First a fan, then a follower, as a former professional runner in the 1950s he was a living memory of Fausto Coppi and he died precisely remembering the Very championon the 65th anniversary of his death. Destiny united forever Pietro Moratto a Coppi: family surname as archived by the Cycling Museum, but also known as Moratoprobably due to a registration error at the registry office, died in Castellaniain the Alessandria area, during the commemoration of the great runner in which he had always wanted to participate. Fatal for the ninety-year-old, born nearby Tortonathere was an illness in the Town Hall square. Notified immediately 118while waiting for the ambulance and air ambulance to arrive, some present were on a video call with the nurse at the operations center. They proceeded with the cardiac massage and used, always under guidance, the semi-automatic defibrillatorbut there was nothing that could be done for the elderly man.
Active in the 1950s, Moratto dressed in 1953 and 1954 the team shirt ‘Tortonese pedal’which later became ‘Fausto Coppi Tortonese Pedal’; In the 1955 that of the Augustea. He had raced with the Campionissimo in 1953 and 1955. «There was no one better on the market, even internationally Coppi – Moratto always remembered -. In the 1950s he still trained like a kid, with a seriousness that many young people didn’t have. Ettore Milano and I were supposed to accompany him to Bianchi in Milan to have the bicycles checked. Given the adverse weather, we decided to change, certain that we would not leave. Coppi called us at the bar in Novi and waited for us at the villa in Serravalle saying: ‘And would you be runners?’ We went there and back under the water.”
Inseparable from the bicycle, in 2016 a truck hit him Villavernia. Admitted to hospital with a guarded prognosis, he recovered. «Unfortunately, life and cycling can write incredible pages – he comments Massimo Merlanopresident of the ‘Casa Coppi’ museum -. The sudden death of Pietro, who was always here with us on January 2nd, left a veil of sadness. He always remembered his participation alongside Fausto in Tour of the Apennines 1955when Coppi took his last victory in a road race.” «It is a serious loss for the world of cycling and our entire community, which loves this sport and its witnesses, like Pietro – he comments Federico Chiodimayor of Tortona, in Castellania for the celebrations -. Very loyal to the Campionissimo and custodian of many anecdotes about him, with him another piece of memory is lost and it is always a pain. Especially on a day like today, which should have been a celebration for sport anyway.”