The trophies - 4
ITEM N° 018
BARONCHELLI Gianbattista (I)
(06.09.1953)
His trophy as winner of the 1978 Coppa Placci
Born on 6 September 1953 in Ceresara, in the province of Mantua, Gianbattista Baronchelli is a former Italian cyclist. Nicknamed ‘Gibi’, he distinguished himself as an excellent climber and a specialist in stage races.
As an amateur, he won the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de l’Avenir in 1973. Turning professional the following year, he finished second in the Giro d’Italia on his debut, just twelve seconds behind Eddy Merckx. Baronchelli made it onto the Giro podium again in 1977, then finished second in the 1978 edition behind Johan De Muynck. He also finished as runner-up in the World Road Championships in 1980. His list of honours includes, notably, the Tour de Romandie, the Tour of the Basque Country and two victories in the Tour of Lombardy, in 1977 and 1986. He also won the Tour of the Apennines six times.
On 23 September 1978, riding for the Scic team, he won the Coppa Placci after a 210-kilometre race. He finished ahead of the Italians Roberto Ceruti and Carmelo Barone.
The item on display is the trophy presented to Gianbattista Baronchelli for this victory. Kept by the champion for several years, it was subsequently passed on personally to his bicycle shop, as shown in the accompanying photograph. The shades of colour and patina visible on the metal’s surface bear witness to the age of this award. They serve as a reminder of its journey from the 1978 victory to its inclusion in the collection.
The photograph shows ‘Gibi’ holding the trophy in his cycle shop at the time it was presented to him. This document provides valuable proof of provenance and establishes a direct link between the cup and its winner.
Displayed in the Virtual Cycling Museum – Noël GREGOIRE Collections, this trophy preserves the memory of Gianbattista Baronchelli’s success in the 1978 Coppa Placci. Its plaque, its patina and the photograph of its presentation make it an item closely linked to the history of the Italian champion.
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ITEM N° 021
BARTOLI Michele (I)
(27.05.1970)
His winner’s trophy from the 1998 Three Days of La Panne
Born on 27 May 1970 in Pisa, Tuscany, Michele Bartoli is a former Italian professional cyclist. A professional from 1992 to 2004, he was noted for his sharp accelerations and his remarkable versatility in the major classics.
Nicknamed the ‘Little Lion of Flanders’, he won the Tour of Flanders in 1996 and Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 1997 and 1998. He went on to win the Flèche Wallonne in 1999, the Amstel Gold Race in 2002, and the Tour of Lombardy in 2002 and 2003. Bartoli also won the World Cup in 1997 and 1998, became Italian road champion in 2000, and won two stages of the Giro d’Italia. His list of achievements ranks him amongst the finest one-day race specialists of his generation.
Having already won the Three Days of La Panne in 1995, he triumphed in the event for a second time in 1998. Held from 31 March to 2 April between Harelbeke and La Panne, this edition saw him finish ahead of Emmanuel Magnien and Viatcheslav Ekimov in the general classification.
The item on display is the trophy awarded to Michele Bartoli for this victory. Its modern design breaks with that of traditional cups and offers a stylised representation of cycling. Crafted from metal with a dark patina, the sculpture depicts a rider leaning over his bike in a dynamic pose. The cyclist’s body, the frame and the wheels are reduced to broad geometric lines, giving the whole a look that is both powerful and streamlined.
The main photograph shows a young Michele Bartoli holding this trophy as it was presented to him. A second photograph, taken a few years later, recalls the encounter with the rider and completes the story behind the piece.
On display in the Virtual Cycling Museum – Noël GREGOIRE Collections, this trophy preserves the memory of Michele Bartoli’s victory in the 1998 Three Days of La Panne. Its original shape and the accompanying photographs make it a memento directly linked to one of the greatest classics riders of his era.
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ITEM N° 023
BASGA SAWADOGO Joseph (BF)
Trophy donated by the Burkina Faso National Lottery in 1988
Joseph Basga Sawadogo is a former Burkinabé cyclist who was active during the 1980s. He belongs to a generation of sportspeople who contributed to the development of competitive cycling in Burkina Faso.
The information currently available on his career and his list of achievements remains scarce. This lack of documentary evidence highlights the importance of the photographs and artefacts that help to preserve the memory of his sporting career.
The item on display is a trophy presented to Joseph Basga Sawadogo by the Burkina Faso National Lottery in 1988. Its original design gives it a very different character from that of traditional trophies. The sculpture, crafted from a golden-hued metal, rests on a long, rectangular brown plinth. A slanted decorative element completes the composition behind the cyclist and emphasises its unusual character. A metal plaque affixed to the front of the plinth recalls the origin of the award and its presentation in 1988. The patina, signs of wear and variations in colour bear witness to the object’s history since it was presented to the cyclist.
The inclusion of this item in the collection was made possible thanks to the collaboration of Damien Miroir, who is pictured in the montage. This information is an important part of the object’s history and provenance.
Displayed in the Virtual Cycling Museum – Noël GREGOIRE Collections, this trophy offers a rare insight into the career of Joseph Basga Sawadogo and cycling in Burkina Faso in the late 1980s. Its original design, the photograph of the cyclist and the documented circumstances of its transfer confer upon it a special historical value.
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