all of the credibility and consideration of the group of friends at the time of establishment, never diminished over time. And he remembers the figure of President Pietro, his older brother, in office from the early 1970s and maintained until 2001, to whom the namesake trophy, now in its 21st edition in 2024, is dedicated.
It was Pietro Merelli who gave structure to the society, both in the competitive and organizational sectors. After his premature disappearance, the board of directors unanimously entrusts the baton to his brother Giovanni, who continues his work, always in the same group of friends, and is keen to specify the hidden, reserved but always absolutely active role behind the scenes of Alberto Magni and Massimo Benagli, references of sure value in the society who succeeded him in the role.
A meritorious society that has always supported the growth of young juniors and that has proposed several riders of specific value with excellent careers even in the highest category and, picking the best, Giovanni Merelli proposes, among many, the names of Alessandro Paganessi, born in 1959, a strong and elegant professional climber for several years, then a pioneer of mountain bike, Mirco Gualdi, from 1968, amateur road world champion in 1990 in Utsonomiya, Japan, first by a margin - 58" - ahead of another Italian, the Apulian Roberto Caruso with the national team guided by the capable and charismatic coach Giosuè Zenoni, another true Bergamo native. To his credit also a stage of the Giro d'Italia, the 17th from Dalmine-Verona, of the 1997 Giro. The year 1970 sees the birth of another excellent figure formed in the society, Giuseppe Guerini, a rider definitely characterized as a climber, called "Beppe Turbo" also because he grew up near the Vertova hydroelectric power plant driven by turbines, with an excellent professional career enhanced by two stages won at the Tour and one at the Giro d'Italia, often in the top of the classifications of the grand tours, also performing a precious support role for top team leaders. The palmares speak eloquently of the two-wheeled qualities of Mirco Gualdi and Beppe Guerini who continue their relationship inserted in San Marco, actively operating in the board of directors with their experience and all-round seriousness.
Also Paolo Lanfranchi, born in 1968, passed through the San Marco nursery and, in his long professional career, also won a stage at the Giro d'Italia. He also raced with San Marco Vertova Paolo Savoldelli, born in Clusone in 1973, a climber and fearless descender, so much so as to earn the nickname "the Falcon" for his ability to handle the vehicle even on the most sinuous and steep descents, with two Giri d'Italia and multiple valuable stage victories in his record. Giovanni Merelli also mentions Gian Battista Gozzini, a promising athlete who did not continue his activity to dedicate himself to obtaining a medical degree.
Those mentioned here are somewhat the tip of the iceberg of young riders, all native to Val Seriana, who passed through the society with yellow-red colors. In the organizational field, the activity is concentrated in the two calendar races that take place in the last weekend of August, which, by tradition, enjoy top-level participation at the international level. They are programmed and managed with specific and careful professionalism - obviously reserved for the junior category - which, in addition to Vertova, involves various locations in the beautiful Val Seriana, especially with the surrounding municipalities such as Gazzaniga and Casnigo, hometown of the family of a veteran Italian cycling champion, somewhat afflicted by a career studded with runner-up positions. It is Italo Zilioli who, from Piedmont, continues to maintain a lively relationship with Casnigo.
Also Gianfranco Zilioli, namesake but not related to Italo, born in 1990, is from Casnigo and at his debut among professionals won the G.P. Industria e Commercio di Prato. From Casnigo was also Santino Cattaneo, a sort of "good giant" always available for riders and races, in various roles, prematurely taken away by the terrible Covid that his brother Beppe remembers on the occasion of the Two Days of Vertova. The highlight is the 52nd Emilio Paganessi Trophy, which is run on Sunday morning, while on Saturday, with the Paganessi family always supporting the initiative, the 26th Vertova Municipality Trophy-21st Pietro Merelli Memorial is run.
A story of continuity characterized by passion and the ability to cohesion of public entities with the municipality of Vertova in the foreground and the generous contribution of other local economic realities that "live", sharing with the population and enthusiasts, the San Marco Vertova Cycling Union to continue to revive with unchanged passion and participation, a beautiful story, rich in chapters and friendship. A story that has as its logistical hub, but not only, the Paganessi marble company, a historic "title sponsor", as they say these days, with Giulio Paganessi, the always available host, continuing with his family a tradition now definable, with good reason, as "historic".