Daniele Bennati (born 24 September 1980) is an Italian former

road racing cyclist Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most common ...

, who rode professionally between 2002 and 2019 for the , , , , , , and squads. Specialising in fast sprint finishes, Bennati turned professional in 2002, when he joined the team and wore zebra stripes as part of

Mario Cipollini Mario Cipollini (; born 22 March 1967), often abbreviated to "Cipo", is a retired Italian professional road cyclist most noted for his sprinting ability, the longevity of his dominance (his first pro win came in 1988, his last in 2005; 170 pro ...

's leadout train. Upon joining the team in 2005, he demonstrated the ability to win on his own, and continued to do so when he joined in 2008. Bennati has won 11 stages in

Grand Tours In road bicycle racing, a Grand Tour is one of the three major European professional cycling stage races: Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and Vuelta a España. Collectively they are termed the ''Grand Tours'', and all three races are similar in ...

: two in the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...

, three in the Giro d'Italia, and six in the

Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España (; en, Tour of Spain) is an annual multi-stage bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia, the r ...

. He won the points jersey in the 2007 Vuelta a España, and the Giro d'Italia. He retired at the end of the 2019 season, citing back pain.

Biography

Early days

Bennati was born in

Arezzo Arezzo ( , , ) , also ; ett, 𐌀𐌓𐌉𐌕𐌉𐌌, Aritim. is a city and ''comune'' in Italy and the capital of the province of the same name located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about southeast of Florence at an elevation of above sea level. ...

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

, into a family of cyclists. His father did well as an amateur, and his brother raced as a junior. Bennati entered and won his first race at the age of 9. As an amateur he raced in the Grassi Mapei team, and won a stage of the Giro delle Regioni.

2002–03: At the side of Mario Cipollini

At the age of 21, Bennati turned professional and joined the team of the successful Italian sprinter

. Bennati soon showed an ability to sprint of his own: in March 2002, he finished second in a stage of the

Settimana internazionale di Coppi e Bartali The Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali ( en, International Week of Coppi and Bartali), also known as Coppi e Bartali, is an Italian cycle road race. It is run typically in late March over five days in the Emilia-Romagna region of Ital ...

, behind

Alessandro Petacchi Alessandro Petacchi (born 3 January 1974) is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 1996 and 2015. A specialist sprinter, Petacchi has won 48 grand tour stages with wins of the points jersey in the ...

. He took his first victory in June at the

Tour of Austria The Tour of Austria (german: Internationale Österreich Rundfahrt) is a stage cycling race held in Austria. From 1949 to 1995 it was a race for amateur cyclists, turning into a professional event in 1996. In 2005 and 2006 it was organised as a 2 ...

, and he took another one two months later at the

Regio-Tour The Regio-Tour is a multi-stage road bicycle race held between France, Switzerland and Germany. It was first held in 1985 and since 2005 it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. Famous riders like Laurent Brochard, Jan Ullrich ...

. He was an important part of Cipollini's leadout train, alongside

Guido Trenti Guido Trenti (born December 27, 1972 in Milan) is an American-Italian former professional road racing cyclist who has ridden in each of the three Grand Tours. Trenti was born to an American mother and Italian father, allowing him to maintain du ...

, Mario Scirea, Martin Derganc and Giovanni Lombardi, helping Cipollini to some of his fourteen victories that year. When Cipollini dropped out of the Vuelta a España, Bennati received his team's support and managed his first strong result in a Grand Tour sprint stage, 5th at the stage twelve finishing in

Burgos Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos. Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence of t ...

. A few days later, he dropped out of the race too. In 2003, Bennati stayed with the same team, although it had changed sponsors and was now called . As his stature grew, Bennati was seen at Cipollini's side in his favorite Italian races. In the Grand Tours, Cipollini followed his usual practice of dropping out when the road went up, which gave Bennati a chance to race for himself – he was second to Alessandro Petacchi in one of the stages of the Giro d'Italia. His two wins for the year came in stages of the

Tour Méditerranéen Tour or Tours may refer to: Travel * Tourism, travel for pleasure * Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service * Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus * Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed b ...

(in February) and in the Tour of Poland (in September).

2004: Phonak – A difficult season

At the end of 2003, Bennati signed a contract with the team. However, his year in the Swiss team was spoiled by a virus that forced him to drop out of

Tirreno–Adriatico Tirreno–Adriatico, nicknamed the "Race of the Two Seas", is an elite road cycling stage race in Italy, run between the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic coasts. Traditionally held in the early part of the season, it is considered to be an important prep ...

