Francesco Moser

Francesco Moser (, ; 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 was dominant from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. He turned professional in 1973, showing a cultured pedalling style. But his powerful build meant he was not a gifted climber. He entered one edition of the Tour de France, in 1975, where he won two stages, held the maillot jaune for six days and finished 7th overall. He also won the 1977 world road racing championship in addition to collecting silver medals in 1976 and 1978. He won six times in three of the five monuments: three consecutive editions of Paris–Roubaix, two victories in the Giro di Lombardia and one win in Milan–San Remo.

His 273 road victories puts him behind Eddy Merckx (525) and Rik Van Looy (379), but ahead of Rik Van Steenbergen (270) and Roger De Vlaeminck (255). He was also an accomplished track rider, riding up to six Six-Day races almost each winter throughout his career. He rode 35, 14 of which with René Pijnen, winning 15.

A nephew, Moreno Moser, (born 25 December 1990) is an Italian professional racer, and Francesco's son Ignazio Moser enjoyed success at the junior and amateur levels before retiring at the age of 22.

Palmarès

Classic races After finishing second in 1974 behind Roger De Vlaeminck and in 1976 behind Marc Demeyer of Belgium, Moser finally won Paris–Roubaix, his favourite race, three consecutive times. Moser had seven podium finishes in Paris–Roubaix; only De Vlaeminck, with nine, has more. In 1978, he beat De Vlaeminck and Jan Raas of the Netherlands; in 1979, he beat De Vlaeminck and Hennie Kuiper of the Netherlands; and in 1980, he beat Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle of France and the German, Dietrich Thurau. Moser came in third in 1981 behind Bernard Hinault and Roger De Vlaeminck, and was also third in 1983 behind Hennie Kuiper and Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle. He rode Paris–Roubaix in his final season as a cyclist in 1987. Other victories include the 1975 and 1978 Giro di Lombardia and the 1984 Milan–San Remo.

Other classics Moser won the 1974 Paris–Tours, the 1977 Züri-Metzgete, the 1979 Gent–Wevelgem, and the 1977 Flèche Wallonne.

Grand Tours Moser had some success in the three-week grand tours. He rode the Tour de France in 1975, and although he won two stages, led the race for seven days and won the young rider competition, he never rode the Tour again; the mountains did not suit him. However, he won the 1984 Giro d'Italia, in front of Laurent Fignon of France and Moreno Argentin of Italy. Taking advantage of an unusually flat course, Moser made the most of the time-trials and the aerodynamic bike with full disc wheels that he had just broken the hour record using (technology not available to any other rider during the race) to overcome what others had gained in the mountains. However, the result of the race has been called into question by various accusations, including shortened or redirected mountain stages, inconsistent awarding of penalties and low-flying helicopters being behind some riders but in front of others. He went on to win the points classification in the Giro d'Italia in 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1982.

Other accomplishments He competed in the individual road race and team time trial events at the 1972 Summer Olympics.

Moser won the 1977 world road racing championship in San Cristobal, Venezuela, in front of Thurau and Franco Bitossi. Moser was also a silver medallist in 1976, behind Freddy Maertens of Belgium and second in 1978 to Gerrie Knetemann of the Netherlands.

On 19 January 1984, in Mexico City, Moser broke the 1972 hour record of Eddy Merckx. His coach at the time was the now-banned for life Michele Ferrari. He rode 50.808 kilometres on an aerodynamic bike with full disc wheels, more advanced than the conventional bike Merckx used in 1972. As a result, in 1997, the Union Cycliste Internationale banned hour records set on bikes featuring technological advantages. Under the new rules, Merckx's record wasn't broken until 2000. Moser auctioned his bicycle to benefit UNICEF.

He was a member of the Regional Council of Trentino-Alto Adige from 1993 until 1998.

Rivalries Moser's biggest rival was Giuseppe Saronni.

After retirement Moser started a bike company, Moser Cicli, constructing race bikes in a workshop in Trento. Production is 2,000-3,000 frames annually.

He was the first chairman of the CPA (Cyclistes Professionels Associés), a union for professional riders of TT/I and TT/II league of teams (now UCI WorldTeams and UCI Professional Continental Teams, respectively). He held the position from 1999 until 2007.

