Francesco Conconi
Encyclopedia
Francesco Conconi is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
) is an Italian sports doctor and scientist, with disciples such as Michele Ferrari
Michele Ferrari
Michele Ferrari is an Italian physician, cycling coach and author.-Biography:Ferrari was born in Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, where he still lives...
and Luigi Cecchini
Luigi Cecchini
Luigi Cecchini is an Italian sports doctor that is active in road bicycle racing. He is well known as maker of training schemes that he writes for his clients as well as use of the SRM cycle computer....
. Conconi is a Professor at the University of Ferrara
University of Ferrara
The University of Ferrara is the main university of the city of Ferrara in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. In the years prior to the First World War the University of Ferrara, with more than 500 students, was the best attended of the free universities in Italy...
in Italy where he heads the Centro Studi Biomedici Applicati allo Sport or Biomedical Research Institute. His research focused on tracing techniques for doping substances but he is better known for his doping activities and is said to have introduced Erythropoietin or EPO
Erythropoietin
Erythropoietin, or its alternatives erythropoetin or erthropoyetin or EPO, is a glycoprotein hormone that controls erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production...
to the sport of cycling
Road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...
. Professor Conconi is most famous for having prepared Francesco Moser
Francesco Moser
Francesco Moser , nicknamed "Lo sceriffo" , is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the dominant riders from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, and won the 1984 Giro d'Italia, the 1977 world road racing championship and six victories in three of the five Monuments...
for his successful attempt to break the world hour record in Mexico, 1984.
History
It was on August 14, 1980 that Professor Conconi submitted a proposal to the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) proposing that selected Italian athletes be assisted by staff of the University to improve their performance. Conconi proposed that he help athletes in the sports of cycling, canoeing, rowing, long distance skiing, speed skating, swimming and wrestling. The Olympic committee (CONI) accepted the offer. According to Sandro Donati, a coach of the middle distance running team from 1981 onwards, this method of preparation was blood doping. Professor Conconi approached Donati regarding improving the performances of his athletes with estimations of the improvements at 3 to 5 seconds for 1,500 metre races, 15 to 20 seconds for 5,000 metre races and 30 to 40 seconds for 10,000 metre races. There was a partnership between the Olympic Committee and Professor Conconi's biomedical research centre at the University of Ferrara and the Olympic Committee financed his research. According to Donati, Professor Conconi together with the Italian Athletics Federation and a major Italian Research Institute administered testosterone and anabolic steroids to athletes for events in the 1980s. Over several years, CONI funded the research of Professor Conconi with over two million euros. The work of Professor Conconi and his many assistants at the Ferrera University produced great results in sport. In the 19921992 Winter Olympics
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
and 1994 Winter Olympics
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
, Italy dominated the long distance skiing event with 34 medals. Many of the athletes had hematocrit levels greater than 50%.
Conconi test and Francesco Moser
Professor Conconi together with his assistants including Michele FerrariMichele Ferrari
Michele Ferrari is an Italian physician, cycling coach and author.-Biography:Ferrari was born in Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, where he still lives...
prepared Francesco Moser
Francesco Moser
Francesco Moser , nicknamed "Lo sceriffo" , is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the dominant riders from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, and won the 1984 Giro d'Italia, the 1977 world road racing championship and six victories in three of the five Monuments...
in his attempt to break the World Hour Record. Conconi theorized that heart rate could be correlated with perceived exertion in order to allow Moser to cycle at the absolute maximum of his capability. Professor Conconi found a point at which aerobic efficiency was overcome by accumulation of lactic acid. At this "threshold" level, the ability of the athlete to sustain a maximum effort would be compromised. Professor Conconi then set about developing a method to extend the "Anaerobic Threshold." Conconi developed The Conconi test
Conconi test
The Conconi Test is a sports medicine test intended to measure an individual's maximum anaerobic and aerobic threshold heart rates.The test measures a person's heart rates at different loads...
, which is also known as the ramp test, which measures heart rate at different predefined intensity levels. The Conconi Point is the point of maximal steady state or maximum heart rate a subject can have. Professor Conconi was a great innovator in Sports science and in his preparation of Moser. However he also used blood doping to prepare Moser, as Moser would later admit. Conconi wrote a book about preparing Moser called Moser's Hour Records: A Human and Scientific Adventure(ISBN-9780941950268) in 1991. Ten years after breaking the Hour record, Conconi coached Moser to attempt to break the record a second time. This idea came from a gentleman's bet between the two to see if Moser under the guidance of Conconi would be able to break his 1984 record ten years later. Moser was 43 years of age when he rode 51.840 kilometers in 60 minutes thereby riding 689 meters beyond his record set in 1984.
Introduction of EPO to Cycling
At the Winter Olympics in 1993/94 in Lillehammer, Conconi gave a talk to members of the International Olympic Committee and informed them about his work on an EPO test. He described how he had carried out controlled experiments with 23 amateur triathletes and other athletes with EPO treatments but that he had not come up with a test to detect EPO use. The details of Conconi's 23 amateur athletes were later discovered by police after a raid at the University of Ferrara and that there were no 23 amateurs but elite professionals, six of which were from the cycling teamCycling team
A cycling team is a group of cyclists who join a team or are acquired and train together to compete in bicycle races whether recreational or professional - and the supporting personnel...
.
Conconi had listed subjects' names, gender, sport, date of analysis as well as whether or not they were treated with EPO. Despite funding by CONI and the IOC to come up with an EPO detection test, Conconi was using the money to buy the drug and then administered it to athletes who were also paying Conconi. Conconi is said to have made a technique to balance EPO, Blood Thinner and Human Growth Hormone in a mixture that Athletes could take safely and pass doping tests without testing positive. With this ability to safely take EPO, Donati estimated that 60 to 70% of the peloton used EPO in the mid 1990s.
The team doctor of the Carrera cycling team, Dr. Giovanni Grazzi, worked with Professor Conconi at the University in 1993 while the following year, 1994, another professional cycling team, , were connected to Conconi via Doctors Michele Ferrari
Michele Ferrari
Michele Ferrari is an Italian physician, cycling coach and author.-Biography:Ferrari was born in Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, where he still lives...
and Ilario Casoni. In addition a number of well known cycling stars were clients of the Institute. The Gewiss team attracted a lot of negative attention when after taking the whole podium in the La Flèche Wallonne
La Flèche Wallonne
La Flèche Wallonne is a major men's professional cycle road race held in April each year in Belgium.The first of two Belgian Ardennes classics, La Flèche Wallonne is today normally held mid-week between the Amstel Gold Race and Liège–Bastogne–Liège...
Classic in 1994, Ferrari in an interview with the French Sports Daily L'Equipe, compared using EPO to drinking orange juice. Bjarne Riis
Bjarne Riis
Bjarne Lykkegård Riis , nicknamed The Eagle from Herning , is a Danish former professional road bicycle racer who placed first in the 1996 Tour de France, and is now the team owner and manager of Danish UCI ProTour outfit Team Saxo Bank Sungard...
the 1996 Tour de France
1996 Tour de France
The 1996 Tour de France was the 83rd Tour de France, starting on June 29 and ending on July 21, featuring 19 regular stages, 2 individual time trials, a prologue and a rest day ....
winner was a rider of the Gewiss team and was treated with EPO in 1994 and 1995 in Conconi's Institute in Ferrara. During the 1996 season Riis was coached with one of Conconi's assistants Cecchini and would win the Tour de France.
It would be reported in the Rome based newspaper, La Republica, in January 2000 that Conconi was involved with administering EPO to riders on the Carrera. In March 2000 the Italian Judge Franca Oliva published a report detailing the conclusions of an investigation into a number of sports doctors including Professor Conconi. This official judicial investigation concluded that the riders of the Carrera team were administered EPO in 1993. The riders included Stephen Roche
Stephen Roche
Stephen Roche is a retired professional road racing cyclist. In a 13-year professional career, he peaked in 1987, becoming only the second cyclist to win the Triple Crown of victories in the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia stage races, plus the World road race championship...
, Claudio Chiappucci
Claudio Chiappucci
Claudio Chiappucci is a retired Italian professional cyclist. He was on the podium three times in the Tour de France general classification - second in 1990, third in 1991 and second again in 1992.-Career:...
