Franco Pellizotti
Franco Pellizotti (born 15 January 1978) is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 2001 and 2018 for the Alessio, Liquigas–Doimo, Androni Giocattoli–Sidermec and Bahrain–Merida teams. Pellizotti now works as a directeur sportif for the Team Bahrain Victorious team.[1]
Pellizotti at the 2017 Giro d'Italia | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Franco Pellizotti |
| Nickname | Pello, Il Delfino |
| Born | 15 January 1978 Latisana, Italy |
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) |
| Weight | 64 kg (141 lb; 10 st 1 lb) |
| Team information | |
| Current team | Team Bahrain Victorious |
| Discipline | Road |
| Role |
|
| Rider type | Climber |
| Professional teams | |
| 2001–2004 | Alessio |
| 2005–2010 | Liquigas–Bianchi |
| 2012–2016 | Androni Giocattoli–Venezuela |
| 2017–2018 | Bahrain–Merida |
| Managerial team | |
| 2019– | Bahrain–Merida (directeur sportif) |
| Major wins | |
| Grand Tours | |
Career
Pellizotti was born in Latisana, Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia. During his career, Pellizotti was known as a climbing specialist and won Stage 10 in the 2006 Giro d'Italia, Stage 16 in the 2008 Giro d'Italia and Stage 17 in the 2009 Giro d'Italia. After finishing third overall in the 2009 Giro, he won the polka dot jersey in Paris as the best climber of the 2009 Tour de France (which has been cancelled), as well as named the Most Combative (Aggressive) Rider on Stages 9 and 17. At the start of each race, Pellizotti was seen making the sign of the cross and kissing a crucifix around his neck.
Doping
On 3 May 2010, Pellizotti's name was released by La Gazzetta dello Sport as being one of several riders under investigation by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) for "irregular blood values". Pellizotti was reported to have had "suspicious values" on the eve of the 2009 Tour de France and request has been made by the UCI for investigation.[2] This was confirmed later that day in a UCI press release.[3] He was due to be one of Liquigas–Doimo' team leaders at the 2010 Giro d'Italia, but was immediately pulled from the squad and replaced with Vincenzo Nibali. His team said they have faith in the explanation put forward by Pellizotti and are conducting a further investigation.[4] Shortly after the end of the season, the suspension was lifted on the grounds of lack of evidence, and Pellizotti declared a wish to seek financial redress from the UCI.[5] Liquigas–Doimo declined to re-sign Pellizotti after the 2010 season. Pellizotti's case reached the Court of Arbitration for Sport in March 2011. After asking the court for a speedy verdict, he was suspended for two years after it upheld the UCI's appeal. His ban lasted until May 2012. The Court also annulled all results from 17 May 2009, meaning that Pellizotti lost a stage win and third place overall in the Giro d'Italia and a stage win and overall victory in the mountains and combativity classifications in the Tour de France.[6]
Following the conclusion of his ban, Pellizotti signed with the Androni Giocattoli–Venezuela team.[7][8]
In August 2013, it was announced that after two years with Androni Giocattoli–Venezuela, Pellizotti was to join Astana for the 2014 season.[9] However, Pellizotti would have only been able to compete from May 2014 due to Astana being a member of the Mouvement pour un cyclisme crédible (MPCC),[10] and that Pellizotti had previously served a two-year ban for a UCI biological passport violation.[11] Further talks between Pellizotti and Astana resulted in his contract with the squad being nullified,[12] and Pellizotti was able to return to Androni Giocattoli–Venezuela for a third season, in 2014.[13]
Major results
- 2000
- 2nd Overall Giro Ciclistico d'Italia
- 1st Stage 6
- 2nd Gran Premio Palio del Recioto
- 2nd Trofeo Alcide Degasperi
- 3rd Trofeo Zsšdi
- 5th Overall Grand Prix Guillaume Tell
- 2001
- 1st Points classification Tour of Austria
- 8th Giro di Campania
- 10th Overall Deutschland Tour
- 10th Giro dell'Appennino
- 2002
- 1st Giro del Friuli
- 1st Stage 4 Tour of the Basque Country
- 1st Stage 5 Tour de Pologne
- 5th Trofeo Melinda
- 6th Giro dell'Emilia
- 9th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
- 1st Stage 6
- 2003
- 3rd Overall Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
- 6th Trofeo Melinda
- 8th Overall Giro d'Italia
- 2004
- 1st Gran Premio di Chiasso
- 2nd Giro del Friuli
- 2nd Coppa Sabatini
- 3rd Overall Tour de Pologne
- 5th Giro del Veneto
- 6th Giro dell'Emilia
