Paolo Bettini

Paolo Bettini
Bettini in 2013
Personal information
Full namePaolo Bettini
NicknameGrillo
Born (1974-04-01) 1 April 1974 (age 50)
Cecina, Italy
Height1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight58 kg (128 lb; 9.1 st)
Team information
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Rider typeClassics specialist
Puncheur
Professional teams
1997MG Maglificio–Technogym
1998Asics–CGA
1999–2002Mapei–Quick-Step
2003–2008Quick-Step–Davitamon
Major wins
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 (20052008)

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)
Medal record
Men's road bicycle racing
Representing  Italy
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens Road race
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2007 Stuttgart Road race
Gold medal – first place 2006 Salzburg Road race
Silver medal – second place 2001 Lisbon Road race

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.