THE TIME OF THE PAST. GLAUCO SANTONI, THE BIRTHDAY OF THE TEAM-MAN

HISTORY | 19/01/2025 | 08:14
di Marco Pastonesi

He was such a team player that his only two professional victories were won with the team: the team time trial in Brugnera in 1982 (in the Famcucine-Campagnolo with Moser, Torelli, Masciarelli and Amadori) and the team time trial at the Tour of Switzerland in 1985 (in the Carrera-Inoxpran with Breu, Chiappucci, Perini, Ghirotto, Bordonali and Rossignoli). The other victories, many, very many, were those of his captains: from Gimondi to Basso, to name two, from Bitossi to Zilioli, to name two others.


Glauco Santoni had learned teamwork in his family: "Second of seven brothers and six sisters, total thirteen, plus the dad, a bricklayer, and the mom, a jack-of-all-trades". In Villa Verucchio, about twelve kilometers from Rimini, with other teams: "School, up to middle school, and the town band, five-six years, me on the trumpet". Until between school and band, he chose the bike: "To move around, there was nothing else. We didn't have a car at home". Glauco was fourteen years old: "Cycling alone or around with friends, then in a society. From a small warehouse, they pulled out a very used bike. Don't ask me the brand, I don't remember, I didn't look at it, or maybe it wasn't there anymore, faded by time and scratched from use". The first race? "In the area they organized small circuits. Cesenatico, Gatteo, Bellaria... It ended with a sprint. And in the third race, third place. It was 1965, that day on TV they were celebrating Gimondi's victory at the Tour de France, and I would never have imagined that one day I would race with him and for him".


Cycling was Disneyland: "At home they didn't obstruct me, and when I could, I would still go help my father at the construction sites. Especially since some results were coming. Every Sunday was a beautiful celebration. I had no thoughts for tomorrow, what arrived was a gift. And the passion multiplied". Until he turned professional: "It was a different world, more difficult, another world. Few teams, each team formed by ten-twelve riders, only the strongest, and all riders raced all races, and almost all raced to win, and all races, even those called minor, were no less than 250 kilometers".

Santoni was a good climber-rouleur: "My task was to stay next to my captains. So, a race at the front. I held on, didn't give up, if I had to pull I pulled, if I had to chase I chased, I stayed with them as long as I could, then I continued and arrived nearby, also getting some placements". Third in a Giro dell'Emilia (1976), fifth in a Coppa Placci (1982), fifth in a Giro dell'Appennino (1980), sixth in a Tre Valli Varesine (1980). Also in stage races: sixth in a Giro di Puglia (1980), sixth in a Giro del Trentino (1981). "Racing to help is not like racing to win. And it doesn't teach you to win, indeed, when perhaps a possibility could be glimpsed, I no longer even noticed the right moment".

There were always the captains ("Gimondi who would look for me even after we had stopped racing, Moser who was, let's say, more exuberant..."), training companions ("Vandi and Savini, almost neighbors"), training rides ("Montefeltro, Val Marecchia, Carpegna before it became Pantani's climb, but it was tough, we did it occasionally"). Eight Giri d'Italia, four Tours and a Vuelta ("Tougher the Tour, because of the heat, because of the different way of racing, everyone was flying"), Sanremo and Lombardy ("The most beautiful Sanremo for the champions, a kind of yellow, the Lombardy tougher, at the end of the season"). There were always the climbs ("Never did Gavia and Mortirolo, but Stelvio yes. And Gran Sasso was certainly no less tiring"), sometimes the snow ("At Trentino, at Tirreno-Adriatico..."), often the bonks ("Sooner or later they happened to many, if not to all. Once a hunger crisis hit me, we were in central Italy, I attached myself to an advertising van, doughnuts, I devoured them until I regained energy"). And the water bottles: "Zilioli asked me to stop and get him a drink. Where?, I asked him. At a bar, he said. I don't go to bars, I replied. And Zilioli never asked me again".

Santoni left two wheels for the ten of a truck. A team player, always. So much a team player, Santoni, that even now, at seventy-three years old (today, January 19, his birthday, congratulations), he rides his bike in a group: "Departure from a bar, several friends, then the young ones charge ahead, without respect, and since I don't want to break my neck anymore, we others let them blow off steam and go ahead at our own pace".


Copyright © TBW
COMMENTI
Hai dimenticato i tuoi dati, clicca qui.
Se non sei registrato clicca qui.
TBRADIO

00:00
00:00
Remco Evenepoel è apparso molto fiducioso nel suo incontro con la stampa e, riguardo le sue aspettative sulla gara di domenica, la vittoria per lui è l’unica opzione possibile. Il belga vuole vincere la sua terza Liegi-Bastogne-Liegi, anche se la...


Bianca, il suo vero nome era Tiziana Bonazzola, il nonno era un garibaldino. Sulla sua Bianchi, color verde acqua sabaudo, durante la Resistenza garantiva i collegamenti fra la periferia e il centro clandestino operativo a Milano, la sua specialità era...


Basta la parola, diceva un vecchio slogan quando la parola "spot" in Italia era sconosciuta e si guardava Carosello. Basta la parola: Gregario. E' il titolo del libro che racconta la carriera di Alessandro Vanotti, scritto dall'ex prof bergamasco insieme...


E' stata una 70^ Coppa Montes spettacolare e imprevedibile quella che quest'oggi, con la regia organizzativa della Asd Anpi Provinciale capitanata dal Presidente Massimo Masat e la collaborazione della Ciclistica Pieris, ha rinnovato sulle strade friulane la tradizione del 25...


Venerdì 25 aprile a tinte giallo - rosso - nere in quel di Alcamo (TP) dove si è corso il Memorial Totò Longo. Il Team Nibaliè stato grande protagonista con Giuseppe Giglia  che ha messo a segno la sua prima...


La città di Castano Primo celebra il trionfo del Pool Cantù-GB Junior che con i suoi ragazzi conquista la 67sima edizione della Coppa Tre Martiri per juniores. Vittoria in solitaria del figlio d’arte Julian Bortolami che ben supportato dai compagni...


Continui passi in avanti del Team ECOTEK che prosegue nella sua crescita regolare di tutti i suoi corridori grazie alla serietà e alla professionalità messa in campo a favore dei propri atleti. Dopo l’annullamento della gara di S.Bellino (RO) a...


Dopo il successo in Trentino, il campione toscano Lorenzo Luci ha fatto il bis stagionale imponendosi in una volata di gruppo sul traguardo di Donoratico, al termine della Coppa Liberazione-Trofeo I Greppi. Al secondo posto un altro atleta dello squadrone...


Si è imposto il trevigiano, precisamente di Castello di Godego, Xavier Bordignon nel 67° Trofeo della Vittoria, la classica per allievi organizzata dall'Aurora sulle strade di Trento. Sul traguardo di via Valnigra il portacolori della Postumia ha preceduto il...


Nel rispetto della tradizione la “Giornata Azzurra” nella località di Albergo in provincia di Arezzo con l’apertura riservata alla categoria esordienti. Partenza unica con primo e secondo anno presenti atleti ed organizzazione affidata come sempre alla Pol. Albergo Oliveto. Splendido...


TBRADIO

-

00:00
00:00





DIGITAL EDITION
Prima Pagina Edizioni s.r.l. - Via Inama 7 - 20133 Milano - P.I. 11980460155




Editoriale Rapporti & Relazioni Gatti & Misfatti I Dubbi Scripta Manent Fisco così per Sport L'Ora del Pasto Le Storie del Figio ZEROSBATTI Capitani Coraggiosi La Vuelta 2024