"EL PIPA" BERNARDO RUIZ: 100 YEARS OF THE CHAMPION WHO MADE HISTORY AND HAD COPPI IN HIS HEART
EVENTS | 10/01/2025 | 08:10 di Francesca Monzone Bernardo Ruiz, known to everyone as El Pipa, is considered the first professional Spanish cyclist in history and last Tuesday turned 100 years old. Born in 1925, El Pipa was the first Spaniard to stand on the Tour de France podium in 1952 and won the Vuelta in 1948. Spain celebrated him as they do with great heroes and he, with great emotion and humility, accepted meeting journalists, the city council, and many fans and sports personalities who came to Orihuela. Bernardo Ruiz made Spanish sports history and in 100 years, the former cyclist from Alicante province has seen everything happen in his life, but he will always be remembered for being the first Spaniard to stand on the Tour de France podium in 1952, behind Fausto Coppi and Belgian Stan Ockers. He also had success in Italy and, although he never made the podium of the Giro, he won a stage in Rome in 1955. In his homeland, he was the best cyclist for a long time, after winning the Vuelta in 1948 and having three National Championships to his credit. For Bernardo Ruiz, like most people born before the Great War, sport was a necessity for survival and he started cycling after the Civil War. At 11 years old, he went to the black market and regularly covered the distance between Orihuela, his hometown, and Cartagena, over 80 kilometers, carrying 50 kilos of food, drinks, and all kinds of goods. Moreover, he did this on roads in terrible condition. What he did to survive transformed into experience and helped him win an amateur race and understand he could have a future in cycling. El Pipa, who was one of the cycling greats in his Spain, had an idol who was not from his land, but was Italian. It was Fausto Coppi, the Heron to everyone, with whom he loved to race. "The best rider I ever saw was Fausto Coppi" – Ruiz recalled during his 100-year celebration - "I appreciated him both on and off the road. He was a gentleman, a humble guy. But when he started shooting with his bike, no one could follow him". Bernardo's merit, according to all those close to him who could tell his story, was maintaining the humility that always characterized him. Every time he went to France to race the Tour, he returned home loaded with tires, sprockets, and other spare parts. Even the pharmacists in his town asked him to bring penicillin because at that time there was none.Everything was for his friends, for his family. He was always willing to help because he knew there was little money for cycling in Spain. The government during the years he raced was not very supportive of him, but El Pipa never stopped, proving he could compete with Italians, French, and Belgians. In his hometown of Orihuela, Bernardo Ruiz crossed the entrance of the municipal theater in his wheelchair and many people were waiting for him. In difficult moments, when roads were rough, Bernardo Ruiz paved the way for subsequent generations. But the true success that Spain recognized in this champion of another era was not the multitude of trophies won, but the ability to achieve his dream of becoming a cyclist in those years when Spain was going through true poverty and he, with his bike, had the strength to race for himself and for all those Spanish cyclists who would arrive in the following years and who today, a hundred years after his birth, have come to say thank you.
Eurosport e TNT Sports annunciano la docuserie originale Anatomy of a G.O.A.T. dedicata alla genesi sportiva e all’evoluzione scientifica dei più grandi atleti di tutti i tempi, con il primo episodio dedicato a Tadej Pogačar fuoriclasse del ciclismo mondiale, vincitore di...
La chiusura anticipata dall’accordo con la Bahrain Victorious e la conseguente uscita dal WorldTour sono solo l’ultimo segnale delle difficoltà che sta affrontando la Cicli Bianchi. La storica azienda di Treviglio ha chiesto infatti al Tribunale di Bergamo la composizione negoziata della crisi...
La votazione pubblica per gli UCI Fans' Choice Awards 2026 apre oggi, 4 novembre. Fino al 1° dicembre, i tifosi potranno scegliere i vincitori dei cinque premi, che saranno consegnati il 9 dicembre 2026 a Benidorm (Spagna) durante la UCI...
Lieto evento nella famiglia di Domenico – Nico o Niko – De Lillo che, ai vari titoli del suo peculiare palmarès ciclistico, soprattutto negli stayer ma non solo, aggiunge anche quello di nonno-bis o bisnonno che dir si voglia in...
Piemonte senza Giro d'Italia nel 2027: per la prima volta dopo 19 anni, la carovana rosa non attraverserà le strade della regione ed è la terza volta che accade nel dopoguerra, dopo il 1971 e 1981. Dopo aver ospitato negli ultimi...
E’ stato presentato ieri, all’Auditorium ‘Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone’ di Roma, il 110° Giro d’ talia. Partenza da Trieste sabato 8 maggio, con finale a Roma domenica 30, come di abitudine da qualche stagione, il Giro sciorina in 21...
Saranno cinque gli italiani che vestiranno la maglia del Team Jayco AlUla nel 2027. Il team australiano ha ufficializzato i nomi degli atleti con cui affronterà gli impegni agonistici della prossima stagione, la sedicesima nel WorldTour. Come annunciato a metà...
La Fiera del Cicloturismo si prepara alla sua sesta edizione, in programma dal 19 al 21 marzo 2027 alla Fiera di Padova, con tre giornate dedicate alle opportunità di sviluppo del turismo in bicicletta. Destinazioni, enti, tour operator, strutture ricettive,...
De Rosa ha appena presentato il suo nuovo configuratore online, uno strumento ben organizzato che permette di personalizzare la propria bici da strada direttamente dal sito. Su questa pagina non personalizzerete solo il colore del telaio, le grafiche o il colore...
Davide Bramati guarda al Giro con entusiasmo e il tracciato della corsa rosa, presentato ieri a Roma, gli piace sicuramente. «Un percorso esigente, decideremo tappa dopo tappa» Il direttore sportivo della Soudal-Quick Step promuove il percorso, ma per conoscere i nomi...
TBRADIO
-
00:00
00:00
SONDAGGIO
OSCAR TUTTOBICI 2026. SCEGLIETE IL MIGLIOR TECNICO ITALIANO DELL'ANNO
2
2
Ritratti
Oscar
Albi d'Oro
Se sei giá nostro utente esegui il login altrimenti registrati.