article by Nicola Pucci
Today we are about pioneer cyclingthe one made up of dirt roads, nocturnal toil and uncertain placements, which refers to the stories of our ancestors and some vintage newspaper clippings. Giuseppe Azzinifor example, who was able to build a curriculum, albeit almost entirely self-sufficient, of undoubted value. However, without the endorsement of success that elevated him to the rank of pedal champion.
Born in Gazzuolo, in the Mantua area, on 26 March 1891, Giuseppe is the youngest of the unfortunately tragic Azzini dynasty (like his brothers Ernesto and Luigi, he too died too young, at just 34 years old, from consumption), and he already stood out among amateurs, to the point of winning, in addition to the prestigious Giro dell’Umbria, also the Italian Championship in 1911.
Due to the outbreak of the First World War, in which Azzini fought on the Italian front, and his generous character, in the panorama of Italian cycling Giuseppe will only be remembered for a few sporadic victories and, above all, many placings, but he is equally capable of demonstrating one of the best calibers of his time. In fact, a month after the stupendous victory in the Milan-Turin achieved by beating Carlo Durando in the sprint, he was the protagonist of a great Giro d’Italia in 1913the last with the ranking determined by points and not by times.
This is an edition of the “ride not yet pink” That Azzini, in the pay of OTAV, would certainly have won, if he hadn’t made a mistake which sums up the heroic course of cycling in that era as best one could not. After five stages he ran as a great champion – second in Rome, first in Salerno and Bari, second again in Campobasso and Ascoli Piceno – and the consequent first place in the general classification achieved, the man from Mantua he allows himself a day of relative rest in the hamlet that ends in Rovigo, stopping exhausted in a farmhouse to stock up on supplies and sleep a little. But that little bit, it unfolds for a few hours, too many for the 413 kilometers of that stage to allow him to recover from the very last positions. And so on the Rovigo evening he finds himself giving up first place to Carlo Oriani, who then wins the Giro, and second to Eberardo Pavesi, and in Milan, two days later, Azzini finishes only on the third step of the podiumbehind the two illustrious champions.
Also in the edition of Giro d’Italia of 1914the terrible one with only eight classified athletes, Azzini plays the protagonist. In fact, he wins the stages of Avellino and Bari, where he takes the lead in the general, but a couple of days later he is forced to withdraw.
In the meantime Azzini, who moved on to Bianchifind a way to finish second in the 1914 Giro di Lombardiabeaten in the sprint by teammate Lauro Bordin, only to then, after a fifth place in the 1915 Milan-Sanremo, have to stop due to the needs of the war.
After the conflict, Giuseppe’s role changes, freeing his generous nature and becoming a sidekick of great value. With an imposing physique, his being great worker and valid long distance runner – as demonstrated by the 2 successes in the Tour of the Province of Milan, in 1920 with Tano Belloni and 1921 with Costante Girardengo – finds the sympathy and gratitude of the great champions (Girardengo himself dotes on him)and his CV is filled with placings.
At Milan-Sanremo, where he is often among the runners most animated by good intentions, he is fourth in 1919 and 1920, and third in 1921 and 1924, on both of these two occasions overtaken by Girardengo, who had wanted him with him first at Stucchi and then at Maino. What if at the Giro d’Italia he collected four consecutive retirements between 1919 and 1922 (when he was, provisionally, sixth, eighth and fourth in the general classification, while in 1922 he had come second in the Portorož stage), still at the Giro di Lombardia, after sixth place in 1918 and fourth in 1920, he had the temperament and audacity necessary to finish second in 1922inexorably behind Girardengo who beats him in the sprint.
Afflicted by consumption (probably due to too much dust breathed during his career), Azzini died prematurely, like his brothers, at the age of 34November 11, 1925. Leaving the memory of and a tenacious and classy rider, who lacked the wit that would introduce him among the immortals of cycling.
2024-05-14 12:25:00
#PODIUM #GIRO #DITALIA #PLACES #SANREMO #GIUSEPPE #AZZINIS #LOMBARDIA #SportHistoria
