Cycling Monuments, Memorials, Plaques, etc., Part IV

Jac Zwart, author of the Dutch language book "Wielermonumenten - Reisgids door de geschiedenis van de wielersport" (Cycling Monuments - Travel Guide through the History of the Sport of Cycling), makes his second contribution. It's timely in that the 50th anniversary of Coppi's death will be celebrated soon, on January 2, 2010.

"Tributes to Fausto Coppi, the great campionissimo, are spread all over Italy. One of the most beautiful can be found in Agliana, a village not far from Firenze. In fact, one could say it more or less lies in Bartali's backyard.

I am very grateful to Gianlucca Ermanno for allowing me to use his picture (top), which is also on the cover of my book. The bronze statue is made by Lindo Meoni and one can find it outside the soccer stadium, along the Via Carlo Goldoni. It shows Fausto in full action, standing on the pedals while climbing. When comparing the statue with the photo, one can only conclude that the sculptor perfectly succeeded in presenting Coppi to us in his typical style. The monument was inaugurated on June 26, 1994."

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,100 stories in this blog; the search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog.