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Varese is not only synonymous with nature, history, art and tourism; it is also, and primarily, all about sport: Varese is the land of champions and has produced many successful sports personalities in a wide range of disciplines, such as basketball, football, ice hockey, rugby and volleyball. But without doubt, cycling is Varese’s number one sport.
The Garden City has produced many great names in the world of cycling: Luigi Ganna, the past champion who went on to become one of the very first bicycle entrepreneurs; Alfredo Binda, the legendary cyclist from the Thirties; and Claudio Chiappucci, determination personified. Stars of Italian cycling in recent times include Ivan Basso, Stefano Garzelli, winner of the last two Tre Valli Varesine races, Daniele Nardello and Stefano Zanini.
 LUIGI GANNA
Ganna was nicknamed “El Luisin”, also “Luison”, and was the winner of the first Giro d’Italia. He was born in Induno Olona on 1st December 1883, and used to travel to Milan everyday to work as a builder. Instead of travelling by train, Ganna preferred his bike… His parents didn’t want him to be a cyclist so, in 1905, he was forced to compete secretly in two races. His third race was the Giro di Lombardia, an exploit that won him the tidy sum of 18 lire, which finally convinced his parents. From that day on Ganna accomplished one splendid triumph after another: his contract with Bianchi, winning the Milan-Turin, two thirds and a second place in the Giro di Lombardia, and a silver in the Milan–Sanremo. 1909 was a glorious year for “Good Ganna”, as the journalists called him: he won the Milan-Sanremo and the first Giro d’Italia in history. First a builder, then a cyclist and then a businessman. Ganna opened a bicycle factory in 1912; Fiorenzo Magni would later ride one of Ganna’s bikes. Luigi Ganna died in Varese on 2nd October, 1957.
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 ALFREDO BINDA
The quintessential 1920s/1930s cycling legend was born on 11th August, 1902 in Cittiglio, a small village in the Varese area. Binda’s story is simply unique: not only did he manage to win all the most important races in Italy and abroad, but he also went on to lead his athletes to triumph as team manager; athletes of the calibre of Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi.
Binda’s cycling palmares features four editions of the Giro di Lombardia, four Italian championships, 2 editions of the Milan–Sanremo, 3 World Championships and an amazing 5 editions of Giro d’Italia. Due to his extraordinary prowess, he was apparently paid 22,500 lire by the organisers of the 1930 Giro d’Italia not to take part in that year’s race. The name of Alfredo Binda stands at the head of the winners table for the World Championships. In fact, the Varese-born athlete won the very first edition which was held in 1927 in Adenau. Binda retired from competition riding in 1936 and became the Italian team manager. He led Bartali to victory in the Tour of ’48 and Coppi in ’49 and in ’52; he also helped Coppi to win the championships in Lugano in 1953.
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 CLAUDIO CHIAPPUCCI
Better known as “El Diablo”, Chiappucci is one of the most famous and highly-regarded cyclists of the Nineties. He was loved for his dogged determination and competitive aggression. The climber from Uboldo, born in ’63, hit the headlines during the Tour de France in 1990 when he managed to get an advantage of 10 minutes on the favourites thanks to a lightening breakaway in the first days of the competition. He wore the yellow jersey until the penultimate stage, a time trial. Lemond, the hot favourite, won the race but Chiappucci still managed to hang on to second place. This wasn’t Chiappucci’s only silver in the Tour as he also came second in ’92, to Miguel Indurain. Chiappucci placed second twice in the Giro d’Italia as well, in ’91 and in ’92. He won the silver medal in the World Championships in Sicily two years later. “El Diablo” has certainly earned our respect.
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DARIO ANDRIOTTO
Team Time Trial World Champion in Palermo in 1994 together with Luca Colombo, Contri and Salvato. Winner of the Italian Military Individual Time Trial in 1991. Dario Andriotto has been a professional racer since 1995. He won the Italian Individual Time Trial in 1997 which saw him selected for the World Championships in which he came thirteenth. Dario has clocked up five victories as a professional racer.
IVAN BASSO
Since he started out in the junior categories, Ivan Basso has always achieved impressive successes such as the Under 23 World Championships in Valkenburg (Holland) in 1978. Ivan was born on 26th November 1977 in Gallarate. He turned professional in 1999, and has represented Italy three times: Verona (1999), Hamilton (2001) and then Verona again (2004). Ivan is a strong stage racer; he won the white jersey for best young rider in the 2002 Tour de France, then he placed third in 2004 and second in 2005. He dominated the 2006 Giro d’Italia after putting in a spectacular performance in the 2005 Giro.
