Eddy Merckx Corsa Extra Molteni orange, 2005
Molteni orange Eddy Merckx!
It's been the Holy Grail since 1975, when I was a high school boy.
We Japanese cyclists feel Eddy Merckx very familiar, at least old guys like me.
Miyata had been making Eddy Merckx 1973 to 1976.
And Yoshiaki Nagasawa was working with Ugo De Rosa those days, and building frames for Eddy himself and his team members.
The first Japanese who bought De Rosa bikes back to Japan are Akira Yokoo, owner and president of Cycles Yokoo, and president of Nitto handle.
It was 1972.
And Akira Yokoo and Ugo De Rosa were born in the same year, 1934, wow!
1976, TBS, a major TV station, did a miracle.
Broadcasted 1975 Tour de France highlight, an hour program!
Road cycling was an extremely unpopular and minor sport those days in Japan.
Watching Tour de France on TV was incredible for me.
The first thought was just, "No Fxxxing Way"!
I watched The King riding an orange bike with his name on it.
"I WANT IT! I'LL GET SOMEDAY", I vowed.
The famous, or notorious?, Puy de Dome incident was cut.
But it took long years, 47 years, to fullfill my vow.
I've got a used Corsa Extra Molteni orange this year, 2022.
Hmmm, so they call cyclists like me NUT.
Well, bike description.
DA 25th anniversary set.
DA 7700 52+39, BB Italian
DA PD-R9100
Campy 1st gen 2-bolt Record seat post, milled and polished
Mavic Open Pro ceramic + Pana Racer race evo rcc-4 classic 23c
Tokyo San-Esu Dixa Monroe bars, 390mm
