Tom Simpson Salvarani Homage Retro Team Jersey

Salvarani was the team Tom Simpson would have raced for in 1968 but for the tragedy of Mont Ventoux during the 1967 Tour de France. This Italian team had wanted Simpson since 1965, when not only was he the reigning road race world champion, he had won both the Italian monuments; Milan-San Remo in 1964 and Il Lombardia in 1965.

Simpson wanted to ride for Salvarani, but his French team, Peugeot-BP exercised a ruthless control over him. Sixties pros needed the Tour de France, it was their shop window, where their performance earned them lucrative contracts to race in criteriums and track meetings all over Europe. Peugeot told Simpson that if he signed for another team, which he would have had to do before the Tour de France, he wouldn’t be picked for their team.

That changed in 1967 when the Tour returned to a national team format, so Simpson didn’t need Peugeot to ride. He immediately signed a contract with Salvarani, and with his salary doubled and the prospect of leading the team with his great friend, Felice Gimondi his future looked bright. Sadly, it was never to be.