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origin and also the promoting organisation. In both of these respects the
G.P.Lugano differed widely from the accepted UK norms of cycling’s “Golden
Era” and should interest to Club members who like to study the way cycle
clubs evolve (membership catchment, events run, etc) and also the way
time-trials were conducted, both here in the UK and on the Continent. There
is no “hidden agenda” my writing, as I’m only really concerned here with
describing the Lugano events and how other cycling enthusiasts did things
elsewhere and why.

The race was the creation of the

                     referred to locally as “

This club was the major in-town rival

- or “enemy” (sic) - of the V.C.Lugano, which

just three years later was to become the

official Swiss organising body for the 1953 UCI

World’s, won by Fausto Coppi.            was

unusual because at its foundation in 1905 the

main competitive interest was in fact race

walking (  ) and running (                     ).

Cycling was popular however, but was

restricted mainly to social riding and mass

touring. Nevertheless, a cycle race of sorts

was promoted in 1907, albeit with only five

starters. The final result was a winning (solo)     1951 - Last Lap
break of 26 minutes after two competitors

had been eliminated by a “ruinous crash”! Another   curiosity was

the social composition of this Swiss-based sporting club. These club folk

included a high proportion of individuals who were  Italian nationals,

who - then as now - formed a significant part of the immigrant working

population. This proved disconcerting in the Spring of 1915, when

activity was suspended as the Italians answered their WWI military call-up’

and went home to “serve their colours”.

Fortunately for all            survived and this fact was proudly announced

in the Ticino press in October 1918, as the de-mobbed Italian survivors

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