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| Felice Gimondi | |
|---|---|
| Name | Felice Gimondi |
| Caption | Gimondi at the 1969 Tour de France |
| Fullname | Felice Gimondi |
| Nickname | "Il Tamburino Sardo" |
| Birth date | 29 September 1942 |
| Birth place | Sedilo, Sardinia, Italy |
| Death date | 16 August 2019 |
| Death place | Giardini Naxos, Sicily, Italy |
| Discipline | Road |
| Role | Rider |
| Ridertype | All-rounder |
| Proyears1 | 1965–1974 |
| Proteam1 | Salvarani |
| Proyears2 | 1975–1977 |
| Proteam2 | Scic |
| Proyears3 | 1978–1979 |
| Proteam3 | Bianchi |
Felice Gimondi was an Italian professional road bicycle racer and one of the most successful all-rounders of his generation. He won multiple Grand Tours and Monument Classics, combining endurance, climbing, and tactical acumen to compete with contemporaries across Europe. Gimondi rode for prominent teams and became an influential figure in Italy's cycling culture, later contributing to sport governance and business.
Born in Sedilo on Sardinia, Gimondi grew up amid the post-war Italian landscape and developed early ties to cycling clubs in Provincia di Oristano and Sardinian sporting networks. As an amateur he won regional and national events including the UCI Road World Championships-linked amateur races, and achieved prominence in the Giovani circuit, riding against future professionals from France, Belgium, Spain, and Switzerland. His amateur results attracted attention from managers of professional squads such as Salvarani and Faema, leading to selection for national teams and entry into Italian semi-classics and stage races like the Giro d'Italia (amateurs) and the Settimana Ciclistica Lombardia.
Gimondi turned professional in 1965 with Salvarani, joining a roster that included directors and riders connected to Italian cycling institutions like La Gazzetta dello Sport and the Federazione Ciclistica Italiana. Early in his career he raced against champions including Roger Rivière, Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Raymond Poulidor, and Luis Ocaña, participating in events organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale calendar such as the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, and the Vuelta a España. Across the 1960s and 1970s he moved between teams including Scic and Bianchi, rode in stage races promoted by entities like RCS Sport and Amaury Sport Organisation, and collaborated with teammates and staff from clubs such as San Pellegrino and sponsors like Campagnolo and Fiat.
Gimondi's palmarès include victories in the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia, the Vuelta a España, and Monument races such as Milano–Sanremo and the Giro di Lombardia. He won the UCI Road World Championships road race at elite level in a period marked by rivalry with Eddy Merckx and competition from classics specialists like Frans De Mulder and Roger De Vlaeminck. Known as an all-rounder, Gimondi combined climbing prowess observed on passes like the Col du Tourmalet and Stelvio Pass with time-trial ability in events similar to stages contested on circuits used in the Giro and Tour. His tactical intelligence was highlighted in team time trials held by sponsors such as Salvarani and in one-day races organized by promoters including RCS Sport.
In Grand Tours he achieved overall victories in the Giro d'Italia (multiple editions), the Tour de France (notably as a rookie), and the Vuelta a España, placing him among a small group of riders to win all three. Gimondi accrued numerous stage wins in Grand Tours and high general classification placings while contesting Monuments like Paris–Roubaix, Milan–San Remo, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, and Giro di Lombardia. He also featured in week-long stage races such as the Tirreno–Adriatico, the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, and the Tour de Suisse, competing against riders from Belgium, Spain, France, and Great Britain and participating in events sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale and organized by regional promoters.
Off the bike Gimondi engaged with Italian sporting institutions and businesses, collaborating with brands in the cycling industry such as Bianchi, Campagnolo, and frame builders linked to Northern Italian manufacturing clusters. He was celebrated by organizations including RCS Sport and the Federazione Ciclistica Italiana and served as a mentor to younger riders who later rode for teams like Carrera and Mercatone Uno. Gimondi's legacy is preserved in cycling museums and halls of fame in Italy and Europe, and he is remembered alongside contemporaries such as Eddy Merckx, Raymond Poulidor, Jacques Anquetil, and Bernard Hinault for shaping professional road racing in the 1960s and 1970s.
Gimondi died following a drowning accident at Giardini Naxos, Sicily on 16 August 2019. His passing prompted tributes from national institutions such as the Federazione Ciclistica Italiana, sports media including La Gazzetta dello Sport, teams like Bianchi and Salvarani, and former rivals and teammates including Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Felice's contemporaries? who remembered his achievements at ceremonies and memorial rides across Italy and Europe. Numerous cycling events and races held moments of silence, and cycling museums and local authorities in Sardinia organized commemorations that celebrated his career and influence.
Category:Italian male cyclists Category:Giro d'Italia winners Category:Tour de France winners Category:Vuelta a España winners Category:1942 births Category:2019 deaths