Fausto Coppi

See also: Coppi

Angelo Coppi , known as Fausto , born the September 15th 1919 with Castellania in the Piedmont, deceased the January 2nd 1960 with Tortona, is a champion cyclist Italy N. It was one of rare to be called “Campionissimo”, sporting superstar.

First runner to produce doubled the Giro-Turn of France (in 1949 and 1952) it gains in particular 5 Tours of Italy, 2 Tours of France, 5 Tours of Lombardy, 3 Milan-Sanremo, 1 Paris-Roubaix, 1 Walloon Flèche and trois Championships of the world cycliste (1 on road and 2 of continuation).
It also holds the record of the hour of 1942 with 1956. He dies after having contracted one second time the Malaria in Black Africa, which he had already tested first once in North Africa during the war.

Its successes were initially due to an exceptional physique: pulmonary capacity of 6,5 liters; 44 cardiac pulsations at the minute at rest.

Biography

Gino Bartali, " It vecchio"

The competition of this complete runner with Gino Bartali ignited Italy of the post-war period, dividing the country into two: Bartali (the old one, the catholic) being the favorite of the Christian Democrat, and Coppi that of the left. A photograph remained famous: one sees the two cyclists there exchanging a can during a rise.

Beginnings

It starts to run in 1937 and the following year obtains its first successes like amateur. In 1939, it becomes professional and gains 6 races after being detached. It becomes famous near the general public in 1940, when it gains Giro within the team of Bartali. It was then twenty years, eight month and twenty-five days old, record of precocity for this race. It is five times winner of this race (a record).

Years of war

During the war it is made prisoner in Africa, then released and employed on the face against France to send communications to the outposts on the Col of Tends. In 1940 then in 1941 he is champion of Italy, titrates which still returns to him three times after the war. In 1942 it beats the record of the hour which it establishes with 45,871 kilometers, record which holds 14 years.

In 1945 it runs some tests for the S.S. Lazio and the following year gains Milan-San Remo with a historical escape in the collar of Turchino; on arrival, it took a 15 minutes lead on the group.

In spite of its athletic character it was physically fragile and this is why of frequent incidents force it to stop. The Second world war night also with its career, as that of Bartali its elder.

After war

He was the first cyclist to gain the Turn of Italy and the Tour de France in the same year, in 1949, then in 1952.

Meanwhile, in 1951, it had lost his Serse brother, deceased during the Turn of Piedmont.

It conquers in 1953 the world title on road in Lugano, but already the bad luck had started to undermine its activity.

It is in the center of a scandal because of its loves extraconjugales with Giulia Occhini, remained in the history under the name of “White Lady”, and of which it had a son, Faustino.

In 1959, it takes part with French cyclists in a race and then in one beaten of hunting in the Upper Volta, and there it contracts the malaria. The disease is diagnosed too late and badly looked after, so that he dies on January 2nd, 1960 at only 40 years. It is buried in the church of its native soil.

In all, it gained 122 races, carrying 31 days the pink shirt and the 19 yellow jersey. Among the more important victories, in addition to those already quoted: 5 Turns of Lombardy, 3 Milan-San Remo, 1 Paris-Roubaix, 1 Walloon Arrow. One remembers this sentence of the radio reporter Mario Ferretti at the beginning of his report on line: “A man alone with the orders, his shirt is white and blue, its name is Fausto Coppi”.

Prize list

The prize list of Fausto Coppi reaches the 145 victories, which is exceptional, if one takes account of the deceleration of his career due to the Second world war.

  • 1949 : it gains the Desgranges-Colombo challenge (finishing second of the classification in 1952), which rewarded by addition for points acquired in the great tests for the season the best cyclist on road for the year.