Moser also became a viticulturist, cultivating different varieties of grapes. He continued his father's winery with his children Francesca, Carlo and Ignazio on the family estate Maso Villa Warth in Valle di Cembra, on the hills just north of Trento. He is also a passionate hunter and was the host of the television series "A Caccia con Moser" (Hunting with Moser) on Sky Italia's channel Caccia TV.

Major results

1971 1st Overall Giro Ciclistico d'Italia 1st Stages 1a & 6 4th Trofeo Alcide Degasperi 1972 3rd Gran Premio della Liberazione 8th Road race, Olympic Games 1973 1st Stage 14 Giro d'Italia 3rd Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria 5th Overall Giro di Puglia 7th Trofeo Laigueglia 9th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 9th La Flèche Wallonne 9th Milano–Torino 1974 1st Paris–Tours 1st Coppa Bernocchi 1st Giro del Piemonte 1st Giro dell'Emilia 1st Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria 1st Giro Di Toscana 1st Giro dell'Umbria 1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Roy Schuiten) 2nd Paris–Roubaix 2nd Coppa Placci 2nd Gran Premio di Lugano 2nd Trofeo Matteotti 2nd Gran Premio de Valencia 4th Giro della Romagna 5th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 5th Grand Prix des Nations 5th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato 7th Road race, UCI Road World Championships 7th Overall Giro d'Italia 7th Giro di Lombardia 8th Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana 10th Paris–Brussels 1975 1st Road race, National Road Championships 1st Overall Grand Prix du Midi Libre 1st Stages 3 & 4a 1st Giro di Lombardia 1st Trofeo Matteotti 1st Gran Premio Città di Camaiore 1st Coppa Placci 1st Giro dell'Umbria 1st Grand Prix de Monaco 1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Gianbattista Baronchelli) 2nd Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré 1st Prologue (TTT) 2nd Milan–San Remo 2nd Trofeo Pantalica 2nd Gran Premio di Lugano 2nd Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria 3rd Züri-Metzgete 4th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 4th Overall Giro di Puglia 4th Giro dell'Emilia 5th Paris–Roubaix 5th Milano–Torino 5th Giro Di Toscana 6th Giro del Veneto 6th Coppa Sabatini 6th Critérium des As 7th Overall Tour de France 1st Young rider classification 1st Prologue & Stage 7 Held after Prologue–Stage 5 Held after Prologue & Stage 1b 8th Overall À travers Lausanne 8th Gent–Wevelgem 9th Coppa Ugo Agostoni 10th Coppa Bernocchi 1976 1st Individual pursuit, UCI Track World Championships 1st Overall Giro di Puglia 1st Stage 2 1st Giro dell'Appennino 1st Giro Di Toscana 1st Trofeo Pantalica 1st Trofeo Matteotti 1st Tre Valli Varesine

2nd Road race, National Road Championships 2nd Paris–Roubaix 2nd Tour of Flanders 2nd Coppa Bernocchi 2nd Coppa Placci 2nd Trofeo Baracchi (with Roy Schuiten) 3rd Coppa Ugo Agostoni 3rd Giro del Friuli 4th Overall Giro d'Italia 1st Points classification 1st Stages 4, 7 (ITT) & 14 Held after Stage 7 4th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 4th Züri-Metzgete 6th Giro di Lombardia 6th Giro dell'Umbria 6th Giro di Campania 6th Milano–Vignola 7th Gent–Wevelgem 8th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato 9th Milan–San Remo 9th Giro dell'Emilia 1977 1st Road race, UCI Road World Championships 1st La Flèche Wallonne 1st Züri-Metzgete 1st Châteauroux Classic 1st Grand Prix Le Télégramme 1st Critérium des As 1st Coppa Ugo Agostoni 1st Giro del Lazio 1st Giro Di Toscana 1st Giro dell'Umbria 1st Stage 4 Tour de l'Aude 2nd Overall Giro d'Italia 1st Points classification Held after Stages 5–16b 3rd Road race, National Road Championships 3rd Giro di Campania 4th Overall Giro di Puglia 4th Tour of Flanders 4th Giro del Veneto 5th Milano–Torino 5th Coppa Bernocchi 5th Trofeo Pantalica 5th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato 5th Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria 6th Trofeo Matteotti 6th Coppa Placci 6th Gran Premio Città di Camaiore 7th Amstel Gold Race 7th Giro dell'Emilia 9th Tre Valli Varesine 1978 1st Overall Volta a Catalunya 1st Points classification 1st Prologue, Stages 1, 3b & 7b (ITT) 1st Overall Tour de l'Aude 1st Prologue, Stages 1 & 3 1st Paris–Roubaix 1st Giro di Lombardia 1st Tre Valli Varesine 1st GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano 1st Giro del Lazio 1st Coppa Sabatini 1st Trofeo Matteotti 1st Stage 2 Giro di Sardegna

