Gilberto Simoni (born 25 August 1971 in Palù di Giovo,

Trentino Trentino ( lld, Trentin), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento, is an autonomous province of Italy, in the country's far north. The Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, an autonomous region ...

) 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 professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most common ...

, most recently for . Simoni is twice winner of the Giro d'Italia cycling race (

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...

and 2003 editions). Simoni might have won a third Giro, but in 2002 he tested positive for cocaine and was withdrawn from the race by his Saeco team – he was later cleared of any doping violation by the Italian Cycling Federation. Aside from this incident in 2002 he finished on the podium in every other Giro between

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...

and

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

. Simoni is a native of Palu di Giovo, and was considered a

climbing specialist A climbing specialist or climber, also known as a grimpeur, is a road bicycle racer who can ride especially well on highly inclined roads, such as those found among hills or mountains. Role of climber in a race In a sustained climb, the average ...

. His final race as a professional road cyclist was the

2010 Giro d'Italia The 2010 Giro d'Italia was the 93rd edition of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The race started off in Amsterdam on 8 May and stayed in the Netherlands for three stages, before leaving the country. The route included climbs ...

, which he finished in 69th place overall, 2:40:14 behind another two-time winner

Ivan Basso Ivan Basso (born 26 November 1977) is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 1999 and 2015 for seven different teams. Basso, nicknamed Ivan the Terrible, was considered among the best mountain riders in ...

Early career

Simoni was born in Palù di Giovo, in

, and began competing as an amateur with the goal of someday winning the Giro d'Italia. Simoni confirmed his potential in 1993, when he won both the amateur version of the Giro d'Italia (known as the Baby Giro) and the Italian Road Cycling Championship. Prior to his retirement in 2010, Simoni would reveal to the Italian newspaper ''La Gazzetta dello Sport'' that the Giro was the one race that attracted him to cycling and which motivated him as a professional. "It was the Giro that brought me to cycling when I was a child", he said. "It triggered my dreams." Simoni turned professional in 1994 with the team, but suffered through an inauspicious rookie season, having to cope with the deaths of both his father and older brother. It was only three years later in 1997 that Simoni won his first professional race, a 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 ...

, while riding for the team of sports director

Giancarlo Ferretti Giancarlo Ferretti (born 16 October 1941 in Lugo) is the former manager of the now-disbanded Italian professional road bicycle racing team, Fassa Bortolo, sponsored by the Italian cement company of the same name. Fassa Bortolo was a top-ranked ...

. 1998 was another disappointing season for Simoni, and his results sheet was barren after a year spent with the team. He briefly quit cycling and worked as a

bicycle mechanic A bicycle mechanic or bike mechanic is a mechanic who can perform a wide range of repairs on bicycles. Bicycle mechanics can be employed in various types of stores, ranging from large department stores to small local bike shops; cycling teams, or ...

for

1984 Giro d'Italia The 1984 Giro d'Italia was the 67th running of the Giro. It started in Lucca, on 17 May, with a prologue and concluded in Verona, on 10 June, with a individual time trial. A total of 171 riders from nineteen teams entered the 22-stage race, ...

winner

Francesco Moser Francesco Moser ( or ; ; born 19 June 1951), nicknamed "Lo sceriffo" (The sheriff), is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer. He finished on the podium of the Giro d'Italia six times including his win in the 1984 edition. Moser ...

. However, a resurgent Simoni joined the team in 1999 and finished a surprising third on the

general classification The general classification (or the GC) in road bicycle racing is the category that tracks overall times for riders in multi-stage races. Each stage will have a stage winner, but the overall winner in the GC is the rider who has the fastest cumulati ...

of that year's Giro d'Italia. In a race that saw another mercurial Italian climber thrown off the Giro for doping (

Marco Pantani Marco Pantani (; 13 January 1970 – 14 February 2004) was an Italian road racing cyclist, widely regarded as the greatest climbing specialist in the history of the sport by measures of his legacy, credits from other riders, and records. He rec ...

