SHEDDING DEMONS
THIRTY YEARS AGO ONE OF WORLD CYCLING’S MOST ENIGMATIC FIGURES FINALLY WON THE MAGLIA ROSA. PROCYCLING RECALLS ROBERTO VISENTINI’S TORTURED JOURNEY TO THE PROMISED LAND Writer: Herbie Sykes Procycling - ISSUE 216 / MAY 2016 Born into a wealthy undertaking family in the hills above Lake Garda , Roberto Visentini was the antithesis of the cycling archetype . He wasn’t in it for the money ; he raced for the same reason that he rode motocross and skied , because he was the best at it. Being the best at things was good for his fragile self-esteem. Visentini left school aged 14 to concentrate on the motocross , but soon, he discovered that winning bike races was child’s play . For two years he and Italy’s other boy wonder, Giuseppe Saronni , divided the junior spoils . If it came together Saronni would gallop home, but if it didn’t, if there were hills, then the taciturn one would ride away. Two weeks after his 18th birthday Visentini won the National Championship, and seve