, and was followed by a recovery of several months. He did not get any victories during that season. In 2005, he signed a contract with the Italian team , which then merged with to form , a larger team that designed to compete in the

UCI ProTour The UCI ProTour was a series of road bicycle races in Europe, Australia and Canada organised by the UCI (International Cycling Union). Created by Hein Verbruggen, former president of the UCI, it comprises a number of 'ProTour' cycling teams, e ...

2005–07: Lampre – the breakout years

2005 season

At Lampre, Bennati grew from a promising

domestique In road bicycle racing, a domestique is a rider who works for the benefit of their team and leader, rather than trying to win the race. In French, ''domestique'' translates as "servant".However, in French, the term used is ''équipier''. In I ...

into a top sprinter. This transition was not instantaneous: early in 2005, he finished sprints behind both his old leader Cipollini, and teammate

Giosuè Bonomi Giosuè Bonomi (born 21 October 1978 in Gazzaniga) is an Italian professional road bicycle racer who rode for UCI Professional Continental team until the team's demise. Major results ;2004 :3rd Coppa Bernocchi ;2006 :2nd Coppa Bernocchi The ...

. Nevertheless, he accumulated a number of good finishes: 5th in a stage of

and 28th at

Milan–San Remo Milan–San Remo (in Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance of 298 km (~185.2 miles) it is t ...

. His first important result was in

Gent–Wevelgem Gent–Wevelgem, officially Gent–Wevelgem – In Flanders Fields, is a road bicycle racing, road cycling race in Belgium, held annually since 1934. It is one of the classic cycle races, classic races part of the Flemish Cycling Week, run in late ...

, where he outsprinted

Thor Hushovd Thor Hushovd (born 18 January 1978) is a Norwegian former professional road bicycle racer. He is known for sprinting and time trialing; Hushovd is a three-time Norwegian national road race champion (2004, 2010, 2013), and was the winner of th ...

and

Fabian Cancellara Fabian Cancellara (born 18 March 1981), nicknamed "Spartacus", is a Swiss cycling executive, businessman and former professional road racing cyclist who last rode for UCI ProTeam . He was born in Wohlen bei Bern, Switzerland. Cancellara began r ...

for 3rd place, behind the breakaway of

Nico Mattan Nico Mattan (born 17 July 1971) is a Belgian former road racing cyclist. His greatest achievement in cycling was winning the Gent–Wevelgem classic in 2005. In 2005 Mattan won the Gent–Wevelgem in a controversial way, as there were claims th ...

and

Juan Antonio Flecha Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (born 17 September 1977) is an Argentine-born Spanish former professional road bicycle racer, who competed as a professional between 2000 and 2013. Flecha had a reputation of being a Classics specialist and to ride ...

. He tested positive for

Betamethasone Betamethasone is a steroid medication. It is used for a number of diseases including rheumatic disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, skin diseases such as dermatitis and psoriasis, allergic conditions such ...

after the race, but was only handed a warning by the

Italian Cycling Federation The Italian Cycling Federation or FCI (in Italian: ''Federazione Ciclistica Italiana'') is the national governing body of cycle racing in Italy. The FCI is a member of the UCI and the UEC. Purpose See also *Italy national cycling team Exter ...

. A few weeks later, Bennati won the

Giro di Toscana The Giro di Toscana is a road bicycle race held annually in Tuscany, Italy. From 2005 to 2014, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. The race was not held in 2015. On 4 April 2016 it was announced that the race will ...

. He did not compete in the Giro d'Italia – where Lampre concentrated on the overall victory with

Gilberto Simoni Gilberto Simoni (born 25 August 1971 in Palù di Giovo, Trentino) is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer, most recently for . Simoni is twice winner of the Giro d'Italia cycling race (2001 and 2003 editions). Simoni might have wo ...

and

Damiano Cunego Damiano Cunego (born 19 September 1981) is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2002 and 2018 for the , and teams. Cunego's biggest wins were the 2004 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Amstel Gold Race, ...

– nor did he ride the

. In August, he won three stages and the points jersey in the

Tour of Germany The Tour of Germany is a nordic combined event first established in Germany for the 2006-07 Nordic Combined World Cup season by the International Ski Federation. Initially scheduled to include events in Oberhof, Ruhpolding, and Schonach from ...