), Simoni was criticized in some sectors of the press for claiming a podium finish without having earned the placing. But he proved his critics wrong by winning a stage in the

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 ...

and again finishing on the final podium.

First Giro d'Italia victory, 2001

The 2000 season started well for Simoni: he'd transferred to the top-ranked team of two-time Giro d'Italia winner

Giuseppe Saronni Giuseppe Saronni (born 22 September 1957), also known as Beppe Saronni, is an Italian former racing cyclist. He had remarkable success riding in the Giro d'Italia. In 1980 he won 7 stages and finished 7th overall, in 1981 he won 3 stages and fin ...

and went on to again finish on the podium of the Giro d'Italia. Simoni cemented his reputation as a climbing specialist by winning the dramatic

Alto de El Angliru Alto de L'Angliru ( ast, L'Angliru; es, el Angliru) is a steep mountain road in Asturias, near La Vega-Riosa, in northern Spain. It is considered one of the most demanding climbs in professional road bicycle racing and is often used in the Vuelta a ...

stage of that year's

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 ...

. Simoni started the 2001 Giro d'Italia as Lampre's undisputed leader and hope for the general classification, which he won with a comfortable margin.

Second Giro d'Italia victory, 2003

Following his Giro victory Simoni moved to the team with the goal of repeating his Giro success of the previous year. However, traces of

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...

were found in his blood and he was disqualified despite his protestations of innocence. It was later determined that the cocaine in his blood came from candies that his aunt had bought for him from

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

. In 2003, the Saeco team came to the Giro d'Italia with the sole purpose of supporting Simoni. After competing with a resurgent

Stefano Garzelli Stefano Garzelli (born 16 July 1973) is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist, who competed as a professional between 1997 and 2013. The high point of his career was his overall win in the 2000 Giro d'Italia, after a close three-wa ...

Yaroslav Popovych Yaroslav Popovych ( uk, Ярослав Попович; born 4 January 1980) is a Ukrainian former professional cyclist, who rode professionally between 2002 and 2016. The winner of the under-23 road race at the 2001 UCI Road World Championships, ...

and

in the high mountains in a hailstorm, Simoni achieved his second Giro d'Italia victory. His pursuit was documented in the film ''The Quest''. Following his successful performance in the Giro, he set his aims on 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 ...

and in several interviews challenged the incumbent

Lance Armstrong Lance Edward Armstrong (''né'' Gunderson; born September 18, 1971) is an American former professional road bicycle racing, road racing cyclist. Regarded as a sports icon for winning the Tour de France seven consecutive times from 1999 Tour de ...

to a battle in the mountains. His performance was lacking, although he was able to gain a stage win.

Later career

Simoni failed to defend his title in the 2004 Giro d'Italia with the emergence of his teammate

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, a ...

. After some public dispute, Simoni reconciled with Cunego and agreed to continue on the same team, which became . In the 2005 Giro d'Italia the team took advantage of the publicity and played up the rivalry between Simoni and Cunego, boasting their strength for the Giro. The early part of the Giro saw Cunego lose significant time in the early mountain stages – he was later diagnosed with Epstein-Barr viral infection – firmly establishing Simoni as the team leader for the Giro. However, Simoni failed to dislodge

Paolo Savoldelli Paolo Savoldelli (born 7 May 1973 in Clusone, province of Bergamo) is a former Italian road racing cyclist and winner of the 2002 and 2005 Giro d'Italia. Savoldelli was a climber but known for his fast downhill riding. He is nicknamed ''Il F ...

in the last mountain stage, even with an epic performance which saw him and

Danilo Di Luca Danilo Di Luca (born 2 January 1976) is a former Italy, Italian professional road racing cyclist, best known for winning the 2007 Giro d'Italia, but also for several positive doping tests, the last of which resulting in a lifetime ban from the sp ...

