Alberto Balocco, 53, owner of the confectionery company of the same name based in Fossano, in the Cuneo area, and his friend Davide Vigo, 55, from Turin and resident in Luxembourg, were struck by lightning.
It happened yesterday afternoon in Val Chisone while the two mountain bike enthusiasts were riding along the dirt road towards the Assietta refuge, in the municipality of Pragelato, in the province of Turin. A driver spotted the bodies on the ground and raised the alarm around 14:XNUMX p.m. The weather conditions and the scene of the accident suggest that the two cyclists were struck by lightning.
The air ambulance, despite the bad weather, managed to get the medical team off the plane and they attempted cardiocirculatory resuscitation in vain. The air ambulance was unable to land so teams were sent by land to recover the bodies. Colle dell'Assietta is a symbolic place in Piedmont for the battle of 19 July 1747 when the Piedmontese repelled the French assault. On that occasion the 'drapò' was erected, the white and red flag with a blue stripe that became the banner of Piedmont. In memory of that anniversary, 19 July will be the Piedmont holiday.
Today Colle dell'Assietta is one of the most popular locations for mountain bike lovers. The confectionery company, last July 2, had already been touched by mourning, with the death of Aldo Balocco, 91 years old, honorary president, who had transformed the pastry shop, founded by his father Francesco Antonio in 1927, into one of the most renowned Italian confectionery industries, famous for the "mandorlato", which has 500 employees and which in 2021 had a turnover of around 200 million euros.
“It is with deep sorrow that we announce the sudden death of Alberto Balocco, President and CEO of Balocco Spa. Always committed to the development of the family business, Alberto Balocco successfully managed to make it a leading company in the world of confectionery and one of the most famous brands of “made in Italy”. His humanity combined with enthusiasm, altruism and extraordinary sense of duty will always be remembered. A great man, deeply attached to his family, as well as a great entrepreneur with a big heart”. This is the press release from the family business.
Born in Fossano (Cuneo) on August 25, 1966, Alberto Balocco is married and has three children. After graduating in Economics and Business in 1989 from the University of Turin and obtaining a Master's degree in Business Organization from SDA Bocconi in Milan in 1990, he joined the family business as an assistant to the Sales Department.
Between 1994 and 1998 he was Vice President of the Young Entrepreneurs Group of Confindustria Cuneo. From 1997 to 2015 he was a member of the Board of Directors of Cassa di Risparmio di Fossano SpA where, between 2000 and 2009, he was also a member of the Executive Committee. From 2010 to 2016 he was President of the Consulta for the Valorization of the Artistic and Cultural Heritage of the City of Fossano.
Since 2011 he has been a member of the Board of Directors of AIDEPI (Association of Italian Sweet and Pasta Industries). He loved all sports that combine technique, speed and contact with nature, and was a great fan of mountains, wind and sea. He loved to travel, especially with his family.
Article published on 27 August 2022 - 09:57
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