, and had good placings in important races such as the

Grand Prix de Plouay The Bretagne Classic, also called Bretagne Classic Ouest–France, is an elite cycling classic held annually in late summer around the Breton village of Plouay in western France. The race was originally named Grand–Prix de Plouay and, from 19 ...

(4th), the

Coppa Placci The Coppa Placci is a semi classic European bicycle race held between Imola, Italy and San Marino. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.HC event on the UCI Europe Tour. The race is named after Antonio Placci, a cyclist born in Imola w ...

(5th), and the

Giro di Romagna The Giro della Romagna was a semi classic European bicycle race held in the Italian region of Romagna. After 2005, the race was organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. The race was discontinued in 2011, and in 2013, it merged with the M ...

(2nd). September brought two more stage victories in the Tour of Poland. Thanks to these results, he was chosen for the Italian national team that competed in the

UCI Road World Championships The UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organized by the (UCI). The UCI Road World Championships consist of events for road race and individual time trial, and a mixed team relay. Events ...

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

, but the team leader,

Paolo Bettini Paolo Bettini (born 1 April 1974 in Cecina, Tuscany, Cecina, Province of Livorno, Livorno, Tuscany) is an Italian former champion road racing cyclist, and the former coach of the Italian national cycling team. Considered the best classic cycle ra ...

, finished only 13th. At the season's close, Bennati was ranked 28th in the

UCI Pro Tour The UCI ProTour was a series of road bicycle races in Europe, Australia and Canada organised by the UCI (International Cycling Union). Created by Hein Verbruggen, former president of the UCI, it comprises a number of 'ProTour' cycling teams, ...

standings, and had become a rider to watch.

2006 season

During the off-season, Bennati's team changed its secondary sponsor, becoming , and signed another promising Italian sprinter,

Danilo Napolitano Danilo Napolitano (born 31 January 1981) is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2004 and 2017, and was chiefly known for his sprinting abilities. Born in Vittoria, Sicily, Napolitano turned profe ...

, setting up a competition for the top sprinter's spot on the team. Bennati started the 2006 season with two second places in the

Gran Premio della Costa Etruschi The Gran Premio della Costa Etruschi is a one-day professional cycling race between the towns of San Vincenzo and Donoratico on the Tuscany coast in Italy. The 193 kilometre long race takes place at the beginning of February and has now taken ove ...

(behind Alessandro Petacchi, who had taken over Cipollini's mantle as the dominant Italian sprinter), and then took his first win of the season in February's Volta a la Communitat Valenciana, four seconds ahead of the peloton, led home by Napolitano. In March, Bennati was due to be the team's leader for the important races. He probably was not at his best form when he started the

Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders ( nl, Ronde van Vlaanderen), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road cycling race held in Belgium every spring. The most important cycling race in Flanders, it is part of the UCI World Tour and organi ...

, and he had to drop out. He was then unable to start the

race. Ten days later, however, a fully recovered Bennati won the final stage of the

Giro del Trentino The Tour of the Alps is an annual professional cycling stage race in Italy and Austria. First held in 1962, it was named Giro del Trentino ( en, Tour of Trentino) until 2016, and run over four stages in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region o ...

, won overall by teammate Cunego. The next week, he competed in the

Tour de Romandie The Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs through the Romandie region, or French-speaking part of Switzerland. The competition began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling. I ...

, where

Robbie McEwen Robbie McEwen (born 24 June 1972) is an Australian former professional road cyclist. McEwen is a three-time winner of the Tour de France points classification and, at the peak of his career, was considered the world's fastest sprinter. He las ...

showed that Bennati was not quite at the top level. The Lampre team for the Giro d'Italia was again built around the overall competition, and Bennati was not included. Instead, he participated in the

Volta a Catalunya The Volta a Catalunya (; en, Tour of Catalonia, es, Vuelta a Cataluña, link=no) is a road bicycle race held annually in Catalonia, Spain. It is one of three World Tour stage races in Spain, together with the Vuelta a España and the Tour of th ...

, winning the final stage ahead of

Erik Zabel Erik Zabel (; born 7 July 1970) is a German former professional road bicycle racer who raced most of his career with Telekom. With 152 professional wins and 211 wins in his career, he is considered by some to be one of the greatest German cycl ...

. In early June, he outsprinted his two breakaway companions to win the

Memorial Marco Pantani The Memorial Marco Pantani is a professional road bicycle race held annually in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. History The race has been organized since 2004 and serves as a memory of Marco Pantani. The race starts in Cesenatico, Pantani's hometown, and ...

