Fabian Cancellara (born 18 March 1981), nicknamed "Spartacus", is a
Swiss
Swiss most commonly refers to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Swiss may also refer to: Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
* Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
* Swiss Café, an old café located ...
cycling executive, businessman and former professional
road racing cyclist who last rode for
UCI ProTeam . He is known for being a quality
time trialist
A time trialist is a road bicycle racer who can maintain high speeds for long periods of time, to maximize performance during individual or team time trials. The term ''cronoman'', or ''chronoman'', is also used to refer to a time trialist.
Detail ...
, a one-day
classics
Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek and Roman literature and ...
specialist, and a
workhorse for his teammates who have general classification aspirations.
He won two consecutive World Junior Time Trial Championships in
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
and
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
. At age nineteen he turned professional and signed with the team, where he rode as a ''
stagiaire''. After winning a few stages and small races in his starting years, Cancellara earned his first major victory at the
2004 Tour de France
The 2004 Tour de France was a multiple stage bicycle race held from 3 to 25 July, and the 91st edition of the Tour de France. It has no overall winner—although American cyclist Lance Armstrong originally won the event, the United States Ant ...
, where he won the opening prologue time trial and wore the race leader yellow jersey for one day. The following season saw fewer victories, but his 2006 season saw a victory in the
men's time trial at the
UCI Road World Championships
The UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organized by the (UCI). The UCI Road World Championships consist of events for road race and individual time trial, and , a UCI Road World Championships ...
, along with victory at the
Paris–Roubaix
Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France, starting north of Paris and finishing in Roubaix, at the border with Belgium. It is one of cycling's oldest races, and is one of the 'Cycling monument, Monuments' ...
. Cancellara repeated as world champion in the time trial the next year, along with winning two stages at the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
.
During the 2008 calendar he won gold at the
Summer Olympics
The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, then part of the King ...
in the
individual time trial
An individual time trial (ITT) is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock (in French: ''contre la montre'' – literally "against the watch", in Italian: ''tappa a cronometro'' "stopwatch stage"). There are also trac ...
event and the
Milan–San Remo
Milan–Sanremo (in italian language, Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance ...
. The next season saw Cancellara again become world time trial champion and lead both the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
and the
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España (; ) is an annual stage race, multi-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Ital ...
. In 2010, he won the
Paris–Roubaix
Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France, starting north of Paris and finishing in Roubaix, at the border with Belgium. It is one of cycling's oldest races, and is one of the 'Cycling monument, Monuments' ...
and the
Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders () may refer to the following cycle races:
* Tour of Flanders (men's race)
The Tour of Flanders (), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race held in Belgium every spri ...
. Cancellara's 2011 and 2012 campaigns were both short in number of victories, while the latter was hampered by injuries throughout. After a lackluster two-year period, Cancellara again won the
Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders () may refer to the following cycle races:
* Tour of Flanders (men's race)
The Tour of Flanders (), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race held in Belgium every spri ...
and
Paris–Roubaix
Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France, starting north of Paris and finishing in Roubaix, at the border with Belgium. It is one of cycling's oldest races, and is one of the 'Cycling monument, Monuments' ...
double in 2013. In 2014, Cancellara repeated as winner of the
Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders () may refer to the following cycle races:
* Tour of Flanders (men's race)
The Tour of Flanders (), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race held in Belgium every spri ...
.
Since turning professional in 2000, Cancellara has ridden for four professional teams. He has achieved great success in the classic
monuments
A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...
; he has won
Paris–Roubaix
Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France, starting north of Paris and finishing in Roubaix, at the border with Belgium. It is one of cycling's oldest races, and is one of the 'Cycling monument, Monuments' ...
three times, the
Milan–San Remo
Milan–Sanremo (in italian language, Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance ...
once, and the
Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders () may refer to the following cycle races:
* Tour of Flanders (men's race)
The Tour of Flanders (), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race held in Belgium every spri ...
three times. Cancellara has won the opening stage of the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
five times and has led the race for 29 days total, which is the most of any rider who has not won the Tour. His success has not been limited to just time trials and classics, as he has won general classification of the
Tirreno–Adriatico
Tirreno–Adriatico, nicknamed the "Race of the Two Seas", is an elite road bicycle racing, road cycling stage race in Italy, run between the Tyrrhenian Sea, Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Sea, Adriatic coasts. Traditionally held in the early part of th ...
