the lives of each came together on 7 january 1940 when eberrardo pavesi, head of the legnano team, took on coppi to ride for bartali. bartali thought coppi was "as thin as a mutton bone", but accepted. their rivalry started when coppi, the helper, won the giro and bartali, the star, marshalled the two men's team to chase him. by the 1948 world championship at valkenburg, both climbed off rather than help the other win. the italian cycling association said: "they have forgotten to honour the italian prestige they represent. thinking only of their personal rivalry, they abandoned the race, to the approbation of all sportsmen." they were suspended for two months.