Italian cyclist
Franco Bitossi (born 1 September 1940) is an Italian former professionalcyclist . He was born inCamaioni di Carmignano .
Bitossi cycled for three years as an amateur and became a professional in October 1961, after he had reached the required age of 21.[ 1]
In 1965, he won theTour de Suisse and theZüri-Metzgete , which he won again in 1968. In 1967 he won theTirreno–Adriatico ,Giro di Lombardia andCoppa Agostoni , while the following year he became the first Italian to win the points classification in theTour de France .[ 2]
In 1970, he won the Italian championship.[ 3]
In 1972 he became famous for his near victory at theWorld Championship inGap ,France , where he was beaten by only a few meters by his teammateMarino Basso .[ 1]
Four years later, in 1978, he won the Italian Championship again.[ 3]
Bitossi was nicknamedCuore matto ("Crazy heart") due to acardiac arrhythmia which often compelled him to stop midway in a stage.[ 4]
1964 2ndGiro di Romagna 3rdCoppa Sabatini 10th OverallGiro d'Italia 1stMountains classification 1st Stages 3, 16, 17 & 20 1965 1stTour de Suisse 1st Stage 2 & 5 1stGiro del Lazio 1stZüri-Metzgete 3rdGiro dell'Emilia 3rdGiro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria 4thGiro di Lombardia 6thCoppa Sabatini 7thGiro di Toscana 7th OverallGiro d'Italia 1stMountains classification 1st Stage 21 1966 1stCoppa Sabatini Tour de France 1st Stages 5 & 17 Tour de Romandie 1st Stages 1a (ITT ), 1b & 4 2ndGiro del Piemonte 2ndMilano–Vignola 3rdCoppa Ugo Agostoni 4thGiro della Romagna 5thTre Valli Varesine 8th OverallGiro d'Italia 1stMountains classification 1st Stages 14 & 16 10th OverallTirreno–Adriatico 10thGiro di Toscana 1967 1stTirreno–Adriatico 1st Stage 1 1stGiro di Lombardia 1stTrofeo Laigueglia 1stCoppa Ugo Agostoni 1st Stage 7Giro d'Italia 2ndMilano–Torino 2ndCoppa Sabatini 2ndGiro dell'Appennino 3rdMilan–San Remo 3rdGiro dell'Emilia 7thMilano–Vignola 10thLiège–Bastogne–Liège 1968 1stMilano–Torino 1stCoppa Bernocchi 1stGiro di Toscana 1stCoppa Sabatini 1stZüri-Metzgete 1st Stage 7Giro di Sardegna 2ndGiro di Lombardia 2ndGiro di Campania 4th OverallTirreno–Adriatico 1st Stage 4 4th OverallParis–Luxembourg 4thRoad race , National Road Championships 4thRoad race ,UCI Road World Championships 5thGiro dell'Emilia 7thMilano–Vignola 8th OverallTour de France 1stPoints classification 1stCombination classification 1st Stages 7 & 16 9th OverallGiro d'Italia 1st Stages 17 & 21 1969 1stCoppa Ugo Agostoni 2ndVolta a Catalunya 1st stages 7 & 8 2ndGiro dell'Emilia 3rd OverallÀ travers Lausanne 3rdGiro di Lombardia 3rdMilano–Torino 3rdTrofeo Laigueglia 4thTour of Flanders 10th OverallGiro d'Italia 1stPoints classification 1st Stages 11 & 14 10th OverallGiro di Sardegna 1970 1stRoad race , National Road Championships 1stVolta a Catalunya 1st Stage 1a 1stGiro di Lombardia 1stGiro dell'Emilia 1stGiro del Veneto 1stGiro di Campania 1st Stage 2Tour de Romandie 2ndTrofeo Masferrer 2ndBoucles de l'Aulne 3rdCoppa Placci 4th OverallÀ travers Lausanne 1st