2nd Road race, National Road Championships 2nd Overall Giro di Puglia 2nd Amstel Gold Race 2nd Züri-Metzgete 2nd Gran Premio di Lugano 2nd Grand Prix des Nations 3rd Overall Giro d'Italia 1st Points classification 1st Stages 11b, 13, 14 (ITT) & 16 (ITT) 3rd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 3rd Liège–Bastogne–Liège 3rd Gent–Wevelgem 3rd Trofeo Laigueglia 3rd Grand Prix of Aargau Canton 4th Rund um den Henninger Turm 6th Milan–San Remo 7th Tour of Flanders 8th Giro della Romagna 8th Critérium des As 9th Overall Grand Prix du Midi Libre 1st Prologue & Stage 3 1979 1st Road race, National Road Championships 1st Overall Ruota d'Oro 1st Stages 2 & 3 (ITT) 1st Overall Tour de l'Aude 1st Prologue 1st Paris–Roubaix 1st Gent–Wevelgem 1st Giro dell'Emilia 1st Giro del Friuli 1st Giro del Veneto 1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Giuseppe Saronni)

2nd Overall Giro d'Italia 1st Prologue, Stages 3 (ITT) & 17 Held after Prologue–Stage 7 Held after Prologue, Stages 2–5, 15 & 17–18 2nd Overall Giro del Trentino 2nd Grand Prix des Nations 2nd Züri-Metzgete 2nd GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano 2nd Coppa Ugo Agostoni 3rd Overall Deutschland Tour 3rd Trofeo Laigueglia 3rd Coppa Bernocchi 3rd Giro di Campania 4th Milan–San Remo 4th Giro del Lazio 5th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 1st Prologue 5th Tre Valli Varesine 6th Trofeo Pantalica 1980 1st Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 1st Prologue 1st Overall Giro del Trentino 1st Prologue & Stage 1 1st Paris–Roubaix 1st Nice–Alassio Giro d'Italia 1st Prologue Held after Prologue–Stage 4 Held after Prologue–Stage 1 2nd Tour of Flanders 2nd Rund um den Henninger Turm 2nd Milano–Torino 2nd Trofeo Pantalica 2nd Milano–Vignola 3rd Overall Tour of Belgium 3rd Trofeo Laigueglia 3rd Coppa Sabatini 3rd Grand Prix des Nations 5th Coppa Ugo Agostoni 6th Milan–San Remo 6th Coppa Placci 7th Giro dell'Emilia 7th Giro del Lazio 8th Trofeo Matteotti 1981 1st Road race, National Road Championships 1st Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 1st Prologue 1st Overall Giro di Frasassi 1st Stage 2 1st Coppa Ugo Agostoni 1st Giro dell'Umbria Giro d'Italia 1st Stage 14 Held after Stage 1b & Stages 3–5 2nd Overall Giro del Trentino 2nd Overall Ruota d'Oro 2nd Giro dell'Emilia 2nd Giro della Romagna 2nd Grand Prix Le Télégramme 2nd Milano–Vignola 2nd Trofeo Baracchi (with Knut Knudsen) 3rd Paris–Roubaix 3rd Coppa Bernocchi 3rd Giro Di Toscana 3rd Giro di Campania 3rd Giro dell'Etna 4th Rund um den Henninger Turm 4th Giro del Friuli 6th Road race, UCI Road World Championships 7th Giro del Lazio 8th Overall Tour de l'Aude 8th Coppa Placci 1982 1st Overall Tour Midi-Pyrénées 1st Prologue 1st Giro Di Toscana 1st Giro di Campania 1st Grand Prix Le Télégramme 2nd Overall Grand Prix du Midi Libre 1st Stage 1 2nd Overall Giro del Trentino 2nd Coppa Ugo Agostoni 3rd Overall Tour of the Basque Country 3rd Giro di Lombardia 3rd Coppa Sabatini 4th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 4th Milan–San Remo 4th GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano 6th Overall Giro di Sardegna 6th Overall Tour de l'Aude 7th Milano–Torino 7th Giro del Friuli 8th Overall Giro d'Italia 1st Points classification 1st Stages 7 & 20 Held after Stages 7–11 9th Overall Ruota d'Oro 9th Coppa Bernocchi 10th Paris–Roubaix 1983 1st Overall Giro del Trentino 1st Prologue 1st Overall Tour of Norway 1st Stage 1 1st Milano–Torino 1st Milano–Vignola 1st Giro del Friuli 1st Giro di Campania 1st Trofeo Pantalica 1st Giro dell'Umbria 2nd Giro del Lazio 3rd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 3rd Paris–Roubaix 3rd Giro del Piemonte 3rd Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria 4th Giro del Veneto 4th Trofeo Matteotti 5th Giro di Lombardia 5th Critérium des As 10th Giro dell'Emilia 10th Gran Premio Città di Camaiore 1984

