Paolo Bettini

Biography

Paolo Bettini begins cycling at the 7 years age, and gains 23 of the first 24 races which it disputes. In 1996, it is classified fourth of the Championship of the World amateur, behind three of his compatriots. It spends professional the following year, in 1997 with the team “Mg-Technogym”. It then engages at “Asics-CGA” (1998) then Mapei (1999-2002).

During the first years of its career, he is a fellow-member with the service of Michele Bartoli, which is then one of the best specialists in the traditional ones. Thanks to its good performances, Bettini acquires a certain autonomy within the team. It gains its first major victory in 2000 over Liege-Bastogne-Liege. This victory is followed of another to Dax over the Tour de France. In 2001, after several months without victory, it beats Jan Ulrich with the sprint with the Championnat of Zurich. A few weeks later, its disagreement with Michele Bartoli culminates with the championships of the world in Lisbon: Bartoli refuses to take along the sprint of Bettini, making it possible Oscar Freire to gain the title one second time.

The season 2002 constitutes a rupture for Paolo Bettini, with the departures of the Bartoli leaders and Johan Museeuw of the Mapei team. It beats its fellow-member Stefano Garzelli on Liege-Bastogne-Liege after a brilliant tactical race of Mapei. With the neck and neck with Museeuw which gains Paris-Roubaix and HEW Cyclassics, it gains the World cup thanks to its victory with the Tour of Lombardy, it last race of the calendar.

Passed in the team Quick Step, it begins the year 2003 by a victory over Milan-San Remo. A wound contracted on Ghent-Wevelgem prevents it from running until the Tour de France. In the tread of this one, it is essential on Hamburg in front of Ulrich, then with the Classica San Sebastian and gains the World cup for the second time.

The following season starts in the manner, by a victory with San Remo. After the first disappointment on the of the Ardennes races dominated by Davide Rebellin, it finishes second with Hamburg and San Sebastian. Leader of the world cup, Bettini was not ensured of the victory before the last test, the Turn of Lombardy. Being satisfied to mark Rebellin, which finishes by abandoned, it gains the last World cup before the advent of ProTour, carrying out a triplet (2003-2003-2004) to which is added a gold medal to the Olympic Games with Athens. He does not manage however to become world champion, being wounded the knee against the car of his team.

In 2005, a wound prevents it from taking share in traditional spring. Victorious on the Turn of Italy twice (it carries the pink shirt during several days), then on the Tour of Spain, it fails again at the time of the championships of the world in Madrid. It made a success of nevertheless an excellent end of season by glanant the Championship of Zurich and the Turn of Lombardy.

The campaign of traditional spring 2006 is a failure. Bettini is caught up with quickly by gaining a stage of the Giro, then while becoming champion of Italy and World champion by beating Erik Zabel and Alejandro Valverde with the sprint. A few days after this sacring, his/her Sauro brother dies in an car accident. After having a time planned to put an end to its career, it again gains, in tears, the Turn of Lombardy.

These successes are worth to him to receive the Vélo of Gold better cyclist of the year 2006.

After a once again disappointing beginning of the season in 2007, it gains a stage of the Vuelta. It carries during several days the shirt of leader of the points score but gives up in order to prepare with the championship of the world being held at the end of September to Stuttgart. Its participation is a time compromised by the organizers who reproach him for not having signed the charter antidopage of the UCI. Authorized to run by the magistrates' court of Stuttgart, it gains the race by mimant a shooting with rifle. It is the 5th runner to gain two consecutive championships of the world, after Georges Ronsse, Rik Van Steenbergen, Rik Van Looy and Gianni Bugno.

