Wladimiro Panizza, who was named after Vladimir Ilyich Lenin by his parents, was born on the 5th July 1945 in Fagnano Olona, Italy.
Faces from the peloton: Franco Bitossi, the “Crazy heart”
Italian cyclist Franco Bitossi earned the nickname “Crazy heart” (“Cuore matto”) due to a cardiac arrhythmia which often forced him to stop midway in a cycling race. Bitossi, born in 1940, was professional between 1961 and 1978. He was considered a very attack-friendly cyclist, who was also excellent in the mountains. His first big success … Read more