. Although he could only manage 2nd and 3rd places in the

Tour of Switzerland The Tour de Suisse ( en, Tour of Switzerland) is an annual road cycling stage race. Raced over eight days, the event covers two weekends in June, and along with the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is considered a proving ground for the Tour de Franc ...

, he did wear the leader's jersey for one day and won the points jersey. July brought Bennati to his first

; he was among the top ten finishers in eight stages, including a 2nd place behind McEwen. He dropped out after a fall during the 16th stage; he was third in the points jersey competition at the time. Two months later, Bennati returned to the Tour of Poland, where he won two stages and wore the leader's jersey for two days. The following weekend, he won two more races: the GP Citta di Misano-Adriatico and the

Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato The Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in Prato, Italy. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicy ...

, but was not chosen for the Italian

team, as selector

Franco Ballerini Franco Ballerini (11 December 1964 – 7 February 2010) was an Italian road racing cyclist. Born in Florence, his greatest exploits as a rider came with his two victories in the cycling classic Paris–Roubaix, riding for the Mapei cycling ...

opted to do without any sprinters. Although his result in the sprinters' classic,

Paris–Tours Paris–Tours is a French one-day classic road cycling race held every October from the outskirts of Paris to the cathedral city of Tours. It is a predominantly flat course through the Chevreuse and Loire valleys; the highest point is 200 m, ...

, was disappointing (37th), Bennati ended his season with a victory at the

Giro del Piemonte The Giro del Piemonte, since 2009 known also as Gran Piemonte, is a semi classic European bicycle race held in the Apennine Mountains, Italy. The race first took place in 1906. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.HC event on the UCI E ...

. This brought him to a total of 9 victories in 2006, but he dropped to 87th place in the Pro Tour standings – largely due to his absence from the spring classics due to illness.

2007 season

Bennati spent much of his off-season training in the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...

(with

Daniele Righi Daniele Righi (born 28 March 1976, in Colle Val d'Elsa) is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular p ...

Giuliano Figueras Giuliano Figueras (born 24 January 1976 in Naples) is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer. He turned professional in 1998 with Mapei team and won a stage of the Tour de Langkawi that year. In 1999 and 2000 Figueras had 7 wins inclu ...

, Caudio Corioni, and

Mauro Santambrogio Mauro Santambrogio (born 7 October 1984 in Erba) is a former Italian professional road racing cyclist, who last rode for UCI Continental team . Career Until 2009, Santambrogio rode for , and after the 2009 season he changed to . In 2010, he wa ...

) and began the 2007 racing season with two wins in February. In the Tour Méditerranéean he won one stage, with strong support from his teammate

Alessandro Ballan Alessandro Ballan (born 6 November 1979 in Castelfranco Veneto, Veneto) is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer who most recently rode for UCI World Tour team . He is best known for winning the World Road Race Championships, in 200 ...

, had two 2nd places – marginally beaten in one stage by

Mirco Lorenzetto Mirco Lorenzetto (born 13 July 1981 in Vittorio Veneto) is an Italian former racing cyclist, who competed as a professional between 2004 and 2011. During his career, Lorenzetto took victories in the 2007 Tour Méditerranéen, the 2009 Giro di Sar ...

– and won the points jersey. After a fourth place at the

Trofeo Laigueglia The Trofeo Laigueglia is an early season road bicycle race held annually in Liguria, Italy. From 2005 to 2014, the race was organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. It is held about ten days after the opening to the Italian season, the G ...

, Bennati outsprinted

for three wins in the Volta a la Communidat Valenciana. Unlike previous years, Bennati did not compete in

, choosing to ride

Paris–Nice Paris–Nice is a professional cycling stage race in France, held annually since 1933. Raced over eight days, the race usually starts with a prologue in the Paris region and ends with a final stage either in Nice or on the Col d'Èze overlookin ...

instead, where he had some high finishes but no victories. Once again, he was stricken by illness just prior to

, where he finished 26th, and the Grand Prix E3 was a disappointment for the same reason. Bennati's form improved in the beginning of April, where he won one stage of the Dreidaagse De Panne. In the

, he worked hard for Ballan, who won in a sprint ahead of

Leif Hoste Leif Hoste (born 17 July 1977) is a retired Belgian professional road racing cyclist, who last rode for UCI Professional Continental Team team . Born in Kortrijk, Hoste's career highlights included winning two stages and the overall title at the ...