Prize list

World champion (2006, 2007)
Olympic champion (2004)
Champion d´Italie (2003, 2006)
World cup (2002, 2003,2004)
Number 1 UCI (2002, 2003,2004)
Bicycle of Gold (2006)
Turn of Lombardy (2005, 2006)
Liege-Bastogne-Liege (2000, 2002)
Milan-San Remo (2003)
Grand Prix of Zurich (2001, 2005)
Clasica San Sebastian (2003)
Hamburg Cup (2003)
Tirreno-Adriatico (2004)
Mediterranean Turn (2003)
Turn of Wallonia (2002)
Turn of Latium (2002)
Week Coppi & Bartali (2000)
Tower of the Province di Lucca (1999)
Tower of Ligure Riviera (2002)
Grand Prix of Lugano (2006)
Grand Prix of Camaiore (2004)
Coppa Sabatini (2002)
Coppa Placci (2001)
2 stages of the Giro
1 stage of the Tour de France
3 stages of the Vuelta
1 stage of the Turn of Romandie
1 stage of the Turn of Switzerland
6 stages of Tirreno-Adriatico
3 stages of the Week Coppi & Bartali
2 stages of the Tower of Ligure Riviera
1 stage of the Turn of the Walloon regions
2 stages of the Turn of Langkawi
2 stages of the Trophy of Majorque
1 stage of the Tower of the Province Di Lucca
1 stage of the Franco-Belgian Circuit
1 stage of the Mediterranean Turn
1 stage of the Turn of California

Places d honnor

2nd of the Championship of the World (2001)
2nd of Liege-Bastogne-Liege (2006)
2nd of Hew Cyclassics (2004)
2nd of Clasica San Sebastian (2004)
2nd of the Championship of Zurich (2002, 2004)
2nd of Milan - Turin (1999)
2nd of Milan-Vignola (2005)
2nd of Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne (2004)
2nd of the Turn of Tuscany (2002)
2nd of the Turn of Romagna (2000)
2nd of the Turn of Langkawi (2001)
3rd of the Championship of Zurich (2003)
3rd of l´Amstel Gold Race (2004)
3rd of the Trophy Laigueglia (1998)
3rd of the Week Coppi & Bartali (1999)
3rd of Het Volk (2003)
3rd of Coppa Sabatini (2001)

Traditional

Milan - San Remo: 1st (2003), 5th (2001), 8th (2004)
Turn of Lombardy: 1st (2005, 2006), 9th (1999), 10th (2000), 20th (2001)
Liege-Bastogne-Liege: 1st (2000, 2002), 2nd (2006), 4th (2005, 2007), 5th (1999), 15th (2001)
Paris-Turns: 4th (2000), 6th (2004), 11th (2003), 14th (1999), 19th (2002)
Amstel Gold Race: 3rd (2004), 7th (2007), 8th (2002, 2006), 14th (2000)
Turn of Flandres: 7th (2006), 9th (2004), 16th (2002)
GP of Zurich: 1st (2001, 2005), 2nd (2002, 2004), 3rd (2003), 4th (1999), 8th (1998)
Hew Cyclassics: 1st (2003), 2nd (2004), 4th (2002), 6th (2001), 12th (1998, 1999), 18th (2000)
Classica San Sebastian: 1st (2003), 2nd (2004), 4th (2000), 7th (2002), 11th (1999), 13th (2001)
Walloon Arrow: 12th (2006), 19th (2000), 20th (2001)
Grand Prix of Plouay: 7th (1999)

Championship of the World

2000: 9th
2001: 2nd
2003: 4th
2005: 13th
2006: 1st
2007: 1st

Tour de France

2000 : Abandonment 13th stage and victorious of a stage
2001: 70e of general classification
2003: 48e of general classification
2004: 58e of general classification

Turn of Italy

1997 : 25e of general classification
1998: 7th of general classification
1999: 44e of general classification
2002: Abandonment
2005: 38e, victorious of the first stage, pink during 4 days and victorious shirt of the points score
2006: 56e, victorious of the points score and the 15 {{E}} stage
2007: 41e

Turn of Spain

1999 : Abandonment
2005: non-starter at the 18th stage, victorious of the 16th stage
2006: Abandonment and victorious of the 2nd stage
2007: Abandonment and victorious of the 3rd stage

Notes and references of the article

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