The jerseys - 67
ITEM N° 585
SARONNI Giuseppe (I)
(22.09.1957)
His 1980 Italian champion’s jersey
Born on 22 September 1957 in Novara, Piedmont, Giuseppe Saronni was an Italian professional cyclist from 1977 to 1990. Fast in the sprint, powerful on short climbs and a strong performer in stage races, he established himself at a very young age amongst the great champions of his generation.
Before turning his attention to road racing, he achieved several successes on the track and competed at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games. Turning professional the following year, he won nine races in his very first season, immediately demonstrating the full extent of his talent.
In 1979, aged just 21, Giuseppe Saronni won his first Giro d’Italia. His rivalry with Francesco Moser captivated Italian cycling fans at the time. The 1980 season confirmed his versatility. Saronni notably won the Giro di Puglia, the Flèche Wallonne and seven stages of the Giro d’Italia.
On 22 June 1980, in Arezzo, Giuseppe Saronni became Italian professional road champion. The race was contested over a 246.5-kilometre course. He finished ahead of Giovanni Battaglin and Gianbattista Baronchelli.
Giuseppe Saronni reached the peak of his career in 1982. At Goodwood, in England, he became world road champion thanks to a final sprint that has gone down in history as the ‘Goodwood sprint’. He also won the Tour of Lombardy that same year. In 1983, he won Milan–San Remo and claimed the overall classification of the Giro d’Italia for the second time.
The item on display is the jersey worn by Giuseppe Saronni as Italian champion whilst riding for the GIS Gelati team. A handwritten dedication by Giuseppe Saronni can be seen on the white section of the jersey. The vintage photograph shows the champion competing in an identical outfit, whilst a more recent photograph depicts the item as it is preserved in the collection.
On display in the Virtual Cycling Museum – Noël GREGOIRE Collections, this tricolour jersey commemorates the national title won by Giuseppe Saronni in 1980. His dedication, the jersey’s iconic colours and its association with the GIS Gelati team make it a valuable testament to one of the most glorious periods in Italian cycling.
ITEM N° 274
SCHERENS Jef (B)
(17.02.1909 – 09.08.1986)
His rainbow jersey as world sprint champion
Born on 17 February 1909 in Werchter, in Flemish Brabant, Joseph ‘Jef’ Scherens was a Belgian cyclist who specialised in track sprinting. Regarded as one of the greatest sprinters in history, he dominated his discipline throughout the 1930s and made a remarkable comeback to the top after the Second World War.
Nicknamed ‘Poeske’ (little cat) due to his agility and lightning-fast acceleration, he possessed an exceptional sense of tactics. His speciality was waiting for the decisive moment before producing a final burst that was as sudden as it was powerful.
In 1932, in Rome, he won his first world title by beating the Frenchman Lucien Michard. He then retained his crown in Paris in 1933, Leipzig in 1934, Brussels in 1935, Zurich in 1936 and Copenhagen in 1937. With six consecutive world titles, Scherens established an unprecedented reign of dominance.
After international competitions were suspended due to the war, he achieved one final feat in 1947. Aged 38, on the track at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Jef Scherens once again became world sprint champion, bringing his total number of world titles to seven. His fame extended far beyond the world of track cycling and, in 1933, he was awarded the Belgian National Trophy for Sporting Merit.
The item on display is a rainbow jersey associated with Jef Scherens and bearing his handwritten signature. The provenance of the item is accompanied by a letter dated 12 April 1986. The author explains that, after extensive research and numerous enquiries, he managed to track down a jersey bearing Jef Scherens’ handwritten signature. This document sheds valuable light on the efforts made to preserve this memento.
On display in the Virtual Cycling Museum – Noël GREGOIRE Collections, this rainbow jersey commemorates the seven world titles won by Jef Scherens between 1932 and 1947. His handwritten signature and the accompanying letter make it a particularly moving testament to the career of Belgium’s ‘King of Speed’.
ITEM N° 277
SELS Edward (B)
(27.08.1941)
His 1964 Belgian champion’s jersey
Born on 27 August 1941 in Vorselaar, in the province of Antwerp, Edward ‘Ward’ Sels was a Belgian cyclist who turned professional between 1963 and 1972. A powerful sprinter and classics specialist, he stood out for his speed and his ability to hold his own on difficult courses.
Before turning professional, Edward Sels became Belgian military champion in 1961 and won the amateur Tour of Flanders in 1962. These successes enabled him to join the Solo–Superia team, where he rode alongside Rik Van Looy, amongst others.
The 1964 season marked his true breakthrough. In Vielsalm, Edward Sels won the Belgian professional road championship.
His list of honours was subsequently extended to include Paris–Brussels in 1965 and the Tour of Flanders in 1966. He also finished second in Paris–Roubaix in 1965. In total, he won seven stages of the Tour de France, one stage of the Giro d’Italia and two stages of the Vuelta a España.
The item on display is the jersey worn by Edward Sels as Belgian champion. Period photographs show Edward Sels wearing an identical kit in the Solo–Superia colours. They place the jersey in the context of his 1964 season, marked by his national title, his four stage victories and his two days in the yellow jersey at the Tour de France.
On display in the Virtual Cycling Museum – Noël GREGOIRE Collections, this tricolour jersey serves as a reminder of Edward Sels’s most brilliant season. It symbolises both his Belgian championship title and the feats achieved on the roads of the Tour de France by one of the great Belgian sprinters of the 1960s.
