Marino Basso

Marino Basso, born on 1 June 1945 at Rettorgole di Caldogno in the Veneto, is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist who was considered one of the best sprinters of his generation. He won the World Cycling Championship in 1972, the same year he became Italian national champion. He was one of the main sprinters of the 1970s and often duelled with the Belgian riders Patrick Sercu, Guido Reybroeck and Roger de Vlaeminck and with his fellow Italian Dino Zandegù. He won a total of 15 stages at the Giro d'Italia, 6 at the Tour de France and 6 at the Vuelta a España, and was the winner of the points classification at the 1971 Giro. He is not related to the cyclist Ivan Basso, although his brother Alcide founded Basso Bikes. After his racing career he became a manager at a number of teams, including Preti Mangimi.