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 team. In 1993 he was beaten on the line by Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle in an exciting Paris–Roubaix finale. Also on his palmarès or list of accomplishments there are other one-day races such as Omloop Het Volk and Paris–Brussels.

Ballerini then became manager of the Italian national cycling squad, winning the 2002 World Championships with Mario Cipollini and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens with ex-teammate Paolo Bettini. In 2006, 2007 and 2008 he won the World Championships with Paolo Bettini and Alessandro Ballan.

On 7 February 2010, Ballerini, a rallying fan, was mortally injured during a race in Larciano where he was participating as co-driver/navigator for professional driver Alessandro Ciardi. He died of his injuries at the Pistoia city hospital at the age of 45.

He was honored by race organizers in 2010.

Doping Months after finishing 3rd in the 1994 Paris–Roubaix it came out that Ballerini tested positive for Salbutamol, he was not sanctioned. In 1996 after the Grand Prix de Wallonie Ballerini tested positive again this time for Ephedrine, he received a 20 day suspension.

Major results Sources:

1986 6th Trofeo Laigueglia 1987 1st Tre Valli Varesine 8th Trofeo Laigueglia 1988 1st Overall Cronostaffetta 5th Trofeo Masferrer 9th Giro dell'Umbria 1989 1st GP Città di Camaiore 2nd Giro di Campania 2nd Coppa Placci 10th Giro di Lombardia 1990 1st Giro di Campania 1st Paris–Brussels 1st Grand Prix des Amériques 1st Giro del Piemonte 2nd Trofeo Matteotti 3rd Gent–Wevelgem 3rd Giro del Veneto 3rd Millemetri del Corso di Mestre 5th Amstel Gold Race 7th Züri-Metzgete 1991 1st Stage 14 Giro d'Italia 1st Giro della Romagna 3rd Giro di Lombardia 5th Paris–Roubaix 5th Giro dell'Emilia 7th Overall Three Days of De Panne 8th Tour of Flanders 1992 2nd Giro di Campania 9th Tour of Flanders 1993 1st Stage 4 (TTT) Tour de France 2nd Paris–Roubaix 2nd Dwars door België 2nd Brabantse Pijl 3rd Coppa Bernocchi 6th Tour of Flanders 7th Milan–San Remo 10th Amstel Gold Race 1994 2nd Gent–Wevelgem 2nd Paris–Brussels 3rd Paris–Roubaix 4th Tour of Flanders 5th Tre Valli Varesine 1995 1st Paris–Roubaix 1st Omloop Het Volk 6th Brabantse Pijl 8th Overall Hofbrau Cup 1996 1st Grand Prix de Wallonie 3rd Overall Tour of Austria 1st Stage 5 5th Paris–Roubaix 5th Dwars door België 8th Coppa Bernocchi 8th Paris–Brussels 1997 3rd Tour of Flanders 6th Omloop Het Volk 1998 1st Paris–Roubaix 2nd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 5th GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano 5th Paris–Brussels 8th Tour of Flanders 1999 8th HEW Cyclassics 2000 4th Omloop Het Volk 8th Paris–Roubaix

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

+ Legend — Did not compete DNF Did not finish