Michael Hiltner of the Alfa Cure club of Firenze won solo
the 37th running of the G.P. Salsomaggiore, a fast and fiercely contested race.

11 April 1966
Translated by Victor Vincente of America

Hiltner the American wins at Firenze

With a long and irresistible sprint, Michael Hiltner the American
succeeded in beating, if even by a slight margin, his breakaway companions
Grassi and Mangani, winning for himself the
Martyrs of Liberty Cup XXI at Firenze.

At 1:10 the start was given in Galluzzo, and the small caravan
gets under way by order of race director Lampredi. Only 19 riders entered
this race, which has on its Winner Roll such names as Mealli, Bartolozzi,
Baronti, Zanon, Vittorio Bartali, and others.

The first 50 km. serve just to approach the climbs the riders must face.
Many breaks and flyers. The first of any importance,
and it will be the good one, comes in the locale of Passo dei Pecorai
(Goatherders Pass) by Grassi, joined on the next climb, at Bagnolo,
by Mangani (returned to his better form), Hiltner, and Bartali.
The breakaway procedes with a modest safety margin,
but we had the impression that the leaders were not straining to their limit.
After Pontassieve, Bartali, hit by indisposition, retired.
Three remained in command: Mangani, Hiltner, and Grassi,
followed at about 2’ by Mantovani and Giuliani,
forcefully escaped from the pack.
Everyone expected a battle on the Sugame climb, but the leaders
did not dispute it, and the mountain prime was picked up by Mangani.
The pack, ever more fractured, was visibly losing ground,
reaching a maximum separation of 5’. The trio proceded undisturbed,
and jockeyed for the final sprint. At Bagno di Ripoli,
Mangani sought to surprise his companions, thinking that in
a sprint finish he would be out of luck, but did not succeed in the attempt.

24 June 1966
Reporter: Natalino Baldassini
Translated by Victor Vincente of America

Bartali . . . at Empoli
13 March 1966 70 km. 1:38’ (42.854 km/hr)

This year, Bartali, with an intelligent and superior race plan, succeeds in
slinging his wheel ahead of his breakaway companions,
beating that American, Hiltner, who was the favorite in the public eye,
for his sprint ability. The race was decided on the sixth lap;
Bartali, Mori, Ferri, Piazzini, Falorni, and Hiltner sprang into the lead,
and right away worked together, and the peloton could do nothing
to reel them in. . . (Hiltner: 2nd at one length)

Viviani Solo
25 April 1966 152 km. 3:43’ (41.220 km/hr)

. . . Aside from Viviani, who deserves praise for succeding in bringing back
to cycling fans a day from olden times when solo wins were more frequent,
we mention other athletes, and among these, we’ll say the American, Hiltner,
has been one of the best. . . (Hiltner: 2nd place, at 2’31”)

Marcelli . . . at Lamporecchio
6 May 1966 153 km. 3:45’ (40.8 km/hr)

. . . Beyond Marcelli who, with his charging finale, amply deserved the victory,
deserving of the spotlight are the fine efforts of Vellani, Grassi, Baglini,
Hiltner, Lezzieri, Viviani, Pancaccini, and Trinci who, undoubtedly,
for the entire length of the race, were the best and most combattive. . .
(Hiltner: 5th place at 1’55”)

To the Roman, Sgarbozza, . . .
8 May 1966 133 km. (42 km/hr)

Over the roads of Arezzo was run the Cesaroni-Venanzi Cup XXIII,
an amateur race of 133 km. The average speed of this interesting race was very high:
42 km/hr, not slow for such a difficult racecourse.
After the first 50 km. of cruising, in the locale of Santa Cristina, a group of eight
broke from the peloton of 50, taking their lead to 2’ by the beginning
of the climb of the Foce. The eight fugitives were, however,
beaten in the sprint for the mountain prime by the American, Hiltner,
both on the Foce, and on the Scopetone. . . (Hiltner: after 5th place)

Pisauri . . . Cicogna Cup
10 May 1966 135 km 3:30’ (40.285 km/hr)

. . . An excellent race was run also by Mori and Campigli, the only ones
the final standings see inserted in the first positions. A note of merit for
the American, Hiltner, as well, an athlete already brilliantly fitting
into the rythm of racing with the best exponents of Italian amatuerism. . .
(Hiltner: 7th place, at 30”)

Baglini . . . Cremonini Cup
19 May 1966 145 km. 3:50’ (37.826 km/hr)

. . . all ran smoothly at high speed, until the foot of the climb to Donini,
where Baglini jumped on the first incline. To his attack responded first Hiltner,
then Mancini and Campigli. . . The four proceded together until
a few hundred meters from the finish line. Here, Baglini, who also
won the mountain prime, jumped. Only the American, Hiltner, challenged him,
but was beaten at the line by a few meters. . . (Hiltner: 2nd place)

Tendola . . . Pistelli Trophy
25 May 1966 165 km. 4:15’ (38.8 km/hr)

. . . one of the most important amateur races. . . Tendola played a firt-rate role,
together with Bartali, Coletti, Soave (winner of the mountain prime),
Pisauri, Corradini, the American, Hiltner, and the unfortunate Ferti (two flats).
Immediately after the start, the only important break of the day,
composed of Bartali, Corradini, Soave, Ferti, Ferrari, Coletti, Tendola, Pisauri,
and Hiltner. After Montelupo, a flat stops Ferrari; eight remain in command.
At the Castelfiorentino prime, Hiltner takes the gold medal
of Minister Natali, in memory of the birthplace of the departed Pistelli. . .
(Hiltner: 5th place, in the first group of 7)