. Although he was one of the favorites for the mid-week classic

, Bennati had to withdraw because of a fever and intestinal difficulties. He started

Paris–Roubaix Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France, starting north of Paris and finishing in Roubaix, at the border with Belgium. It is one of cycling's oldest races, and is one of the 'Monuments' or classics of the ...

but did not make it to the finish. His troubles continued into May; Bennati had to drop out of the

, though he did manage a third place in one stage. In the

he recovered his health and won the points jersey; although he had no stage victories, he had a second place in the prologue, behind

, and second places in two other stages as well, behind

and

respectively. A few days later, Bennati took 6th place in the

Italian National Road Race Championships The Italian National Road Race Championships are held annually. They are a road cycling race which decides the Italian cycling champion in the road racing discipline, across several categories of rider. The event was first held in 1906 and w ...

. In July, Bennati rode in the

for the second time; he now had enough stature that his goals of winning a stage and competing for the points jersey were considered reasonable. As his team had no rider for the overall standings, he could count on help from his teammates Ballan, Napolitano, and Corioni. However, he fell in the last kilometer of the second stage and was not able to unleash his sprint until he had recovered somewhat from his injuries. In the fifth stage, he finished 3rd, behind

Filippo Pozzato Filippo "Pippo" Pozzato (born 10 September 1981) is an Italian former road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2000 and 2018 for the , , , , , , and two spells with the / teams. A northern classics specialist, Pozzato finished in se ...

and

Óscar Freire Óscar Freire Gómez (born 15 February 1976) is a former Spanish professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbe ...

. There followed a 6th place, a 4th place, some unsuccessful breakaways, and then, after the last mountain stages, Bennati won twice, including the prestigious final stage on the Champs-Elysees. On the strength of his successes, he was named the leader of the Lampre team for the

Vattenfall Cyclassics The Hamburg Cyclassics (currently known as the Bemer Cyclassics for sponsorship purposes) is an annual one-day professional and amateur cycling race in and around Hamburg, Germany. Although the route varies, its distance is always around 250 ...

race, but watched as his teammate Ballan took off from the peloton and held on to win. In September, Bennati raced in his second Grand Tour of the season, the 2007 Vuelta a España. He won the first stage ahead of Freire and Petacchi, and wore the leader's jersey for a day, losing it after a fall two kilometers from the finish of the second stage. After two second places, he came into his own during the final week, just as he had in the Tour de France: Bennati won the 17th stage and then the final stage in Madrid, taking the leadership in the contest for the points jersey on the final day of the race. This victory, his tenth of 2007, marked the end of Bennati's season. Although he had been scheduled to compete in the

Monte Paschi Eroica The Strade Bianche is a road bicycle race in Tuscany, Central Italy, starting and finishing in Siena. First held in 2007, it is raced annually on the first or second Saturday of March. The name ''Strade Bianche'' (Italian for ''White Roads'') st ...

and

, he was found to have a broken wrist that ruled out any more racing. During the final week of the Vuelta a España, Bennati had signed a two-year contract with a new team: . Claudio Corioni and Enrico Franzoi, valuable teammates who formed an important part of his leadout train, also signed for Liquigas.

2008–10: Liquigas

2008 season

The move to Liquigas brought up some potential frictions: they now had two stars, Bennati and

, whose primary targets for the year would be similar. Any conflict in their spring racing goals disappeared, however, with Bennati's knee injury – a slight patellar chondropathy in the left knee, associated with inflammation of the lateral ligament – keeping him out of action until the end of April. He did not finish his first race back (the Giro d'Oro, but in his next race, the Giro del Trentino, he took 17th in the opening time trial but did not figure in any of the stage finishes. The

opened with a very short prologue, where Bennati took second behind

Mark Cavendish Mark Simon Cavendish (born 21 May 1985) is a Isle of Man, Manx professional Road bicycle racing, road racing cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . As a Track cycling, track cyclist he specialises in the Madison (cycling), madison, po ...

