March 23, 2010 (Lachine, QC) – Joseph “Tino” Rossi celebrated his 70th birthday this past weekend in the company of some 60 friends and his five children (now all in their 30s). Three grandchildren were also present. The flamboyant founder of the Mardis Cyclistes Lachine crit races established in 1978 and now in their 33rd year, is still going strong. Rossi used to manage the velodrome at Montreal’s Olympic stadium and is also known for the Bicyclettes Rossi bike shop which he founded and later sold to one of store employees who kept the name.

Among those attending the Friday evening celebrations at the Andrea Restaurant were Marc-Wayne Addison (likely to take over the running of the Mardis Cyclistes series), Claude Dauphin (Mayor of Lachine), Patrice Lemieux (CEO of Kuota Canada), and Gervais Rioux (former Canadian road champion and owner of Argon 18). Look for more coverage in the May issue of Pedal Magazine.