Cycling, Adorni, funerals in Parma with Colnago and Prodi

by our correspondent Luca Gialanella

December 28th
– PARMA

Just one wreath: it was sent by the UCI, the world cycling federation, for which Vittorio Adorni was a top manager for over twenty years, in particular the president of the professional cycling council. “From the Uci family to dear friend Vittorio”, read the tape. Parma complied with the family’s wishes to hold the private funeral of Adorni, who died at the age of 85 on Christmas Eve: winner of the 1965 Giro, world champion at Imola 1968. About a hundred present, including family members and big names from his cycling: Ernesto Colnago the first to arrive, together with Gianni Bugno; then the coach Daniele Bennati and the director of the Giro, Mauro Vegni, accompanied by the race director Stefano Allocchio, Davide Boifava and Valentino Campagnolo, Davide Cassani and Bruno Reveberi, Raffaele Babini and many former professionals such as Casalini and Torelli. His wife Vitaliana and their children Vanni and Viviana affectionately embrace their lifelong companions.

With Giorgio Cimurri comes Professor Romano Prodi, a lifelong friend of Adorni, ever since that first uphill race, Reggio Emilia-Casina in 1955, won by Adorni with Prodi seventh: “I always told him that he was 18 and I was 16 – recalls Prodi -. Just think that we discovered our presence in that race by chance forty years later, and we laughed like crazy… What style Vittorio had, he was a man of style. He was the last great Italian sports politician. An esteem for the person’s style and intelligence, for his elegance has remained with him”.

For his part, Ernesto Colnago recalls two episodes: “Adorni raced with Philco in 1962, Fiorenzo Magni was there as sports director and I was the mechanic. There was great esteem with Vittorio, he was five years younger than me, and he always asked me, he wanted to know. And then the World Championship at Imola in 1968, I in the car with coach Mario Ricci, Adorni who goes on the break, we approach with the car, Ricci was a little doubtful, “maybe it’s a little too soon”. And then I ask Adorni: “Vittorio, are you all right?” He winks at me and says “no problem”. And what friendship has always bound me to him and his wife Vitaliana”.