Stage 1 (ITT ) 5th OverallTirreno–Adriatico 5thCritérium des As 7th OverallGiro d'Italia 1stPoints classification 1st Stages 1, 3, 17 & 19 7th OverallTour de Suisse 1st Stages 1 & 3 7thCoppa Sabatini 9thGiro della Romagna 9thRoad race ,UCI Road World Championships 1971 1stRoad race , National Road Championships 1stCoppa Ugo Agostoni 1stGiro della Romagna 1stGP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano 1st Stage 15Giro d'Italia 1st Stage 3Paris–Nice 1st Stage 1bTour de Romandie 2ndGiro di Lombardia 5thTre Valli Varesine 8th OverallVolta a Catalunya 9thCoppa Placci 10thMilano–Vignola 1972 1stGiro di Puglia 1stGiro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria 1stGiro di Campania 2ndRoad race ,UCI Road World Championships 2ndRoad race , National Road Championships 2ndMilano–Torino 2ndGiro dell'Appennino 4thGiro dell'Emilia 4thTre Valli Varesine 6thCoppa Placci 7th OverallTour de Romandie 8th OverallGiro di Sardegna 8thZüri-Metzgete 9thGiro di Lombardia 1973 1stGiro dell'Emilia 1stGiro del Veneto 1st Stage 6Giro di Sardegna 2nd OverallGiro di Puglia 2ndMilano–Torino 3rdCoppa Sabatini 3rdCoppa Ugo Agostoni 4thTre Valli Varesine 4thMilano–Vignola 6thGiro della Romagna 9thGiro di Lombardia 9thTrofeo Laigueglia 1974 1stGiro della Romagna 1stTrofeo Matteotti 2ndGiro del Lazio 2ndCoppa Ugo Agostoni 2ndGiro di Toscana 3rdCoppa Sabatini 4thMilan–San Remo 5thGiro di Campania 7th OverallTour de Suisse 1st Stages 3a, 3b (ITT ), 6 & 9a 8th OverallTirreno–Adriatico 1st Stage 4 8thGiro di Lombardia 9th OverallGiro d'Italia 1st Stages 6, 8 & 18 10thGiro del Veneto 1975 1st Stage 15Giro d'Italia 1st Stage 3Paris–Nice La Méditerranéenne 1st Stages 4 & 5 2nd OverallGiro di Puglia 1st Stage 1 2ndGiro di Toscana 2ndCoppa Placci 4thTrofeo Laigueglia 8thGran Premio Città di Camaiore 1976 1stRoad race , National Road Championships 1stCoppa Bernocchi 1stGiro del Friuli 1stTrofeo Laigueglia 1st Stage 2aLa Méditerranéenne 2ndMilano–Torino 2ndGiro del Lazio 2ndGiro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria 4thCoppa Placci 4thGiro di Campania 5thGiro di Toscana 8thGiro di Lombardia 8thTrofeo Pantalica 9th OverallTirreno–Adriatico 9th OverallGiro di Sardegna 1977 1stGran Premio Città di Camaiore 3rdRoad race ,UCI Road World Championships 3rdGiro di Lombardia 4thMilano–Torino 4thCoppa Ugo Agostoni 6th OverallLa Méditerranéenne 6thTre Valli Varesine 6thGran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato 8thGiro dell'Emilia 9thTrofeo Matteotti 10thGP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano 1978 1st Stage 2Tirreno–Adriatico 3rdMilano–Torino 3rdCoppa Sabatini 5thTrofeo Pantalica 9thGiro della Romagna
1880–1899 1900–1919 1920–1939 1940–1959 1960–1979 1980–1999 2000–2019 2020–2039
Mountains classification
OverallTour de Suisse
OverallTirreno–Adriatico
Points classification
Combination classification
Road race, National Road Championships
OverallVolta a Catalunya
Points classification
Road race,UCI Road World Championships
Road race,UCI Road World Championships
