Paolo Savoldelli
 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Paolo Savoldelli |
| Nickname | Il Falco ("The Falcon") |
| Born |
7 May 1973 Clusone, Italy |
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Weight | 70 kg (150 lb; 11 st) |
| Team information | |
| Current team | Retired |
| Discipline | Road |
| Role | Rider |
| Rider type | All-rounder |
| Professional team(s) | |
| 1996–1997 | Rosslotto |
| 1998–2001 | Saeco |
| 2002 | Index-Alexia Alluminio |
| 2003–2004 | Team Telekom |
| 2005–2006 | Discovery Channel |
| 2007 | Astana |
| 2008 | LPR Brakes–Ballan |
| Major wins | |
| |
|
Infobox last updated on 2 January 2008 | |
Paolo Savoldelli (born 7 May 1973 in Clusone, province of Bergamo) is an Italian former road racing cyclist and winner of the 2002 and 2005 Giro d'Italia.
Savoldelli is a climber but known for his fast downhill riding. He is nicknamed Il Falco ("the falcon"). His downhill skills won him the 2005 Giro. His descent of the Colle delle Finestre before the final ascent to Sestriere in the penultimate stage, closed a gap to Gilberto Simoni, preserving his lead and giving him the win.
On 20 July 2005, Savoldelli won the 17th stage of the Tour de France. He led Astana in the 2007 Giro d'Italia, but worked for teammate Eddy Mazzoleni.
Savoldelli retired from competitive professional cycling at the end of the 2008 season.[1] He did not leave the cycling world however, as he embarked in a career with the medias' coverage of the sport.
In 2012, Savoldelli works for the Italian television channel RAI, providing viewers with commentaries on cycling races. He comments from a motorbike, offering insights from a first-hand point of view.[2] He concludes each of his interventions with an emphatic "A Voi!" (Italian for "Back to you!"), which became his trademark.[3]
Despite having already retired, in May 2014 Savoldelli was banned from bicycle racing for six months for being a client of the infamous doping doctor, Michele Ferrari.[4] Later on, his name was tied to evidence in the 2012 USADA Report as "Rider 1," and is said to have set up and used an EPO doping system in the 2006 Giro d'Italia.[5][6]
Career achievements
Major results
- 1997 – Rosslotto
- 1st, Stage 4, Hofbrau Cup
- 13th Overall, Giro d'Italia
- 1998 – Saeco
- 1st
Overall, Giro del Trentino
- 1st, stage 2
- 9th Overall, Giro d'Italia
- 1999 – Saeco
- 1st Overall, Trofeo Laigueglia
- 2nd Overall, Giro d'Italia
- 1st, Stage 14
- 1st Overall, Giro del Trentino
- 1st, Stage 1
- 2000 – Saeco
- 1st
Overall, Tour de Romandie
- 1st, Prologue
- 3rd Overall, Giro del Trentino
- 1st, Stage 3
- 2001 – Saeco
- 12th Overall, Tour de Romandie
- 1st, Prologue & Stage 2
- 4th Overall, Tirreno–Adriatico
- 2002 – Index-Alexia Aluminio
- 7th Overall, Tirreno–Adriatico
- 1st
Overall, Giro d'Italia
- 2004 – T-Mobile
- 6th Overall, Tour of Britain
- 2005 – Discovery Channel
- 1st Overall, Giro d'Italia
- 1st, Stage 11
- 1st, Stage 17, Tour de France
- 2006 – Discovery Channel
- 4th Overall, Tirreno–Adriatico
- 1st, Prologue, Tour de Romandie
- 5th Overall, Giro d'Italia
- 1st, Prologue
- 1st,
Combination classification
- 2007 – Astana
- 2nd Overall, Tour de Romandie
- 1st, Prologue
- 12th Overall, Giro d'Italia
- 1st, Stage 20
Grand Tour General classification results timeline
| Grand Tour | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giro | – | 13 | 9 | 2 | 24 | 14 | 1 | – | – | 1 | 5 | 12 | 15 |
| Tour | 33 | – | – | DNF | 41 | – | – | – | – | 25 | DNF | – | – |
| Vuelta | – | – | DNF | – | – | DNF | WD | – | – | – | – | – | – |
WD = withdrew DNF = Did not finish
References
- ↑ "Paolo Savoldelli Retires". Velochimp. Velochimp. 9 September 2008. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
- ↑ "Pooley. Binda. Again". BikeRadar. Future Publishing Limited. 1 April 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
- ↑ "Sulle strade di casa Savoldelli parla bergamasco "...a oter!"... la linea". bicibg (in Italian). Duemilacom. 26 May 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
- ↑ "Paolo Savoldelli banned for six months". Future Publishing. 2014-05-30. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
- ↑ http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390444799904578048941010314364
- ↑ http://velorooms.com/index.php?topic=1255.0;wap2
External links
- Paolo Savoldelli profile at Cycling Archives