. He also took second behind

in the first sprint finish, showing that he was coming back into form. This was confirmed with a victory in the final stage, giving him first place in the points classification. The 2008 Giro d'Italia was a success for Bennati, and was marked by a series of battles with Cavendish. Bennati won the third stage, into Milazzo; the following day, Cavendish won the stage to Lungomare, his first Grand Tour win. The next sprinters' stage was the ninth; Bennati won, by a whisker, over

, who was racing his final Giro d'Italia. Bennati also won the 12th stage, with a narrow margin over Cavendish; the order was reversed the following day. His three stage victories in a Giro with few stages suitable for sprinters also gave Bennati the points jersey. However, Bennati paid a price for the points jersey: the long pull in cold weather over the

Mortirolo Pass The Mortirolo Pass ( it, Passo del Mortirolo) (el. 1852 m.) is a high mountain pass in the Alps in Italy. Also known as Passo della Foppa, it connects Mazzo di Valtellina (province of Sondrio) and Val Camonica (province of Brescia). The ...

caused an inflammation of Bennati's left Achilles tendon, the same leg as the knee injury. He did not return to competition until August, at the

Eneco Tour The Benelux Tour (previously known as the Eneco Tour and the BinckBank Tour) is a road bicycle racing stage-race that is part of the UCI World Tour. The race was established in 2005 and was originally known as the Eneco Tour, named after the orig ...

. There he was second to

Tom Boonen Tom Boonen (; born 15 October 1980) is a Belgian former road bicycle racer, who competed as a professional between 2002 and 2017 for the and teams and a professional racing driver who currently competes in Belcar, having previously competed in ...

in the second stage before winning the third stage and taking the leader's jersey for a day. He was dropped in the fourth stage, finishing in 88th place 22 seconds behind Boonen and losing the lead in the GC to

André Greipel André Greipel (born 16 July 1982) is a German former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 2002 and 2021. Since his retirement, Greipel now works as a directeur sportif for UCI Continental team . Born in Rostock, East ...

. Bennati then dropped out of the Eneco Tour and proceeded to the

in good form – where Pozzato was also a team leader. The Liquigas team won the first stage, a team time trial, with Pozzato crossing the line first and donning the leader's jersey. Bennati served as a domestique for Pozzato during the second stage, but when Pozzato did not retain the leader's jersey he was able to ride for himself. He was 2nd to Boonen the following day, and then won the fourth stage, ahead of Boonen but dropped out after the 9th stage. Bennati was not named to the Italian team for the

, and his bad luck in Paris–Tours, the sprinters’ classic, continued; he finished 8th in a race won by

Philippe Gilbert Philippe Gilbert (born 5 July 1982) is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer, who is best known for winning the World Road Race Championships in 2012, and for being one of two riders, along with Davide Rebellin, to have won the three ...

. However, Bennati won his final race of the year, the

; it was his second victory in this race, which he also won in 2006.

2011–12: Leopard Trek

At the

, Bennati took his first win of the 2012 season in a very close finish on stage 18, edging 's sprinter

Ben Swift Benjamin Ian Swift (born 5 November 1987) is a British professional track and road racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Swift won the scratch race at the 2012 UCI Track Cycling World Championships and the men's elite road ...

. He dedicated his victory to the memory of

Wouter Weylandt Wouter Weylandt (27 September 1984 – 9 May 2011) was a Belgian professional cyclist for UCI ProTeam and later for . His first major win was the 17th stage of the 2008 Vuelta a España. He also won the third stage of the 2010 Giro d'Italia ...

and of his grandfather. Bennati left at the end of the 2012 season, and joined

Bjarne Riis Bjarne Lykkegård Riis (; born 3 April 1964), nicknamed ''The Eagle from Herning'' ( da, Ørnen fra Herning), is a Danish former professional road bicycle racer who placed first in the 1996 Tour de France. For many years he was the owner and lat ...

' on a two-year contract from the 2013 season onwards.

2013–16: Saxo–Tinkoff

On , Bennati managed to be a part of the team for the

2013 Tour de France The 2013 Tour de France was the 100th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on the island of Corsica on 30 June and finished on the Champs-Élysées in Paris on 21 July. The Tour consisted of twenty-one stage ...

, even though it was highly occupied by riders like

Alberto Contador Alberto Contador Velasco (; born 6 December 1982) is a Spanish former professional cyclist. He is one of the most successful riders of his era, winning the Tour de France twice ( 2007, 2009), the Giro d'Italia twice (2008, 2015), and the Vue ...

Nicolas Roche Nicolas Roche (; born 3 July 1984) is an Irish former professional road bicycle racer who last rode for UCI WorldTeam . He has twice been national champion and has twice finished in the top ten of the Vuelta a España, and won stages in 2013 an ...

