Italian cyclist who won a gold medal in the road race event at the 2004 Olympics. He also took gold in the road race event at the 2006 and 2007 World Championships.
He began racing when he was 7.
In 2010, he was named the new Italian national coach.
He married Monica Orlandini, a literature teacher, in 2000.
He is a famous European cyclist like Chris Hoy.