In 1924 he became the first Italian to win the Tour de France and was only three years after a tragic death. On that event very different theories circulated and still, today, has not been able to know the truth. Premature death, cause unknown, conflicting accounts, a suspicious silence ... This is the story of the mysterious end of Ottavio Bottecchia.
destination
Terrible, terrible end, the rider of this humble son of hunger, who emigrated to France in search of glory and died in hospital twelve days after being found lying unconscious, the edge of a vineyard, with the shattered skull and several broken bones. They spoke of an accident, his opposition to the regime of Mussolini, that a farmer thought he was stealing the grapes, even a crime of passion. Eight decades later, the mystery of his death remains open.
confidential, introverted, taciturn, one might almost say that as mysterious as the end he had, Ottavio Bottecchia was the first great Italian cycling champion , precursor of idols unforgettable as Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali. Unfortunately for him, the political situation that the country lived in the late-Alpine 1920-in stark contrast to its leftist ideas, prevent him from being a prophet in his land, making most of his victories in neighboring France.
could not be more humble origins of Ottavio Bottecchia, born on August 1, 1894 in San Martino di Colle Umberto, a small town in the Italian region of Friuli, in the bosom of a family of nine children. Raised in poverty, had to start work very early to make a living, so it just might go two years at school. Almost unable to read or write, he began working as a bricklayer while still a child. He learned to ride a bicycle during the First World War, in which he participated in the Austro-Italian front, forming part of the Bersaglieri, corps that moved bike to transmit messages to the staff. Shortly before the end of the war was captured, but escaped.
Bronze Medal for valor, after the end of the war Bottecchia (and with 27 years) is a professional dedicated to the sport, and soon reached the first successes. Their good performances in 1922 earned him to be claimed by the Frenchman Henri Pelissier, the greatest figure of the moment cyclist, who asked him to join his team, Automoto-Hutchinson. Bottecchia learned to read when he is a professional cyclist, thanks to the teachings of his friend and training partner Alfonso Piccin. Together they read the sports columns of the daily La Gazzetta dello Sport and anti-fascist leaflets . His ideas would play a trick on him at home, where he was barred from the Giro by his strong opposition to the regime of Mussolini. So, could only participate in an edition (1923), the great Italian race.
After finishing fifth in the Giro d'Italia this year, has no great pretensions to the Tour as part of Automoto to help his teammates Henri Pelissier and Belgian Lucien Buysse. However, in the second stage is done with the victory and the lead. He lost in the subsequent stages, regained it in Pirineros, and finally lost in the Alps for Pélissier, who generally take the half hour ahead of Bottecchia. The Italian was the great sensation of the Tour, appearing as a complete bike: Good Wheeler, a good sprinter, best climber, and an exceptional hardness and strength, forged through blood and fire for his miserable childhood. It was ultimately ahead of his time. "Bottecchia happen to me next year," Pelissier said then. And it ruled in his forecast the French champions.
First Italian Tour winner
Enjuto, tanned skin, eyes always lost, an aquiline nose and pointed ears (Henri Desgrange, the director of the Tour de France, referred to as " Butterfly "for this reason), Bottecchia appeared in the starting line of the Grande Boucle in 1924 with the front-runner label, a condition amply demonstrated. He won the first stage and never let the leader's jersey throughout the race, becoming the first Italian to win the Tour. would win a total of four steps and exercised undisputed dominion over all his rivals.
was aided further by the withdrawal of the militant Pélissier brothers (Henry and Francis), in constant dispute with Desgrange. A penalty for wearing two jerseys Henri-to combat the cold-and robbery in race one, led the march of testing of the two brothers and inflammatory statements about the journalist Albert Londres which led to the great metaphor of Tour : the convicts of the road. "Rather than being brokers, we are free men," angry said the greatest Pélissier.