, Michael Rogers and

Roman Kreuziger Roman Kreuziger (; born 6 May 1986) is a Czech former professional road bicycle racer, who last rode for UCI ProTeam . His father, Roman Kreuziger Sr., was also a bicycle racer who won the Tour of Austria in 1991 and the Cyclocross Junior World ...

. His goal for the Tour de France was not to win a stage, but to help Contador to get the overall victory.

Major results

;2001 : 10th Road race, UCI Under-23 Road World Championships ;2002 : 1st Stage 1b

: 1st Stage 5

: 3rd

Gran Premio Nobili Rubinetterie The Gran Premio Nobili Rubinetterie was a single-day road bicycle race held annually in Arona, Italy between 1997 and 2015. It was held primarily as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle ra ...

;2003 : 1st Stage 3

Tour de Pologne The Tour de Pologne (Polish: ''Wyścig Dookoła Polski'', English: ''Tour of Poland'', official abbreviation TdP,) is an annual, professional men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in Poland. It consists of seven or eight stages ...

: 1st Stage 5

: 4th

;2004 : 8th

Trofeo Manacor The Challenge Vuelta Ciclista a Mallorca ( en, Tour of Majorca, ca, Challenge Volta Ciclista a Mallorca) is a series of four (five until 2012) professional one day road bicycle races held on the Spanish island of Mallorca in late January or earl ...

;2005 : 1st

Deutschland Tour The Deutschland Tour (English: ''Tour of Germany'' and sometimes ''Deutschland-Rundfahrt'' in German) is the most important multi-stage road bicycle race in Germany. Initially the race was held in May/June, but from 2005 until 2008 it was moved to ...

::1st

Points classification ::1st Stages 3, 5 & 9 :

::1st Stages 2 & 4 : 2nd

Giro della Romagna The Giro della Romagna was a semi classic European bicycle race held in the Italian region of Romagna. After 2005, the race was organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. The race was discontinued in 2011, and in 2013, it merged with the Me ...

: 2nd

: 3rd

: 4th GP Ouest–France : 5th

Giro della Provincia di Lucca The Giro della Provincia di Lucca was a professional road bicycle race held annually in Province of Lucca, Italy held between 1999 and 2006. From 2005, the race was organized as a UCI race classifications, 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour, previous ...

: 5th

: 6th

;2006 : 1st

: 1st

Gran Premio Città di Misano – Adriatico The Gran Premio Città di Misano – Adriatico (also known as Memorial Viviana Manservisi) was a single-day road bicycle race held annually between Sant'Agostino, Italy, Sant'Agostino and Comacchio, in the region of Emilia-Romagna, Italy from 2004 ...

: 1st

: 1st Mercatone Uno-Memorial Pantani :

::1st Stages 2 & 4 : 1st Stage 7

: 1st Stage 5

Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana The Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana (; en, Tour of the Valencian Community or Tour of Valencia) is a road cycling stage race held in the Valencian Community (''Comunitat Valenciana''), Spain. Its position in the cycling calendar means it is often ...

: 1st Stage 4

: 1st

Points classification

Tour de Suisse The Tour de Suisse ( en, Tour of Switzerland) is an annual road cycling stage race. Raced over eight days, the event covers two weekends in June, and along with the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is considered a proving ground for the Tour de France ...

: 2nd

;2007 :

::1st Stages 17 & 20 :

::1st

Points classification The points classification is a secondary award category in road bicycle racing. Points are given for high finishes and, in some cases, for winning sprints at certain places along the route, most often called ''intermediate sprints''. The points cl ...

::1st Stages 1, 17 & 21 :

::1st

Points classification ::1st Stages 1, 3 & 5 : 1st Stage 2

: 1st

Points classification

: 3rd

: 4th

: 9th Overall

Three Days of De Panne 3 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 3, three, or III may also refer to: * AD 3, the third year of the AD era * 3 BC, the third year before the AD era * March, the third month Books * ''Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 1901 n ...

::1st

Points classification ::1st Stage 1 ;2008 : 1st

: Giro d'Italia ::1st Jersey red

::1st Stages 3, 9 & 12 :

::1st Stages 1 ( TTT) & 4 :

::1st

Points classification ::1st Stage 5 : 1st Stage 3

: 8th

;2009 : 1st Overall

Giro di Sardegna Giro di Sardegna (Tour of Sardinia) was a stage road bicycle race held on the island of Sardinia, an Italian region. It was rated 2.1 on the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing Road bicycle racing i ...

