Francesco Moser

Francesco Moser ([ˈmɔːzer] or [moˈzɛr]; [ˈmoːzɐ];; born 19 June 1951 in Palù di Giovo, Trentino), nicknamed "Lo sceriffo" (The sheriff), is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer.

Moser was dominant from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s and won the 1984 Giro d'Italia, the 1977 world road racing championship and six times in three of the five monuments. He turned professional in 1973, showing a cultured pedaling style. But his powerful build meant he wasn’t a gifted climber. His 273 road victories puts him behind Eddy Merckx (525) and Rik Van Looy (379), but ahead of Rik Van Steenbergen (270) and Roger De Vlaeminck (255). He was also an accomplished track rider, riding up to six Six-Day races almost each winter throughout his career. He rode 35, 14 of which with René Pijnen, winning 15.

A nephew, Moreno Moser, (born 25 December 1990) is an Italian professional racer, and Francesco's son Ignazio Moser enjoyed success at the junior and amateur levels before retiring at the age of 22.

Classic races

After finishing second in 1974 behind Roger De Vlaeminck and in 1976 behind Marc Demeyer of Belgium, Moser finally won Paris–Roubaix, his favorite race, three consecutive times. Moser had seven podium finishes in Paris–Roubaix; only De Vlaeminck, with nine, has more. In 1978, he beat De Vlaeminck and Jan Raas of the Netherlands; in 1979, he beat De Vlaeminck and Hennie Kuiper of the Netherlands; and in 1980, he beat Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle of France and the German, Dietrich Thurau. Moser came in third in 1981 behind Bernard Hinault and Roger De Vlaeminck, and was also third in 1983 behind Hennie Kuiper and Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle. He rode Paris–Roubaix in his final season as a cyclist in 1987. Other victories include the 1975 and 1978 Giro di Lombardia and the 1984 Milan–San Remo.

Other classics

Moser won the 1974 Paris–Tours, the 1977 Züri-Metzgete, the 1979 Gent–Wevelgem, and the 1977 Flèche Wallonne.

Grand Tours

Moser had some success in the three-week grand tours. He rode the Tour de France in 1975, and although he won two stages, led the race for seven days and won the young rider competition, he never rode the Tour again;the mountains did not suit him. However, he won the 1984 Giro d'Italia, in front of Laurent Fignon of France and Moreno Argentin of Italy. Taking advantage of an unusually flat course, Moser used time-trialing ability to overcome what others had gained in the mountains. He also won the points classification in the Giro d'Italia in 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1982.

He competed in the individual road race and team time trial events at the 1972 Summer Olympics.

Moser won the 1977 world road racing championship in San Cristobal, Venezuela, in front of Thurau and Franco Bitossi. Moser was also silver medallist in 1976, behind Freddy Maertens of Belgium and second in 1978 to Gerrie Knetemann of the Netherlands.

On 19 January 1984, in Mexico City, Moser broke the 1972 hour record of Eddy Merckx.He rode 50.808 kilometers, on an aerodynamic bike with full disc wheels more advanced than the conventional bike Merckx used in 1972.As a result, in 1997 the Union Cycliste Internationale banned hour records set on bikes featuring technological advantages. Under the new rules, Merckx's record wasn't broken until 2000.Moser auctioned his bicycle to benefit UNICEF.

He was a member of the Regional Council of Trentino-Alto Adige from 1993 until 1998.

Moser's biggest rival was Giuseppe Saronni.

Moser started a bike company, Moser Cicli, constructing race bikes in a workshop in Trento. Production is 2,000-3,000 frames annually.

He was the first chairman of the CPA (Cyclistes Professionels Associés), a union for professional riders of TT/I and TT/II league of teams (now UCI WorldTeams and UCI Professional Continental Teams, respectively). He held the position from 1999 until 2007.

Moser also became a viticulturist, cultivating different varieties of grapes. He continued his father's winery with his children Francesca, Carlo and Ignazio on the family estate Maso Villa Warth in Val di Cembra, on the hills just north of Trento. He is also a passionate hunter and was the host of the television series "A Caccia con Moser" (Hunting with Moser) on Sky Italia's channel Caccia TV.

1985

1st Giro dell'Etna

1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Hans-Henrik Ørsted)

1st Stage 1 Ruota d'Oro

2nd Overall Giro d'Italia

2nd Giro del Friuli

2nd Noto Chrono

5th Overall Giro del Trentino

5th Giro dell'Emilia

8th Visp–Grachen

1986

1st Giro dell'Etna

2nd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico

1st Prologue & Stage 6 (ITT)

2nd Giro dell'Appennino

2nd Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria

3rd Overall Giro d'Italia

1st Stage 18 (ITT)

3rd Trofeo Pantalica

4th Overall Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali

1st Stage 4

6th Tre Valli Varesine

7th Amstel Gold Race

8th Paris–Roubaix

9th Rund um den Henninger Turm

1987

3rd Overall Tour Méditerranéen

1st Prologue

4th Overall Giro del Trentino

1st Prologue

5th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico

General classification results timeline

Grand Tour	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986
Vuelta a España	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	10	—	—
Giro d'Italia	15	7	—	4	2	3	2	DNF	21	8	DNF	1	2	3
Tour de France	—	—	7	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Classics results timeline