Franco Bitossi

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Franco Bitossi

Personal information
Full name	Franco Bitossi
Nickname	Cuore matto (Crazy heart)
Date of birth	September 1, 1940 (1940-09-01) (age 69)
Country	Italy
Team information
Current team	Retired
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Major wins
Tour de France green jersey (1968) Tirreno-Adriatico (1967)
Medal record Competitor for  Italy Road bicycle racing World Championships Silver 1972 Gap Elite Men's Road Race Bronze 1977 San Christóbal Elite Men's Road Race
Infobox last updated on:
April 16, 2007

Franco Bitossi (born September 1, 1940) is an Italian former professional cyclist. He was born in Camaioni di Carmignano.

He started as professional in 1961, winning a total of 171 races until 1978. In 1965 he won the Tour de Suisse and the Züri-Metzgete (which he won again in 1968). In 1967 he won Tirreno-Adriatico, Giro di Lombardia and Coppa Agostoni, while the following year he became the first (and sole) Italian to win the maillot vert (points) final classification. In 1970 he was Italian champion.

In 1972 he was famous for the near victory at the World Championship in Gap, France, where he was overcome a few meters from the arrival by his teammate Marino Basso. Four year later he won again the Italian Championship.

Bitossi was nicknamed Cuore matto ("Crazy heart") due to a cardiac arrythmia which often compelled him to stop midway in a stage.

Palmares

v • d • e Tour de France points classification winners 1953 Fritz Schär • 1954 Ferdinand Kübler • 1955–1956 Stan Ockers • 1957 Jean Forestier • 1958 Jean Graczyk • 1959 André Darrigade • 1960 Jean Graczyk • 1961 André Darrigade • 1962 Rudi Altig • 1963 Rik van Looy • 1964–1965 Jan Janssen • 1966 Willy Planckaert • 1967 Jan Janssen • 1968 Franco Bitossi • 1969 Eddy Merckx • 1970 Walter Godefroot • 1971–1972 Eddy Merckx • 1973 Herman van Springel • 1974 Patrick Sercu • 1975 Rik Van Linden • 1976 Freddy Maertens • 1977 Jacques Esclassan • 1978 Freddy Maertens • 1979 Bernard Hinault • 1980 Rudy Pevenage • 1981 Freddy Maertens • 1982–1983 Sean Kelly • 1984 Frank Hoste • 1985 Sean Kelly • 1986 Eric Vanderaerden • 1987 Jean-Paul van Poppel • 1988 Eddy Planckaert • 1989 Sean Kelly • 1990 Olaf Ludwig • 1991 Djamolidine Abdoujaparov • 1992 Laurent Jalabert • 1993–1994 Djamolidine Abdoujaparov • 1995 Laurent Jalabert • 1996–2001 Erik Zabel • 2002 Robbie McEwen • 2003 Baden Cooke • 2004 Robbie McEwen • 2005 Thor Hushovd • 2006 Robbie McEwen • 2007 Tom Boonen • 2008 Óscar Freire • 2009 Thor Hushovd