The Legend of Luigi Pelotani

The story goes that he arrived in Mississippi on April 1, 1907.  Luigi Pelotani came with the wave of Italian immigrants recruited to fill the manpower shortage of the time.  Luigi was an accomplished chef from the Tuscan region who soon began plying his trade by traveling from one Delta plantation to the next, presenting the most lavish culinary experiences of the day.  

Luigi also brought with him a love for bicycling which began with the inaugural Tour de France he saw before his departure.  Luigi’s passion for the bicycle was infectious and soon every wealthy planter he met caught the fever.  And along with the craze, they began to dream of a day when there would be a cycling Tour of Mississippi, similar to the races in Europe that Luigi spoke of constantly. 

There is no record of why or when Luigi returned to his native Italy, but his legacy is that which inspires the present day Money Road Cycling Club of Greenwood, Mississippi.  And so the legend goes!