Italian cyclist (born 1974)
Paolo Bettini Bettini in 2013 |
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| Full name | Paolo Bettini |
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| Nickname | Grillo |
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| Born | (1974-04-01) 1 April 1974 (age 50)
Cecina, Italy |
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| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) |
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| Weight | 58 kg (128 lb; 9.1 st) |
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| Discipline | Road |
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| Role | Rider |
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| Rider type | Classics specialist
Puncheur |
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| 1997 | MG Maglificio–Technogym |
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| 1998 | Asics–CGA |
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| 1999–2002 | Mapei–Quick-Step |
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| 2003–2008 | Quick-Step–Davitamon |
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Grand Tours
- Tour de France
- 1 individual stage (2000)
- Giro d'Italia
- Points classification (2005, 2006)
- 2 individual stages (2005, 2006)
- Vuelta a España
- 5 individual stages (2005–2008)
Stage races
- Tirreno–Adriatico (2004)
One-day races and Classics
- Olympic Road Race (2004)
- World Road Race Championships (2006, 2007)
- National Road Race Championships (2003, 2006)
- Liège–Bastogne–Liège (2000, 2002)
- Milan–San Remo (2003)
- Giro di Lombardia (2005, 2006)
- Clásica de San Sebastián (2003)
- HEW Cyclassics (2003)
- Züri-Metzgete (2001, 2005)
Other
- UCI Road World Cup (2002, 2003, 2004)
- Vélo d'Or (2006)
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Paolo Bettini (born 1 April 1974 in Cecina, Livorno, Tuscany) is an Italian former champion road racing cyclist, and the former coach of the Italian national cycling team. Considered the best classics specialist of his generation, and probably one of the strongest of all times, he won gold medals in the 2004 Athens Olympics road race and in the 2006 and 2007 World Road Race Championships. He is nicknamed Il Grillo ("the cricket") for his repeated sudden attacks and his sprinting style.
He gained prominence by winning Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 2000 and 2002. He set the record for World Cup wins in a season in 2003, winning the Milan–San Remo, HEW Cyclassics and Clásica de San Sebastián. He won the Giro di Lombardia in 2005 and 2006, the Züri-Metzgete in 2001 and 2005 and Tirreno–Adriatico in 2004.
