Italian · Palù di Giovo, Italy · Born 19 June 1951Francesco Moser is an Italian former road cyclist who broke Eddy Merckx's Hour Record in 1984 and won three consecutive editions of Paris-Roubaix.
On 19 January 1984, in Mexico City, Francesco Moser shattered Eddy Merckx's twelve-year-old Hour Record using revolutionary disc wheels and aero bars, then leveraged that momentum to defeat Laurent Fignon in the Giro d'Italia's final time trial within months, winning a Grand Tour at age 32 in one of the race's biggest upsets. He turned professional in 1973 after winning the amateur Giro d'Italia the previous year, and quickly established himself as one of the sport's most powerful and versatile riders, particularly excelling in time trials and one-day classics. Moser's dominance of Paris-Roubaix was total in the late 1970s, winning three consecutive editions from 1978 to 1980, and he added the World Road Race Championship in 1977 after two previous runner-up finishes. His victories across Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Lombardy, and the World Individual Pursuit title on the track demonstrated a rare combination of raw power and tactical intelligence. On January 19, 1984, in Mexico City, Moser produced the defining achievement of his career, breaking Eddy Merckx's Hour Record, which had stood for twelve years, using a revolutionary aerodynamic bicycle with disc wheels and aero bars — an approach that pioneered the use of scientific training and equipment innovation in cycling. He carried that momentum into the 1984 Giro d'Italia, beating France's Laurent Fignon in the final time trial to win the general classification at age 32, one of the biggest upsets in the race's history. Moser retired in 1987 with 273 career victories and remains an active ambassador for Italian cycling.
Breaking Eddy Merckx's Hour Record in 1984 with pioneering aerodynamic technology
How They Played
Powerful time-trialist and classics rider with a devastating sustained attack
Lasting Impact
A pioneer of scientific training and equipment innovation in professional cycling, and one of the great classics specialists of his era
Career Honours
- World Hour Record holder (1984)
- Giro d'Italia winner (1984)
- World Road Race Champion (1977)
- 3x Paris-Roubaix winner (1978, 1979, 1980)
- 2x Giro di Lombardia winner
- World Individual Pursuit Champion (1976)
Italian Athletes