Felice Gimondi

Felice Gimondi
Personal information
Full name Felice Gimondi
Nickname The Phoenix
Date of birth 29 September 1942 (1942-09-29) (age 67)
Country Flag of Italy.svg Italy
Team information
Current team Retired
Discipline Classics
Role Rider
Major wins
Tour de France 1965
Giro D'Italia 1967, 1969, 1976
Vuelta a España 1968
Infobox last updated on:
Medal record
Road bicycle racing
World Championships
Gold 1973 Barcelona Elite Men's Road Race
Silver 1971 Mendrisio Elite Men's Road Race
Bronze 1970 Leicester Elite Men's Road Race

Felice Gimondi (born September 29, 1942 in Sedrina) is an Italian former 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 (after Jacques Anquetil) to win all three Grand Tours of road cycling: Tour de France (1965, his first year as a pro), Giro d'Italia (1967, 1969 and 1976), and Vuelta a España (1968). He remains one of only five cyclists to have done so.

Contents

Biography

Gimondi grew up cycling with his mother, a postal carrier who rode a bicycle to make her deliveries. After winning the amateur version of the Tour de France (Tour de l'Avenir), he was signed, in 1965, as a professional to the Salvarani team. With the withdrawal of another cyclist from Salvarani's Tour de France team, Gimondi was added at the last minute and went on to win the tour, becoming an Italian national hero.

In 1966, he won two of the 'Monument' Classics: Paris-Roubaix and the Giro di Lombardia. Gimondi also won the World Cycling Championships in 1973, after placing second in 1971 and third in 1970.

In the Giro d'Italia, Gimondi holds the record for the most podium finishes: nine total, consisting of three first place wins, two second place finishes and four third place finishes. He is currently associated with the Bianchi bicycle manufacturer.

A major cyclosportive event is named in his honour, the Gran Fondo Felice Gimondi, held annually around Bergamo.

Likewise Bianchi have named one of their high level framesets after him the "FG Lite"

Major victories

Significant victories by year

1963
Giro del Friuli
1964
Tour de l'Avenir
1965
Jersey yellow.svg 3 stages and Overall classification of the Tour de France
1966
Paris-Roubaix
Giro di Lombardia
1 stage of the Giro d'Italia
Paris-Bruxelles
1 stage of the Tour de Romandie
Coppa Agostoni
Coppa Placci
1967
Jersey pink.svg Overall classification of the Giro d'Italia
2 stages of the Tour de France
Grand Prix des Nations
Giro del Lazio
Gran Premio di Lugano
1968
Jersey gold.svg 1 stage and Overall classification of the Vuelta a España
Trofeo Baracchi
Grand Prix des Nations
1 stage of the Giro d'Italia
Giro di Romagna, valid as Flag of Italy Italian National Road Race Championship
Critérium des As
1969
Jersey pink.svg Overall classification of the Giro d'Italia
Tour de Romandie (with 1 stage victory)
Giro dell'Appennino
1 stage of the Tour de France
1 stage of the Paris-Luxembourg
1970
Trofeo Matteotti
1 stage of the Tour de Suisse
1 stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico
1971
Tour de Romandie
2 stages of the Giro d'Italia
Giro del Piemonte
Grand Prix de Wallonie
1972
Gran Premio di Lugano
Volta a Catalunya
Giro dell'Appennino, valid as Flag of Italy Italian National Road Race Championship
Six-Days of Milan
1973
Arc en ciel.svg World Cycling Championships, in Barcelona
Giro di Lombardia
Giro del Piemonte
1 stage of the Giro d'Italia
Trofeo Baracchi
Coppa Bernocchi
Giro di Puglia (with 1 stage victory)
1974
Milan-Sanremo
Coppa Agostoni
1975
1 stage of the Tour de France
1976
Jersey pink.svg 1 stage and Overall classification of the Giro d'Italia
Paris-Bruxelles
1977
Six-Days of Milan

External links

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Marino Basso
World Road Racing Champion
1973
Succeeded by
Eddy Merckx
Preceded by
Jacques Anquetil
Winner of the Tour de France
1965
Succeeded by
Lucien Aimar
Preceded by
Gianni Motta
Winner of the Giro d'Italia
1967
Succeeded by
Eddy Merckx
Preceded by
Jan Janssen
Winner of the Vuelta a España
1968
Succeeded by
Roger Pingeon
Preceded by
Eddy Merckx
Winner of the Giro d'Italia
1969
Succeeded by
Eddy Merckx
Preceded by
Fausto Bertoglio
Winner of the Giro d'Italia
1976
Succeeded by
Michel Pollentier
Preceded by
Rik van Looy
Winner of Paris-Roubaix
1966
Succeeded by
Jan Janssen
Persondata
NAME Gimondi, Felice
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Winner of Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a España
DATE OF BIRTH 1942-09-29
PLACE OF BIRTH Sedrina, Bergamo
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH