Trophy Baracca

The race was created on the initiative of the Bergamo entrepreneur Giacomo “Mino” Baracca , in memory of his father Angelo, who was a big fan of cycling.

The first race was held in 1941 simultaneously with the local grape festival and until 1946 was held in the format of an individual race among amateurs in late summer - early autumn. Since 1947, Italian professional racers began to take part in it, and the time moved to mid-autumn.

In 1949, Mino Baracca, inspired by the race of the Giro della Province of Milan , changed the rules of the race. The format of the individual has become paired - teams composed of two people competed. The regulation included three disciplines: a 100-kilometer doubles race on the highway , with a length of 100 to 112 kilometers around Bergamo, a pair and an Australian pursuit race on the track . To participate in the race, cyclists were allowed only by invitation and the participation of professional racers from other countries was allowed. The dates were in the first days of November, at the end of the international season, which made it possible to invite famous riders without any difficulty.

In this form, the race lasted until 1958, when it began to consist only of a pair race on the highway. The dates were changed twice more: from 1972 to October, and from 1984 to September.

The last race took place in 1991 and was held in the format of an individual race , becoming simultaneously part of two more races: the Grand Prix of Nations and the final race of the UCI World Road Cup .

In 1972, a pair of Eddie Merckx and Roger Swerts were the first to overcome the 50 km / h mark for the average speed of passage of a distance. In 1989, their record was surpassed by Laurent Finignon and Thierry Marie - 50.487 km / h.

To win the Tarafeo Baracca, the rider did not have to be in good shape at the end of the season. A reliable partner with excellent mutual understanding was needed.

Among the winners were such famous racers as Fausto Coppi and Riccardo Filippi , who won three times together, Eddie Merckx and Ferdinand Bracca celebrated success in pair twice; other famous winning couples were Felice Gimondi and Jacques Anketil , Francesco Moser and Bernard Eno . And in 1979, the success was celebrated by a couple, which was formed by two historical irreconcilable rivals - Giuseppe Saronni and Francesco Moser .

Francesco Moser in total won the race five times and each time with a new partner.

Venue

• Tarafeo Baracca on Cycling Archives
• Trophy Baracca at FirstCycling
• Tarafeo Baracca at Memoireducyclisme
•   Fragments of the 1959 , 1962 , 1964 , 1965 , 1968 , 1969, and 1979 Trophy Baracca on YouTube
• TROPHEE BARACCHI (Fondateur: Mino BARACCHI) (neopr.) . lepetitbraquet.fr .
• Forgotten Races: Baracchi Trophy (Neopr.) . prendas.co.uk (June 06, 2018).
• TROPHEE BARACCHI (neopr.) . velo-club.net (May 29, 2004). Archived June 25, 2004.