Ernesto Colnago was born in Cambiago, a 3,000 inhabitants village fifteen miles far from Milan, on the 9th of February 1932. "My parents' names were Antonio and Elvira. My parents were very proud peasants. When I was twelve years old, I went working in a workshop as a welder. I did not earn any money: my parents had to give the owner of that workshop four pounds of flour every week. It was the year 1944, the Second World War was not yet over, finding something to eat was not easy On the 25th of November 1945 I went working in a bicycle factory called Gloria, in Milan. To let me work there, the owner of this factory forged my work-documents, as I was only 13 years old, the law didn't allow me to work in a factory. I had passion for the bikes, and sacrifices didn't frighten me. I became an amateur rider, in the year 1950 I won thirteen races. But owing to a bad crash, I had to stay 50 days with a broken leg: my career as a rider was over." ============================== "For a boy who is eighteen years old, very active as I was, standing still was a torment. Then I had a good idea: I asked my factory to send me home some wheels to be assembled. After one month of work, twelve hours a day, I realized that I earned the double than working in the factory: I decided to start working on my own. The first Colnago's workshop was in Cambiago. The room: 25 square meters. The workshop was in front of the most popular tavern in Cambiago: "Il du e vint", a true strategic place to let people realize that Ernesto had his own workshop. "The first bikes with the Colnago name were produced in the year 1954. The first important victory arrived in the summer of the 1960. Arienti, who was in the Italian track cycling national team, won the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Rome." ============================== "The great advantage in my artisan activity is that I can modify my frames as soon as I need to do it. I am very proud to be an artisan. I know what I sell, because every single product I sell is scrupulously controlled." ============================== A very important step for Ernesto Colnago was his entry in the mythical Molteni racing team. "The eleven years I spent with the Molteni team, gave me great satisfaction. Merckx's triumphs gave happiness to Mr. Molteni: with Eddy we won every race of the calendar." ============================== When Saronni became Worldchampion in Goodwood, year 1982, Colnago went really next to a heart attack: "I cried, I couldn't breathe anymore. I was happier than when Eddy Merckx conquered the World Hour Record in Mexico City, year 1972, with a bike of mine whose weight was only 5.750 Kgs." ============================== Recently, Ernesto Colnago is the technical sponsor of the Mapei cycling team. Mr. Squinzi, the owner of Mapei, a great cycling fan and a great entrepreneur, decided to create a great team, which in a very short time won everything. Rominger (World Hour Record, Giro d'Italia, Tour of Spain), Museeuw (Worldchampionships, World Cup, Paris-Roubaix, Tour of Flandres), Olano (Worldchampionships), Ballerini (Paris-Roubaix), Tonkov, Bugno and many other riders have brought Colnago bikes to victories all over the world. ============================== "The victory in the 1996 edition of Paris-Roubaix is still in my heat. Many people think that Paris-Roubaix is an anachronistic race: certainly, it is the best test for a frame. Already in the 1995 edition, my C40 frame, a frame with carbon tubes and lugs, without suspension front fork, brought Ballerini to victory. But the triumph was in the 1996. Three riders with the Mapei jersey, entered alone in the Roubaix track. For the second time in succession, a Colnago carbon frame won the Paris-Roubaix." The C40 frame also won three more times at the Paris-Roubaix, with Ballerini, Tafi and Museeuw
In the meanwhile, Ernesto Colnago is already thinking about the bikes
he can introduce in the
21st century