Marco Pantani was an Italian road racing cyclist, widely regarded as one of the greatest climbing specialists in the history of the sport by measures of his legacy, credits from other riders, and records. He recorded the fastest ever climbs up the Tour's iconic venues of Mont Ventoux (46:00) and Alpe d'Huez (36:50), and other cyclists including Lance Armstrong and Charly Gaul have hailed Pantani's climbing skills. He is the second to last rider and one of only eight to ever win the Tour de France – Giro d'Italia double, doing so in 1998. He is the sixth of seven Italians, after Ottavio Bottecchia, Gino Bartali, Fausto Coppi, Gastone Nencini and Felice Gimondi, and before Vincenzo Nibali to win the Tour de France.
Erik Zabel is a German former professional road bicycle racer who raced for most of his career with Team Telekom. With 152 professional wins and 211 wins in his career, he is considered by some to be one of the greatest German cyclists and cycling sprinters of all time. Zabel won a record nine points classifications in grands tours including the points classification in the Tour de France six consecutive years between 1996 and 2001 and the points classification in the Vuelta a España in 2002, 2003 and 2004. Zabel won the Milan–San Remo four times and numerous six-day track events. He was one of the few road cyclists of recent times who raced all year, including track cycling in winter. For season 2012 he joined Team Katusha as sprint coach. He previously held that same position with the HTC–Highroad team until their dissolution. Zabel admitted to doping from 1996 to 2003. He is the father of cyclist Rick Zabel.
Gilberto Simoni is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer, most recently for Lampre–Farnese Vini. Simoni won the Giro d'Italia cycling race twice: once in 2001 and again in 2003. In 2002 he tested positive for cocaine and was withdrawn from the race by his Saeco team; he was later cleared of any doping violation by the Italian Cycling Federation. Aside from his withdrawal in 2002, he finished on the podium in every other Giro between 1999 and 2006.
Saeco was the name of an Italian road bicycle racing team, sponsored by the company with the same name. They rode on Cannondale bicycles.
Michele Bartoli is a retired Italian road racing cyclist. Bartoli was a professional cyclist from 1992 until 2004 and was one of the most successful single-day classics specialists of his generation, especially in the Italian and Belgian races. On his palmarès are three of the five monuments of cycling—five in total: the 1996 Tour of Flanders, the 1997 and 1998 Liège–Bastogne–Liège and the 2002 and 2003 Giro di Lombardia. He won the UCI Road World Cup in 1997 and 1998. From 10 October 1998 until 6 June 1999, Bartoli was number one on the UCI Road World Rankings.
Andrea Peron is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer. He competed in the team time trial at the 1992 Summer Olympics winning a silver medal. Peron turned professional in 1993, riding for team Gatorade. He is best remembered for leading the sombre peloton across the finish line in the neutralised Stage 16 of the 1995 Tour de France, the day after the death of his team- and roommate Fabio Casartelli in a fall.
Ivan Gotti is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist.
Gianluca Bortolami is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist. Bortolami's greatest feats was capturing the monumental classic Tour of Flanders in 2001 and winning the 1994 UCI Road World Cup season championship. He is the namesake of Bortolami's Pizzeria in Vancouver, Washington.
Ivan Quaranta is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer, who currently works as a directeur sportif for UCI Continental team Team MBH Bank Colpack Ballan. During his career, he won six stages at the Giro d'Italia, between 1999 and 2001.
Roberto Chiappa is an Italian track cyclist born in Terni. He is a 44 time Italian Champion and became World Junior Sprint Champion in 1991 as well as World Champion in 1993 at the Tandem. He holds the Italian 200m Record in 10.18s. He rode at four Olympic Games.
Silvio Martinello is a retired road bicycle and track cyclist from Italy. He won the gold medal in the men's points race at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, followed by the bronze medal in the men's madison in Sydney, Australia alongside Marco Villa. He was a professional rider from 1986 to 2000.
Robert Bartko is a German former road and track cyclist, who competed professionally between 2001 and 2014. Born in the former East Germany, Bartko won two gold medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia: in the individual and in the team pursuit.
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.
Franco Marvulli is a Swiss former professional racing cyclist. He won a silver medal in the Madison with Bruno Risi at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He was also a two time world champion in both the Madison, also with Bruno Risi, and in the scratch. He was also a successful six-day racer. He retired in January 2014, with his last race being the Six Days of Berlin.
Index–Alexia Alluminio was an Italian cycling team, active between 2000 and 2002. The team won the 2002 Giro d'Italia with Paolo Savoldelli.
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.
Adriano Baffi is a former Italian bicycle road racer. After his career as a rider, he became a team director. He is the son of Italian bicycle racer Pierino Baffi.
Pierangelo Bincoletto is an Italian former professional racing cyclist. He rode in two editions of the Tour de France and seven editions of the Giro d'Italia. He also competed in two events at the 1980 Summer Olympics.
Jean-Michel Tessier is a French former cyclist. He rode in the 2000 Giro d'Italia, but did not finish.
Frank Corvers is a Belgian former professional road cyclist.