,
Tour de Suisse
The Tour de Suisse () is an annual road cycling stage race. Raced over eight days, the event covers two weekends in June, and along with the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is considered a proving ground for the Tour de France, which is on the calend ...
, and the
Tour of Oman. In 2008, he won gold in the individual time trial and silver in the
men's road race at the Summer Olympics. In 2016, he won
Olympic gold in the
individual time trial
An individual time trial (ITT) is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock (in French: ''contre la montre'' – literally "against the watch", in Italian: ''tappa a cronometro'' "stopwatch stage"). There are also trac ...
for the second time in his career. In addition, Cancellara has been the
time trial world champion four times in his career.
Early life and amateur career
Fabian Cancellara was born on 18 March 1981, in
Wohlen bei Bern
Wohlen bei Bern is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Bern-Mittelland (administrative district), Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Bern (canton), Bern in Switzerland.
History
Wohlen ...
, Switzerland, to a Swiss mother and an Italian Swiss father.
He discovered cycling at the age of 13 after falling in love with an old family bike that he had found in the garage and immediately gave up
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
to concentrate on
cycling
Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world fo ...
.
In addition, Cancellara excelled at
cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...
during his youth.
Cancellara's cycling skills began to blossom at an early age, when he impressed as a time trialist and dominated Swiss junior cycling. Yvan Girard, Swiss national junior team coach from 1997 to 2005, was quoted saying that Cancellara was "head and shoulders above everyone else" in the time trials.
He won the
junior World Time Trial Championship in both 1998 and 1999 and at the age of 19 he came in second at the
2000 U-23 World Time Trial Championship.
Professional career
2000–2002: The beginning years
After his second-place finish at the Under-23 time trial championship, Cancellara turned professional with ,
which was one of the strongest teams in the world at the time.
Cancellara rode as a stagiaire for the team in late 2000 before joining the team for the 2001 season as a member of the "Young Riders Project".
Cancellara's first victory as a professional came at the prologue of the
Tour of Rhodes, where he also won the overall final general classification.
For 2002 the Mapei team split into two formations per UCI regulations, the "Top Team" with 25 riders and the GS-III "Gruppo Giovani" (youth group) to develop young talents, which Cancellara joined with other riders including
Filippo Pozzato
Filippo "Pippo" Pozzato (born 10 September 1981) is an Italian former road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2000 and 2018 for the , , , , , , and two spells with the / teams.
A cycling classics, northern classics specialist, Pozza ...
,
Michael Rogers and
Bernhard Eisel. Giorgio Squinzi, the head of Mapei firm, later said in an interview with ''
La Gazzetta dello Sport
(; English: "The Sports Gazette") is an Italian Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper dedicated to coverage of various sports. Founded in 1896, it is the most widely read daily newspaper of any type in Italy (in 2018).
History and profile
was fou ...
'' that he took Cancellara and Pozzato all the way from the Junior category to Mapei's top team, in order to let them avoid the Under-23 category where he suggested that
doping was even worse than among professionals. Squinzi also said that Cancellara was going to be "The future
Miguel Induráin
Miguel Induráin Larraya (; born 16 July 1964) is a retired Spanish road racing cyclist. Induráin won five Tours de France from 1991 Tour de France, 1991 to 1995 Tour de France, 1995, the fourth, and last, to win five times, and the only five- ...
". During his two seasons with Mapei, Cancellara used his time trialling skills to great effect, winning several individual time trials and a total of eleven victories.
2003–2005: On the rise
Following the folding of at the end of the 2002 season, Cancellara joined to work as a lead-out man for
Alessandro Petacchi in 2003.
Cancellara's first victory came
Tour Méditerranéen; he helped lead the Fassa Bortolo squad to victory in the race's final stage, which was a
team time trial
A team time trial (TTT) is a road bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock (see individual time trial for a more detailed description of ITT events).
The winning team in a TTT is determined by the comparing the times of ...
.
On 6 April, Cancellara raced his first ever
classic
A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of Masterpiece, lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or Literary merit, highest quality, class, or rank – something that Exemplification, exemplifies its ...
in the
Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders () may refer to the following cycle races:
* Tour of Flanders (men's race)
The Tour of Flanders (), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race held in Belgium every spri ...
.
He finished in the 73rd place and over ten minutes behind the winner.
His next success came in the brief prologue at the
Tour de Romandie
The Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs through the Romandie region, or French-speaking part of Switzerland. The competition began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling. It ...
.
Cancellara was a consistent finisher throughout the race and because of that, he won the points classification for the Tour de Romandie.
Next, he won the stage four
individual time trial
An individual time trial (ITT) is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock (in French: ''contre la montre'' – literally "against the watch", in Italian: ''tappa a cronometro'' "stopwatch stage"). There are also trac ...
at the
Tour of Belgium by a margin of ten seconds over the second-place finisher.
His final victory of the season came in the
Tour de Suisse
The Tour de Suisse () is an annual road cycling stage race. Raced over eight days, the event covers two weekends in June, and along with the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is considered a proving ground for the Tour de France, which is on the calend ...
's prologue, where he beat out Spaniard
Óscar Pereiro by a little over a second for the win.

Cancellara earned his first victory in 2004 at the
Tour of Qatar.
Cancellara won the race's fourth stage after attacking in the final kilometers of the race and then out-sprinting the riders who were able to keep pace with him to win the stage.
His next victory came in the first stage of the
Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
The Catalan Cycling Week (''Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme'' in Catalan language, Catalan) was a stage race, multi-stage road bicycle race held in Catalonia, Spain. Held annually from 1963 until 2005, it was run as a 2.HC race on the UCI Europe Tour ...
, where he won the opening stage's bunch sprint.
Up next on the calendar for Cancellara was the
Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders () may refer to the following cycle races:
* Tour of Flanders (men's race)
The Tour of Flanders (), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race held in Belgium every spri ...
.
Cancellara crossed the line in 42nd place, just a little over two minutes after the winner
Steffen Wesemann.
The next weekend, he raced the
Paris–Roubaix
Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France, starting north of Paris and finishing in Roubaix, at the border with Belgium. It is one of cycling's oldest races, and is one of the 'Cycling monument, Monuments' ...
for the second time.
Cancellara showed great form during the race and was a member of the four-man group that was first to reach the finish line.
He lost the sprint to the line and crossed the line in fourth.
Cancellara's next success came in the
Tour de Luxembourg
The Tour de Luxembourg is an annual stage race in professional road bicycle racing held in Luxembourg. The Tour de Luxembourg is classified as a UCI race classifications, 2.Pro race, the highest rating below the UCI World Tour, World Tour, by the ...
, where he won the stage four individual time trial by fourteen seconds over the second-place finisher.
He then went on to win his second Swiss National Time Trial Championship in late June.
Cancellara's next success came at the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
.
He won the
prologue
A prologue or prolog (from Ancient Greek πρόλογος ''prólogos'', from πρό ''pró'', "before" and λόγος ''lógos'', "speech") is an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier st ...
around the Belgian city of
Liege and took the first yellow jersey as leader of the
general classification.
Cancellara lost the lead after the
second stage to
Thor Hushovd
Thor Hushovd (born 18 January 1978) is a Norwegian former professional road bicycle racer. He is known for sprinting and time trialing; Hushovd is a three-time Norwegian National Road Race Championships, Norwegian national road race champion ( ...
.
Cancellara did participate in both the time trial and
road race at the
Road World Championships.
Cancellara performed well in the time trial and came in eighth place; he finished over two minutes behind the winner.
He entered the men's road race four days later, but did not finish the course.
Cancellara's first victory of the 2005 season came in the
Paris–Nice
Paris–Nice is a professional road bicycle racing, cycling stage race in France, held annually since 1933. Raced over eight days, the race usually starts with a prologue in the Paris region and ends with a final stage either in Nice or on the ...
