Francesco Moser facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Francesco Moser

Moser at the 1978 Amstel Gold Race
Personal information
Nickname	Checco Lo Sceriffo (The sheriff)
Born	(1951-06-19) 19 June 1951 (age 73) Palù di Giovo, Italy
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Weight	78 kg (172 lb; 12 st 4 lb)
Team information
Current team	Retired
Discipline	Road Track
Role	Rider
Rider type	Time trialist Classics specialist
Major wins
Grand Tours Tour de France Young rider classification (1975) 2 individual stages (1975) Giro d'Italia General classification (1984) Points classification (1976, 1977, 1978, 1982) 23 individual stages (1973, 1976, 1978–1982, 1984–1986) Vuelta a España 2 individual stages (1984) Stage races Volta a Catalunya (1978) Tirreno–Adriatico (1980, 1981) One-day races and Classics World Road Race Championships (1977) National Road Race Championships (1975, 1979, 1981) Paris–Roubaix (1978, 1979, 1980) Giro di Lombardia (1975, 1978) Milan–San Remo (1984) Paris–Tours (1974) La Flèche Wallonne (1977) Gent–Wevelgem (1979)

Francesco Moser, born on June 19, 1951, is a famous Italian former professional cyclist. People called him "Lo sceriffo," which means "The Sheriff." He was one of the best cyclists from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s.

Francesco Moser was very strong and won many races. He competed in the Giro d'Italia six times, even winning the whole race in 1984! He also won two stages and wore the yellow jersey for six days in the 1975 Tour de France.

He became a world champion in road racing in 1977. He also won three big races called "Monuments" multiple times: Paris–Roubaix (three times in a row!), Giro di Lombardia (twice), and Milan–San Remo (once).

Moser won 273 road races in his career. This puts him among the top cyclists with the most wins, though behind legends like Eddy Merckx. He was also good at track cycling, winning 15 "Six-Day races."

His nephew, Moreno Moser, is also a professional cyclist. Francesco's son, Ignazio Moser, was a successful junior cyclist before he stopped racing at age 22.

Winning Big Races: Moser's Victories

Francesco Moser was known for winning many important cycling events. These included "Classic races" and "Grand Tours."

Classic Road Races

Francesco Moser loved the Paris–Roubaix race, which is famous for its rough, cobblestone roads. He finished second twice before finally winning it three times in a row! He won in 1978, 1979, and 1980. Only one other cyclist, Roger De Vlaeminck, has more podium finishes in this tough race.

Moser also won other major classic races. He won the Giro di Lombardia in 1975 and 1978. In 1984, he won the Milan–San Remo, another very important one-day race. Other wins include Paris–Tours in 1974, Züri-Metzgete in 1977, Gent–Wevelgem in 1979, and La Flèche Wallonne in 1977.

Grand Tours: Three-Week Challenges

Moser had good results in the long, three-week "Grand Tours." He rode the Tour de France only once, in 1975. He won two stages and wore the famous yellow jersey for seven days. He also won the "young rider" competition that year.

In 1984, he won the 1984 Giro d'Italia, which is Italy's biggest race. The course that year had more flat sections and time trials, which suited Moser's powerful riding style. He used a special aerodynamic bike with disc wheels, which was very advanced for its time. This helped him gain time on his rivals. He also won the "points classification" in the Giro d'Italia in 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1982.

Other Amazing Achievements

Francesco Moser also competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics in road cycling events.

In 1977, he became the world champion in road racing in San Cristobal, Venezuela. He also earned silver medals in the World Championships in 1976 and 1978.

On January 19, 1984, in Mexico City, Moser broke the "hour record." This is a challenge where a cyclist tries to ride the furthest distance possible in one hour. He rode 50.808 kilometers, beating the record set by Eddy Merckx in 1972. Moser used a very advanced aerodynamic bike for this record. Because of these new technologies, the rules for the hour record were changed later.

After his cycling career, Moser was a member of the Regional Council of Trentino-Alto Adige, a local government body, from 1993 to 1998.

Rivalries in Cycling

One of Francesco Moser's biggest rivals in cycling was another Italian rider named Giuseppe Saronni. Their races were always exciting to watch!

Life After Racing

After retiring from professional cycling, Francesco Moser started his own bike company called Moser Cicli. They build racing bikes in a workshop in Trento, Italy.

He also became the first chairman of the CPA (Cyclistes Professionels Associés), which is a union for professional cyclists. He held this position from 1999 to 2007.

Moser also became a grape farmer, growing different types of grapes for wine. He continued his family's winery with his children, Francesca, Carlo, and Ignazio, at their estate in Valle di Cembra. He also enjoys hunting and even hosted a TV show about it called "A Caccia con Moser" (Hunting with Moser).

Major Race Results

Grand Tour Results Over the Years

Grand Tour	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986
Vuelta a España	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	10	—	—
Giro d'Italia	15	7	—	4	2	3	2	DNF	21	8	DNF	1	2	3
Tour de France	—	—	7	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Classic Race Results Over the Years

Monuments results timeline
Monument	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985
Milan–San Remo	30	12	2	9	35	6	4	6	39	4	11	1	31
Tour of Flanders	—	—	25	2	4	7	11	2	32	23	—	—	—
Paris–Roubaix	—	2	5	2	13	1	1	1	3	10	3	—	12
Liège–Bastogne–Liège	—	—	—	—	—	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Giro di Lombardia	—	7	1	6	13	1	14	—	18	3	5	—	—
Championships results timeline
Championship	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985
Italian Championships	—	—	1	2	3	2	1	—	1	—	—	—	—
World Championships	—	7	11	2	1	2	—	—	26	26	—	—	—

Images for kids

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See also

• Walk of Fame of Italian sport
• Hour record
• Italy at the UCI Road World Championships
• List of Giro d'Italia classification winners
• List of Giro d'Italia general classification winners
• List of Grand Tour general classification winners
• Moser Cicli
• Pink jersey statistics