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Fabio Aru

Aru at the 2015 Vuelta a España
Personal information
Full name	Fabio Aru
Nickname	The Knight of the four Moors (Italian: Il cavaliere dei quattro mori)
Born	(1990-07-03) 3 July 1990 (age 35) San Gavino Monreale, Sardinia, Italy
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	63 kg (139 lb; 9 st 13 lb)
Team information
Current team	Retired
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	Climber
Major wins
Grand Tours Tour de France 1 individual stage (2017) Giro d'Italia Young rider classification (2015) 3 individual stages (2014, 2015) Vuelta a España General classification (2015) 2 individual stages (2014) One-day races and Classics National Road Race Championships (2017)

Fabio Aru (born 3 July 1990) is a famous Italian former professional road bicycle racer. He rode for top teams from 2012 to 2021. Fabio comes from San Gavino Monreale in Sardinia, Italy. He was known for his amazing climbing skills. This made him a top contender in big races called Grand Tours. People called him "The Knight of the four Moors". This nickname refers to his home island of Sardinia.

During his career, Fabio won stages in all three major Grand Tours. These include the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, and Vuelta a España. He also won the 2017 Italian National Road Race Championships. Fabio even wore the leader's jersey in all three Grand Tours. In 2014, he finished third in the Giro d'Italia. He also placed fifth in the Vuelta a España. The next year, he was second in the Giro d'Italia. Then, he won his only Grand Tour, the Vuelta a España. His best finish at the Tour de France was fifth place in 2017.

Fabio Aru's Cycling Journey

Starting Out in Cycling

Fabio Aru was born in San Gavino Monreale, Sardinia. He grew up in Villacidro. When he was 18, he moved to mainland Italy. He wanted to become a professional cyclist. He joined the Palazzago team. There, he won the Giro della Valle d'Aosta twice, in 2011 and 2012. In 2012, he also came in second at the Baby Giro.

Racing for Astana Team (2012–2017)

Fabio Aru joined the Astana team in 2012. This was after four years with a local team in Italy.

Fabio Aru at the 2013 Tour of Austria

In 2013, he finished fourth overall in the Giro del Trentino. He also won the award for the best young rider. He rode his first Grand Tour, the Giro d'Italia. He was there to support his team leader, Vincenzo Nibali. Fabio helped Nibali win the race. He finished 42nd himself.

2014: First Big Wins

Fabio Aru at the 2014 Giro d'Italia

In 2014, Fabio Aru rode the Giro d'Italia again. He was expected to help his teammate, Michele Scarponi. But Fabio showed he was stronger. On Stage 15, he won his first professional race. He won on the mountain top finish of Montecampione. Fabio ended up finishing third overall in the Giro. This was only his second Grand Tour.

In his next Grand Tour, the Vuelta a España, Fabio won Stage 11. He attacked near the end of the climb to Santuario de San Miguel de Aralar. He did it again on Stage 18. He broke away with Chris Froome and won the sprint. He finished the race in fifth place overall.

He ended his season in Italy. He placed fourth in Milano–Torino and ninth in the Giro di Lombardia.

2015: A Grand Tour Victory

Fabio Aru (left), wearing the white jersey for best young rider, at the 2015 Giro d'Italia.

In 2015, Fabio Aru finished sixth at the Volta a Catalunya. In April, he missed a race due to an illness. There was an accusation about his health, but Fabio said he would take legal action. He was getting ready for the Giro d'Italia. In May 2015, Astana extended his contract until 2017. The Giro d'Italia started tough for Astana. But Fabio attacked Alberto Contador in the mountains. He stayed very close to Contador in the overall standings. On Stage 13, Contador crashed. Fabio finished ahead and got the pink leader's jersey for the first time. However, the next day was a long individual time trial. Fabio lost a lot of time and the pink jersey. He lost more time later, but then won Stage 19 by himself. On Stage 20, he won his second stage in a row. He gained time on Contador but could not get the pink jersey back.

Fabio Aru, wearing the red jersey for the overall leader, at the 2015 Vuelta a España.

Fabio then raced the Tour de Pologne. He finished fifth there. This prepared him for his next big goal, the Vuelta a España. He did well early on. He took the red leader's jersey after finishing second on Stage 11. He kept the lead for a while. But he lost it to Joaquim Rodríguez on Stage 16. On Stage 17, a long individual time trial, he rode very well. He stayed within seconds of the new leader, Tom Dumoulin. In the final days, Fabio attacked Dumoulin many times. He wanted to get the red jersey back. On the second-to-last mountain day, Fabio succeeded. He dropped Dumoulin and moved closer to his first Grand Tour win. He won the Vuelta a España!

