Ottavio Bottecchia

Ottavio Bottecchia

Monument to Bottecchia in the municipality of Trasaghis on the Tagliamento ( Lage )

Ottavio Bottecchia (born August 1, 1894 in San Martino del Colle ( Treviso Province ), † June 15, 1927 in Gemona del Friuli ) was an Italian cyclist .

life and career

Under the name of muratore del Friuli (the bricklayer of Friuli), Bottecchia became a professional cyclist at the age of 27. Before that he had worked as a bricklayer and carter and was an amateur for a year . He took part in the First World War as a mountain trooper equipped with a bicycle . He had been awarded the Medaglia di Bronzo al Valor Militare, the bronze medal for military service. After the First World War , he had won a few amateur races before being hired by Luigi Ganna , the first overall winner of the Giro d'Italia .

Bottecchia, along with Alfredo Binda and Costante Girardengo , can be described as one of the first stars of Italian cycling. After he had achieved eighth place at Milan-Sanremo in 1923 and fifth place in the Giro as the best driver without a team, he was hired by the Automoto team and took part in the Tour de France for the first time that same year . There Bottecchia wore the yellow jersey of the front runner on six stages and came second overall. In 1924 he won the yellow jersey in the first stage and wore it to Paris, where he was the overall winner. He also won the tour in 1925 . He wore the yellow jersey at the start and at the finish, but had to give it up in the course of the race. In 1926 Bottecchia gave up after the tenth stage of the tour.

In 1927 Bottecchia was found seriously injured in a ditch, whereupon it was assumed that there was a training accident. After twelve days, he died of his injuries in Gemona del Friuli hospital . Almost two decades later, a farmer confessed on his deathbed that he had killed Bottecchia with a stone because he had caught him stealing some grapes. A compatriot who emigrated to the United States is said to have committed himself to the murder of Bottecchia, a contract murder.

Bicycle factory

Together with Todoro Carnielli, Bottecchia began manufacturing bicycles in 1926, which were sold under the name " Bottecchia ". After his death, the Carnielli family continued and expanded the business. Over the years, the Bottecchia brand has become one of the larger manufacturers of touring and racing bikes . In 2006, more than 50,000 Bottecchia bikes were sold in Europe.

dedication

The home stadium of Pordenone Calcio in Pordenone Stadio Ottavio Bottecchia was named in honor of Bottecchia .

Web links

Commons : Ottavio Bottecchia  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Palmarès - List of achievements and placements
• Ottavio Bottecchia in the Tour de France database(French / English )
• bottecchia.com - website of the Cicli Bottecchia bicycle factory

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Article in Cyclingnews.com (English), accessed July 26, 2009.