It's February 20, 1975, on the Riviera Ligure di Ponente, the 12th edition of the Trofeo Laigueglia is being raced, a spectacular classic followed by a large audience. After 173 kilometers, Gianbattista Baronchelli triumphs by a margin. He wears the black and white jersey of Scic. The second-place finisher, Christian Debuysschere of Molteni, crosses the line 58" later, and in third place, 1'37" behind, is a superstar of the caliber of Roger De Vlaeminck, the popular "gypsy of Eeklo" with the Brooklyn jersey.

Exactly 50 years have passed since Baronchelli's splendid victory in the season-opening classic. A success he will never forget: it was his first among professionals. In February 1975, Gibi Baronchelli was the rising star of Italian and world cycling.

In '73, during his last year as an amateur, he triumphed in the Giro d'Italia and Tour de L'Avenir, essentially the baby Tour de France. Baronchelli is still the only rider to have achieved the Giro-Tour amateur double in the same year. Tista was born in Ceresara, in the Mantua region, on September 6, 1953, but has always lived in Arzago d'Adda, in the Bergamo plains. In 1974, Gibi debuted as a professional with Scic, particularly wanted by Ernesto Conago. Baronchelli's best athletic moments in the 1974 Giro d'Italia were gifted to the public in the Pietra Ligure-Sanremo stage, where he attacked with Merckx in the rain, throwing the pink jersey José Manuel Fuente into crisis, and then at the Tre Cime di Lavaredo.

At the "Tre Cime", Baronchelli narrowly missed capturing the pink jersey by just 12". The 1974 Giro d'Italia was won by Merckx with his now-famous 12" over the second-place rider, Tista Baronchelli. Unfortunately, on July 7, 1974, Tista fell during a circuit race organized by Nino Recalcati in Leffe, Val Seriana. He broke his humerus, and the 3 months in a cast on his right arm prematurely ended his season. "This is why I prepared extremely well for the 1975 season. I started my preparation early," Tista recounts.

107 riders, all excellent, participated in the 1975 Trofeo Laigueglia. The list of "usual suspects" was missing Eddy Merckx, winner of the previous two editions. The Cannibal was supposed to be Molteni's captain in the Ligurian race. The mantle ideally passed to his compatriot Debuysschere, who honored it. "It was a very tight race from the beginning", Baronchelli emphasizes, who at the 1975 Laigueglia was followed in the team car by DS Carletto Chiappano and Ernesto Colnago, bike supplier and technical consultant for cycling for the Fornari family, owners of Scic. "For all of us - Baronchelli underlines - Laigueglia was the true debut race, and there were no plans for the future".

In that era, when a rider pinned on a number, he had to think primarily about winning, without holding back for upcoming races in the season. "After Testico and other climbs, Debuysschere and I were in a breakaway. I dropped him a first time 20 kilometers from the finish. He was strong and without the obligation to help Merckx, he could race as he wanted. Debuysschere chased me decisively, got within 10 meters. I didn't let him catch me."

Chiappano told Tista that behind, among the chasers, were De Vlaeminck and others setting a vigorous pace. "At that point - Baronchelli continues - I accelerated decisively. First to definitively drop Debuysschere, who could be dangerous in a two-man sprint, and also to avoid being caught by De Vlaeminck and others".

GB Baronchelli arrived with arms raised on Viale Badarò in Laigueglia. "I will never forget that victory: it was my first as a professional, especially because the previous year my season ended early. An immense joy that Laigueglia". Debuysschere secured the deserved second place, then in the sprint for third place, the formidable De Vlaeminck prevailed over Franco Bitossi, a Scic rider like Tista, and Aldo Parecchini finished 5th, Swiss Roland Salm 6th, Antoon Houbrechts, better known as "Tony" Houbrechts, 7th, Italo Zilioli 8th, and then the others. Baronchelli won at an average of 39.400 km/h.

Gibi speaks of a friend: "I want to remember Bruno Zanoni, who was my teammate in that Laigueglia. Zanoni helped me a lot until the decisive phase. We were both in our second season with Scic. Bruno was always a dear friend, and moreover, it was precisely during that period in Laigueglia that he met the girl who would later become his wife. Zanoni went to heaven too soon". The Laigueglia victory galvanized Baronchelli, who went on to win the stage at the Giro di Sardegna with a finish at Monte Spada: "Merckx came second. In every race of that era, the strongest always faced each other, or almost".