, Guido Bontempi
Guido Bontempi
Guido Bontempi is an Italian former road bicycle racer. Bontempi's career highlights include winning the spring's classic Gent–Wevelgem two times and a total of 16 stages in the Giro d'Italia throughout his career. He also won six stages in the Tour de France and four stages in the Vuelta a España...
, Rolf Sørensen
Rolf Sørensen
Rolf Sørensen is a former Danish professional road bicycle racer. He is the most successful Danish bicycle racer ever, with his 53 victories over 17 seasons. He is currently working as a cycling commentator and agent. Born in Helsinge in Denmark, Sørensen moved to Italy at the age of 17, where he...
, Mario Chiesa, Massimo Ghirotto and Fabio Roscioli.
Files seized as part of the judicial investigation allegedly detail a number of aliases for former Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
, Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
winner and World Champion Stephen Roche
Stephen Roche
Stephen Roche is a retired professional road racing cyclist. In a 13-year professional career, he peaked in 1987, becoming only the second cyclist to win the Triple Crown of victories in the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia stage races, plus the World road race championship...
including Rocchi, Rossi, Rocca, Roncati, Righi and Rossini.
In 1997, Claudio Chiappucci
Claudio Chiappucci
Claudio Chiappucci is a retired Italian professional cyclist. He was on the podium three times in the Tour de France general classification - second in 1990, third in 1991 and second again in 1992.-Career:...
told prosecutor Vincenzo Scolastico that he had been using EPO since 1993, but later he recalled that statement. Marco Pantani
Marco Pantani
Marco Pantani was an Italian road racing cyclist, widely considered one of the best climbers in professional road bicycle racing...
was part of the team and his hematocrit level displayed rises and falls which looked very suspicious. On October 18, 1995 Pantani was taken to hospital after an accident in the Milano–Torino race where a hematocrit percentage of 60.1% whereas in the previous June it had been 45%. At this time there was no limit to the hematocrit level but the large fluctuation was suspicious.
Appointment to Medical Committee of CONI
Alexandre de Merode, a former President of the IOC's Medical Committee appointed Conconi as a member of the medical committee and funded Conconi's alleged research into a test to detect the use of EPO. During this time the President of CONI from 1993 to 1998, Dr. Mario Pescante, suppressed a report by Donati which indicated Conconi's involvement in doping.Investigations
In 1999 the investigations into the doping activities of Conconi began. About twenty doctors and researchers from Professor Conconi's Biomedical Research centre were under investigation. In an investigation in front of Judge Piero Messini D'Agostini two hematologists submitted a report in which they concluded that the blood values of athletes treated by Conconi indicated doping. In 2000 Italian Public Prosecutor Pierguido Soprai alleged that Conconi drugged himself. This was because Conconi at the age of 59 recorded a hematocrit value of 57% while competing in a Mountain Bike Race on September 3, 1994. Computer files of Conconi that were seized in the investigation were later reported about in the press. These files were for patients of Conconi and included Ivan GottiIvan Gotti
Ivan Gotti is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist.Gotti was born at San Pellegrino Terme, Lombardy. He first came to prominence by finishing 5th overall in the 1995 Tour de France...
, Pavel Tonkov
Pavel Tonkov
Pavel Sergeyevich Tonkov is a former professional road racing cyclist from Russia. His talents were first showcased when winning the world junior title as part of the Soviet Union team in 1987. This alerted the world to his talents and he turned pro in 1992 with the RUSS-Baïkal team. His biggest...
, Abraham Olano
Ábraham Olano
Abraham Olano Manzano is a Spanish Basque former professional road racing cyclist. His crowning achievement came in 1995 when he became World Road Champion...
, Marco Pantani
Marco Pantani
Marco Pantani was an Italian road racing cyclist, widely considered one of the best climbers in professional road bicycle racing...
, Tony Rominger
Tony Rominger
Tony Rominger is a Swiss former professional road racing cyclist who won the Vuelta a España in 1992, 1993 and 1994 and the Giro d'Italia in 1995.He began cycling late, allegedly spurred by competition with his brother...
