It many not have the presence of Colnago or Bianchi, but it is well re-established, with a foothold in the WorldTour under the riders of Astana. It was another 18 years before the Wilier factory was raised from the dead and bought by brothers Lino and Antonio Gastaldello, and Wilier Triestina was given a second wind. Without wartime demand for infantry bikes, it wasn't long before Wilier came unstuck: in 1952, after a non-payment for a shipment of machines, the company closed. Two wars passed before Dal Molin, whose bikes had been used by the Italian infantry, entered the pro cycling scene with a team called Wilier Triestina - named after the city of Trieste. The original owner, Pietro Dal Molin, bought what is described on Wilier's website as "an almost unknown English brand, Wilier" way back in 1906 in order to begin his own company in Bassano del Grappa in the Veneto region. This most Italian of companies has English roots. The company was even in the news during the writing of this feature, having sold a majority share to Abu-Dhabi-based investment fund Chimera Investments. But Giuseppe Saronni's Worlds-winning bike from Goodwood is also there, as is Franco Ballerini's Paris-Roubaix-winning C40 from 1998 - still covered in the mud of northern France, it's still possibly the most evocative machine in the collection.īut Colnago is not just about history - it remains very much relevant, sponsoring UAE Team Emirates and already boasting 11 WorldTour wins this year with riders like Tadej Pogača and Fernando Gaviria. Merckx's iconic 1972 Hour Record bike, while being simple and a little tatty, with tyres hanging off in shreds, is surely the centrepiece. ![]() Take a poke around the small, but perfectly formed museum on the upper floor of the company headquarters, and you will find the evidence - a true Aladdin's cave of bicycles going back nearly 50 years. The Milan company is arguably the most prestigious bike brand on the market, perhaps as a result of having won so many important races and titles - not to mention an enduring attachment to Eddy Merckx. Give a cyclist a choice of any Italian bike - any bike at all even - and many would pick a Colnago. The company, formed in 1948 by former Milan-San Remo winner Cino Cinelli, was better known for its componentry, and there weren't many Seventies and Eighties roadies who didn't lust after the exquisite, polished alloy lines of a 1A (still available) or XA quill stem. > Subscriptions deals for Cycling Weekly magazine The link to Zagato - a prestigious Italian automotive design house - is illustrated perfectly by photos of the bike side-by-side on a motor racing circuit with a classic Alfa Romeo.Īctually, it sums up Italian cycling pretty well - style is definitely the equal of substance, and motor racing heritage is never too far away. It's a road bike in a limited run of 100, crafted from Columbus Omnicrom steel, complete with polished nickel finish. ![]() Over the years Bianchi has been the brand of choice for Fausto Coppi and Marco Pantani, and it retains a foothold at the highest level today, keeping pace with Italian rival brands by supplying the successful Jumbo-Visma WorldTour team.Ĭinelli's latest flagship product is a bike called the Nemo Zagato. Others say it is simply the colour of the sky above Milan, while Bianchi itself, not wanting to burst the bubble, claims "the truth is, there are many truths". The colour even has a romantic legend behind it: founder Edoardo Bianchi was commissioned to supply bikes to Queen Margherita and was so taken with the colour of her eyes that he had the bikes painted in the same hue. There are many historical bike companies, but none more recognisable than the Treviglio brand, whose minty green-blue signature paint job has become a cycle sport icon. Having set up shop in 1885, Bianchi has been around some considerable time. But it is arguably best known for the often-imitated Gabba rainproof jersey, launched 10 years ago and now a key item in the wardrobes of many riders. ![]() Today the company remains ultra-relevant, supplying Team Ineos with their kit. Soon after its formation, Maurizio Castelli achieved his first of many - consumer Lycra cycling shorts, and pioneered synthetic chamois pads shortly after that. ![]() But, having watched his father grow up around pro bike racers, Armando's son Maurizio wanted to experiment and innovate outside the confines of Gianni's conservative brief, and in 1974 he formed his own breakaway company, complete with the scorpion logo - the Castelli we know today. The company was eventually bought by Armando Castelli in 1939, by which time it was an established cycling supplier, trading under the Gianni name. The origins of Castelli are found in Milan, where company founder Vittore Gianni produced clothes for the city's football teams and ballet.
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