Paolo Savoldelli

Paolo Savoldelli
Personal information
Full name Paolo Savoldelli
Nickname Il Falco ("The Falcon")
Born (1973-05-07) 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)
19961997 Rosslotto
19982001 Saeco
2002 Index-Alexia Alluminio
20032004 Team Telekom
20052006 Discovery Channel
2007 Astana
2008 LPR Brakes–Ballan
Major wins

Grand Tours

Giro d'Italia
General classification (2002, 2005)
Combination classification (2006)
4 stages
(1999, 2005, 2006, 2007)
Tour de France
1 stage (2005)

Stage races

Tour de Romandie (2000)
Giro del Trentino (1998, 1999)
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

  1. "Paolo Savoldelli Retires". Velochimp. Velochimp. 9 September 2008. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  2. "Pooley. Binda. Again". BikeRadar. Future Publishing Limited. 1 April 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  3. "Sulle strade di casa Savoldelli parla bergamasco "...a oter!"... la linea". bicibg (in Italian). Duemilacom. 26 May 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  4. "Paolo Savoldelli banned for six months". Future Publishing. 2014-05-30. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  5. http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390444799904578048941010314364
  6. http://velorooms.com/index.php?topic=1255.0;wap2
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