THE SPORT OF ROWING because we felt that the Italians were a bit tired. “The four boys from Mandello del Lario had obviously taken a bit of a breather before attacking the finish, and in fact in the last two hundred meters the pace became overwhelming and we saw them cross the finish line without palpitations with more than two lengths of advantage. In vain did the Danes call on all their energies. “At the finish, we had the strength to shout and smile, and their opponents almost struck their oarlocks. “The four athletes who have given us this new victory are Moioli, Morille, Invernizzi and Faggi. It is good for us to remember the names, since the sport of rowing offers no money and only a modicum of glory.”2849 Of course, British purists saw the Moto Guzzi crews as professionals, even if they trained before and after a full day in the factory and even though they paid their own way to regattas. For the British perspective, see Chapter 78. Francescano: “The quartet Guzzi, the first case ever of a crew consisting entirely of workers, entered the history of boating. “Unfortunately for our boys, the prize that awaited them was far from the usual of today. A Moto Guzzi and a shift in employee category. That’s all. But the times were what they were, and Moioli, Morille, Invernizzi and Faggi regretted nothing. That’s for sure. “Above all, the victories did not stop in London that afternoon, and the following years saw the four rack up victories across the continent. In 1949 and 1950, the Guzzi boys again climbed to the top step of the European podium. The formidable adventure continued until the Games in 2849 Tre Vittorie all’Italia, Il Nuovo Corriere della Sera, August 10, 1948 Helsinki in 1952, when, not used to the salty waters of the fjords, they lost their title and ended their four-year unbeaten streak. “It was the last act of a legend. It was time to pass the baton to other great teams, even if Moioli continued to race and win European Championships. “Today Invernizzi and Morille are no longer with us, but Franco Faggi continues to regale with his tales of the epic Guzzi Coxless-Four. If you pass by a part of the Lago di Como, and you happen to hear someone shouting in dialect to the boats in the water, move closer. You may encounter a young man of eighty years directing like an iron sergeant the new generation of rowing. Of course, only if it is not the period of pruning or harvesting and Joseph Moioli can forget for a while his beloved vines.”2850 1956 Olympics After 1952, only Giuseppe Moioli continued rowing. With new teammates, he stroked the Moto Guzzi Coxless-Four to the 1954 European title on the Bosbaan and the 1956 title in Bled. The team was deeper, with the Moto Guzzi Coxed-Four winning Bronze in Bled. This next generation of Moto Guzzi fours is best remembered today, a half- century later, for the unique arrangement of its riggers. Bill Lomas, Grand Prix Champion motorcycle racer: ‘At Moto Guzzi, to ride and work for them was like being part of a family. Ingegnere Giulio Carcano, their chief engineer, was the most approachable genius I have ever met. “Ing. Carcano could turn his talents to anything. Moto Guzzi had a big rowing club, its members all employees. In ‘55, the coxed-four and coxless-four teams were 2850 Francescano, op. cit. 802
