When I started biking as a junior in 1985-86 we used to race predominantly in Montréal. You heard this name all the time during the senior races – Gianni Vignaduzzi. Because he usually won. When I turned senior he was gone… he went to Italy to race amateur – he was only 20 or so at the time. We didn’t hear much about Gianni after that. There were no internets back then and the world seemed like a bigger place. It was hard to get cycling news. He’d come back to race the Canadian Olympic trials – he’d tear us a new one and make the Olympic team. He did this in 1988 and then again in 1992. He turned pro for an Italian team in 1993.

I recently commented over on the club site about Canadians who had ridden pro in Europe. I forgot to mention Gianni. Umphhh what a mistake. Gianni was a pioneer – like Steve Bauer.

Fast forward 22 years to last week. I was at the Toura of Missoura with the club. I’m hanging out at the bar at the Kanasas City hotel one night before the race starts, catching up with Gord and he introduces me to Gianni. Gianni was there with the Liqigas team from Italy acting as a translator, general support and liaison for the team to the organizer. All these memories flash back about the early days in Montréal and what a star he was. I also remember he filled a similar role for the Vini Caldirola team at the 1999 Tour of Canada – I even think a Vini Caldirola rider won that tour overall on the last day’s time trial.

Anyhow it was a real pleasure to meet Gianni. I was struck by the Canadian Olympic history when he came over to chat with the guys and I realized between Gianni, Eric and Dwayner I was looking at 20 years of Canadian Olympic cyclists. Throw in the fact that Michael and Gordo were also at the race along with Dave, Dave, and Dom – you might say it was a real meeting of Canada’s Olympic cycling past, present and future?