Paolo Bettini facts for kids
Bettini in 2013
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| Personal information | |||
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| Full name | Paolo Bettini | ||
| Nickname | Grillo | ||
| Born | 1 April 1974 Cecina, Italy |
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| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Weight | 58 kg (128 lb; 9.1 st) | ||
| Team information | |||
| Discipline | Road | ||
| Role | Rider | ||
| Rider type | Classics specialist Puncheur |
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| Major wins | |||
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Paolo Bettini, born on April 1, 1974, is a famous Italian former bicycle racer. He used to be the coach for Italy's national cycling team. Many people think he was one of the best 'classics' racers ever. He won gold medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He also won the World Road Race Championships in both 2006 and 2007. His nickname was Il Grillo, which means "the cricket" in Italian. He got this name because he would often make sudden, fast attacks during races, like a cricket jumping.
Paolo Bettini became well-known by winning the Liège–Bastogne–Liège race in 2000 and 2002. In 2003, he set a record for World Cup wins in one season. He won the Milan–San Remo, HEW Cyclassics, and Clásica de San Sebastián races that year. He also won the Giro di Lombardia in 2005 and 2006, and the Züri-Metzgete in 2001 and 2005. In 2004, he won the Tirreno–Adriatico race.
Contents
Paolo Bettini's Cycling Career
Starting Out as a Racer
Paolo Bettini grew up with his family on the coast of Tuscany, Italy. He started racing bikes when he was just seven years old. He was very good, winning 23 out of his first 24 races. His first bike was made from a used frame that his dad, Giuliano, painted orange. The parts came from other bikes. His brother encouraged him to start racing.
In 1996, he finished fourth in the world under-23 road championship. The three riders ahead of him were also Italian. The next year, he became a professional rider for the MG-Technogym team. There, he worked as a domestique, which means he helped his team leader, Michele Bartoli. Bartoli won the UCI Road World Cup in 1997 and 1998 with Bettini's help.
In 1999, Bartoli had a bad fall and hurt his knee. This allowed Bettini to race for himself. He won Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 2000. He also won a flat stage in the 2000 Tour de France that year. In 2001, he won the Züri-Metzgete race, beating Jan Ullrich in a sprint finish. His success led to some disagreements with Bartoli.
Big Wins in 2002
The year 2002 was a very successful one for Paolo Bettini. In the World Cup series, he almost won Milan–San Remo. He then had a great 1-2 finish with Stefano Garzelli at Liège–Bastogne–Liège. Bettini rode very well in the Giro di Lombardia, which helped him win the overall World Cup title.
Bettini also played an important role in helping Mario Cipollini win the World Championship in Belgium.
Success in 2003
The 2003 World Cup series began with Milan–San Remo. Bettini attacked twice on the final hills and won the race with help from his teammate Luca Paolini.
Later, he won the HEW Cyclassics race, beating Jan Ullrich. He also won the Clásica de San Sebastián. Bettini was a favorite to win the World Championship that year. However, he made a mistake at the end of the race, which allowed Igor Astarloa to win instead.
Olympic Gold in 2004
The 2004 season started well for Bettini. He finished second in the HEW Cyclassics and Clásica de San Sebastián. He also gained enough points in Paris–Tours to lead the World Cup. He kept his lead by staying close to Davide Rebellin in the final race, the Giro di Lombardia.
Bettini's biggest win in 2004 was at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He broke away from the main group with Sérgio Paulinho of Portugal. Bettini then won the sprint at the very end to take home the gold medal.
Winning the Giro and Vuelta in 2005
After an injury-filled start to 2005, Bettini won two stages at the 2005 Giro d'Italia. He even wore the pink jersey as the race leader for a few days. Later, he won a stage at the 2005 Vuelta a España, beating Alessandro Petacchi in a sprint. A week after the World Championship, he won Züri-Metzgete for the second time. Two weeks later, he also won the Giro di Lombardia.
World Champion in 2006
In 2006, Bettini started the season by winning the Trofeo Soller. He also won the Gran Premio di Lugano and two stages in the 2006 Tirreno–Adriatico. At the 2006 Giro d'Italia, he won a stage and the points classification. After the Giro, he became the Italian road champion. He then won a stage at the Vuelta a España before winning the World Championship.
Sadly, his brother Sauro passed away in a car accident shortly after this victory. Bettini almost stopped cycling, but he changed his mind. He went on to win the 2006 Giro di Lombardia while still grieving. In March 2007, he was named the best rider of 2006 by Velo magazine.
Another World Title in 2007
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In 2007, Bettini raced in the 2007 Tour of California and won Stage 4 in a sprint. He later won Stage 3 of the 2007 Vuelta a España and finished second in three other stages. Then, he won the rainbow jersey again at the World Championships in Stuttgart, becoming World Champion for the second time in a row.
Final Season in 2008
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Bettini's 2008 season was affected by injuries, including a broken rib. However, he still won the Trofeo Matteotti and stages at the Tour of Austria and Tour de Wallonie. He also won two stages at the Vuelta a España. On September 27, 2008, he announced that he was retiring from professional cycling. In November 2008, he had a fall during a track race and was taken to the hospital.
Coaching After Racing
On June 17, 2010, Paolo Bettini became the new coach for the Italian national cycling team. He took over after the previous coach, Franco Ballerini, passed away. Bettini left this coaching role in 2014 to work with Fernando Alonso on a new cycling team.
Track Racing Experience
Bettini also tried track racing in the winter, which was common for riders before the 1970s. He raced in Munich and Grenoble in 2006. He said he did it for his love of racing, not for money. He found the banked turns of the track harder than road racing at first. However, he quickly learned and earned the respect of other track riders.
Personal Life
Paolo Bettini married Monica Orlandini, a literature teacher, in 2000. They live in Riparbella, which is about 10 kilometers from Cecina, where Bettini was born. Their home is a farmhouse that has been in his wife's family for four generations, where they have grown olives.
Images for kids
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Bettini winning the 2001 Coppa Placci
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Paolo Bettini wearing the National Champion's jersey in 2004.
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Bettini at the 2007 E3 Harelbeke wearing the rainbow jersey
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Paolo Bettini at the 2008 Tour of California.
See also
In Spanish: Paolo Bettini para niños
