Considered one of the most versatile riders of his generation, Bartoli won a variety of classics. He won most of the major Italian one-day races—apart fromMilan–San Remo—and wasItalian national champion in 2000. In Belgium, he excelled in both thecobbled classics of Flanders and the hilly races in theArdennes, which earned him the nicknameIl Leoncino delle Fiandre ("The Little Lion of Flanders").[3] In addition to the classics, Bartoli has also won stage races, such asTirreno–Adriatico and theThree Days of De Panne, and won two stages in theGiro d'Italia. He finished third in theworld championships of1996 and1998.[4]
Bartoli joinedMercatone Uno–Medeghini–Zucchini as an amateur stagiaire in late 1992, signing his first professional contract starting in January 1993. He was competitive immediately, winning the overall and 3 stages at the first stage race he started, the 1993Settimana Siciliana.
In 1997, Bartoli won hisfirst Liège–Bastogne–Liège, after distancing his last breakaway companion,Laurent Jalabert, in the final kilometre.[9] His slender build (179 cm and 65 kg), combined with his feline ability to accelerate on steep climbs, made him the quintessential contender for the hillyArdennes classics.[10] At the end of 1997, he won theUCI World Cup, confirming his status as the most regular classic race specialist.[11]
In 1999, Bartoli and Bettini joinedMapei, the most successful classics team of the 1990s.[15] He wonTirreno–Adriatico, theBrabantse Pijl and theFlèche Wallonne in the spring of 1999, but failed to win a monument race. In the1999 Liège–Bastogne–Liège, Bartoli, seeking his third consecutive win, was distanced by rising starFrank Vandenbroucke and finished fourth behind his helper Bettini.[16] In May 1999, Bartoli broke his kneecap in a crash in theTour of Germany, which ended his season.
He returned to racing in 2000, but his Mapei teammate Paolo Bettini demanded a leading role, eventually leading to a feud between the two friends. In the summer of 2000, he won theItalian National Championship inTrieste and theGrand Prix de Plouay, before entering theOlympic road race inSydney. Helped by his Italian teammates Bettini andDanilo Di Luca, he won the sprint for fourth place, finishing just outside the medals. He repeated his fourth place at theWorld championships.[17]
In 2001, Bartoli wonOmloop Het Volk early in the season, but failed to win another major spring classic. He left Mapei—exceptionally mid-season—to re-join Ferretti at the newFassa Bortolo team. In October 2001, Bartoli and Bettini's rivalry culminated during theworld championship road race, during which Bartoli refused to work for Bettini. Bettini finished second in the sprint behind SpaniardÓscar Freire; Bartoli was 23rd.[18]
In 2004, he moved toTeam CSC but failed to claim a victory.[19] In the2004 Tour de France, he abandoned during the 18th stage after being called back by managerBjarne Riis from a break to protect his captainIvan Basso.[20]Bartoli ended his professional career at the end of the 2004 season, suffering minor injuries.[21] He stated: "I just wasn't motivated to continue... I can't be a top-level rider any more and that was a major influence on my decision, rather than my recent physical problems."[22]
In May 2007, Italian newspaperLa Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Bartoli was linked with theOperación Puerto doping investigation into the practices ofEufemiano Fuentes. According to the report, it was alleged that Bartoli was the rider behind the nickname "Sansone". The report continued that Bartoli received two blood transfusions from Fuentes in 2003.[25]
OverallSettimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
OverallThree Days of De Panne
Road race,UCI Road World Championships
OverallUCI Road World Cup
OverallTirreno–Adriatico
Road race, National Road Championships
Olympic Games
World Championships
National Championships
