Typos? Poor translation? A misunderstanding of the question asked? The errors inherent in an old man's recollection? Who knows? Highlights the difficulties facing a scholar of the bike, don't you think?
Chuck "don't quote me, and I don't have any footnotes" Schmidt L.A.
"Silver, Mordecai" wrote:
>
> Chuck, thanks very much for posting that interview! A few comments:
>
> Snipped:
> "CB: Who was the first champion to win a major race on a Masi?
> FM: Magni, around 1924...And in 1942, I built frames for Learco Guerra."
>
> Also snipped:
> "By 1924, the great Magni was winning races on Masi-built frames."
>
> There seems to be a mistake here, whether it's due to the faulty memory
> of an 83 year old, or a gap in the process of translation through a
> third party. Masi was 16 years old in 1924, and it's highly unlikely
> that the first frames he ever built, at 16, were for professionals! And
> Fiorenzo Magni didn't begin racing professionally till 1941. (There was
> an earlier star, Antonin Magne, who was French, and won the Tour de
> France in 1931 and 1934. I doubt that Masi built for him!) Learco
> Guerra, by the way, won his last major race in 1942, when he was 40
> years old, the Italian motor-pace championship at the Vigorelli. So
> between Guerra and Timoner (who was Spanish), Masi had quite a bit of
> success with motorpace events.
>
> "CB: What Tours de France were won on Masi frames?
> FM: Bahamontes, Nencini, Riviere."
>
> Riviere never did win the Tour. In 1960, he had a good chance of
> beating Nencini, but crashed on the descent of the Perjuret and was
> paralyzed. (Nencini was the fastest and most fearless descender of his
> day, as Magni was of his.) Had this not happened, he would have been
> Anquetil's toughest opponent in the '60's Tours; he was an excellent
> all-round cyclist, and nearly as good as Anquetil, if not as good or
> even better, against the clock. He was a 3-time winner of the world
> championship in the pursuit, and set the hour, 10km, and 20km records.
>
> "FM: ...In 1946 I built the Raleighs."
>
> Then the rumor is true that Masi built 3-speed utility bikes to keep his
> pot boiling? But seriously, I don't think Raleigh sponsored a
> continental team till the '70's (as TI-Raleigh).
>
> "FM: ...Today's groups are 'tanto fumo, no arrosto' (all smoke and no
> fire)."
>
> So Faliero didn't care much for C-Record?
>
> Mordecai Silver
> NY, NY