De Rosa Merak

Ugo De Rosa once built Eddy Merckx more than 50 frames in a year, including five in one week as The Cannibal prepared for Paris-Roubaix. Famously fastidious, Merckx obsessed over every tiny detail of his bikes, and it was De Rosa he trusted for the bulk of his career to wield the brazing torch and make his race bikes. Two at a time, of course, so he would have a spare for the team car.

Moser, Motta, Van Looy, Argentin, Berzin, Gonchar, Vainšteins, Casagrande, Baldato, Pellizotti… the list of cycling stars who have won on frames built by De Rosa