Attilio Petrogalli He will always be remembered by Italian fans for being one of the members of the Italian team in the Six International Enduro Days on the Isle of Man. There, next to Pierluigi Rottigni, Gualtiero Brissoni and Piero Gagni and piloting SWN mounts, They won the prestigious “Silver Glass”becoming winners of that edition of the legendary trophy in the 1975 season in the 100 cc category.
This is just a small part of Petrogalli’s professional career, who throughout his life was linked to the world of competition, on and off the track. In this last area he dedicated himself body and soul to running his own dealership in Clusone, dedicated to the sale and repair of motorcycles, and which was later joined professionally by his sons Michele and Marcello.
many years later
After those triumphs and along with their teammates, they were honored at different events. In 2020 they attended the Motor Bike Expo in Verona as guests, “in the presence of the president of the FMI, Giovanni Copioli and with the idea of celebrating the 45th anniversary of his victory on the Isle of Man by riding SWM motorcycles again”as published by SoloEnduro.
A season later, in 2021, the FMI celebrated again with Petrogalli and his teammates the renowned victory in the FIM Enduro Vintage Trophy on the island of Elba. In recent years he had not been seen much at public events of this type, although he continued to stay up to date with the latest news regarding everything related to Italian off-road.
The strange causes of Attilio Petrogalli’s death
For now, as detailed by our colleagues from Insella, “Petrogalli was found dead on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 19, in the old Vecchio Mulino di Rovetta, in the province of Bergamo, where he used to go to help the owners with various tasks. According to first reports, Petrogalli was in the area working on a wasp nest inside an old abandoned van.”
They conclude: “To try to eliminate it, he used gasoline and some rags, setting it on fire. However, the flames spread quickly, also affecting the surrounding areas and a wooden fence. Probably, to protect himself from wasp stings, Petrogalli wore the motorcycle jacket and helmet that had accompanied him on countless races.”
After hours of absence, it was the members of his family who raised the alarm with the subsequent fateful outcome when they showed up at the place where Petrogalli was found dead. Although initial indications point directly to death due to asphyxiation and/or poisoning, the exact circumstances of the incident have not been revealed at this time.
The family has spoken out, making it clear that it is not true. “that the body was found charred.” From SMN we can only join the condolences expressed by multiple international media at a moment as delicate as this. RIP
