Antonio MASPES

One of the all-time greatest track sprinters, Antonio Maspes won seven professional World Championships between 1955-64, tying the record, held at the time by Jef Scherens – it has since been surpassed by Koichi Nakano, with 10. Having won an Olympic bronze in the tandem sprint in 1952, Maspes won his first world title in 1955, the other six following in 1956, 1959-1962 and 1964, while medalling also in 1958 and 1963. Maspes was well-known for his long sur places – in 1960 he even broke the 200 m world record after a 25-minute standstill. Maspes also collected a record five consecutive wins in the Grand Prix de Paris (1960-64). After his death in 2000, the famous Velodromo Vigorelli in Milano, where Maspes had started racing, was renamed in his honor.