Felice Gimondi facts for kids
Gimondi at the 1966 Giro d'Italia
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| Personal information | |||
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| Nickname | The Phoenix | ||
| Born | 29 September 1942 Sedrina, Italy |
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| Died | 16 August 2019 (aged 76) Giardini Naxos, Italy |
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| Height | 1.81 m | ||
| Weight | 71 kg | ||
| Team information | |||
| Discipline | Classics | ||
| Role | Rider | ||
| Rider type | All-rounder | ||
| Major wins | |||
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Felice Gimondi (born September 29, 1942 – died August 16, 2019) was a famous Italian professional racing cyclist. He was known as "The Phoenix" because he often came back strong after tough times in races.
Gimondi achieved something amazing in cycling: he was only the second person ever to win all three of the biggest cycling races, called Grand Tours. These are the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, and Vuelta a España. He won the Tour de France in 1965, the Giro d'Italia three times (1967, 1969, and 1976), and the Vuelta a España in 1968. Only seven cyclists in history have managed to win all three of these major races.
He also won three of the five most important one-day races, known as Cycling monuments. He stood on the podium (meaning he finished in the top three) in a Grand Tour twelve times. What makes his achievements even more impressive is that he raced at the same time as Eddy Merckx, one of the greatest cyclists ever.
Contents
Early Life and Career Start
Felice Gimondi was born on September 29, 1942, in Sedrina, Italy. His father managed transport, and his mother was a postmistress. When he was young, Felice often used his mother's bicycle to help deliver mail. This was great practice for his future career!
In 1964, Gimondi competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics in the road race, finishing 33rd. After winning another important race called the Tour de l'Avenir, he became a professional cyclist in 1965. He joined the Salvarani team.
Winning the Tour de France
In 1965, Gimondi was added to his team's 1965 Tour de France squad at the last minute. He even had to ask his mother for permission to race! He quickly showed his talent, taking the yellow jersey (the leader's jersey) on stage 3. He later lost the lead for a short time but fought hard to win the entire Tour de France in the final time trial. This was an incredible achievement for a new professional cyclist.
Grand Tour Successes
After his Tour de France win, many people saw Gimondi as the next great Italian cyclist, following in the footsteps of the legendary Fausto Coppi. Even though he raced against the dominant Eddy Merckx, Gimondi built an amazing list of wins.
He won the 1967 Giro d'Italia and the 1968 Vuelta a España. With these wins, he became the second cyclist ever to win all three Grand Tours, after Jacques Anquetil. He won the Giro d'Italia two more times, in 1969 and 1976. In 1976, many thought he was too old to win, but he surprised everyone by taking the victory in the last stage. People called this win the "miracle in Milan."
Other Big Wins
Gimondi also had success in famous one-day races. He won Paris–Roubaix in 1966, Milan–San Remo in 1974, and the Giro di Lombardia twice (1966 and 1973).
In 1973, he became a World Champion in road racing. He worked with other riders to catch up to Eddy Merckx, who had attacked earlier. In the final sprint, Gimondi won the race, becoming the world champion. He had also won a bronze medal in 1970 and a silver medal in 1971 at the World Championships.
Life After Racing
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After his racing career, Felice Gimondi stayed involved with cycling. He was very closely connected with the bicycle company Bianchi. He even managed Bianchi's mountain bike team for a long time.
In 1968, Felice Gimondi married Tiziana Bersano, and they had two daughters, Norma and Federica.
Felice Gimondi passed away on August 16, 2019, at the age of 76. He suffered a heart attack while swimming on vacation. Thousands of people attended his funeral in Italy. His long-time rival and friend, Eddy Merckx, was too sad to attend.
A large cycling event called the Gran Fondo Felice Gimondi is held every year near Bergamo, Italy, in his honor.
Grand Tour Results Timeline
| Grand Tour | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Vuelta a España |
— | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
 Giro d'Italia |
3 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 11 |
| Tour de France |
1 | — | 7 | — | 4 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 6 | — | — | — |
Images for kids
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Gimondi in 2009
See also
In Spanish: Felice Gimondi para niños
