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
Prima le riprese al freddo sotto la Pietra di Bismantova e in un caseificio del Parmigiano Reggiano, poi l’aperitivo a tinte olimpiche con lo sciatore Giuliano Razzoli e l’ex ct Davide Cassani, infine la visita all’acetaia-gioiello dello stesso Razzoli...


È davvero sorprendente, specialmente considerata la sua giovane età, percepire con che consapevolezza, determinazione e voglia di arrivare Samuele Privitera stia vivendo i suoi giorni da corridore. Al suo secondo anno nella Hagens Berman Jayco (la squadra di Axel...


Non capita a tutti di avere una grande classica internazionale a pochi passi da casa, ma Alessandro Borgo, per il Trofeo Piva 2025, non avrà nemmeno bisogno di prendere la macchina per andare a Col San Martino. Classe 2005, di...


Dopo aver tappezzato l'Italia di cartelli che invitano al sorpasso sicuro mantenendo un metro e mezzo di distanza, Io Rispetto il Ciclista ha deciso di puntare sulle bike lanes. Ne avevamo parlato anche in una recente puntata di BlaBlaBike con...


Grischa Niermann, una delle più importanti voci della Visma-Lease a Bike, è fiducioso per il futuro di Jonas Vingegaard e pensa che il danese potrebbe tornare a gareggiare prima del Giro del Delfinato. Secondo Niermann, Vingegaard  avrebbe perfettamente recuperato anche...


Si corre oggi l’edizione numero 79 di Attraverso le Fiandre, la classica belga che ancora una volta farà da antipasto al Giro delle Fiandre, la seconda Classica Monumento della stagione, che si correrà domenica prossima. per seguire il racconto in...


Davanti ho un’installazione artistica, alle mie spalle un cortile che ho appena attraversato e mi ha ricondotto in poco più di cento passi con la memoria a quasi quarant’anni fa. Poco prima ho varcato un cancello automatico, che si è...


Simone Petilli sta bene e ha ripreso a pedalare. A dare la bella notizia a tuttobiciweb è lui stesso pochi secondi dopo aver risposto alla nostra telefonata. Il 31enne atleta della Intermarché – Wanty  era caduto nel corso delle Strade...


Clara che vede i genitori starsene tutta la notte in piedi davanti alla finestra, Clara che immagina il fratello di là a contare i giorni alla rovescia, Clara che si abbuffa di patatine unte e salate, Clara che bighellona sotto...


Sidi è orgogliosa di annunciare l’ottenimento delle certificazioni ISO 14001:2015 e ISO 45001:2018, legate rispettivamente all’utilizzo di un adeguato sistema di gestione ambientale, e alla salute e sicurezza sul lavoro. Un traguardo che si aggiunge ai numerosi risultati positivi già raggiunti...


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