Finnish National Team Jersey

$95.00

This Finnish National Team Jersey proudly bears the scars of a fierce day of racing. The rips, tears, and stains hint at the story. It is a story of triumph or defeat? Was the rider able to get up and struggle to the finish, or was the day ended by the crash and injury? Either way, it is tangible evidence of the drama that unfolded that race day and would make a fantastic display piece.

This jersey was acquired directly from the Augusto Gotti family and was part of the collection in the legendary Bar Augusto in Villa d’Alme, Italy. Bar Augusto was a key host to professional and amateur cycling teams from the 1960s through the 1980s.

This jersey includes the original label from Bar Augusto.

Size: XL

Chest: 35 inches / 89 cm  (17.5 inches / 44.5 cm measured armpit to armpit)

Length: 24.5 in / 62 cm

Made in Italy

Each jersey is one of a kind; please look carefully at the photos to determine the condition.

Only 1 left in stock

SKU: JR-100398 Category: Tag:

Description

Bar Augusto

Bar Augusto, located in Alme (Bergamo), Italy, was renowned for its support of cycling teams and its world-class bicycle racing collection that focused on trophies and race-worn jerseys. A family-owned business, the bar and its attached inn flourished in the 1970s and 1980s. Augusto Gotti, the enterprise’s face, welcomed amateur national teams to stay at Bar Augusto while the riders trained and raced in the region. Many Western and Eastern Bloc national teams embraced the Gotti family’s welcoming spirit and were among the most ardent supporters.

Bar Augusto 1966
Augusto Gotti (Center) with Edy Schütz (Left), Luxembourg National Champion and winner of the 1966 Tour of Luxembourg,  and an unknown third person pictured in the interior of the famous watering hole.

Augusto was a devoted cycling fan and astute collector of jerseys. Active and retired professional and amateur riders gave the bar hundreds of jerseys, all hung with pride on the walls of the storied bar. The jersey collection read like a venerable who’s who of the cycling world from the 1950s through the 1980s. Coppi, Gimondi, Motta, Merckx, Anquetil, Van Looy, Altig, and hundreds more professional jerseys hung alongside the best of the best Eastern Bloc riders. Given its incredible diversity, depth, and breadth, it would be challenging, if not impossible, to build the same collection today.

With time, Augusto decided to retire, close the bar, and enjoy a more relaxed pace of life in his autumn years. A year or so before Augusto passed away, and with the help of former Polish and US National Team Coach Eddie Borysewicz, we were honored to acquire the Gotti Collection. Augusto’s and our collection combined beautifully, and between the two, there were only two overlapping items: an Eddy Merckx maillot jaune and a Bernard Hinault Renault team jersey. To this day, our collection is what is thanks in no small measure to a quaint bar and inn tucked into a picturesque valley in Northern Italy.

By Brett Horton, Jan 2021

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Each jersey is one of a kind; please look carefully at the photos to determine the condition.

Additional information

Weight 2 lbs