Franco Vianelli, 1968 Giro Valle d’Aosta Leader’s Jersey

$490.00

Franco Vianelli was the winner of the 5th Giro Valle d’Aosta in 1968.  The Giro Valle d’Aosta, which started in 1962, is still run today as a six-day stage race for riders under 23.

Franco Vianelli, riding as an amateur in 1968, won a gold medal in the Individual Road Race and a bronze medal in the Team Time Trial at the Olympics in Mexico City.  He went on to ride as a professional from 1969 to 1973 for the Molteni, Dreher, and Brooklyn cycling teams.

This jersey has the “look”  –  fabulous chain stitching on front and back. The new owner may wish to dry clean the jersey to restore its pristine condition. Or, simply leave as is for a complete vintage look.

This jersey was purchased 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 photo and label used at Bar Augusto.

Size: 3

Chest: 34 inches / 86 cm (17 inches / 43 cm measured armpit to armpit)

Length:  27 in / 68.5 cm

Maker: De Marchi Emilio

Please Note: This jersey hung on the wall of Bar Augusto for many years and has “Bar Patina” from being exposed to smoke, dust, etc.

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

In stock

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