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Serse Coppi, a tragic and unforgettable figure in cycling history

01/10/2024

Serse Coppi’s story exemplifies just how ruthless the sport of cycling can be. As any cyclist or fan knows, the peloton is made up of athletes, flesh and bone, constantly flirting with danger. These riders push their bodies to the limit in pursuit of a dream, putting everything on the line to achieve that one perfect day in the saddle. While race organizers have made significant strides over the years to improve safety, reducing crashes and accidents to zero remains impossible.

Half a century ago, riders went considerably slower than today, but wore no helmets. Countless crashes mar the history of this sport, and one of the most tragic involves none other than the younger brother of cycling legend Fausto Coppi. Serse may not have had Fausto’s palmarès, but he was definitely more than an ordinary domestique. In fact, in 1949, Serse claimed victory in the Paris-Roubaix, a triumph that came before Fausto’s own win on the cobbles.

On June 29, 1951, during the Giro del Piemonte (what we now call the GranPiemonte), Serse met his tragic fate. In the final sprint, with the peloton hurtling toward the finish inside the Motovelodromo in Turin, Serse’s wheel caught on a tram track. He crashed violently, hitting his head on the hard pavement of Corso Casale, just a few hundred meters from the line.

Initially, the crash didn’t seem life-threatening. Serse got back to the team hotel, but soon complained of splitting headaches and, thirty minutes later, he lost consciousness. Fausto and team’s sports director Giovanni Tragella rushed Serse to the nearby Sanatrix clinic, fearing a cerebral hemorrhage. Their worst fears were confirmed. A cranial trepanation was ordered, and blood was requested from the blood bank of Molinette, the largest hospital complex in Turin. Tragically, Serse passed away before doctors could operate, never regaining consciousness.

A devastated Fausto could only whisper: “Mom was right; we should never have raced. I won’t go to the Tour de France.” Yet, a few days later, he was convinced to ride the French competition, although he was a shadow of his former self, both physically and mentally shattered. That would turn out to be the only Tour de France he entered and didn’t win among the three he competed in. Serse now rests next to Fausto in their hometown of Castellania, forever a reminder of cycling’s cruel beauty.

 

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