work together to gain time on Savoldelli. Suffering from cramps, he also failed to win that stage. Simoni was slated to join

's Sony-Ericsson team, which was supposed to be the continuation of the

Fassa Bortolo Fassa Bortolo (2000–2005) was a professional road bicycle racing team founded in 2000 and led by Giancarlo Ferretti. Dubbed the 'Silver Team', it managed to be one of the most successful teams of the era, not in the least due to top sprinter ...

team. However, it later turned out that Ferretti had fallen victim to a fraud, and the team did not in fact exist. After a strong performance in which he finished second in the

Giro di Lombardia The Giro di Lombardia ( en, Tour of Lombardy), officially ''Il Lombardia'', is a cycling race in Lombardy, Italy. It is traditionally the last of the five 'Monuments' of the season, considered to be one of the most prestigious one-day events in cy ...

(which was won by Cunego in the previous edition), Simoni signed a contract to join . Gilberto Simoni mtb

On the urging of his frame sponsor, Scott USA, Simoni began competing in

mountain bike marathon Marathon mountain bike races, often referred to as cross-country marathon (XCM), are a very demanding form of mountain bike racing covering at least usually in mountainous terrain. Events held in Europe are typically just a little longer than the ...

events during the 2006 off-season for road bicycle racing. He quickly garnered impressive results by winning the Italian National Championship for Mountain Bike Marathon. Simoni was embroiled in public row with fellow Italian

of . Simoni alleged that Basso offered him a stage win in the 2006 Giro d'Italia into Aprica five kilometers from the finish after the two cyclists had broken away from the main field. Basso has denied any such offer, and went on to win the stage by 77 seconds. Simoni retracted his accusations several days later. In dramatic fashion, with

Leonardo Piepoli Leonardo Piepoli (born 29 September 1971 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland) is a former Italian professional road racing cyclist. He most recently rode for on the UCI ProTour, but had his contract suspended in July 2008 during the Tour de Fra ...

's support he won the epic stage 17 to

Monte Zoncolan Monte Zoncolan () is a mountain in the Carnic Alps, located in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located i ...

in the

2007 Giro d'Italia The 2007 Giro d'Italia was the 90th running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It took place from 12 May to 3 June 2007. The race began in Sardinia and finished in Milan, and featured five mountain top finishes, of which one wa ...

. After a lengthy search for a team for 2010, that included negotiations with his previous team as well as with and , Simoni re-joined his former Lampre ''squadra'', rechristened as . The 2010 Giro d'Italia was the final race of his career. He finished 69th overall, 2:40:14 behind two-time winner and compatriot

. Simoni was characteristically frank about his last bid for glory, which poignantly saw him beaten in the sprint for the Cima Coppi KOM prize by the Swiss Johann Tschopp, at the summit of the Passo di Gavia in the penultimate Giro stage. Mobbed at the finish line by Italian media looking for one final quote from a rider who rarely hesitated to speak his mind, Simoni mused: "Perhaps if I'd played more of a bluffing game, I might have had something left for the finish but never mind. That's bike racing. I'm just glad the Giro is over. I've had enough now." The Trentinese explained that his curtain call did not go as planned, though he still claimed to have enjoyed closing-out his storied career by finishing a three-week Grand Tour, one of the most challenging events for an endurance road cyclist: "I've known it was time to retire for awhile It's been on my mind for the last two years. I knew this Giro was my last race. I've been a professional for 17 years, and it really is time to quit. I honestly thought I'd go better than I did in this Giro. I knew I couldn't win it like in 2003 or 2007 (Monte Zoncolan stage), but I didn't expect to suffer so much and for so long during the three weeks. It's been a strange goodbye. I've ridden the Giro almost as an outsider, without the pressure to win and do well. It's hurt but I've been able to enjoy it. Before the finish today, the whole thing flashed before my eyes."

