“Binda, Girardengo, and the Broken Promise” - WCRR 1927

It is well known that Alfredo Binda and Costante Girardengo were not the best of friends. Girardengo, Italy’s first Campionissimo (“Champion of Champions”), dominated the early racing scene, but a young superstar began to take some of the limelight and the animosity began to brew. There was no real friendship between the two superstars, they respected each other but nothing more.

Costante Girardengo started racing in 1914 (before World War I) and retired in 1936 (just before World War II), at the age of 43!! He won the Giro twice, the Giro di Lombardia three times, Milan-San Remo six times (a record that took 50 years to beat... by Eddy Merckx!) and the Italian Championship nine times in a row!

Alfredo Binda was from Varese in the Lombardia section of Italy, who immigrated to Nice, France in search of work and there he began to race and win. As a professional cyclist from 1922 to 1936, won five Giro d'Italia, (1925, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1933), he achieved 41 stage wins at the Giro (a longtime record until Mario Cipollini surpassed that total). He also won three world championships on the road, two Milan-San Remo in 1929 and 1931 and four national championships on the road. He was called "the Lord of the Mountain" for his unparalleled style for tackling the most difficult climbs in the most difficult races. His rivalries with Costante Girardengo first and Learco Guerra second were legendary.

Torpedo Affair and the Twenty-Five Hundred Lire

The first sponsorship companies were coming to Italian cycling. They were the manufacturers of bicycles and cycling tires that sponsored the first pro-cyclists, which guaranteed them a steady salary.

The friction between the two superstars began to escalate with little-known case involving Alfredo Binda, a true Campionissimo, who on the eve of the 1927 World Championship Road Race in Adenau (Nurburgring), Germany, met with two representatives of the German company Sachs (maker of Torpedo Hubs!). This company produced motorcycles and bicycles but needed an entry into professional cycling.

Sachs had patented a hub called "Torpedo" which were new single-speed freewheeling hubs. Needing a big star, they came to the Italian training camp and quietly approached the Italian stars with a 25,000-lira contract. In Adenau Binda held out for a higher payout (120,000-lira). Sachs agreed, Binda (Legnano) and Girardengo (Wolsit) had mounted Sachs’ Torpedo rear hubs to their bikes.

The pact was that any publicity would never appear in Italy, to protect their Italian bike sponsorships. Unfortunately, when an Italian magazine ran a full feature on the use of the new Torpedo hub, Girardengo’s Italian sponsorship ended. Binda was the World Champion and kept his Italian bike deal.

The post-race events of the 1927 World Championships brought hostilities to a head. Before the start of the race, the four riders of a strong Italian team agreed pool their winning and split the prize money equally. The team chose Binda to break away and showing great form Binda did ride away from the Italian protected peloton. Solidly Binda won the race, but after winning he reneged on the pre-race agreement. Gira’s share of the prize was 2,500 lira, Binda did not honor the deal.

Girardengo would not forget the broken promise of Nurburgring. Binda and Girardengo did not speak for years.