, where he won the
fourth stage after out-sprinting his fellow breakaway member
Jaan Kirsipuu for the stage win.
Up next for Cancellara was the Setmana-Catalana.
There he won the race's final stage, an individual time trial by seven seconds over American
Tom Danielson.
After Setmana-Catalana, he raced the
Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders () may refer to the following cycle races:
* Tour of Flanders (men's race)
The Tour of Flanders (), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race held in Belgium every spri ...
and finished 42nd overall and over ten minutes behind the winner
Tom Boonen
Tom Boonen (; born 15 October 1980) is a Belgian former road bicycle racer, who competed as a professional between 2002 and 2017 for the and teams and a professional racing driver who currently competes in Belcar, having previously competed in ...
.
The next weekend, he raced
Paris–Roubaix
Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France, starting north of Paris and finishing in Roubaix, at the border with Belgium. It is one of cycling's oldest races, and is one of the 'Cycling monument, Monuments' ...
where he finished in eighth place after a flat tire killed his chances of winning the race.
Cancellara's next victory came in the Tour de Luxembourg, when he won the stage 3b individual time trial.
He finished the Tour with the same time as the winner
László Bodrogi, but was given second overall by the organizers.
After the Tour de Luxembourg, Cancellara won the Swiss National Time Trial Championship for the third time.
Cancellara then started the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
,
but did not win any stages at the race. After the Tour, he then rode the
HEW-Cyclassics where he finished in fourth place amidst the bunch sprint for the race win.
Cancellara then competed in the
road race and the
time trial
In many racing sports, an sportsperson, athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial (TT) against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athle ...
at the
Road World Championships.
Cancellara finished in third place in the time trial event and missed out on a silver second place medal by twelve hundredths of a second.
Three days later, he finished the road race in 123rd place and over ten minutes behind the winner.
2006: First classic win
Cancellara's team, Fassa Bortolo, disbanded after the 2005 cycling season.
Cancellara signed a three-year contract with during the 2005 Tour de France.
Cancellara's first victory with his new team came in the
stage five individual time trial at the
Tirreno–Adriatico
Tirreno–Adriatico, nicknamed the "Race of the Two Seas", is an elite road bicycle racing, road cycling stage race in Italy, run between the Tyrrhenian Sea, Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Sea, Adriatic coasts. Traditionally held in the early part of th ...
.
He then raced the
Milan–San Remo
Milan–Sanremo (in italian language, Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance ...
, where he finished with the same time as winner Filippo Pozzato but 24 places behind.
A week later, Cancellara lined up to start the
E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
E3 Saxo Bank Classic, previously known as E3 BinckBank Classic, E3 Harelbeke, Harelbeke–Antwerp–Harelbeke and E3-Prijs Vlaanderen, is an annual road cycling race in Flanders, Belgium. The race starts and finishes in Harelbeke, covering 203 ki ...
.
He figured into the early breakaway and led the race for a good distance before being caught and ultimately finishing in 37th place.
Up next for Cancellara was the
Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders () may refer to the following cycle races:
* Tour of Flanders (men's race)
The Tour of Flanders (), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race held in Belgium every spri ...
.
He finished sixth overall after being in the lead chase group that was in pursuit of the winner Tom Boonen and second-place finisher
Leif Hoste
Leif Hoste (born 17 July 1977) is a retired Belgian professional road racing cyclist, who last rode for UCI Professional Continental Team team . Born in Kortrijk, Hoste's career highlights included winning two stages and the overall title at ...
.
The next weekend, Cancellara rode his final
classic
A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of Masterpiece, lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or Literary merit, highest quality, class, or rank – something that Exemplification, exemplifies its ...
of the season in the
Paris–Roubaix
Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France, starting north of Paris and finishing in Roubaix, at the border with Belgium. It is one of cycling's oldest races, and is one of the 'Cycling monument, Monuments' ...
.
Cancellara was in the leading group of riders for most of the stage.
