An Installation of a Thousand Yellow Jerseys to Celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Gimondi’s Triumph at the 1965 Tour

Sixty years after Gimondi’s legendary victory, the city will pay tribute to the champion with a symbolic route from the GAMeC to the Donizetti Theatre, marked by the installation of one thousand yellow jerseys during the upcoming BGY Airport Granfondo.

July 14th marked the 60th anniversary of Felice Gimondi’s iconic win at the 1965 Tour de France. To commemorate the occasion, Giuseppe Manenti – General Director of the BGY Airport Granfondo – presented the City of Bergamo with a rendering of an urban art installation that symbolically traces the 22 stages of that historic edition of the French race, from Paris to Paris.

The project envisions a symbolic route stretching from the GAMeC to the Donizetti Theatre, lined with one thousand yellow jerseys — a tribute to the bond between Bergamo, the “City of the Thousand,” and the emblematic jersey of the Tour. Each jersey will carry a meaningful word: emotion, grit, tenacity, awareness — evoking the extraordinary feat of a young Gimondi, a first-time participant who conquered Europe.

“Emotion, disbelief, euphoria, grit, tenacity, awareness, caution, pride — these are some of the words we chose to celebrate, through this installation project, the inoubliable victory of Felice Gimondi in 1965. We are grateful for this gift, which holds a special meaning on a day like today and gives us the opportunity to once again honor the champion from Bergamo,” said Mayor Elena Carnevali.

“Bergamo is a land of cycling and has given this sport some of its greatest champions. Felice Gimondi was an outstanding example, combining extraordinary talent, unique versatility, and genuine humanity. His victories in the Grand Tours and Monument Classics made him a role model for generations of riders,” said Sports Councillor Marcella Messina.

“It’s been our dream to dress the city in colorful jerseys filled with history, sweat, and triumph. The most prestigious, the most emotional – to honor the great champion Felice Gimondi. In cycling, jerseys are symbols of joy; their colors and designs become emblems that define champions, follow them along the road, and give life to stories and legends. Jerseys are a second skin – often, even a second life. Some collect them, others frame them. Some count them, others recount their tales. Some wear them, and some simply admire them, reliving over and over the heroic feats seen time and time again on TV,” said Giuseppe Manenti.

The BGY Airport Granfondo will return on Sunday, May 10, 2026, starting and finishing in Bergamo – on the very roads made immortal by Felice Gimondi.