 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Franco Bitossi | |||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | Cuore matto (Crazy heart) | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | 1 September 1940 Camaioni di Carmignano, Italy | |||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||
| Current team | Retired | |||||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Road | |||||||||||||||||
| Role | Rider | |||||||||||||||||
| Professional teams | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1961–1962 | Philco | |||||||||||||||||
| 1963–1972 | Springoil–Fuchs | |||||||||||||||||
| 1973 | Sammontana | |||||||||||||||||
| 1974–1975 | Scic | |||||||||||||||||
| 1976 | Zonca–Santini | |||||||||||||||||
| 1977 | Vibor | |||||||||||||||||
| 1978 | Gis Gelati | |||||||||||||||||
| Major wins | ||||||||||||||||||
Grand Tours
| ||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||
Franco Bitossi (born 1 September 1940) is an Italian former professional cyclist. He was born in Camaioni di Carmignano.
Bitossi cycled for three years as an amateur and became a professional in October 1961, after he had reached the required age of 21. [1] As a professional cyclist, from 1961 until 1978, he won a total of 171 races.
In 1965, he won the Tour de Suisse and the Züri-Metzgete, which he won again in 1968. In 1967 he won the Tirreno–Adriatico, Giro di Lombardia and Coppa Agostoni, while the following year he became the first Italian to win the points classification in the Tour de France. [2]
In 1970, he won the Italian championship. [3]
In 1972 he became famous for his near victory at the World Championship in Gap, France, where he was beaten by only a few meters by his teammate Marino Basso. [1]
Four years later, in 1978, he won the Italian Championship again. [3]
Bitossi was nicknamed Cuore matto ("Crazy heart") due to a cardiac arrhythmia which often compelled him to stop midway in a stage. [4]
Mountains classification 
Overall Tour de Suisse Mountains classification Mountains classification 
Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 
Points classification 
Combination classification Points classification 
Road race, National Road Championships
Overall Volta a Catalunya 
Points classification Road race, National Road Championships
Road race, UCI Road World Championships Road race, National Road Championships
Road race, UCI Road World Championships 
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.
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.
Francesco Casagrande is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist. Casagrande was a professional cyclist between 1992 and 2005.
Rolf Sørensen is a former Danish professional road bicycle racer. He is currently working as a cycling commentator and agent. Born in Helsinge in Denmark, Sørensen moved to Italy at the age of 17, where he has lived since. He was a client of Francesco Conconi and Luigi Cecchini. He goes under the name Il Biondo due to his blonde hair.
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 would win the Giro d'Italia and all total for his career win 24 stages in this race.
Davide Rebellin was an Italian professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 1992 and 2022 for twelve different teams, taking more than sixty professional wins. He was considered one of the finest classics specialists of his generation with more than fifty top ten finishes in UCI Road World Cup and UCI ProTour classics.
Gianni Motta is an Italian former bicycle racer who won the 1966 Giro d'Italia.
Maurizio Fondriest is a retired Italian professional road racing cyclist.
Italo Zilioli is an Italian former professional cyclist.
Franco Pellizotti is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 2001 and 2018 for the Alessio, Liquigas–Doimo, Androni Giocattoli–Sidermec and Bahrain–Merida teams. Pellizotti now works as a directeur sportif for the Team Bahrain Victorious team.
Mirko Celestino is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist, specializing in the classic cycle races. His biggest career achievements to date include winning the monumental classic—Giro di Lombardia, the classic HEW Cyclassics and two-time winner of the semi-classic Milano–Torino. Since retiring from road racing, Celestino has been active in mountain bike racing, achieving a silver medal at the 2010 UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships and a bronze medal at the 2011 UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships.
Silvano Contini is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer.
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.
Michele Dancelli is an Italian former road racing cyclist. His main victories include one Milan–San Remo (1970), the 1966 Flèche Wallonne, three editions of the Giro dell'Appennino (1965–1967), two Trofeo Laigueglia. He also won 11 stages in total in the Giro d'Italia and one stage in the 1969 Tour de France.
Davide Cassani is a former road cyclist and cycling commentator on Italian television from Italy. Now he works as manager for Italy national cycling team.
Luca Mazzanti is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer, who competed as a professional between 1997 and 2013. Mazzanti participated in thirteen Giro d'Italias between 1997 and 2012, while his highest place finish (20th) was achieved in 2006.
Pierino Gavazzi is an Italian former road bicycle racer, who was professional from 1973 to 1993. He rode in the 1975 Tour de France and 1976 Tour de France, as well as in seventeen editions of the Giro d'Italia, winning four total stages. He also won the 1980 Milan–San Remo.
Wladimiro Panizza was an Italian professional road bicycle racer. Panizza came from a Communist family and was named after Lenin. During his long career (1967–1985), he helped Felice Gimondi and Franco Bitossi. His best grand tour was the 1980 Giro d'Italia, where he placed second in the overall classification. He holds the record for participation in the Giro, completing the race 16 times out of 18 starts.
Massimo Donati is an Italian former professional racing cyclist. He rode in four editions of the Tour de France and five editions of the Giro d'Italia.
Roberto Ceruti is an Italian former cyclist. He competed in the individual road race event at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
