A case of excellence in archive, documents and communication purposes: yesteryears imaginary analysis and enhancement of the memory of the World Champion Felice Gimondi.

This paper aims to analyze how a sports fanship can survive after the death of its sports hero. The case of Felice Gimondi, one of the most famous Italian former cycling world champions ought to be taken into consideration because of his heritage and of the co-existence of several physical and digital tools devoted to strengthening his memory. A museum hall in Almenno San Bartolomeo, a private collection in Bergamo, events, and social networks communities foster Gimondi’s heritage, to prevent his remembrance from disappearing from the collective imaginary. According to this, a questionnaire addressed to a snowball sample of 829 respondents, allows this study to outline how Gimondi’s memory is still vivid and persistent, expecting to keep it alive through further initiatives. A consequent classification among its fans gives the chance to identify the most desired purposes related to the future of Gimondi’s memories. Moreover, this survey underlines how Felice Gimondi forms part of the collective identification of a virtuous sportsman, representing an element of pride and ethics for his fan community, his province of origin, and the entire Italian sportive arena. The paper is enriched by a unique insight into the main realities involved in such processes of enhancing Gimondi’s memory.