Amerigo Sarri, the father of Atalanta head coach Maurizio Sarri and a former champion cyclist who once trained alongside Gino Bartali, has died at the age of 97.
Sarri passed away on the evening of Monday 20 July, as confirmed by Italian media. Born on 10 November 1928 in Figline Valdarno, Tuscany, he took up cycling immediately after the Second World War. In 1946 he began racing in the junior category with U.S. Figline Valdarno, winning nine races and quickly establishing himself as a rising talent on the national scene.
A versatile rider — classified as a puncheur-climber with a solid sprint — he moved up to the amateur ranks in 1947. Over six seasons he accumulated 37 victories with several teams, including G.S. Castellani, U.S. Rifredi, Assi Firenze and, most notably, Aquila Montevarchi, the club where he enjoyed his finest years. In the red-and-blue jersey, he amassed more than 50 wins and was a key figure in Montevarchi's golden era of the early 1950s, alongside other greats such as Falsini, Bartolozzi and Tognaccini. His performances earned him two call-ups to the Italian national team.
In 1953, his move to the independent category did not produce the expected results. Still only 25 and in his athletic prime, Sarri decided to retire from racing and focus on working life. He competed in just three events as a professional, including the prestigious Giro di Lombardia in 1953.
Stepping away from racing, however, never meant stepping away from cycling. After a long career at a major Milanese company, he devoted his retirement to organising amateur competitions at both regional and international levels, continuing to promote the values of the sport.
A great admirer of Fausto Coppi, Sarri also shared a friendship with Gino Bartali, who would often stop in Figline Valdarno during training rides — a bond born of mutual respect between the world of classic cycling and the communities that experienced it up close.
In 2022, the Aquila Montevarchi Cycling Section awarded him the title of honorary member, alongside Giancarlo Brocci, founder of L'Eroica, in recognition of his contribution to the history of Tuscan cycling.
Maurizio Sarri has not yet issued a public statement, but the Italian football world has begun to express its condolences.
Sources
- https://www.gazzetta.it/Ciclismo/21-07-2026/morto-amerigo-sarri-padre-di-maurizio-e-ciclista.shtml
- https://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/altre-notizie/amerigo-sarri-passione-ruote-amicizia-ginettaccio-2255811