the queen stage in the Pyrenees (Bayona-Luchon, 326 kilometers through all the giants pierenaicos) Bottecchia gave a sublime display. Given its status as leader, just needed to control their rivals (Nicolas Frantz and Lucien Buysse mainly) but since the first steep slopes of the first major port attacks like a madman. On top of the Aubisque leads his first chase in 2 minutes 40 seconds in 10:52 on the Tourmalet, the Aspin 16 minutes, 18 and a half in the Peyresourde ... Get to the goal of Luchon with a lead of 27 minutes and 58 seconds, condemning the race. "You have to see how easy it is to pedal, his style, perfection of its momentum. I have not been incorporated into his bike not once, "declared Desgrange admired. Also expire in the next step Pyrenees (Luchon-Perpignan) and the final stage in Paris.
In 1925, history repeats itself, and how, in the Tour de France. Again Bottecchia ends in the first and the last step, again achieved four wins partial, again is very superior to his rivals, again arrived in Paris with a huge difference on their pursuers (54 minutes Buysse , 56 Bartholomew Aymo fellow ...). With their opponents at an unreachable distance, began to hear criticism tagged as conservative. Enraged, the disputed Ottavio entering the final stage alone at the velodrome at the Parc des Princes, where more than 20,000 spectators paid to his talent and courage. These victories in the Tour made him a true idol. However, never lost the humility: "I am a worker of the bike," declared then.
in 1926 failed to repeat successes and retired from Tour "crying like a child." In the Pyrenees, during the stage Bayona-Luchon, was forced to abandon sick, exhausted, shattered inside and out, in the midst of a scenario that those present described as "apocalyptic" because the cold and pouring rain. To continue with the misfortunes, that same winter he lost his younger brother, Umberto, hit by a car. And soon after, the mystery.
A death unclear
On June 3, 1927 Peonis a farmer, a village near the town of residence of our protagonist, a body found dying on the side of the road, her skull broken, like a collar bone and other bones. Soon it was confirmed that Ottavio Bottecchia; him to a bar and, on a table, the priest gave him last rites. From there he was immediately taken to hospital Gemona Friuli, where he died 12 days later without regaining consciousness reached. He was 33 years.
Officially it was an accident while training. The first theory suggests that heat stroke made him fall to the ground, striking his head. However, his bike was found several meters away, leaning against a tree, and had not been stolen or damaged. Nor had tire marks that could suggest that would have forced a car off the road or had lost control of his bike.
was learned that morning Bottecchia rose at dawn and rode to the house of his great Alfonso Piccin friend to go training together. Piccin but decided not to go that day and left only Ottavio. From here, what happened is unknown. Unknown and mysterious. Some suggested a fight, but found no trace of it, others pointed to the participation in the events of a gang of black shirts, in retaliation for communist ideas Bottecchia and his outspoken opposition to the regime of Mussolini. The official investigation is closed for good the theory giving the accident and the family of the cyclist, who received a succulent compensation for his death, also showed interest in knowing more.
But in the years following to add even more confusion to the story, two people blame themselves for his death. First was an Italian emigrant in the United States who, after being wounded and arrested in a brawl with knives at a dock in New York, claiming to have killed over Ottavio and his brother Umberto on behalf of a fascist leader. Later, two decades after the fatal incident, the farmer owns the vineyard where he found Bottecchia confessed on his deathbed, accidentally killing the rider: "I saw a man eating my grapes. I threw a stone to scare, but hit him. I ran to him and I realized who he was. I panicked, dragged him to the edge of the road and left him there. God forgive me. "
Many saw gaps in this explanation: on the one hand, June is not grape season (do not mature until late summer), and secondly, to break someone's skull with a rock would have to be so large that force will be very close, which seems unlikely explanation of the farmer. Bottecchia was a local hero, and being so close would have been easily reconocible.En the police investigation was reopened then concluded that both farmer and rider knew each other, and could be a crime of passion. "accident, theft, political, crime passion ...? Eight decades later, causes the death of Italian cyclist peculiar remain cloaked-and personality-in a halo of mystery. almost certainly remain so for ever and ever.
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