Francesco Casagrande
 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Francesco Casagrande |
| Born |
September 14, 1970 Florence, Italy |
| Team information | |
| Current team | Retired |
| Discipline | Road |
| Role | Rider |
| Professional team(s) | |
| 1992-1995 1996-1997 1998 1999-2000 2001-2002 2003-2004 2004 2005 |
Mercatone Uno Saeco Cofidis Vini Caldirola Fassa Bortolo Lampre Vini Caldirola Naturino-Sapore di Mare |
|
Infobox last updated on July 4, 2007 | |
Francesco Casagrande (born September 14, 1970 in Florence) is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist. Casagrande was a professional cyclist between 1992 and 2005.
Biography
He is a proven performer in the Grand Tours and the major one-day races. He wore the leader’s jersey into the penultimate stage of the 2000 Giro d'Italia, but faltered badly and wound up 2nd to fellow Italian Stefano Garzelli. Casagrande did, however, win the mountains classification, wearing the corresponding green jersey on the podium.
In major one-day races, he has won the Clásica de San Sebastián in 1998 and 1999, followed by the 2000 editions of the La Flèche Wallonne and Subida a Urkiola. Also in 1999, he placed 4th in the World Cycling Championships Road Race behind Óscar Freire, Marcus Zberg, and Jean-Cyril Robin.
In his early career, Casagrande won the 1996 Tirreno–Adriatico and Tour of the Basque Country — both one-week stage races. Casagrande also scored victories at the 2001 and 2002 Giro del Trentino and the 2002 Settimana Ciclistica Internazionale Coppi-Bartali. In the 2002 Giro d'Italia, Casagrande was expelled from the race, after knocking down another cyclist.[1] In 2005, Casagrande retired.[2]
In 1998, Casagrande tested positive for doping during the Tour de Romandie, and consequently was fired by his team Cofidis.[3]
Palmarés
52 career victories including:
Major wins
- Clásica de San Sebastián (1998, 1999)
- La Flèche Wallonne (2000)
- Tour de Suisse (1999)
- Giro del Trentino (2001, 2002)
- Tirreno–Adriatico (1996)
- Tour of the Basque Country (1996)
- Tour of Tuscany (1994)
- Tour of Emilia (1994)
- Milan-Turin (1994)
- Tour of the Apennines (1995)
- Coppa Agostoni (2001, 2003)
- Tour de Suisse (2003)
- 2 stage wins
- Giro d'Italia
- 1 stage win
- Winner mountains classification
- Leading the general classification for 12 days
Runner-up
- Giro d'Italia (2000)
- Giro di Lombardia (2000)
- Clásica de San Sebastián (2001)
- Giro del Lazio (1999)
- HEW Cyclassics (2000)
- Giro del Veneto (1999, 2000)
- Tour of Emilia (2001, 2004)
See also
- List of doping cases in cycling
- List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences
References
- ↑ Giro gets downright weird: Casagrande sent packing, Velonews, 2002
- ↑ Casagrande stops, Cyclingnews, 2005]
- ↑ Cofidis bids farewell, CNN, 1998
External links
- Francesco Casagrande profile at Cycling Archives