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Frame builder Giuseppe Marinoni launchs film and rides new velodrome

Cyclist and frame builder and world one-hour, age-group record holder Giuseppe Marinoni was in Toronto this past weekend for the launch of the film Marinoni: The Fire in the Frame. It documents his early life as a racer in Italy, his many years as a craftsman in Canada and his return to his native land for an attempt at the world record in 2012 at the age of 75.

by Larry Humber

Cyclist and frame builder and world one-hour, age-group record holder Giuseppe Marinoni was in Toronto this past weekend for the launch of the film Marinoni: The Fire in the Frame. It documents his early life as a racer in Italy, his many years as a craftsman in Canada and his return to his native land for an attempt at the world record in 2012 at the age of 75. He was joined by director Tony Girardin, and also by his beaming but supposedly very shy wife, who came bearing gifts, one of his celebrated frames. It was award to an audience member.

It turns out that Marinoni had another reason for coming to Toronto. He was keen to visit the new velodrome in Milton, Ont., which is northwest of the city. It was built especially for the upcoming Pan American Games. The ageless wonder has designs on taking another run at the world record when he jumps to the next age bracket of 80-85 years and is considering doing it in Milton. “We have a meeting at the Milton track,” director Girardin said, noting that the appointment there went a long way toward convincing his subject to make the trip to Toronto from his home in Montreal.

The ever-confident Marinoni has no doubts about his ability to set a new standard in 2017. “After I set the 80-year-old record, perhaps I’ll donate my bike [to the Sports Hall of Fame],” he said. According to Girardin, Marinoni hopes to eclipse his 2012 mark.

After the screening, Girardin revealed that it was touch and go whether in 2012 he would follow his subject overseas to his hometown–some 40 km north of Milan–to film his record bid. “He was very skeptical of me,” Girardin explained. “He was worried what his friends would think of me. I didn’t know whether I was going. I only bought my ticket five days before we left for Italy.”

In closing, the film left some doubt as to whether Marinoni had successfully completed the urine test after his record-setting ride. It showed him still behind closed doors some two hours after his epic feat. That prompted me to ask, “Did you ever manage to pee?” Marinoni speaks only Italian and French, but was quick to assert, “Oui, oui, oui.”

That’s a yes.