1st Overall Giro d'Italia 1st Prologue, Stages 6, 15 (ITT) & 22 (ITT) 1st Milan–San Remo 1st Giro del Lazio 1st Giro dell'Etna 1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Bernard Hinault) 2nd Gran Premio Città di Camaiore 5th Trofeo Pantalica 6th Grand Prix Le Télégramme 8th Critérium des As 10th Overall Vuelta a España 1st Prologue & Stage 11 Held after Prologue–Stage 5 Held after Prologue 1985 1st Giro dell'Appennino 1st Giro dell'Etna 1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Hans-Henrik Ørsted) 1st Stage 1 Ruota d'Oro 2nd Overall Giro d'Italia 1st Prologue, Stages 19 & 22 (ITT) Held after Prologue–Stage 1 2nd Giro del Friuli 4th Giro di Campania 5th Overall Giro del Trentino 5th Giro dell'Emilia 5th Giro dell'Umbria 1986 1st Giro dell'Etna 2nd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 1st Prologue & Stage 6 (ITT) 2nd Giro dell'Appennino 2nd Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria 3rd Overall Giro d'Italia 1st Stage 18 (ITT) 3rd Trofeo Pantalica 4th Overall Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali 1st Stage 4 5th Giro di Campania 6th Overall Giro di Puglia 6th Tre Valli Varesine 6th GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano 7th Amstel Gold Race 7th Coppa Ugo Agostoni 8th Paris–Roubaix 9th Rund um den Henninger Turm 1987 3rd Overall Tour Méditerranéen 1st Prologue 4th Overall Giro del Trentino 1st Prologue 4th Firenze–Pistoia 5th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 5th Milano–Vignola 9th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato 9th Trofeo Matteotti 10th Trofeo Pantalica

Grand Tour general classification results timeline Grand Tour 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 Vuelta a España — — — — — — — — — — —10 — — Giro d'Italia 157 —4232 DNF 218 DNF123 Tour de France — —7 — — — — — — — — — — —

Monuments results timeline Monument 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 Milan–San Remo 30 1229 35646 394 111 31 Tour of Flanders — — 25247 112 32 23 — — — Paris–Roubaix —252 131113103 — 12 Liège–Bastogne–Liège — — — — —3 — — — — — — — Giro di Lombardia —716 131 14 — 1835 — —

Major championships results timeline Championship 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 World Championships —7 11212 — — 26 26 — — — National Championships —612321 —1 — — —10

+ Legend — Did not compete DNF Did not finish