ALBINO BINDA
Brother of Alfredo, Albino was born on 9th April 1904 in Cittiglio. Albino was a loyal domestique to the champion of champions; he won a stage in the 1928 Giro d’Italia and won the Tre Valli Varesine in 1930. He was a professional racer from 1926 to 1934. Four victories. Albino Binda died on 30th March 1976.
LUCIANO BORGOGNONI
Born in Gallarate on 12th October 1951. Luciano became the 1971 Team Pursuit World Champion at the “Luigi Ganna” cycling track in Varese, together with Pietro Algeri, Bazzan and Morbiato, after having won the Italian title in the same discipline. Military Team Pursuit World Champion in 1972, and fourth at the Olympic Games in Monaco for the Individual Pursuit in 1972. He was a professional racer from 1973 to 1982, winning eight road races, three Italian Championship pursuit titles, and fourth place at the Track World Championships in 1980.
SEVERINO CANAVESI
Born in Gorla Maggiore on 27th January 1911. Severino was a professional racer from 1931 to 1949. He won the Italian Cyclo-Cross Championship as well as the Tre Valli Varesine in 1934. He became the Italian Champion in 1945 in Angera. Severino came third in the Giro d’Italia in 1936 and 1938, fourth in 1937 and 1939, and fifth in 1940. Severino Canavesi died on 30th January 1990.
LUIGI CASOLA
Born in Busto Arsizio on 11th July 1921. Luigi was a professional racer from 1946 to 1953, and was one of the fastest sprinters of his era with nineteen victories. He moved to Mexico when his career ended and took over the running of the Olympic Cycling Track in Mexico City, where many world records were broken in that period, such as those by Eddy Merckx and Francesco Moser.
ARNALDO CAVERZASI
Born in Porto Ceresio on 12th January 1948. Arnaldo was a professional racer from 1970 to 1979, with seven victories including the Coppa Agostoni. He was the right-hand man for countless champions.
ALFREDO CHINETTI
Born in Premezzo di Cavaria on 11th July 1949. Alfredo was a professional racer from 1974 to 1985, with seven victories including the Coppa Placci in 1982. He produced a fantastic performance at the 1982 World Championships in Goodwood, which was won by Giuseppe Saronni.
GABRIELE COLOMBO
Born in Varese on 11th May 1972. World Military Champion in 1992 and Italian winner of the team time trial also in 1992 (with Paolo Calabria). Gabriele was a professional racer from 1994 to 2006. Nine victories, including the Milan-Sanremo in 1996, the year in which he also won the Giro di Sardegna.
SILVANO CONTINI
Born in Varese on 15th January 1958. Silvano was a professional racer from 1978 to 1990, represented Italy at the World Championships five times, and spent fourteen days in the pink jersey. He had forty-four successes, and won: Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 1982, Giro del Lazio (1979), Tour of Germany (1981), Tour of the Basque Country (1981), three stage wins at the Giro d’Italia 1982, Coppa Placci (1985), Midi Libre (1985), and the Trofeo dello Scalatore (1988). Silvano came second in the Tour of Lombardy in 1979 behind Bernard Hinault, and third in the Giro d’Italia in 1982.
ALBERTO DELLA TORRE
Born in Busto Arsizio on 8th September 1945. Alberto was a professional racer from 1967 to 1976. Five victories. He represented Italy twice in the Track World Championships and his speciality was the middle distance race: in 1971 he came fifth in Varese.
GIUSEPPE FEZZARDI
Born in Arcisate on 28th December 1939. Giuseppe was a professional racer from 1961 to 1972. He was a particularly talented domestique and clocked up five victories in his career. He did very well in the 1963 Tour of Switzerland, and won the Tre Valli Varesine in 1962. His palmares also includes the Gap stage of the 1965 Tour de France.
FRANCESCO FRATTINI
Born in Varese on 18th January 1967. Francesco won the Frankfurt Grand Prix in 1995; this victory in Germany was the most prestigious win of his career. He was a professional racer from 1993 to 2000, and clocked up five victories.
STEFANO GARZELLI
Born in Varese on 16th July 1973, Stefano started to race professionally in 1997. “Garzo” has made a career by winning important stage races such as the 2000 Giro d’Italia, thanks also to some invaluable help from Marco Pantani, and the Tour of Switzerland in 1998. Of his many successes two are particularly memorable as he won the Tre Valli Varesine two years in a row (2005 and 2006). Stefano represented Italy in the 2004 World Championships in Verona.
