At the Teatro Lirico in Milan (sold out) an evening show organized by Prometeon. The three riders on stage told wonderful stories such as when Capirossi passed Cadalora on the outside and: “I watched him overtaking him, I enjoyed it, and he laughed!”
March 17, 2023
“Cadalora… once I overtook him on the outside, I enjoyedI turn around and look at him… he laughed!“. This is just one of the extraordinary anecdotes that have been told at the Teatro Lirico Giorgio Gaber in Milan where the actor Luca Ward and the general manager of Prometeon Robert Righi presented an evening dedicated to motorcycling with three extraordinary guests: Giacomo Agostini and Marco Lucchinelli e Loris Capirossi.
A beautiful evening with the sold out theatre, passionate people who stayed until the end to get an autograph or a selfie with the three world champions. In a word: Passion.
The format set up by Prometeon (a company that produces and sells tyres) works very well: this was the third sports-themed evening, in the first, football-themed, three Italian world champions from 1982 were guests. In the second, the volleyball champions of the 90s were guests.
Ago, Marco, Loris how did you start?
“My father didn’t want me to race – said Agostini – at the age of 18 He gave me a beautiful… car, a Juliet! Why did I forget the bike…”
“I did my first race with a mechanic that he wasn’t a mechanic, he was the my bakery. But out of 40 I finished second, there were also official bikes, I was with my private one. So I thought that my father didn’t have every reason… there I met the Morini mechanics who then fixed up my bike and I started winning“.
“After a while Morini called me and asked me if I wanted to race with them and from there I immediately won two Italian titles and my career began from there”.
“I started running because I was afraid to work” joked Lucchinelli who was the one who got the most laughter from the audience.
“I started when I was four with a small motorcycle built by my father, then there were no minibikes. From 4 years to 14 only motocross, then I started with track”. And at 17 he was world champion, still the youngest world champion: “And now I’ve changed the rule – joked Loris – we put 18 minimum threshold years, so the record remains with me!“.
Passion and changing times
“For me it is always been a game I’ve always enjoyed it, as soon as I get on the bike I enjoy it” said Capirossi.
“Nobody of my family came to see methey said I would get hurt, but when I became world champion Everyone was there… to take the credit!” joked Lucchinelli.
On changing times: “My suit was heavy a kilogram, those of now 8-9, and have airbags. I started using full face helmet in Belgium at Spa, but it bothered me because it was too heavy and after a few laps i took it off. Then I retraced my steps, for safety” Agostini recalled.
“The first time I tried disc brakes I was in Modena, e for the first 50 meters he didn’t brake, think about you – added Ago – now instead they are holding back in an incredible way. And now there are escape routes, before you fell against a wall”.
About talent: “If you put Ago 40 years younger on a MotoGP, vince! Marco would do the same, because they are champions – said Loris -. Marquez himself, if you put him on a 500 two-stroke, he wins in two races. They have talent!”.
On the current MotoGP: “I keep fit and every now and then I try the MotoGP and shoot, but after four laps I have to stop because it takes a lot of training, they are impressive.”
Capirossi also talked about returning to the 250 after being in the 500: “Aprilia made me a good offer and went back, I wanted to win the 250 world championshipI won it and then I returned to the 500. After a few years Ducati arrived, awesome first year, the period with Ducati was very important. But every victory has its own reason”.
The long winters before and the rivals
Agostini: “In winter we had three months off and I worked, not like Lucchinelli! They offered me parties, carousels, photo novels. In one of the first photo novels I had to tell a girl that I loved her but I was tall 1.85 and then they put me underfoot a box of fruit to be at the same height!”.
Lucchinelli and the appearance a San Remo: “As soon as I got back to the hotel I phoned my mechanic, at that time there weren’t cell phones, though ask him how I went: ‘I didn’t look at you, I was ashamed for youI hid behind the sofa‘ he told me!”.
General laughter.
Agostini, did you have friends among your rivals? “It’s hard to be friends between pilots (note that he speaks in the present tenseed), respect yes, always”.
Lucchinelli on rivals: “Barry Sheene, Kenny Roberts, they do. Then the new ones, Spencer, Mamola were fast but they didn’t give me adrenaline”.
Capirossi on his rivals: “I had many, in the early years in the 250 Romboni, Biaggi. Doriano was a great talent, we also started together with the Gram. Then Valentino Rossi arrived in the 250, who made the history of this sport. Cadalora too… once I overtook him on the outside, I was enjoying it, I turn around and look at him… he laughed!”.
“I remember it!” said Cadalora who was sitting in the front row. Laughter and applause.
Quit…
On the end of his career, Agostini: “It’s very difficultI do not deny that I cried 2-3 days. Then you stop but you’re still young, you’re 35, I stopped at 37… you stop and you know that you won’t feel those emotions anymorenot even if you become President of the Republic”.
“I stopped when Castiglioni told me you have two children, I’ll give you the same money as now to be a team manager. I won the world championship as team manager in 1990″ Lucchinelli said.
Capirossi: “At 38 when I was in fifth corner with the Ducati I thought maybe it was time to stop. This thought made me realize it was time.”
