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 champion cyclist. He used to be the coach for Italy's national cycling team. Many people think he was one of the best 'classics specialists' ever. He won gold medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics and the World Road Race Championships in 2006 and 2007. His nickname was Il Grillo, which means 'the cricket'. He got this name because he would often make sudden, fast attacks during races.
Bettini became well-known after 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. Other big wins include the Züri-Metzgete in 2001 and 2005, and Tirreno–Adriatico in 2004.
Contents
Paolo Bettini's Cycling Journey
Starting Out: Early Career Wins
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 won 23 out of his first 24 races! His first bike was made from old parts, and his dad painted the frame orange. Paolo started cycling because his brother encouraged him.
In 1996, he finished fourth in the world under-23 road championship. The next year, he became a professional rider for the MG-Technogym team. At first, he worked as a domestique for another rider, Michele Bartoli. This meant he helped Bartoli win races. Bartoli won the UCI Road World Cup in 1997 and 1998 with Paolo's help.
In 1999, Bartoli got injured, which gave Bettini a chance to race for himself. He won Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 2000. He also won a flat stage in the Tour de France that same year. In 2001, he won the Züri-Metzgete race, beating Jan Ullrich in a sprint.
Big Wins in 2002 and 2003
The year 2002 was a huge year for Bettini. He almost won the Milan–San Remo race. He then had a great 1-2 finish with Stefano Garzelli at Liège–Bastogne–Liège. Bettini's smart riding in the Giro di Lombardia helped him win the overall UCI Road World Cup. He also helped Mario Cipollini win the World Championship in Belgium.
In 2003, Bettini continued his success in the World Cup series. He won Milan–San Remo by attacking twice on the final hills. Even after an injury, he came back to win the HEW Cyclassics and the Clásica de San Sebastián. He was a favorite to win the World Championship but made a mistake at the end. This allowed Igor Astarloa to win instead.
Olympic Gold and More Victories
The 2004 season started well for Paolo. He had some close finishes, coming in second in the HEW Cyclassics and Clásica de San Sebastián. He also finished second in the Züri-Metzgete and Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne.
His biggest win in 2004 was at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. He broke away from the main group with Sérgio Paulinho of Portugal. They sprinted to the finish, and Bettini won the gold medal! He was unable to win the World Championship that year due to an injury.
Success in 2005 and 2006
After some injuries, Bettini started winning again in 2005. He won two stages in the 2005 Giro d'Italia. He even wore the pink jersey as the race leader for a few days. Later, he won a stage in the 2005 Vuelta a España. A week after the World Championship, he won the Züri-Metzgete for the second time. Two weeks later, he also won the Giro di Lombardia.
In 2006, Bettini won the first race of the season, the Trofeo Soller. He also won the Gran Premio di Lugano and two stages in the Tirreno–Adriatico. He won stage 15 of the 2006 Giro d'Italia and took home the points classification jersey. After the Giro, he became the Italian road champion. He then won a stage at the Vuelta a España before winning the World Championship again!
Sadly, his brother, Sauro, died in a car accident just days after this victory. Bettini almost quit cycling. But he changed his mind and went on to win the Giro di Lombardia in tears. In 2007, he was named the best rider of 2006 and received the Vélo d'Or award.
Final Years of Racing (2007-2008)
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In 2007, Bettini won Stage 4 of the 2007 Tour of California. He also won the third stage of the 2007 Vuelta a España. He finished second in three other stages of that race. Then, he won the rainbow jersey again at the World Championships in Stuttgart, becoming World Champion for the second time in a row!
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Bettini's 2008 season was affected by injuries. He 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 he was retiring from professional cycling. In November, he had a fall during a track race and was taken to the hospital.
Life After Racing: Coaching Career
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, died in a car accident. Bettini left this role in 2014 to work with Fernando Alonso on a new cycling team.
Track Racing Adventures
Bettini also tried six-day racing on a track during the winter. He raced in Munich and Grenoble in 2006. He said he did it for his love of racing, not for money. He wanted to see what it was like to race on a track. The banked turns were tricky, and his first night was difficult. But he quickly learned and earned the respect of other riders.
Personal Life
Paolo Bettini married Monica Orlandini, a literature teacher, in 2000. They moved into a farmhouse that belonged to his wife's family. Her family has been olive farmers for many generations. They live in Riparbella, which is about 10 kilometers from Cecina, where Paolo was born.
Images for kids
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Paolo Bettini winning the 2001 Coppa Placci race.
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Paolo Bettini wearing the Italian National Champion's jersey in 2004.
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Paolo Bettini at the 2007 E3 Harelbeke race, wearing his rainbow jersey as World Champion.
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Paolo Bettini at the 2008 Tour of California.
See also