VALERIO LUALDI
Born in Busto Arsizio on 31st August 1951. Valerio competed in the World Championships three times, and came seventh in the Nürburgring Worlds in 1978. He competed as a professional racer from 1973 to 1984, clocking up four victories including winning the Coppa Bernocchi in 1979.
MICHELE MARA
Born in Busto Arsizio on 2nd October 1903. Michele came second in the Amateur World Championships in 1928 and then turned professional in the same year. In 1930 he won the Milan-Sanremo, the Tour of Lombardy and five stages of the Giro d’Italia. When he retired from professional racing in 1936 he had twenty-three victories under his belt. Michele Mara died on 18th November 1986.
DANIELE NARDELLO
Born in Dovese di Arcisate in 1972, Daniele turned professional in 1994. He has been racing with the Mapei team for nine years. His wins include the Junior category of the Italian Championship in 2001 and as a professional racer he won a stage win in the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España. One of the highlights in his palmares is winning the Zurich round of the 2003 World Cup. To date Daniele has had thirty-three wins in his career.
WLADIMIRO PANIZZA
“Miro” was born in Fornaci, Fagnano Olona, on 5th June 1945. He was a professional racer from 1967 to 1985, and holds the record for the cyclist who has competed in the most editions of the Giro d’Italia. He competed eighteen times in the Giro d’Italia, and finished sixteen. He finished in second place in the overall classification behind Bernard Hinault in the 1980 Giro d’Italia, during which he wore the pink jersey for six days. He represented Italy in the World Championships five times, with a Worlds best of fourth place at the 1980 World Championships in Sallanches. Some of his most prestigious victories include the St. Lary-Pau Pyrenees stage of the 1976 Tour de France, and Giro d’Italia stage wins at La Maddalena (1975) and Monte Bondone (1978). Wladimiro was a determined and tenacious athlete. He also competed in cyclo-cross competitions and won the Italian Championship title three times. Wladimiro Panizza died prematurely on 21st June 2002.
ANDREA PERON
Andrea won the Junior’s Team Time Trial World Championship over seventy kilometres in Odense in 1988 with team-mates Baciocchini, Contri and Tarocco. He produced a repeat performance the following year in Moscow, sharing the hard work and glory with Brasi, Salvato and Rebellin. As an amateur racer, he won the World Championship for the one-hundred kilometres in Stuttgart in 1991 with an Italian “train” comprising Anastasia, Luca Colombo and Contri. There was slight disappointment at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, in which the Italians (Peron, Anastasia, Colombo and Contri) “only” came second. Andrea raced professionally from 1993 to 2006 and clocked up eleven wins, including the Italian Individual Time Trial Championship in 2001.
GIANLUCA PIEROBON
Born in Gallarate on 2nd March 1967. Three-time Italian Champion in the junior categories: Beginners (1981), Trainees (1983) and Juniors (1985). He was a professional racer from 1989 to 1998. Twenty-three victories. Stage winner in the Giro d’Italia as well as the Tour of Switzerland. He represented Italy in a Cyclo-Cross World Championship.
ALBERTO VOLPI
Born in Saronno on 9th December 1962. Alberto came thirteenth in the road race at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984. He was a professional racer from 1984 to 1997. He won the white jersey for best young rider at the 1985 Giro d’Italia, and the “Wincanton Classics” trial for the World Cup in 1993. Five victories as a professional racer.
STEFANO ZANINI
Born in Varese on 23rd January 1969. Stefano was the first Italian to win the Dutch event of the World Cup: the Amstel Gold Race. He spent a day in the pink jersey in the Giro d’Italia, in Greece. He specialised in winning the final stages of the grand tour races (with exceptional successes in Milan and Paris), represented Italy at the Valkenburg World Championships, topped the final classification of the Intergiro at the Giro d’Italia, and had great success in the Classics such as: Milan-Turin, Paris-Brussels, Coppa Bernocchi, and Milan-Vignola. In all he had thirty-one Kodak moments as he crossed the finish line, starting with his success in the Martinafranca stage of the Giro di Puglia (1992) and finishing with winning the Manchester stage of the Tour of Great Britain (2004). He was a professional racer from 1991 to 2007.
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1951 Road World Championships
Varese's Champions