  • 1939: 6 victories, of which the Turn of Penice; 3rd of the Turn of Piedmont
  • 1940: 3 victories: Championship of Italy of continuation; Giro; 11th stage; Circuit of the Three Valleys Varésines
  • 1941: 6 victories, of which: Championship of Italy of continuation; Turn of Emilie; Turn of Tuscany; Circuit of the 3 valleys Varésines
  • 1942: 2 victories: Championship of Italy of continuation, Championship of Italy on road. Record of the hour, in Milan: 45,87 km
  • 1945: 5 victories, of which the Large-Price of Lugano
  • 1946: 9 victories, of which: Milan-San Remo, the Turn of Lombardy, Grand Prix of the Nations, the Large-Price of Lugano, World Critérium (of Paris), and 5th, 14th and 15th stages of the Turn of Italy
  • 1947: 15 victories, of which: the championship of the world of continuation, the championship of Italy on road, the championship of Italy of continuation; the Turn of Italy (with 4th, 8th and 16th stages), the Turn of Lombardy, the Large-Price of the Nations, the Turn of Emilie, the Turn of Romagna, the 5th stage of the Turn of Switzerland; prize winner of the Nice Trophy.
  • 1948: 7 victories, of which: the championship of Italy of continuation; Milan-San Remo, the Turn of Lombardy, the Turn of Emilie, the Circuit of the 3 Varésines valleys, 16th and 17th stages of the Turn of Italy; 2nd in Het Volk, the championship of Italy on road and the championship of the world of continuation.
  • 1949: 19 victories, of which: the championship of the world of continuation, the championship of Italy on road; the Tour de France (with its first participation, with 7th, 17th and 20th stages, and the Large-Price of the mountain), the Turn of Italy (with 4th, 11th and 17th stages, and the Large-Price of the mountain); Milan-San Remo, the Turn of Lombardy, the Turn of Romagna; 2nd with the championship of Italy of continuation, Critérium of the Aces and the championship of the world on road. For the first time, doubled the Grande Boucle - Giro is successful at the time one year.
  • 1950: 6 victories, of which: Paris-Roubaix and the Walloon Arrow; 1st and 2nd stages of Gran-Precio Ciclomotoristico; 2nd at the Large-Price of Lugano and the Baracchi Trophy (with his/her brother Serse Coppi); 3rd of Rome-Naples-Rome.
  • 1951: 6 victories, of which: the Large-Price of Lugano, 6th and 18th stages of the Turn of Italy, and the 20th stage of the Tour de France; 2nd at the Large-Price of the Nations, the Large-Price of the Mountain of the Turn of Italy and the Turn of Romagna.
  • 1952: 18 victories, of which: the Tour de France (with 7th, 10th, 11th, 18th and 21e stages), the Turn of Italy (with 5th, 11th and 14th stages), the Mediterranean Turn (with 1st and 6th stages); the Large-Price of Lugano; 2nd of Paris-Roubaix; prize winner of the Nice Trophy.
  • 1953: 12 victories, of which: the championship of the world on road; the Turn of Italy (with 4th, 11th, 19th and 20th stages); the Baracchi Trophy (with Riccardo Filippi); and the Gold Bowl of Monedières.
  • 1954: 15 victories, of which: the Turn of Lombardy, the Baracchi Trophy (with Riccardo Filippi); the 3rd stage of Paris-Coast of Azure; 4re and 20th stages of the Turn of Italy; 2nd and 4th stages of the Turn of Switzerland; the 2nd place and the 4th stage of Gran-Precio Ciclomotoristico (Rome-Naples-Rome).
  • 1955: 11 victories, of which: the championship of Italy on road; the circuit of the 3 Varésines Valleys, the Baracchi Trophy (with Riccardo Filippi); the 20th stage of the Turn of Italy, the 5th stage of Gran-Precio Ciclomotoristico; 2nd of Paris-Roubaix; 3rd of Rome-Naples-Rome.
  • 1956: 2 victories, of which the Grand Prix of Lugano.
  • 1957: Baracchi trophy (with Ercole Baldini)
  • 1958: 3 victories, of which Six-Jours of Buenos-Surfaces
  • 1959: 2 victories.

Tour de France

  • At the time of the Tour de France 1949:
    • its team was the team of Italy
    • the number of traversed kilometers: 4808 km
    • the number of stages: 21
    • the general average: 32,121 km/h
    • the second, Gino Bartali, are pushed back with 10 ' 55
    • It gains 3 stages and the classification of the mountain
  • At the time of the Tour de France 1952:
    • its team was the team of Italy
    • the number of traversed kilometers: 4827 km
    • the number of stages: 23
    • the general average: 31,739 km/h
    • the second, Ockers, are pushed back with 28 ' 17 .
    • It gains 5 stages of which the first arrival with Alpe d' Huez and with the Puy-de-Dôme and the classification of the mountain
It is the first runner to have carried out the exploit to gain the same year Tour de France and Tour of Italy. A stele was drawn up to him with the collar of Izoard in remembering its exploits of 1949 in the rise of this collar, during the Tour of Italy and of the Tour de France.

It beat the world records of the hour in 1942 (45,871 km/h). Its record, a long time considered to be inaccessible, was beaten in 1956 by Jacques Anquetil.

Serse Coppi, junior three year old of Fausto, gained the edition Paris-Roubaix of 1949 (ex-aequo with André Mahé), before dying at the time of the Tour of Piedmont in 1951.

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