Giacomo Agostini, the legend of the blue motorcycle (before Rossi and Bagnaia)
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An extraordinary career, that of Agostini, also called Aug And Mino. A career that from 1963 to 1977 will lead him to conquer 18 Italian championships, 15 world titles, 123 Grands Prix, 10 Tourist Trophies for a total of 313 victories. An incredibly long span of time in a period in which the security problem was dramatic.
“Well, in those days it was easy to die. I have lost many friends. While I’m glad I competed during that time, it was really dangerous. He must be remembered. Both for the circuits, which had no escape routes when you fell, and for much less technological materials. The current suits weigh 15 kilos and really protect. In my day they weighed a kilo and, when it rained, they got soaked right away. On the same day I also did two races – first with the 350 and then with the 500 – with the same wet suit. I was cold, but it went on anyway. My helmet was a kind of bowl, a museum heirloom compared to current full-face helmets».
Between Ireland and England, on the Isle of Man, the Tourist Trophy takes place, the legendary race on a circuit of over 60 kilometers to be repeated several times. “It is a road made for normal traffic that is blocked on purpose,” explains Agostini. «If you fall, it’s trouble: you go against a pole, a wall, a house. Only in 1976 were we able to convince the Federation to remove the Tourist Trophy from the World Championship. Naturally, anyone who wants to compete in it is free, but no longer as a valid test for the title. It’s a fascinating circuit, beautiful, but full of pitfalls».
The turning point with MV Agusta
The definitive turning point in Agostini’s life took place in 1964 when Count Domenico Agusta, owner of the Casa di Cascina Costa, founder of MV Agusta (Meccanica Verghera) summoned Giacomo to the company in Gallarate at the end of the season. It was Carlo Ubbiali, already nine times world champion with the Mv, who reported it to the team. Agostini, at just 24 years of age, is by now an established rider having won the Italian title with the Morini 250 GP. However, the encounter is unsettling: after a very long antechamber, at eight in the evening Giacomo is received by the Count who coldly asks him: «Who are you, what do you want from me?»
After the cold shower, the load arrives: «Okay, tomorrow you’ll test at Monza, I’ve already said to have the pins put on the track, so you can get used to our much more powerful and faster racing cars than your previous bikes».
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