I was in a lot of pain but I didn't want to have X-rays that evening". Just four stages later, the infamous 20th stage of Giro '56 dawned where Luxembourg's Charly Gaul would execute his legendary mountain stage victory in Trento, haunted by snow and ice over the Costalunga, Rolle, Brocon and Bondone climbs. That day 60 people abandoned the race, and Gaul went from 16 minutes behind to winning the 1956 Giro; Magni, despite his injuries, placed second, 3 minutes and 27 seconds behind Gaul. Magni has been mentor to at least two famous frame builders. Ernesto Colnago worked on his first Giro d'Italia in 1954 as second mechanic. First mechanic at that time was Faliero Masi, who Magni described in an interview as “The best mechanic of all time.” It was Masi’s idea to use the piece of inner tube attached to his handlebar when he broke his clavicle the 1956 Giro d’Italia. When asked what it was like to ride against Coppi and Bartali, Magni replied: "In life, defeats are more likely to happen than wins. Losing to Coppi and Bartali, and therefore congratulating them, is an experience that I am happy to have had and an experience that taught me a lot. I have always admired them for what they could do and esteemed them for who they were. Not only were they champions, they were also great men. Why do you think we are still speaking about them? Because they made history. I consider myself lucky because racing with them I could be part of this history. I would have won more without them but it wouldn't have been during a legendary cycling era." Career achievements Major results 1942 1st Giro del Piemonte 1947 1st Tre Valli Varesine 9th Overall Giro d'Italia 1948 1st Overall Giro d'Italia 1st Stage 19 1949 1st Tour of Flanders 1st Giro della Toscana 1st Trofeo Baracchi 6th Overall Tour de France 1st Stage 10 1950 1st Tour of Flanders 1st Trofeo Baracchi 1st Stage 8 Tour de France 6th Overall Giro d'Italia 1st Stage 16 1951 1st Overall Giro d'Italia 1st Road race, National Road Championships 1st Tour of Flanders 1st Giro del Lazio 1st Giro di Romagna 1st Milano–Torino 1st Trofeo Baracchi 2nd Road race, UCI Road World Championships 7th Overall Tour de France 1st Stage 18 1952 2nd Overall Giro d'Italia 6th Overall Tour de France 1st