Retirement

Cycling columnist Samuel Abt of the ''International Herald Tribune'' described Simoni as "an inspiration to all retirees who wonder what they will do now with so much time on their hands." He pointed out that "instead of taking up golf or lurking at home and watching television", the first thing Simoni did "after saying goodbye to the workplace asrejoin it." But after finally calling it quits on a professional career that included nearly 600 classified results in UCI-sanctioned events, Simoni was vague concerning his plans for his life after cycling, though he hinted at not being in a rush or under any economic or psychological pressure to immediately engage in a new venture. Prior to the 2010 Giro's final stage, Simoni declared his intention to slow down the pace of decision-making in his life: "I don't want to think about my future just yet," he said. "I won't need to rush things anymore. I won't need to race against time. I can take my time and enjoy the rest of my life."

Career achievements

Major results

;1989 : 1st

Giro della Lunigiana Giro della Lunigiana is a four-day road bicycle race for junior men (age 17 and 18) in the historical territory Lunigiana (currently the provinces of La Spezia and Massa Carrara), Italy. The race, class 2.1 MJ on the UCI calendar, counts as a big ...

;1991 : 1st

Giro della Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia The Giro del Friuli-Venezia Giulia is a professional cycling race held annually in Italy. It is part of UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitions which were introduced in 2005 by the Union Cycli ...

: 1st

Trofeo Alcide Degasperi The Trofeo Alcide Degasperi is a one-day cycling race held annually in Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterra ...

: 3rd

Gran Premio Palio del Recioto The Gran Premio Palio del Recioto is a professional one day cycling race held annually in Italy. It is part of UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitions which were introduced in 2005 by the Unio ...

;1992 : 2nd

Piccolo Giro di Lombardia The Piccolo Giro di Lombardia is a one-day cycling race held annually in Lombardy, Italy. It is part of UCI Europe Tour in category 1.2U, meaning it is reserved for under 23 riders. The race acts as the U23 counterpart to the Giro di Lombardia T ...

;1993 : 1st Jersey pink

Overall

Girobio Giro d'Italia Giovani Under 23, also known as Baby Giro, Girobio or Giro Ciclistico d'Italia, is an Italian road bicycle racing amateur stage race created in 1970. Giro d'Italia Giovani Under 23 is the most important race on Italy's U23 calendar ...

: 1st

;1994 : 10th

Subida a Urkiola Subida a Urkiola is a one-day cycling race in Durango, Biscay of the Basque Country. The route starts in Durango and ends at the Sanctuary of Urkiola. The first edition began in 1931 and is organized by the Sociedad Ciclista Bilbaina, but has not ...

;1995 : 4th

;1997 : 7th Overall

::1st Stage 1 : 8th Overall

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 ...

;1998 : 6th

;1999 : 2nd Overall

: 3rd Overall Giro d'Italia : 3rd Overall

::1st Stage 4 : 6th

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 r ...

: 6th

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 ...

;2000 : 1st

Giro dell'Emilia The Giro dell'Emilia is a late season road bicycle race held annually in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.HC event on the UCI Europe Tour, and since 2020 it's part of the UCI ProSeries calendar. The ...

: 1st Stage 16

: 2nd Road race, National Road Championships : 2nd

Polynormande The Polynormande is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in August in the region of Normandy, France. Between 1980 and 2002 it was a criterium. Since 2003, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental ...

: 3rd Overall Giro d'Italia ::1st Stage 14 : 6th Overall

: 7th Overall

: 9th

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 ...

;2001 : 1st Jersey pink

Overall Giro d'Italia ::1st Stage 20 : 1st

Japan Cup The is one of the most prestigious horse races in Japan. It is contested on the last Sunday of November, post time of 15:40 at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters (about miles) run under weight for age conditions with ...

: 1st Stage 20

: 2nd Overall

: 4th Overall

: 5th Overall

::1st Stage 4 : 9th EnBW Grand Prix (with

Oscar Camenzind Oscar Camenzind (born 12 September 1971 in Schwyz, Switzerland) is a former professional road racing cyclist from Switzerland. He became national road champion in 1997. In 1998 he won the World Road Championship and the Giro di Lombardia, in 2000 ...

