Benedetto POLA

Benedetto Pola was only 18 when, at Genoa in August 1933, he won the Italian sprint title ahead of Marco Cimatti, Mario Rosi, and Gino Bambagiotti. The following year he retained his Italian title, and won the world sprint title in Leipzig, when he beat the future Olympic champion, Arie Van Vliet, and the Frenchman Christian Lente. Despite being tipped as the future big star of cycling, Pola suffered defeat by Severino Rigoni for the 1935 Italian sprint title, although Pola did win it back in 1936, and retained it the following year.

At the Berlin Olympics, Pola was unfortunate to finish just outside the medals, in fourth place, in both the sprint and 1,000 metres Time Trial. The following year, he finished fourth again in the sprint at the World Championships at Copenhagen, in a race won by the Netherland's Johan Van de Vijver.

In 1938 Pola turned professional and dominated the Italian cycling scene that year, winning the Italian professional sprint title in Milano. He was eliminated in the heats at the 1938 and 1939 Worlds. His 1938 sprint title would be his last Italian title, as he finished second in 1941-42 and 1946, and third in 1945.