, Gianluca Bortolami
Gianluca Bortolami
Gianluca Bortolami is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist. Bortolami's greatest feats was capturing the monumental classic Ronde van Vlaanderen in 2001 and winning the 1994 UCI Road World Cup season championship....
and Giorgio Furlan
Giorgio Furlan
Giorgio Furlan is an Italian former road bicycle racer.-Major results:19861990Giorgio Furlan is an Italian former road bicycle racer.-Major results:1986...
. These files showed hematocrit variations in individuals during treatments.
Tonkov's hematocrit went from 51.5% in June, 1996 to 40.9% in September. Ivan Gotti's hematocrit went from 35.2% in January 1997 to 50.7% in June 1998. Marco Pantani's level went from 40.7 in March, 1994 to 58% in June and July 1994. During the 1995 Tour de France
1995 Tour de France
The 1995 Tour de France was the 82nd Tour de France, taking place July 1 to July 23, 1995. It was Miguel Indurain's fifth and final victory in the Tour. On the fifteenth stage Italian rider Fabio Casartelli died after an accident on the Col de Portet d'Aspet....
, Pantani had a level of 56% and after his accident in Milano–Torino it was 60%. Claudio Chiappucci
Claudio Chiappucci
Claudio Chiappucci is a retired Italian professional cyclist. He was on the podium three times in the Tour de France general classification - second in 1990, third in 1991 and second again in 1992.-Career:...
had a hematocrit level of 35% in January 1994 to 60% in June, 1994 after he came fifth in the 1994 Giro d'Italia
1994 Giro d'Italia
The 1994 Giro d'Italia of cycling, the 77th edition of the race, was held from 22 May to 12 June 1994, consisting of 22 stages. It covered a total of 3,738 km, completed at an average speed of 37.124 km/h...
.
In 2004 Judge Oliva alleged that the athletes treated at the Institute indeed had taken EPO during the 1993 season but due to the statute of limitations, none would be prosecuted. The Judge found Conconi 'morally guilty'. The judge had looked at medical reports of 33 cyclists in the period 1993-1995, including Chiappucci's, and all blood tests showed largely fluctuating hematocrit-values, indicative for EPO-use.
Assistants at the Biomedical Research Centre at Ferrara University
Conconi had many assistants (doctors and researchers) with whom he performed his tests. Several of these would be charged in connection with doping activities or would continue working as sports scientists after leaving the Institute. The most well known is Michele FerrariMichele Ferrari
Michele Ferrari is an Italian physician, cycling coach and author.-Biography:Ferrari was born in Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, where he still lives...
who worked with Conconi during the 1980s until the mid-1990s.
- Michele FerrariMichele FerrariMichele Ferrari is an Italian physician, cycling coach and author.-Biography:Ferrari was born in Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, where he still lives...
- Luigi CecchiniLuigi CecchiniLuigi Cecchini is an Italian sports doctor that is active in road bicycle racing. He is well known as maker of training schemes that he writes for his clients as well as use of the SRM cycle computer....
- Ilario Casoni
- Giovanni Grazzi
- Carlo Santuccione
- Gianni Mazzoni
List of racers
He took care of some well known pro cyclists, although only few of them have actually been found guilty of doping offenses. A possible cause is the gap between development of doping and the means to trace the use in sportmen. However, in the light of recent revelations, this list may well point in the direction of certain medicinal networks, notably in Italy, but not of proven doping networks.Clients of Conconi, Casoni, and Grazzi
- Guido BontempiGuido BontempiGuido Bontempi is an Italian former road bicycle racer. Bontempi's career highlights include winning the spring's classic Gent–Wevelgem two times and a total of 16 stages in the Giro d'Italia throughout his career. He also won six stages in the Tour de France and four stages in the Vuelta a España...
- Maurizio FondriestMaurizio FondriestMaurizio Fondriest is a retired Italian professional road racing cyclist.-Career:Born in Cles, Trentino, Fondriest turned professional in 1987 with the Ecoflam team. He subsequently rode for Alfa-Lum in 1988, winning the World Cycling Championships along with stages in the Tour de Suisse and...
, 1988 World Champion
Clients of Conconi and Casoni
- Marco AlbarelloMarco AlbarelloMarco Albarello is an Italian cross country skier who competed from 1982 to 2002. He was born in Aosta. His best known victory was part of the 4 x 10 km relay team that upset Norway at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer...
