Felice Gimondi

Felice Gimondi, nicknamed 'The Phoenix', was an Italian road cyclist who became only the second rider in history to win all three Grand Tours, and one of only three to complete cycling's five biggest races.

Felice Gimondi became only the second rider in history, after Jacques Anquetil, to win all three Grand Tours when his 1968 Vuelta a España victory completed the set alongside a debut Tour de France triumph in 1965 and what would become three Giro d'Italia titles, before outsprinting Eddy Merckx for the 1973 World Championship. He turned professional with the Salvarani team in 1965 after winning the amateur Tour de France, and in a stunning debut season, he won the Tour de France as a late replacement for an injured teammate, becoming the surprise winner at just 22 years old. Gimondi went on to win three Giro d'Italia titles (1967, 1969, 1976) and the Vuelta a España at his only attempt in 1968, becoming just the second rider in history, after Jacques Anquetil, to win all three Grand Tours. In 1966, his second professional season, he won three Classics — the Tour of Lombardy, Paris-Roubaix, and Paris-Brussels — a feat no Italian had previously achieved in a single year. Throughout his career, Gimondi raced in the shadow of Eddy Merckx, finishing second to the Belgian at the World Championship, the Tour de France, and two editions of the Giro d'Italia. He finally gained a measure of revenge at the 1973 World Championship in Barcelona, outsprinting Merckx to win the rainbow jersey. Gimondi retired in 1978 after a 15-year career with 158 professional victories, becoming, alongside Merckx and later Bernard Hinault, one of only three riders to have won all three Grand Tours plus the World Championship and Paris-Roubaix. He later worked as an ambassador for Bianchi and ran an insurance business until his death in 2019.

Complete all-around rider excelling in time trials, mountains, and classics alike

Regarded as the greatest Italian cyclist between Fausto Coppi and Marco Pantani, and one of the sport's finest all-rounders

• Tour de France winner (1965)
• 3x Giro d'Italia winner (1967, 1969, 1976)
• Vuelta a España winner (1968)
• World Road Race Champion (1973)
• Paris-Roubaix winner (1966)
• 2x Giro di Lombardia winner