Cyclists are usually remembered for their victories. A stage win in the Tour de France, a national championship jersey, or an Olympic medal often defines a career and their legacy. But inGamba’s Sergio Paulinho added a unique distinction, that of having a national stamp made in his honor.
Sergio’s stamp is part of a recent campaign by CTT, Portugal’s postal service, to celebrate cycling. After first producing a commemorative stamp collection featuring the bike, this year they followed with a collection celebrating some of the country’s most influential cyclists. Alongside legendary names such as Joaquim Agostinho, Bento Pessoa, Alves Barbosa and Marco Chagas, Paulinho was selected to receive a rare tribute: a postage stamp bearing his image.
“It’s a real pleasure,” Paulinho said. “If you are on a postal stamp, everyone sees it. It’s an honor. It’s not every day that a cyclist is featured on a stamp.”
The project originated through the Joaquim Agostinho Museum in Torres Vedras, a town deeply connected to Portuguese cycling history. Museum officials first invited Paulinho to contribute several pieces from his career, including his Olympic silver medal and one of the bicycles he rode during the 2015 Giro d’Italia. As a result of the exhibition, CTT—the Portuguese postal service—approached the museum with the idea of creating a special stamp collection honoring Portugal’s cycling heritage.
The result was a series that celebrated not only bicycles, but the riders who helped shape the sport in Portugal. For Paulinho, being included among some of the country’s most revered cycling figures was both humbling and deeply meaningful.
The connection to Joaquim Agostinho makes the recognition particularly significant. Although Agostinho may not be widely known among younger cycling fans outside Portugal, he remains one of the most important figures in the nation’s sporting history. His third-place finishes in the Tour de France in 1978 and 1979 inspired generations of Portuguese riders and established cycling as a source of national pride.
Agostinho’s story ended tragically in 1984 when he crashed during the Volta ao Algarve, after a dog ran into the peloton during the final sprint. He later died from his injuries, but his influence on Portuguese cycling has endured for decades.
Paulinho, born in 1980, never had the opportunity to meet Agostinho, but his father, Jacinto Paulinho did. A professional for 18 years, he often raced alongside Agostinho, and he was in the pack as they sprinted to the line on the day of that fateful crash.
Today, the museum stands as a tribute not only to Agostinho, but to Portugal’s rich cycling tradition. Located in Agostinho’s hometown, it attracts cycling enthusiasts from across Portugal and beyond. Visitors can explore exhibits dedicated to generations of Portuguese champions, and upon entering the museum, they are greeted by large-scale images of the cyclists featured in the commemorative stamp collection—including Paulinho himself.
Paulinho’s place amoung the greats, of course, is only fitting. After all, Paulinho’s career spanned over nearly two decades, where he built one of the most accomplished résumés in Portuguese cycling. He captured a silver medal in the road race at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and earned stage victories in both the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España. Beyond his individual achievements, he played a key role as a trusted teammate on some of the sport’s greatest squads.
In total, Paulinho was part of seven Grand Tour-winning teams, contributing to victories in the Tour de France, Vuelta a España, and Giro d’Italia. Those accomplishments placed him among the most respected riders of his generation and secured his place in Portuguese cycling history.
Those who know him through inGamba might be surprised to hear him speak about his career, as the soft-spoken Paulinho often needs to gently prodded before expounding on his own racing exploits.
But since retiring from professional racing in 2021, he has become one of the inGamba’s most popular guides, admired not only for his encyclopedic knowledge of cycling but also for his impeccable sense of pacing, fluid descending and his easygoing personality that makes every guest feel welcome.
That combination of humility and authenticity is reflected even in the commemorative stamp itself. Paulinho is depicted wearing a traditional Portuguese national team jersey similar to the one he wore while winning Olympic silver. But for those in the know, the bicycle and helmet featured in the image are custom inGamba equipment, a quiet nod to the current chapter of his life.
Despite the honor, however, Paulinho remains characteristically modest. He laughs when asked whether he has started mailing letters adorned with his own stamp. He hasn’t. Still, he admits that receiving one carries a special feeling.
“It’s hard to describe the pride of having a stamp made in your honor,” he said. “It’s very different from winning a bike race. It’s hard to compare it to something like my stage win in the Tour de France. But to have something like this happen in my own country is really special. It’s special in the same way as winning a stage in the Tour de France.”
For a rider whose career included Olympic glory, Grand Tour victories, and years at the highest level of the sport, that is saying something. Some achievements are measured in seconds. Others are remembered for generations. A commemorative stamp belongs firmly in the latter category.
