Felice Gimondi

Infobox Cyclist
ridername = Felice Gimondi


fullname = Felice Gimondi
nickname = The Phoenix
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1942|09|29|df=y
country = ITA
currentteam = Retired
discipline = Classics
role = Rider
ridertype =
amateuryears =
amateurteams =
proyears =
proteams =
majorwins = Tour de France 1965
Giro D'Italia 1967, 1969, 1976
Vuelta a España 1968
updated =

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.

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

*1 )
*3 x )
*1 )
*1 flagiconUCI World Cycling Championships (1973)
*1 Milan-Sanremo (1974)
*1 Paris-Roubaix (1966)
*2 x Giro di Lombardia (1966, 1973)
*2 x Paris-Bruxelles (1966, 1976)
*1 Tour de Romandie (1969)
*1 Volta a Catalunya (1972)
*2 flagicon|ITA Italian National Road Race Championship (1968, 1972)
*2 x Grand Prix des Nations (1967, 1968)

ignificant victories by year

;1963:Giro del Friuli;1964:Tour de l'Avenir;1965:;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::2 stages of the Tour de France:Grand Prix des Nations:Giro del Lazio:Gran Premio di Lugano;1968::Trofeo Baracchi:Grand Prix des Nations:1 stage of the Giro d'Italia:Giro di Romagna, valid as flagicon|ITA Italian National Road Race Championship:Critérium des As;1969::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 flagicon|ITA Italian National Road Race Championship:Six-Days of Milan;1973:flagiconUCI 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::Paris-Bruxelles;1977:Six-Days of Milan

External links

* [http://www.bicycletrader.com/archives/15articles.html Gimondi, The Phoenix] by Gabe Konrad

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=