- Eugeni BerzinEugeni BerzinEvgeni Berzin is a Russian cyclist whose best year was 1994, when he won the Giro d'Italia and Liège–Bastogne–Liège. Only 24 at the time, Berzin was then tipped as being a future megastar in cycling, but he was never quite able to live up to the results of 1994. In 1995, he was second at the Giro...
, winner 1994 Giro d'Italia1994 Giro d'ItaliaThe 1994 Giro d'Italia of cycling, the 77th edition of the race, was held from 22 May to 12 June 1994, consisting of 22 stages. It covered a total of 3,738 km, completed at an average speed of 37.124 km/h... - Vladislav BobrikVladislav BobrikVladislav Bobrik is a Russian former road bicycle racer.-Palmarès:199019911994-External links:*...
- Bruno CenghialtaBruno CenghialtaBruno Cenghialta was an Italian professional road bicycle racer.Cenghialta was born at Montecchio Maggiore. After his cycling career, Cenghialta became directeur sportif. As of 2008, Cenghialta was directeur sportif of Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo.- Palmarès :19881991- External links :*...
- Maurilio De ZoltMaurilio De ZoltMaurilio De Zolt is an Italian cross country skier who competed from 1980 to 1997. His best known victory was part of the 4 x 10 km relay team that upset Norway at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, when he was 43 years old...
- Manuela Di CentaManuela Di CentaManuela Di Centa is an Italian cross-country skier and former Olympic athlete. She is the cousin of former track and field athlete Venanzio Ortis and the sister of cross-country skier Giorgio Di Centa.-Career:...
- Silvio FaunerSilvio FaunerSilvio Fauner is an Italian former cross country skier who competed from 1988. His best known victory was part of the 4 × 10 km relay team that upset Norway at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer...
- Francesco FrattiniFrancesco FrattiniFrancesco Frattini is an Italian former road bicycle racer.-Palmarès:1995**...
- Giorgio FurlanGiorgio FurlanGiorgio Furlan is an Italian former road bicycle racer.-Major results:19861990Giorgio Furlan is an Italian former road bicycle racer.-Major results:1986...
, winner of 1994 Milan – San Remo - Ivan GottiIvan GottiIvan Gotti is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist.Gotti was born at San Pellegrino Terme, Lombardy. He first came to prominence by finishing 5th overall in the 1995 Tour de France...
, winner of 1997 Giro d'Italia1997 Giro d'ItaliaThe 1997 Giro d'Italia of cycling, the 80th running of the race, was held from 17 May to 8 June 1997. It covered a total of 3,912 km, in 22 stages, completed at an average speed of 38.017 km/h. It was won by the Italian Ivan Gotti.- General classification :... - Nicola MinaliNicola MinaliNicola Minali is an Italian former road bicycle racer. He won a total of twelve stages in Grand Tours, including the prestigious Champs-Élysées stage in 1997 Tour de France...
- Gianfranco PolvaraGianfranco PolvaraGianfranco Polvara was an Italian cross country skier who competed from 1982 to 1995. He finished seventh in the 15 km event at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary....
- Antonio Santaromita
- Piotr UgrumovPiotr UgrumovPiotr Ugrumov is a former Russian professional road racing cyclist who participated for Latvia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, though he was a part of the Russian delegation at the 1996 Summer Olympics. His career as a professional lasted from 1989 to 1999, he had ten victories...
- Giorgio VanzettaGiorgio VanzettaGiorgio Vanzetta is an Italian former cross country skier who competed from 1982 to 2002. His best known victory was part of the 4 x 10 km relay team that upset Norway at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer...
- Alberto VolpiAlberto VolpiAlberto Volpi is an Italian former road bicycle racer.During his professional cycling career, he was a client of the 'doping doctor' Professor Francesco Conconi....
Clients of Conconi and Grazzi
- Stefano Checchin
- Claudio ChiappucciClaudio ChiappucciClaudio Chiappucci is a retired Italian professional cyclist. He was on the podium three times in the Tour de France general classification - second in 1990, third in 1991 and second again in 1992.-Career:...
