Roberto Vacchi

Infobox Cyclist
ridername = Roberto Vacchi


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fullname = Roberto Vacchi
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dateofbirth = birth date and age|1965|11|28
country = ITA
SWE
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role = Rider
Commentator
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updated = August 29, 2008

Roberto Vacchi (born November 28, 1965 in Stockholm) is an Italian-Swedish retired cyclist and a sports commentator on Eurosport. He comments a variety of sports but is most know for his coverage of cycling, often together with Anders Adamsson.

Roberto Vacchi was born in Stockholm in 1965, to his two Italian parents who had immigrated to Sweden in the 1950s. At the age of 9, his family moved back to Italy to La Spezia. This is where he discovered competitive cycling. After a few years in Italy they moved back to Sweden. There he continued his career in cycling, in Hammarby IF (1978-79), Spårvägens GoIF (1980-1991) and in 1992, Västerås CK, where he ended his career, being tired of the bad economic situation that came with competing on an elite level. [Vacchi, Robert. [http://robertovacchi.wordpress.com/about/ "Biografi"] . ]

In 1993, while he was working for the Swedish Cycling Association, Eurosport approached Vacchi with an offer to start commenting cycling on TV. In the beginning he did not comment much, but eventually it became practically a full-time job.Lind, Thomas. (August 17, 2007). [http://www.dt.se/sport/article221604.ece "Man känner sig blåst"] . "Dalarnas Tidningar". ] He has credited Bengt Grive as being his mentor during the first years at Eurosport. [TT. (July 2, 2005). [http://www.dalademokraten.se/ArticlePages/200507/01/20050701161536_DD723/20050701161536_DD723.dbp.asp "Med Roberto behöver ingen vara ute och cykla"] "Dala-Demokraten". ] .

Vacchi is known for his entusiastic commenting of cycling races and for his vast knowledge of the sport as well as being able to give detailed geographical, cultural and historical information on places around the tours. [Haraldsson, Janna Roosch. (August 2, 2006). [http://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/cykel/article398673.ab "Cyklingen kommer jag aldrig tröttna på"] "Aftonbladet". ] Together with his colleague Anders Adamsson, Vacchi is often considered one of Sweden's best sport commentators. [Semneby, Jan. (December 27, 2003). [http://www.svd.se/sportspel/nyheter/artikel_129377.svd "I tv-soffan är det lätt att falla för Tour de France"] "Svenska Dagbladet". ] . His favourite cyclist is Italian Fausto Coppi.

Vacchi also works as the press director for the Swedish Ski Association and as the editor-in-chief of the cross cross-country skiing magazine "Glid".

References