Fabio Aru facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
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 34) 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 an Italian former professional road bicycle racer. He competed from 2012 to 2021 for teams like Astana, UAE Team Emirates, and Team Qhubeka Assos. Fabio comes from San Gavino Monreale in Sardinia. He was known as a strong climber, which made him a top contender for big races called Grand Tours. People called him "The Knight of the four Moors," a special nickname linked to his home island of Sardinia.

During his cycling career, Fabio Aru won stages in all three Grand Tours: the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, and Vuelta a España. He won one stage at the Tour de France, three at the Giro d'Italia, and two at the Vuelta a España. In 2017, he also won the Italian National Road Race Championships. Aru even got to wear the leader's jersey in all three Grand Tours, which is a big achievement. In 2014, he finished third overall in the Giro d'Italia and fifth in the Vuelta a España. The next year, he placed second in the Giro d'Italia before winning his only overall Grand Tour title at the Vuelta a España. His best result at the Tour de France was fifth place in 2017.

Fabio Aru's Cycling Journey

Starting Out

Fabio Aru was born in San Gavino Monreale, Sardinia, and grew up in Villacidro. When he was 18, he moved to mainland Italy to focus on cycling. He joined the Palazzago team. There, he won the Giro della Valle d'Aosta race two times, in 2011 and 2012. Also in 2012, he finished second in the Baby Giro, a race for young riders.

Racing with Astana (2012–2017)

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

Aru at the 2013 Tour of Austria

In 2013, he finished fourth overall in the Giro del Trentino. He also won the prize for the best young rider in that race. Later, 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, while he finished 42nd himself.

2014: First Big Wins

Aru at the 2014 Giro d'Italia

In 2014, Aru raced 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 by finishing first on the mountain top of Montecampione. Fabio ended up finishing the Giro in third place overall. This was a great achievement, as it was only his second Grand Tour.

In his next Grand Tour, the Vuelta a España, Aru won Stage 11. He attacked near the end of the climb to Santuario de San Miguel de Aralar. He won again on Stage 18 at Monte Castrove. He finished the race in fifth place overall.

2015: A Grand Tour Victory

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. He then prepared for the Giro d'Italia. The race started tough for his team. But Aru showed great strength in the mountains. He even wore the pink leader's jersey for a day. After a challenging time trial, he lost the pink jersey. However, he fought back and won Stage 19 with a solo attack. On Stage 20, he won his second stage in a row. He gained a lot of time but couldn't take back the pink jersey, finishing second overall.

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

Aru then raced the Vuelta a España. He rode very well from the start. He took the red leader's jersey after finishing second on Stage 11. He held the lead for a few days. On Stage 17, a long individual time trial, he performed strongly. He stayed very close to the new leader, Tom Dumoulin. In the final mountain stages, Aru attacked Dumoulin many times. Finally, on the second-to-last mountain day, Aru dropped Dumoulin. This allowed him to take the red jersey back and win his first Grand Tour!

2016: A Stage Win and Challenges

Aru at the 2016 Tour de France

Fabio Aru started 2016 at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, finishing sixth. He won his only race of the season at the Critérium du Dauphiné. He attacked on a downhill section to win Stage 3. His main goal was the Tour de France. He was in the top 10 for a while. However, he faced some difficulties, including a mechanical problem. He ended up finishing 13th overall in the race.

2017: National Champion and Tour de France Success

Aru at the 2017 Tour de France

In 2017, Aru aimed for the Giro d'Italia. He showed good form early, finishing third at the Tour of Oman. However, he crashed during training and hurt his knee. This meant he had to miss the Giro d'Italia. He returned to racing in June, finishing fifth at the Critérium du Dauphiné. One week before the Tour de France, Aru won the Italian National Road Race Championships. He said this was the best moment of his career.

At the Tour de France, Aru won Stage 5 by attacking on a climb. He wore the polka dot jersey for three days. On Stage 12, he attacked on the climb to Peyragudes and took the yellow jersey from Chris Froome. He wore the yellow jersey for two days. Later, he struggled with bronchitis. He finished fifth overall in the Tour de France. This was his best finish in the Tour, and his Stage 5 win was his last professional victory.

Racing with UAE Team Emirates (2018–2020)

2018: Health Challenges

After six seasons with Astana, Aru joined UAE Team Emirates. He started his season at the Abu Dhabi Tour. He finished 13th overall. He later competed in the Giro d'Italia. He started well but struggled in the mountain stages. He eventually had to leave the race. Aru later explained that he had been suffering from a gluten and dairy intolerance since 2015. This made it hard for his body to recover properly. He also felt he had trained too hard before the Giro. He returned to racing later in the year. He finished 10th overall at the Tour de Wallonie and the Tour de Pologne. He also raced the Vuelta a España.

2019: Recovery from Surgery

In March 2019, Fabio Aru had surgery for a problem with an artery in his leg. This meant he couldn't race for several months. He missed important races like the Volta a Catalunya and the Giro d'Italia. He started training again in May. He made his return to racing in June at the Gran Premio di Lugano. A week later, he rode his first Tour de Suisse.

Team Qhubeka Assos (2021)

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

Personal Life

Fabio Aru lives in Lugano, a city in Switzerland, close to the Italian border. He has a gluten and dairy intolerance. This means he has to be careful about what he eats. He has removed dairy from his diet and eats less pasta to stay healthy. After retiring from professional cycling, Aru said he might want to compete in triathlon races in the future.

Major Results

General Classification Results Timeline

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	—

Monuments Results Timeline

Images for kids

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  Aru at the 2018 Giro d'Italia.

See also

In Spanish: Fabio Aru para niños