eBay Finds: Campagnolo 1980 commemorative belt buckles

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We've featured a few eBay Finds on these pages that are 'for the cyclist who has everything', and this set of three gold- and silver-plated Campagnolo belt buckles certainly fits into that bracket.

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Have a closer look at the Campagnolo belt buckles here (opens in new tab)

Slovenian youngster Tadej Pogačar's Tour de France victory last weekend on a Campagnolo-equipped Colnago – and it doesn't get too much more Italian than that – was Colnago's first-ever Tour win, but seemingly Campagnolo's 41st Tour victory.

It was, however, Campagnolo's first Tour win since 2014, when Vincenzo Nibali – then with Astana – took the title in Paris. Since then, and for some years before 2014, Shimano and, to a lesser extent, SRAM have dominated the Tour as the componentry of choice, with Oscar Pereiro's 2006 win the last Campagnolo Tour victory before Nibali's.

It wasn't always that way, of course. Campagnolo dominated for most of the 1940s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s, only rivalled in the earlier days by the likes of Simplex and Huret.

Italian rider Tullio Campagnolo invented the quick-release lever for wheels while racing in freezing weather on the climb of the Croce d'Aune in 1927. In those days, a rider's choice of gears was made by undoing wingnuts to switch from one sprocket to the second - and only other - choice on the other side of the wheel.

Campagnolo patented and manufactured the levers for his new company in 1933, which was the same year that he invented the first rear derailleur, which he updated in 1949 to something resembling the rear derailleurs we know today.

The three gold- and silver-plated belt buckles for sale here were, according to the Canada-based seller, released in 1980 to celebrate Tullio Campagnolo's 80th birthday – although the Italian would actually only turn 80 on August 26, 1981, and died at the age of 81 on February 3, 1983.

One depicts Campagnolo riding on the Croce d'Aune in 1927, another is of Campagnolo's famous winged logo, while the third and last buckle is of Campagnolo's Prodotti Speciali – Speciali Products – globe logo.

The buckles are apparently in mint condition, and come in their original presentation box, having never been used. The seller's asking for $865 Canadian (US$650 / £500), and shipping can be arranged to wherever you are in the world.

We're constantly on the lookout for unique and rare cycling relics on eBay. If you have any suggestions or leads, please send them to cyclingnews@cyclingnews.com with 'eBay Finds' in the subject line.