Brancaleoni . . . Gran Premio Trocadero
2 June 1966 156 km. 4:05’ (38.470 km/hr)

. . . big-time blow of misfortune for the American, Hiltner, who flatted twice.
The chronicle of the race, in short: Start at 2:00. Immediate breakaway
by Hiltner and Lezzieri, who pass through Olmo in that order the first time.
Then the group stirs, and eight riders pull in the two leaders. After 45 km,
at Arezzo, ten racers are in command: Orsati, Ferri, Mantovani, Lezzieri,
Hiltner, Viola, Piazzini, Brancaleoni, Morini, and Minchioni.
Hiltner flats the first time on the climb of the Scopetone. Lezzieri goes over
the top first. In the meantime, the American (Hiltner) of Alfa Cure,
in angry pursuit, catches. . . eight attack the final climb of San Pancrazio.
Hiltner flats a second time, and his fate is sealed,
notwithstanding the pursuit that brings him up to the chasing group. . .
(Hiltner: 7th place, at 2’30”)

Marabini repeats . . . at Candeli
19 June 1966 165 km. 4:45’ (34.375 km/hr)

The Romagnolo, Marabini, winner eight days ago at San Casciano,
yesterday took the Sport Fan Cup at the end of a rather unnerving race,
beating the American, Hiltner, and four others in the final sprint.
Marabini was, in a certain sense, the “third person making a crowd”
for Hiltner and Pozzobon, who attempted a sinister blow on the last climb of the day,
the Sugame. In fact, the two fugitives, once they were caught by Marabini, Tarozzi,
Grassi, and Tazzi, lost their chances for the final success, and it was the racer with
the stronger sprint finish, and second wind, who came out ahead.
At any rate, the first six finishers are on the same plane for their sporting behavior.
Theirs was a test of great import, especially considering the fact that for over
a hundred kilometers they had a common enemy: the wind.
The race, entered by 43 amateurs, got under way with a solo break by Battaglioni,
the leader for 40 km, with a maximum lead of 5’. From Borgo San Lorenzo, however,
breaks from the chasing field brought into the limelight Paggini
(as brilliant as he was unfortunate), Grassi and Tazzi, caught first by
Mantovani and Pozzobon, then by Onofri, Marabini, Tarozzi, and Hiltner. . .
(Hiltner: 2nd place, in the first group of six)

Pisauri, Solo finish . . .
26 June 1966 150 km. 4:05’ (36.750 km/hr)

Solo finish for Gabriel Pisauri at the end of a protracted break the whole race long,
in the Avanti Cup IX. The Fracor boy succeded in leaving behind his breakaway
companions on the Diacceto climb, and even with the chasers’ exertions,
there was nothing to be done. Pisauri won undisturbed with a margin of over 2’.
The courageous Michael Hiltner is also on the same level as the winner;
today, at the moment of the fury unleashed by the winner, a puncture
constrained him to put foot to ground, and even though he came on strong
in the finale, had to be content with third place. . .
Immediately after the start was born the break that decided the race.
Bonciani, Pisauri, Paggini, Di Nardo, and Minchioni jumped solid on their pedals.
In no time, the quintet opened up over a minute. Approaching the first
climb of the day, the Donnini, where the first riders lost contact, we passed
Minchioni, Bonciani, and Paggini, the latter slowed by mechanical trouble.
In the meanwhile, Hiltner broke from the group, and pulled in the two leaders.
The lead trio, with this new force, assumes greater vigor, and increases
its lead to a maximum of 3’. At the beginning of the Diacceto climb,
Pisauri, Hiltner, and Pozzobon are still in the lead. In this phase, we see
long pulls by the American, who sought to go away, and while Pisauri regains
his wheel, Pozzobon relents somewhat. At the summit of Diacceto,
Pisauri goes over first, while the Californian is stopped by a flat.
The fugitive now has free rein, and throws himself into the long daredevil descent
that takes him victorious to the finish line at Girone. . . (Hiltner: 3rd place at 2’3”)

Mancini . . . Firenze-Viareggio
Classic Race, Action-Filled . . . Repeated Breaks on the Flats
and up the Mountain . . . Regrouping of the Best in the Finale . . .
Electrifying Sprint
16 August 1966 192 km. 4:53’ (38.130 km/hr)

. . . At Panicagliora (approx. 150 km. mark), Mori and Hiltner jumped away,
and passed over the mountain summit, at 1000 meters elevation,
with 40” lead over a group of forty. . . (Hiltner : 14th place in lead group of 24)

Gianfranco Gallon . . . Tour of Tuscany
3 October 1966 204 km. 5:23’ (39.010 km/hr)

Gallon, a twenty-four-year-old, won in the sprint the 19th Giro della Toscana,
for amateurs. A great race, perhaps the most difficult race in Italy, due to the
distance, and the hills along the way. . . Gallon has already won
two regional pursuit titles. . . Immediately, at the start, Casini and Hiltner jumped away.
At Indicatore, the two had a 20” lead. Hiltner let himself be caught; Casini went on, solo.
. . . At San Gemignano, Casini was still solo, with 1’20” lead over Hiltner and Pozzobon,
and a bit more over another thirty riders. . . [A regrouping, more breaks]
. . . Nineteen together . . . crossing through Firenze . . . the concurrents,
under a violent downpour, reach the finish line. . . (Hiltner: 5th place, first group of 19)