- 7th Overall Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
- 9th Giro di Lombardia
- 2005
- 1st Overall Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
- 1st Stage 2
- 2nd Trofeo Laigueglia
- 2nd Gran Premio Città di Camaiore
- 3rd Overall Tour Méditerranéen
- 4th Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
- 6th Overall Paris–Nice
- 8th Giro del Veneto
- 9th Milan–San Remo
- 2006
- 2nd Milano–Torino
- 3rd GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano
- 3rd Coppa Ugo Agostoni
- 5th Gran Premio Nobili Rubinetterie
- 7th Trofeo Sóller
- 8th Overall Giro d'Italia
- 1st Stage 10
- 10th Clásica de San Sebastián
- 2007
- 1st Memorial Marco Pantani
- 2nd GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano
- 5th Overall Paris–Nice
- 1st Points classification
- 1st Stage 3
- 5th Overall Giro del Trentino
- 6th Giro di Toscana
- 9th Overall Tour of California
- 9th Overall Giro d'Italia
- 1st Stage 1 (TTT)
- 2008
- 2nd Overall Tour of Slovenia
- 3rd Overall Tour de Pologne
- 3rd Giro d'Oro
- 4th Overall Giro d'Italia
- 1st Stage 16 (ITT)
- 5th Clásica de San Sebastián
- 2009
- 7th GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano
- 2009
Tour de France1st Mountains classificationCombativity award Overall
3rd Overall Giro d'Italia1st Stage 17
- 2012
- 1st Road race, National Road Championships
- 3rd Overall Giro di Padania
- 3rd Gran Premio Città di Camaiore
- 3rd Giro dell'Emilia
- 4th Overall Vuelta a Burgos
- 5th Trofeo Melinda
- 5th Circuito de Getxo
- 9th Gran Premio Nobili Rubinetterie
- 10th Milano–Torino
- 2013
- 2nd Overall Route du Sud
- 4th Overall Settimana Ciclistica Lombarda
- 4th Coppa Sabatini
- 4th Giro dell'Emilia
- 5th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato
- 6th GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano
- 6th Tre Valli Varesine
- 8th Giro di Lombardia
- 8th Coppa Ugo Agostoni
- 10th Milano–Torino
- 2014
- 3rd Coppa Sabatini
- 3rd Giro dell'Emilia
- 6th Overall Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
- 9th Overall Giro del Trentino
- 10th Trofeo Laigueglia
- 2015
- 4th Giro dell'Appennino
- 6th Gran Premio di Lugano
- 7th Overall Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
- 7th Giro dell'Emilia
- 9th Overall Herald Sun Tour
- 2016
- 7th Coppa Sabatini
- 10th Overall Tour of Slovenia
- 2018
- 6th Memorial Marco Pantani
Grand Tour general classification results timeline
| Grand Tour | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giro d'Italia | — | 16 | 8 | 11 | — | 8 | 9 | 4 | — | — | — | 11 | 12 | 24 | — | 21 | — | |
| Tour de France | — | — | 75 | — | 47 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 60 | |
| Vuelta a España | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | 50 |
| — | Did not compete |
|---|---|
| DNF | Did not finish |
| Results expunged |
References
- ^ Farrand, Stephen (28 November 2018). "Pellizotti swaps the saddle for directeur sportif role at Bahrain-Merida". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- ^ "Pellizoti Out of the giro due to biological passport findings". 3 May 2010.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 5 March 2012.
- ^ "Liquigas put faith in Pellizotti". 4 May 2010.
- ^ Franco Pellizotti cleared to race Cycling News October 2010
- ^ "Pellizotti banned for two years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport". 8 March 2011.
- ^ Brown, Gregor (1 May 2012). "Savio defends Pellizotti's Androni signing after ban". VeloNews. Competitor Group, Inc. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
- ^ "Pellizotti signs for Androni-Venezuela". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. 30 April 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
- ^ . Astana. Abacanto SA. 1 August 2013. Archived from the original on 6 August 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
- ^ Farrand, Stephen (1 August 2013). "Astana's decision to sign Pellizotti goes against MPCC rules". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
- ^ Farrand, Stephen (28 October 2013). "Astana accept Pellizotti cannot race until May 2014". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
- ^ "Astana and Franco Pellizotti part ways". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. 9 December 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
- ^ "Pellizotti to remain part of Androni Venezuela after Astana deal fell through". VeloNation. VeloNation LLC. 23 December 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
External links
- Franco Pellizotti at Cycling Archives