) ;2002 : 1st Stage 11 Giro d'Italia : 3rd Overall

: 3rd

Giro del Friuli Giro del Friuli is a road bicycle race held annually in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy. The first edition took place in 1974. From 2005 to 2008 the race was suspended, but it returned in 2009 as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Contine ...

: 3rd

Gran Premio de Llodio Gran Premio Internacional de Llodio (also known as Clásica de Álava) is a Spanish professional cycle road race that was held in Llodio, Basque Country, between 1949 and 2011. From 2005 to 2011, the race was organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI ...

: 10th Overall

Vuelta a Burgos Vuelta Ciclista a Burgos is an elite professional road bicycle racing event held annually in the Burgos province of Spain. The men's Vuelta a Burgos has been a multi-day stage race as part of the UCI Europe Tour since 2005. In 2019, a multi-day wo ...

: 10th

Trofeo Melinda Trofeo Melinda was a single-day road bicycle race held annually in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Italy. After 2005, the race was organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. It was created after the disappearance of Giro dell'Umbria, held be ...

;2003 : 1st Jersey pink

Overall Giro d'Italia ::1st Jersey violet

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 Azzurri d'Italia classification ::1st Stages 12, 14 & 19 : 1st Jersey violet

Overall

::1st Stage 2 : 1st

Giro dell'Appennino The Giro dell'Appennino is a semi classic European bicycle race held in the Apennine Mountains, Italy. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. Famous riders like Fausto Coppi, Francesco Moser, Felice Gimond ...

: 1st Stage 14

: 2nd Overall

Vuelta a Aragón Vuelta a Aragón is a professional bicycle road race held in Spain in May of each year. The event was first run in 1939, and was not held between 2006 and 2017. The future of the race is uncertain; there had been plans to organise it again, but an ...

;2004 : 1st

Giro del Veneto The Giro del Veneto is a classic cycle races, semi classic European Road bicycle racing, bicycle race held in the region of Veneto, Italy. The race is a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. In 2012 the race merged with another Italian classic, Coppa ...

: 2nd

Giro del Lazio The Giro del Lazio is a semi classic European bicycle race held in the region of Lazio, Italy. From 2005 to 2008, the race has been organised as a 1.HC event on the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing ...

: 3rd Overall Giro d'Italia ::1st Stage 3 : 3rd Overall

: 5th

: 7th

Klasika Primavera The Klasika Primavera ( en, Spring classic) is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in April in Amorebieta, Spain. Since 2005, the race is organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road ...

;2005 : 1st

: 1st

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 ...

: 1st Stage 5

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 ...

: 2nd Overall Giro d'Italia : 2nd

;2006 : 1st MaillotItalia

National MTB Marathon Championships : 3rd Overall Giro d'Italia : 8th Overall

;2007 : 4th Overall 2007 Giro d'Italia, Giro d'Italia ::1st Stage 17 : 6th

;2008 : 10th Overall 2008 Giro d'Italia, Giro d'Italia ;2009 : 1st Stage 3 Vuelta Mexico Telmex : 6th Overall 2009 Giro del Trentino, Giro del Trentino : 10th Overall 2009 Vuelta a Andalucía, Vuelta a Andalucía

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

References

External links

Official Site
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Simoni, Gilberto 1971 births Living people People from Giovo Giro d'Italia winners Italian male cyclists Italian Tour de France stage winners Italian Vuelta a España stage winners Italian Giro d'Italia stage winners Doping cases in cycling Tour de Suisse stage winners Sportspeople from Trentino Cyclists from Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol

Early career

First Giro d'Italia victory, 2001

Second Giro d'Italia victory, 2003

Later career

Retirement

Career achievements

Major results

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

See also

References

External links