[CR]was Paganini, then Ciocc, then Billato..

(Example: Racing:Jean Robic)

From: "Norris Lockley" <Norris.Lockley@btopenworld.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2004 00:35:43 -0000
Subject: [CR]was Paganini, then Ciocc, then Billato..

There's been a lot of contributions to this thread and a lot of ground covered, possibly too much for some members, but Lou's reminiscences about what the Billato rep said, somehow don't ring true - not Lou's account, but the rep's.

The guy claimed that Billato built the bike for the winner of the T-d-F in 1987 -Steven Roche. Roche rode for Carrera, who at that time did not build frames but bought them in from .. BATTAGLIN. How do I know? Because I have the frame ridden by Roche's faithful lieutenant the Belgian. Eddy Schepers, and it has Battaglin stamped on the inside faces of the drop-outs. Unless of course Billato built....

The rep also stated that his company built the Bottechia low-pro used by Lemond in 1989. I had heard it was built in Norfolk in the UK. but I prefer to accept the Billato story.. knowing the source of the other story. however the rep goes on to say that Billato also built the frames of the winner of the Tour in 1988 and for Lemond again in 1990.

Well, Delgado won the 88 Tour riding for Pinarello! Don't tell me that Billato builds for..In any case most of Delgado's Tour kilometeresthat year were ridden on a TVT carbon-fibre frame badged up "Pinarello" Lemond also rode TVT sprayed up in ADR colours and transferred "Bottechia" for his road-frame in the 89 Tour. In 90 he rode as team captain of the French "Z" team, using yet again TVT frames sprayed up in 3-fluo finish and carrying his own decals.

At that time a lot of people claimed that they built for Greg because he was a very hot property. I know for a fact that Alain Michel, a first class builder based just outside Paris built some Excell-tubed frames for the Z team and possibly for Greg. A couple of years later Tonic cycles at St Etienne also built for Greg.. or so they claim.. and the proprietor there is a close friend of the man behind Excell, Mr Rezze.

As for the Billato rep claiming that his company was the first to introduce TIG-welded steel frames in 1990.. well they might have been the first for Billato, but the genius Pesenti was building them in 1988.. in Columbus Cromor, and his May 1989 catalogue offers TIGGED frames in Max, MS, or Cromor. I placed my first order for some of these frames with Pesenti in June 1989 .

However whatever the "ins and out" of the Billato story, without doubt they must have built for quite a number of other companies. Shall we ever know?

Norris Lockley.. wondering on a wet night whether Alf Hetchin/ Mr Denny ever built a model called Innanzo Tutto, and badged up for Bondun's