Riccardo Riccò

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Riccardo Riccò
Riccò at the 2007 Settimana internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
Riccò at the 2007 Settimana internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
Personal information
Full name Riccardo Riccò
Nickname Cobra
Bisontino
Date of birth September 1, 1983 (1983-09-01) (age 24)
Country Italy
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight 59 kg (130 lb)
Team information
Current team Saunier Duval-Scott
Discipline Road
Role Rider
Rider type Climbing Specialist
Professional team(s)
2006– Saunier Duval-Scott
Major wins
Giro d'Italia, 3 stages
Tirreno-Adriatico - Points
competition and 2 stages (2007)
Infobox last updated on:
May 11, 2008

Riccardo Riccò (born 1 September 1983 in Formigine) is a professional road bicycle racer from Italy, considered one of the best young climbers in the world. Born in Formigine, Emilia-Romagna, Riccò rides on the UCI ProTeam Saunier Duval-Scott. Riccò is also known for his extreme self-confidence.

Contents

[edit] Career

He joined UCI ProTeam Saunier Duval-Prodir in 2006 after two successful seasons as an amateur rider, during which he won the Settimana Bergamasca. Prior to joining the team he tried to become a professional with Ceramica Panaria - Navigare in 2005 but wasn't allowed because several blood tests revealed his hematocrit levels exceeded the accepted ones. Saunier Duval's sportif director, Mauro Gianetti, suggested him to spend a week in the UCI laboratory in Lausanne to prove that his blood values were natural. Further exhaustive tests by the UCI confirmed that Riccò´s hematocrit level was naturally over 50%.[1][2]

[edit] Saunier Duval (2006-)

In 2006 he won the fifth stage at the Settimana internazionale di Coppi e Bartali and the late season Japan Cup.

Riccò's breakthrough came during the 2007 Tirreno-Adriatico, when he won two consecutive stages and the Points Classification. He also won a stage and finished second in Settimana internazionale di Coppi e Bartali. He then finished ninth in Amstel Gold Race and sixth in La Flèche Wallonne in his first ever appearance in the Ardennes Classics.[3] He rode the Giro d'Italia as a domestique of team leader Gilberto Simoni and in the process he took the 15th stage at Tre Cime di Lavaredo ahead of his team-mate Leonardo Piepoli. He would finish sixth overall, seven minutes behind eventual winner Danilo Di Luca. In the season finale Giro di Lombardia he finished second after losing a two-man sprint against Damiano Cunego. In 2008, Riccò rode the Giro d'Italia as team leader, and impressed in the mountains, taking two stage victories, the young riders classifictaion, and was 2nd overall in the general classement, 1:57 behind winner Alberto Contador.

[edit] Major results

2005
2006
2007
2008

[edit] References

  1. ^ Professional Racer's Details - RICCO Riccardo. saunierduval-scott.com. Retrieved on 8 February 2008.
  2. ^ An interview with Riccardo Riccò, June 2, 2007. cyclingnews.com (June 2, 2007). Retrieved on 8 February 2008.
  3. ^ 71st Flèche Wallonne - PT. cyclingnews.com (April 25, 2007). Retrieved on 8 February 2008.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Riders on Saunier Duval-Scott


Persondata
NAME Riccò, Riccardo
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION [[{Road bicycle racer]]
DATE OF BIRTH 1983-09-01
PLACE OF BIRTH Formigine, Province of Modena, Italy
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH