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Childhood and Early Career
Born in the small village of Supino in central Italy, Rossi arrived in Montreal at age 15 to join his brothers, who had already settled in Quebec. His first job was as a bicycle delivery boy in the streets of his neighbourhood.
Fascinated by sports, and especially by cycling, he became a bicycle racer in the 1960s. After a serious accident put an end to his short athletic career, he turned to organizing sports events as a way to pursue his passion for cycling. In 1976, he was asked to help manage the cycling events at the Montreal Summer Olympics. He served as track manager at the Olympic velodrome and helped to ensure that the cycling events went smoothly.
Track Cycling Schools at the Montreal Velodrome
After the Olympics were over, Rossi began looking for various ways to provide young people with training in cycling. He put his whole heart and soul into the effort, because he firmly believed that sports are a training school where youth can develop great discipline. Thus he began running cycling schools at the Montreal Velodrome (see Sports Facilities) in 1977, and he continued to do so until 1983.
Les Mardis cyclistes de Lachine
In 1978, encouraged by their friend Joseph Rossi, seven cyclists participated in a race in the streets of Lachine (a city that became a borough of Montreal in 2002). At the time, motorists perceived them as a nuisance. But fairly soon Rossi, the mastermind of this event that was to become known as Les Mardis cyclistes de Lachine (cycling Tuesdays in Lachine), managed to convince the city that it should partner in the event, facilitate its organization and ensure the racers’ safety. By the end of this first season, ten races had been held.
In the years since, this event has continued to grow steadily in numbers of racers, numbers of spectators and involvement of volunteers and financial partners. Les Mardis cyclistes de Lachine continues to be held on its original circuit and has become an iconic event in Quebec cycling. The best racers compete in it and benefit from its high visibility.
Through his passion and leadership, Rossi organized no fewer than 400 races under the auspices of Les Mardis cyclistes. As early as 1997, Sports Québec recognized this achievement by presenting Les Mardis cyclistes with the award for Event of the Year (Canadian level).
In August 2017, after 40 years at the head of Les Mardis cyclistes, Rossi gave the start for his 400th and final race before passing the baton to brothers Jean-François et Marc Néron. To mark the occasion, the borough of Lachine unveiled a stone marking the square where the races start and end as Place Joseph “Tino” Rossi.
Awards and Honours
Joseph Rossi has been recognized many times in the media and received numerous awards for his contributions to cycling in Quebec.
- Medal of the Confederation of Canada (1988)
- Organizer of the Year, Quebec Cycling Federation (1989 and 1993)
- Inducted into the Quebec Cycling Hall of Fame, Builders Category, Quebec Cycling Federation (1997)
- Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Commemorative Medal (2002)
- Civic Merit Award of the Borough of Lachine (2007)
- Inducted into the Quebec Sports Hall of Fame, Builders Category (2010)