The jerseys - 5
ITEM N° 014
BALDINI Ercole (I)
(26.01.1933 – 01.12.2022)
His Italian Road Champion’s Jersey – 1958
Ercole Baldini was one of the great champions of Italian cycling in the late 1950s. An extremely powerful rider and a remarkable all-rounder, he distinguished himself at a very young age on both the track and the road. In 1956, he became Olympic road race champion in Melbourne and also set the hour record. His career reached its peak in 1958, an exceptional year in which he notably won the Giro d’Italia and became World Road Champion in Reims.
Baldini also made a name for himself in his home country by winning the Italian professional road championship in 1957 and 1958. These two consecutive titles cemented his place amongst the finest Italian cyclists of his era.
This jersey bears witness to the national title won by Ercole Baldini in 1958, at the height of his sporting career. This item is particularly representative of a historic season for the Italian champion. By wearing his country’s colours in competitions, Baldini linked his national title to a year in which he would also triumph in the Giro and claim the rainbow jersey of World Champion.
Housed in the Noël Grégoire Collection, this jersey is a remarkable testament to Ercole Baldini’s career and to a period during which the Italian champion amassed, in the space of just a few seasons, the most prestigious honours in international cycling.
ITEM N° 019
BARTALI Gino (I)
(18.07.1914 – 05.05.2000)
Yellow jersey signed by Gino Bartali
Gino Bartali remains one of the most iconic figures in the history of Italian cycling. Nicknamed ‘Ginettaccio’, this remarkable climber stood out for his courage, his endurance and a temperament that made him one of the most popular champions of his era. His very long career was marked by a now legendary rivalry with his compatriot Fausto Coppi.
His list of honours includes two Tour de France victories, in 1938 and 1948, as well as three Giro d’Italia titles, in 1936, 1937 and 1946. He also won the Milan–San Remo four times and the Tour of Lombardy three times. His victory in the 1948 Tour de France, achieved ten years after his first win, remains one of the most famous feats in the history of the race.
Beyond his sporting achievements, Gino Bartali is also recognised for his clandestine activities during the Second World War. He was part of a network set up to aid persecuted Jews in Italy, notably transporting hidden documents whilst travelling by bicycle. For this work, he was posthumously recognised as Righteous Among the Nations.
The jersey presented here is a particularly personal collector’s item. Yellow in colour and bearing the name ‘Bartali’ on the chest, it was signed by Gino Bartali and presented to Noël Grégoire at a dinner held in Corgeno di Vergiate on 22 March 1996, on the eve of the Milan–San Remo race.
This encounter lends the item a value that goes beyond that of a mere cycling memento: the jersey is directly linked to a moment shared with one of the greatest champions of the 20th century. The photographs accompanying the item bear witness to this encounter and help to preserve its context and provenance.
ITEM N° 020
BARTOLI Michele (I)
(27.05.1970)
His 1997 World Cup winner’s jersey
Michele Bartoli is one of the greatest Italian classics specialists of his generation. A professional during the 1990s and early 2000s, he stood out for his elegance, his tactical acumen and his ability to make the difference on climbs and on demanding courses. These qualities earned him the nickname ‘Il Guerriero’, the warrior.
His remarkable list of victories includes two Tours of Flanders (1996 and 1998), Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 1997 and 1998, and two Tours of Lombardy in 2002 and 2003. He also won the Flèche Wallonne in 1999 and the Zurich Championship on several occasions. This exceptional consistency in the major classics enabled him to win the Road World Cup in 1997 and 1998.
His 1997 World Cup winner’s jersey
The jersey on display here is the prestigious 1997 UCI Road World Cup winner’s jersey, won by Michele Bartoli at the end of an exceptional season. White and adorned with the multicoloured stripes characteristic of the competition, it symbolises the Italian champion’s consistency in the most important international classics on the World Cup calendar.
In 1997, Bartoli notably triumphed in Liège–Bastogne–Liège and, throughout the season, put in a series of performances that enabled him to finish top of the World Cup overall standings.
The item also has a particularly personal significance: the jersey is signed, and the photograph accompanying its presentation documents its handover as part of the Noël Grégoire Collection. This provenance considerably enhances its historical and sentimental value.
Conservé dans la Collection Noël Grégoire, ce maillot constitue un précieux témoignage de l’une des plus belles périodes de la carrière de Michele Bartoli et rappelle la domination de l’Italien dans les grandes classiques internationales à la fin des années 1990.