2016: A Stage Win and Tour de France

Fabio Aru at the 2016 Tour de France

Fabio Aru started 2016 at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana. He finished sixth overall. He then raced the Volta ao Algarve, finishing ninth. He won his only race of the season at the Critérium du Dauphiné. He won Stage 3 after attacking on a downhill section. His main goal was the Tour de France. After Stage 8, he was seventh overall. But he dropped to 13th on the next stage. He got back into the top 10 on Stage 12. He had a bike problem on that stage. He received help from his team car, which led to a time penalty. On the last mountain stage, he felt unwell. He lost a lot of time and finished 13th overall.

2017: Italian Champion and Tour de France Success

Fabio Aru at the 2017 Tour de France

In 2017, Fabio Aru aimed for the 100th Giro d'Italia. He started the season well. He finished third overall at the Tour of Oman. He was eighth overall at the Abu Dhabi Tour. In April, he crashed during training and hurt his knee. He had to miss the Giro d'Italia. He returned to racing in June at the Critérium du Dauphiné, finishing fifth. One week before the Tour de France, Fabio won the Italian National Road Race Championships. He said this was the best moment of his career.

At the Tour de France, Fabio won Stage 5. He attacked on the climb to La Planche des Belles Filles. After that stage, he wore the polka dot jersey for three days. On Stage 9, he was accused of unfair behavior. This happened after he attacked when Chris Froome had a bike problem. On Stage 12, he attacked on the climb to Peyragudes. He took the yellow jersey from Froome. In the next stages, he struggled with bronchitis. He finished fifth overall in his second Tour de France. This was his best overall finish in a Grand Tour since his 2015 Vuelta win. His Stage 5 win was his ninth and final career victory.

Racing for UAE Team Emirates (2018–2020)

2018: New Team, New Challenges

After six seasons with Astana, Fabio Aru signed a three-year contract with UAE Team Emirates. He started 2018 at the Abu Dhabi Tour, finishing 13th. At the next race, Tirreno–Adriatico, he struggled on tough stages. His first top 10 finish was at the Tour of the Alps. He finished sixth there.

Fabio Aru at the 2018 Giro d'Italia.

At the Giro d'Italia, he finished with other strong riders on the stage to Mount Etna. He moved up to 10th place. But on later mountain stages, he couldn't keep up. He dropped to 22nd place. He did well on a flat time trial stage, finishing eighth. Fabio later left the race on Stage 19. He explained he had a food intolerance since 2015. He also said his training was too hard. He returned to racing in July at the Tour de Wallonie, finishing 10th. A week later, he was 10th again at the Tour de Pologne. He started the Vuelta a España as a favorite. But his form was up and down. On Stage 17, he crashed and got angry. He later apologized for his reaction.

2019: Recovery and Return

In March 2019, Fabio Aru had surgery for a health issue. This meant he couldn't race for several months. He missed the Volta a Catalunya and the Giro d'Italia. Fabio started training again in May. He returned to racing in June at the Gran Premio di Lugano. A week later, he rode his first Tour de Suisse.

Final Season with Team Qhubeka Assos (2021)

In December 2020, Fabio Aru signed a one-year contract with Team Qhubeka Assos for 2021. Before the Vuelta a España, Fabio announced he would retire after that race. In his final season, his best results were two second-place finishes. These were at the Sibiu Cycling Tour and the Vuelta a Burgos.

Fabio Aru's Life Outside Racing

Fabio Aru lives in Lugano, a city in Switzerland. It's close to the Italian border. Fabio has a gluten and dairy intolerance. This means he has to be careful with what he eats. He has removed dairy from his diet. He also eats less pasta to stay healthy. After retiring from cycling, Fabio said he was interested in competing in triathlon.

Major Achievements

Grand Tour Results Over the Years

Grand Tour general classification results
Grand Tour	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
Giro d'Italia	42	3	2	—	—	DNF	—	—	—
Tour de France	—	—	—	13	5	—	14	DNF	—
Vuelta a España	—	5	1	—	13	23	DNF	—	51
Major stage race general classification results
Race	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
Paris–Nice	—	—	39	—	—	—	DNF	—	26
Tirreno–Adriatico	—	—	—	—	DNF	12	—	—	—
Volta a Catalunya	70	21	6	14	—	DNF	—	NH	—
Tour of the Basque Country	—	—	—	DNF	—	—	—		24
Tour de Romandie	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		—
Critérium du Dauphiné	—	—	—	45	5	—	—	—	26
Tour de Suisse	—	—	—	—	—	—	21	NH	—

Monument Race Results

See also

In Spanish: Fabio Aru para niños