“I PERSEVERED, I RESISTED. ABOVE ALL I WANTED.” Gemona del Friuli celebrates Ottavio Bottecchia
A Sunday full of great emotions just spent in Gemona del Friuli , where Bottecchia Cicli had the great pleasure of being a guest at the inauguration of the exhibition dedicated to the life and successes of Ottavio Bottecchia and at the national premiere of the docufilm produced by RaiSport “ Ottavio Bottecchia el furlan de fero ”.
In the presence of the municipal and regional authorities, Gemona inaugurated a staged exhibition in the historic center that celebrates the extraordinary career and legendary courage of Ottavio Bottecchia.
The exhibition, which will be open to the public until September 29th, is divided into three fundamental stages: the beginnings, in which the humble roots and early determination that led Ottavio to his first rides emerge; victory at the Tour de France, where you can immerse yourself in the highlights of what was one of the most extraordinary performances in cycling history; finally the tragic death, which occurred in Gemona del Friuli in the former San Michele hospital, which marked the premature death of a sporting icon.
Through symbolic images it is possible to explore the exceptional talent and relentless determination of a cycling star.
Also present at the exhibition were Ottavio Bottecchia's grandchildren, who with their presence enriched the memory of the great champion with emotion and emotion.
After the visit to the exhibition, the first national screening of the docufilm produced by RaiSport and directed by Franco Bortuzzo " Ottavio Bottecchia el furlan de fero " took place at the Cinema Teatro Sociale in Gemona. A precise and exciting story of one of the most beautiful and exciting cycling stories of all time. Through exclusive testimonies and unpublished stories, we trace the entire rise of Ottavio Bottecchia's star, passing through the places that marked his extraordinary life. Childhood, war, the Tour, family, and finally the tragic disappearance, still today shrouded in one of the most exciting mysteries of all time.
A man who became a legend, who has continued to live for more than a hundred years on the bicycles that bear his name, and who after him continued to write beautiful pages in the history of cycling with illustrious names such as Gianni Motta, Giuseppe Saronni, Rudi Altig , Greg LeMond, Stefano Garzelli. In fact, two of the most iconic Bottecchia road bikes are on display in the room: LEGGENDARIA, the hand-made in Italy steel Columbus Spirit bike inspired by the years of Motta, Saronni, LeMond, and EMME4 SLI, the top of the range carbon dedicated to professionals , perfect combination of technology, know-how and experience on the racing fields.
After the screening, the evening closed with valuable comments from director Franco Bortuzzo and writers Enrico Spitaleri and Claudio Gregori.