::1st Stage 4 :

Vuelta a Mallorca The Challenge Vuelta Ciclista a Mallorca ( en, Tour of Majorca, ca, Challenge Volta Ciclista a Mallorca) is a series of four (five until 2012) professional one day road bicycle races held on the Spanish island of Mallorca in late January or earl ...

::1st Trofeo Inca ::4th Trofeo Cala Millor : 6th

: 7th

: 10th Overall Giro della Provincia di Grosseto ::1st Stage 1 ;2010 : 1st

: 1st Stage 3

: 5th Overall

Tour of Oman The Tour of Oman is an annual professional road bicycle racing stage race held in Oman since 2010 as part of the UCI Asia Tour. It was scheduled to become part of the new UCI ProSeries in 2020, but both the 2020 and 2021 editions were cancelled d ...

::1st Stage 2 : 5th

: 5th

Coppa Bernocchi The Coppa Bernocchi is a European bicycle race held in Legnano, Italy. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. In 1919 the business magnate Antonio Bernocchi founded the Coppa Bernocchi (or Bernocchi Cup) ...

: 6th

;2011 :

Circuit de la Sarthe The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe (after the 1906 French Grand Prix triangle circuit) located in Le Mans, Sarthe, France, is a semi-permanent motorsport race course, chiefly known as the venue for the 24 Hou ...

::1st

Points classification ::1st Stages 1, 3 ( ITT) & 5 :

::1st Stages 1 ( TTT) & 20 : 1st Stage 3

Tour de Wallonie The Tour de Wallonie is a stage race cycling race on the UCI Europe Tour. It runs in Wallonia, the French-speaking part of Belgium in the end of July. Between 1974 and 1995 it was reserved to amateurs. Since 2005, the race has been organized as a ...

: 1st Stage 8

: 2nd Overall

Danmark Rundt Danmark Rundt is a Danish stage race for professional road bicycle racers organized as a part of the UCI Continental Circuits. It is currently sponsored by the Danish national postal agency, PostNord, and the race is therefore also known as PostN ...

: 2nd

: 3rd Overall

Tour of Qatar The Tour of Qatar was an annual professional cycling stage race held in Qatar. First organized in 2002, the event was part of the UCI Asia Tour until 2016. The 2017 edition was to have seen the event upgraded to the UCI World Tour for the firs ...

: 7th

: 10th

;2012 : 1st Stage 18

: 5th

Trofeo Palma de Mallorca The Challenge Vuelta Ciclista a Mallorca ( en, Tour of Majorca, ca, Challenge Volta Ciclista a Mallorca) is a series of four (five until 2012) professional one day road bicycle races held on the Spanish island of Mallorca in late January or ear ...

: 6th

: 7th

Gran Piemonte The Giro del Piemonte, since 2009 known also as Gran Piemonte, is a semi classic European bicycle race held in the Apennine Mountains, Italy. The race first took place in 1906. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.HC event on the UCI ...

: 10th

;2013 : 2nd

: 5th GP Ouest–France ;2015 : 1st

: 3rd

Time trial In many racing sports, an athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athlete or team sets off at ...

, National Road Championships : 7th

;2016 : 1st Jersey white

Overall

::1st

Points classification ::1st Stage 1 : 1st Stage 1

Vuelta a Andalucía The Vuelta a Andalucía (Tour of Andalusia) or Ruta del Sol (Route of the Sun) is a regional Spanish road bicycle race first held in 1925. Since 2005, it has been a 2.1 category race on the UCI Europe Tour. The race became a part of the new UCI P ...

: 3rd

: 8th Overall

Dubai Tour The Dubai Tour is an annual professional road bicycle racing stage race held in Dubai, which began in 2014 as part of the UCI Asia Tour. History The race was classified as a 2.1. in 2014. The race is organized by the Dubai Sports Council in partn ...

;2017 : 5th Overall

;2018 : 7th Trofeo Campos, Porreres, Felanitx, Ses Salines ;2019 : 4th Overall

Vuelta a Castilla y León The Vuelta Ciclista a Castilla y León is a professional road bicycle stage race held in Castile and León, Spain. Since 2005, Vuelta a Castilla y León has been a part of the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bi ...

Grand Tour results timeline

Notes

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bennati, Daniele 1980 births Living people Sportspeople from Arezzo Italian male cyclists Italian Tour de France stage winners Tour de France Champs Elysées stage winners Italian Vuelta a España stage winners Italian Giro d'Italia stage winners Cyclists from Tuscany