- Mario ChiesaMario ChiesaMario Chiesa was an Italian politician and member of the Italian Socialist Party. In 1992 Chiesa was arrested on charges of corruption, leading to the mani pulite trials, and eventually to a restructuring of Italian politics. In 2009 he was arrested again, under charges related to waste treatment...
- Massimo GhirottoMassimo GhirottoMassimo Ghirotto is an Italian former road bicycle racer.-Palmarès:1987Massimo Ghirotto is an Italian former road bicycle racer.-Palmarès:1987...
- Marco PantaniMarco PantaniMarco Pantani was an Italian road racing cyclist, widely considered one of the best climbers in professional road bicycle racing...
, winner of 1998 Tour de France1998 Tour de FranceThe 1998 Tour de France, also called the Tour du Dopage , was marred by doping scandals throughout known as the Festina affair, starting with the arrest of Willy Voet, a soigneur in the French Festina team. Voet was traveling into France when he was arrested and found with large quantities of... - Wladimir Poulnikov
- Stephen RocheStephen RocheStephen Roche is a retired professional road racing cyclist. In a 13-year professional career, he peaked in 1987, becoming only the second cyclist to win the Triple Crown of victories in the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia stage races, plus the World road race championship...
, winner of 1987 Tour de France1987 Tour de FranceThe 1987 Tour de France was the 74th Tour de France, taking place from July 1 to July 26, 1987. It consisted of 25 stages over 4231 km, ridden at an average speed of 36.645 km/h... - Fabio RoscioliFabio RoscioliFabio Roscioli was an Italian professional road bicycle racer. In 1993, he won the 12th stage of the Tour de France.- Palmarès :1993- External links :*-References:...
- Marcello Siboni
- Rolf SørensenRolf SørensenRolf Sørensen is a former Danish professional road bicycle racer. He is the most successful Danish bicycle racer ever, with his 53 victories over 17 seasons. He is currently working as a cycling commentator and agent. Born in Helsinge in Denmark, Sørensen moved to Italy at the age of 17, where he...
- Enrico ZainaEnrico ZainaEnrico Zaina is an Italian former road bicycle racer. Zaina turned professional in 1989. He won a stage of 1995 Giro d'Italia and two stages of 1996 Giro d'Italia, where he finished second behind Pavel Tonkov. He also won a stage of 1992 Vuelta a España.-Major achievements:1992199319951996-...
Clients of Conconi
- Gianni BugnoGianni BugnoGianni Bugno is a former Italian professional road racing cyclist.-Biography:Bugno was a versatile rider, able to do well in different types of races. He won numerous stages in the Tour de France, and the Milan – San Remo classic in 1990...
, former World Champion & winner Giro d'ItaliaGiro d'ItaliaThe Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar... - Maurizio DamilanoMaurizio DamilanoMaurizio Damilano is an Italian former race walker.He was the 1980 Olympic Champion and the 1987 and 1991 World Champion in the 20 km race walk....
- Luigi Della Bianc
- Emma Scaunich
- Mario CipolliniMario CipolliniMario Cipollini , often abbreviated to "Cipo", is a retired Italian professional road cyclist most noted for his sprinting ability, the longevity of his dominance and his colourful personality. His nicknames include Il Re Leone and Super Mario...
, former world champion - Laurent FignonLaurent FignonLaurent Patrick Fignon was a French professional road bicycle racer. He won the Tour de France in 1983 and in 1984. He missed winning it a third time, in 1989, by 8 seconds, the closest margin ever to decide the tour. He also won the Giro d'Italia in 1989, after having been the runner-up in 1984,...
, Tour de France winner - Miguel IndurainMiguel IndurainMiguel Ángel Indurain Larraya is a retired Spanish road racing cyclist. He won five consecutive Tour de Frances from 1991 and 1995, the first to do so, and the fourth athlete to win five times. He won the Giro d'Italia twice, becoming one of only seven people in history to achieve the Giro Tour...
, Tour de France winner - Francesco MoserFrancesco MoserFrancesco Moser , nicknamed "Lo sceriffo" , is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the dominant riders from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, and won the 1984 Giro d'Italia, the 1977 world road racing championship and six victories in three of the five Monuments...
- Denis Zanette, died suspiciously at the dentist's