Angelo Fausto Coppi was an Italian road cyclist and pistard.
Professional from 1939 to 1959, nicknamed "the Campionissimo" or "the Heron", he was the most famous and successful runner of the golden age of cycling and is considered one of the greatest and most popular athletes of all time: formidable passer , exceptional climber, and with a good quick start, he was a complete runner and suitable for any type of road competition.
In fact, he imposed himself both in the most important stage races and in the major one-day classics, winning the Giro d'Italia five times (1940, 1947, 1949, 1952 and 1953), a record shared with Binda and Merckx, and twice the Tour de France (1949 and 1952), also becoming the first cyclist to conquer the two competitions in the same year, while among his numerous successes in the online races the five statements at the Giro di Lombardia should be remembered (1946, 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1954), record, the three victories at Milan-Sanremo (1946, 1948 and 1949), and the successes at Paris-Roubaix and Freccia Vallone in 1950. Becoming a professional world champion in 1953, he also excelled in track cycling, also becoming chasing world champion in 1947 and 1949 and record holder of the hour (with 45.798 km) from 1942 to 1956.
Legendary was his rivalry with Gino Bartali, who divided Italy in the immediate post-war period (also for the alleged different political positions of the two): famous for capturing an entire sporting era - so much so as to enter the collective imagination of the Italians - is the photo that portrays the two champions while passing a bottle during the climb to the Col du Galibier at the 1952 Tour.
Coppi is also known for having changed the approach to cycling competitions, thanks to his interest in diet, for technical bicycle developments, for training methods and sports medicine. His exploits and the tragic circumstances of his death have made him an icon of Italian sports history, and decades after his disappearance his popularity and fame still appear unchanged.
