From Merate to the North Cape: Augusto Cogliati relives his enterprise

“Merate-North Cape. Solitaria on a bicycle by Augusto Cogliati “is the title of the meeting, which took place in the library of Cernusco at 5 pm on Saturday 12 November, which saw the famous man from Merano and his solo journey of 4280 km in 26 days across 12 countries as the protagonist. , starting from his city of residence and up to the set goal.

Augusto Cogliati and Renata Valagussa

To introduce the evening, wanted by Auserwas the deputy mayor Renata Valagussa which summed up Augusto’s life and great love for cycling. “What he will tell us today is an adventure made of effort and passion, which enriches and ennobles the life of man. To quote the great poet Dante Alighieri: you were not made to live like brutes, but to follow virtue and knowledge”.

Born in Merate on 24 May 1938, Augusto Cogliati in the period 1970/75 was a Municipal Councilor, delegate to Sport and in 1971 he founded the AR.CO amateur cycling sports group, affiliated to the Italian Cycling Federation. Before embarking on the undertaking of ’98, Augusto traveled other long journeys such as: the 1700 km of Merate-Syracuse in 1978; the 900 km of the crossing of the Pyrenees, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean from Perpignan to Biarritz in 1985; the 1050 km of the Danube cycle path from the sources of Donauschingen to Vienna. His passion for him did not stop at crossings in groups or alone: ​​he also participated and won in the Italian fast regularity championship in teams of 4 riders, in ’84 in Trezzo d’Adda and in ’85 in Treviso. After the long journey to the North Cape in 2002 he resumed the crossing of Italy from Merate to Catania. 1600 km to participate in the National Gathering of the Alpini, a group for which he had served in his youth.

To retrace the Merate-North Cape feat, a video-story full of images, maps and photos taken in pleasant places and with people known along the way was projected. On June 14 of that year, after a lot of training and preparation, Augusto leaves from the tower of Merate with a group of cyclist friends who accompany him to Lecco. From there begins a long and exhausting solitaire. “More than the muscular pains, the greatest difficulty came from the brain. I had to stay focused on pedaling and at the same time think about where to stop for a refreshment or sleep”. During the journey Augusto met numerous people ready to help him either with some money, with food or by hosting him in their own homes. Reached Helsinki he reunites with his family, who help him and lighten the 20 kg of luggage.

“Placing two points A and B is easy, but the initial enthusiasm gradually fades and mixes with the apprehension and fear of not being able to do it. The company of nature, the landscapes, the people of different cultures that have resulted always kind to my neighbor and the continuous confrontation with myself helped me to pass the test to the fullest. On the Merate North Cape trip I tasted the flavor of a real adventure, in the middle between lightness and madness, physicality and spirituality. travel, exhausted but finally carefree, I concluded my travel diary with this sentence: I have finally reached the destination and tomorrow I will not pedal! “

At the end of the conference that attracted the attention of those present, a small refreshment was held and 10 numbers were drawn in the audience to receive some Santa Claus artifacts that Augustus made, after having discovered them in Finland, by carving and painting some pieces of wood.