Alfredo Binda was an Italian road cyclist of the 1920s and 1930s. He was the first to win five editions of the Giro d'Italia, and a three-time world champion. In addition he won Milan–San Remo twice, and the Tour of Lombardy four times.
Felice Gimondi was an Italian professional racing cyclist. With his 1968 victory at the Vuelta a España, only three years after becoming a professional cyclist, Gimondi, nicknamed "The Phoenix", was the second cyclist to win all three Grand Tours of road cycling: Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, and Vuelta a España (1968). He is one of only seven cyclists to have done so.
Angelo Fausto Coppi was an Italian cyclist, the dominant international cyclist of the years after the Second World War. His successes earned him the title Il Campionissimo. He was an all-round racing cyclist: he excelled in both climbing and time trialing, and was also a good sprinter. He won the Giro d'Italia five times, the Tour de France twice, and the World Championship in 1953. Other notable results include winning the Giro di Lombardia five times, the Milan–San Remo three times, as well as wins at Paris–Roubaix and La Flèche Wallonne and setting the hour record (45.798 km) in 1942.
Roger De Vlaeminck is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist. He was described by Rik Van Looy as "The most talented and the only real classics rider of his generation". Nicknamed "The Gypsy" because he was born into a family of traveling clothiers, he is known for exploits in the cobbled classic Paris–Roubaix race, but his performances in other "Monument" races gave him a record that few can match. His record in Paris–Roubaix earned him another nickname, "Monsieur Paris–Roubaix".
Francesco Moser, nicknamed "Lo sceriffo", is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer. He finished on the podium of the Giro d'Italia six times including his win in the 1984 edition.
Giuseppe Saronni, also known as Beppe Saronni, is an Italian former racing cyclist. He had remarkable success riding in the Giro d'Italia. In 1980 he won 7 stages and finished 7th overall; in 1981 he won 3 stages and finished 3rd overall. In 1979 and 1983 he won the Giro d'Italia and all total for his career win 24 stages in this race.
Costante Girardengo was an Italian professional road bicycle racer, considered by many to be one of the finest riders in the history of the sport. He was the first rider to be declared a "Campionissimo" or "champion of champions" by the Italian media and fans. At the height of his career, in the 1920s, he was said to be more popular than Mussolini and it was decreed that all express trains should stop in his home town Novi Ligure, an honour only normally awarded to heads of state.
Ercole Baldini was an Italian cyclist. As an amateur he won an Olympic gold medal in the road race and the world title in the individual pursuit on track, both in 1956. Next year he turned professional, and in 1958 won the world title in the road race and the Giro d'Italia. He continued competing on track and won bronze medals in the individual pursuit at the world championships of 1960 and 1964.
Gaetano Belloni was an Italian professional road racing cyclist. The highlights of his career were his overall win in the 1920 Giro d'Italia, the two victories in Milan–San Remo, and the three victories in the Giro di Lombardia.
Giovanni Visconti is a former Italian professional road racing cyclist, who last rode for UCI ProTeam VF Group–Bardiani–CSF–Faizanè.
Silvano Contini is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer. He was professional from 1978 to 1990, his main successes were the 1982 Liège–Bastogne–Liège of 1982, the 1985 Grand Prix du Midi Libre and the 1981 Tour of the Basque Country. He also won the Trofeo Baracchi in 1983 with Daniel Gisiger as well as four stages of the Giro d'Italia.
Alberto Elli is an Italian former road racing cyclist, who wore the yellow jersey for 4 days in the 2000 Tour de France. Elli was called up late for the 2000 Tour de France, and after a group of 12 cyclists stayed away from the others, Elli became a surprise leader, being the second oldest cyclist in the peloton. He kept the yellow jersey until the Pyrenées mountains, where he lost it to Lance Armstrong.
Bernt Harry Johansson is a Swedish former road bicycle racer, who was a professional rider from 1977 to 1981. His sporting career began with Mariestadcyklisten. A competitor at the 1972 Summer Olympics, he represented his native country once again at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where he won the men's individual road race. For that performance Johansson was awarded the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal the same year, together with track and field athlete Anders Gärderud, who claimed gold in the men's 3000 m steeplechase in Montreal.
The 1977 Giro d'Italia was the 60th running of the Giro, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started in Bacoli, on 20 May, with a 7 km (4.3 mi) prologue and concluded in Milan, on 13 June, with a 122 km (75.8 mi) mass-start stage. A total of 130 riders from thirteen teams entered the 22-stage race, that was won by Belgian Michel Pollentier of the Flandria team. The second and third places were taken by Italians Francesco Moser and Gianbattista Baronchelli, respectively. Freddy Maertens won 7 of the first 11 stages before abandoning due to a crash on Stage 8B.
Mercatone Uno–Scanavino is a former professional cycling team which was based in San Marino and then in Italy. Throughout the 1990s it was one of the strongest Italian cycling teams in the peloton. The team was sponsored by a chain of supermarkets in Italy.
Acácio Mora da Silva is a Portuguese former professional road bicycle racer. He was a professional from 1982 to 1994 during which he won stages in the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia and stages in many other stage races. He won three stages in total in the Tour de France, one in 1987, one in 1988, and one in 1989. After his stage win in 1989, he wore the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification for four days. In 1986, he won the Züri-Metzgete and was also the Portuguese national road champion.
Nino Defilippis was an Italian road bicycle racer who won the Giro di Lombardia in 1958, as well as nine stages at the Giro d'Italia, seven stages at the Tour de France and two stages at the Vuelta a España. He also won the mountains classification at the 1956 Vuelta a España and the Italian National Road Race Championship in 1956 and 1958.
Ariostea was an Italian professional cycling team from 1984 to 1993. Its first team manager was Giorgio Vannucci; he was replaced in 1986 by Giancarlo Ferretti, who remained manager until the team was disbanded in 1993.
Legnano was an Italian professional cycling team active from 1906 to 1966. It is ranked as the 6th most successful cycling team in history. Many famous cyclists rode for the team including Alfredo Binda, Learco Guerra, Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi. The team participated in the Giro d'Italia 46 times, won the team classification 11 times and earned 135 stage wins. It was sponsored by Italian bicycle motorcycle manufacturer Legnano.
Carpano was an Italian professional cycling team that existed from 1956 to 1966. The team's main sponsor between 1956 and 1964 was the Turin-based wine company Carpano, with Fausto Coppi's bicycle company Coppi a co-sponsor for the first two seasons. When Carpano took sole sponsorship of the team, the team adopted black and white striped jerseys similar to the shirts worn by Turin's Juventus Football Club. For the final two years, 1965 and 1966, Italian food producer Sanson took over the sponsorship. Whilst with Carpano, Franco Balmamion won the general classification of the Giro d'Italia in 1962 and 1963.
