The Colnago bike company held its annual dinner and mass on Saturday, celebrating another year of success with family and friends at the Cambiago headquarters.
Guests included former Italian legends Gianni Bugno, Fiorenzo Magni and Gianni Motta, Ireland’s national football coach Giovanni Trapattoni, and television presenter Marino Bartoletti.
A huge poster of Thomas Voeckler dominated the event, reminding everyone of how the Frenchman wore the yellow jersey at the Tour de France for ten days and finished fourth overall. Voeckler’s special yellow Colnago C59 Italia bike was also on show in the huge Colnago bike museum that holds all the bikes that have won major races during the last 40 years.
Voeckler won eight races in 2011, with Team Europcar clocking up a total of 22 wins, with Pierre Rolland also taking the best young rider’s white jersey at the Tour de France. The Colnago-CSF team won 18 races, with team leader Sacha Modolo taking ten of them and securing a place in the Italian national team. Sven Nys is back to his best this season and won in Namur on Sunday to retake the lead in the UCI cyclo-cross World Cup.
“It’s been one of the best years we’ve ever had. It’s been hugely satisfying,” Ernesto Colnago said after cutting a special Colnago cake with his family.
“We haven’t been able to produce enough C59 frames to satisfy all the requests.That means were doing something right. I’ve worked with some great riders over the years but Voeckler proved he is special this year. He’s a great rider but he’s also a great person. He’s always aggressive and wins a lot but he’s still got his feet on the ground.”
“I’ve always supported young riders and helped them fulfill their potential and that’s why we sponsor the Colnago-CSF team. It’s packed with the best young Italian riders like new signing Enrico Battaglin and Sacha Modolo. I really think he can win Milan-San Remo in 2012.”
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