One of the most iconic vintage road cycling images features Fiorenzo Magni grimacing in pain on a gradually ascending road, gripping a barely recognisable object between his teeth. Like many of the old photos capturing extraordinary moments during road cycling events this one has its own extraordinary backstory too.
Giro d’Italia 1956 was dubbed as the fight between the old and the new generations. Fahsto Coppi was no more the same he used to be, the scandal that emerged in his privat life had a serious impact on his racing performance. It wasn’t a big surprise that he crashed out during the 6th stage.
Another legendary cyclist in the peloton was three-time Giro d’Italia winner (1948, 1951, 1955) Fiorenzo Magni. Before the race he announced this would be his last Giro. He did not know, obviously, that this would be his most memorable one.
Racing with broken collarbone
During the stage between Grosetto and Livorno (usually called Stage 12, but due to he contraversy about half stafes, sometimes Stage 10), Magni crashed on the descent of Volterra. He broke his left collarbone, but still managed to tfinish the stage.
Later in the hospital he was recommended to quit the race, but Magni refused it. A rest day was coming, and he had only one thing to do: to do nothing at all.
But a big question still remained open: how will he ride during the rest of the race. Although he received an elastic bandage in the hospital, his left arm was still short on power. The his chief-mechanic came up with the idea to cut out a pice from an inner tube. Its one end coukd ve attached to the handlebar while Magni kept the other end with his teeth.
Magni crashed again
During the stage between Lecco to Sordini, Magni fell on his left arm, broke his humerus, but refused to go to the hospital. He left the ambulance car, pedalled back to the peloton patiently waiting for his star.
The last big test was yet to come. The day finished on the top of Monte Bondone had its own legend, Charly Gaul, but also Magni delivered an excellent performance. His only task was not to abandon the race and he completed it arriving third in the finish. His consistent performance helped him into the second place behind Gaul in the general classification.
Only two stages left and Magni even had the strenght to challenge Gaul. But in the end, the Luxembourgian won the race and Magni finished just behind him with the same time gap as it was after the Bondone-stage.