When the race reached the Carrefour de l'Arbre, he powered away from Vladimir Gusev and went on by himself to win the race itself.
On 9 April, he celebrated his first classic victory in his career.
His next victory came in the
stage one individual time trial at the
Volta a Catalunya
The Volta a Catalunya (; Tour of Catalonia, ) is a road bicycle race held annually in Catalonia, Spain.
It is one of three World Tour stage races in Spain, together with the Vuelta a España and the Tour of the Basque Country. The race has had ...
.
In late June, Cancellara won his third straight Swiss National Time Trial champion title.
He was not selected to ride with Team CSC at the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
.
Outside of repeating as time trial champion in June, Cancellara had a quiet June and July. Cancellara's next victories of the season came at the
Danmark Rundt. He won the
second stage and took the race lead after riding solo to victory.
He expanded his lead after winning the
stage fifth time trial by eighteen seconds over the second-placed finisher.
The next day, he won the race after completing the
final stage Final stage or The Final Stage may refer to:
* '' The Final Stage'', 1995 film directed by Frank Howson
* Fifth stage of a bill's passage through a legislative chamber
* In a multi-stage tournament:
** knockout stage
** playoffs
The playoffs, p ...
.
In addition to the race's general classification, he also won the youth classification.
Later that month, he rode the
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España (; ) is an annual stage race, multi-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Ital ...
and helped his team with the opening team time trial.
After the Vuelta, Canacellara competed in the
elite men's time trial and
road race at the
UCI Road World Championships
The UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organized by the (UCI). The UCI Road World Championships consist of events for road race and individual time trial, and , a UCI Road World Championships ...
.
On 21 September, Cancellara won the men's time trial event by over a minute to American
David Zabriskie and became the world champion of the time trial discipline.
Three days later, he finished the road race in 31st place.
2007: Success in summer and autumn

The early portion of Cancellara's 2007 campaign began with no victories to his credit. He started the
Tour of California and came closest to a stage win in
stage five time trial, where he finished in fourth place.
He finished in 119th place in the
Milan–San Remo
Milan–Sanremo (in italian language, Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance ...
, over six minutes behind the winner
Óscar Freire
Óscar Freire Gómez (born 15 February 1976) is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbe ...
.
The next week, Cancellara lined up to race the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen.
He missed out on the victory after Belgian rider Tom Boonen edged out Cancellara for the win.
Eight days later, Cancellara raced the
Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders () may refer to the following cycle races:
* Tour of Flanders (men's race)
The Tour of Flanders (), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race held in Belgium every spri ...
and came in 53rd place after his moves were not successful.
The last classic Cancellara raced in the 2007 season was the famed
Paris–Roubaix
Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France, starting north of Paris and finishing in Roubaix, at the border with Belgium. It is one of cycling's oldest races, and is one of the 'Cycling monument, Monuments' ...
, which he finished in 19th place.
After the slow start to the season, Cancellara began to achieve success in June. He rode the
Tour de Suisse
The Tour de Suisse () is an annual road cycling stage race. Raced over eight days, the event covers two weekends in June, and along with the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is considered a proving ground for the Tour de France, which is on the calend ...
and won the opening time trial, along with the final stage that was also a time trial.
With the opening stage victory in the Tour de Suisse, Cancellara led the race for a few stages before losing it to teammate
Fränk Schleck
Fränk René Schleck (born 15 April 1980) is a Luxembourgish former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 2003 and 2016, for and . Schleck is the older brother of Andy Schleck, Andy, winner of the 2010 Tour de France. ...
after stage four.
Cancellara continued his success in the time trial with a victory in the Swiss national time trial.
Cancellara won the
prologue
A prologue or prolog (from Ancient Greek πρόλογος ''prólogos'', from πρό ''pró'', "before" and λόγος ''lógos'', "speech") is an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier st ...
of the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
in London, defeating
Andreas Klöden
Andreas Klöden (born 22 June 1975) is a German former professional road bicycle racer, who competed as a professional between 1998 and 2013. His major achievements include a bronze medal at the 2000 Olympic Games and finishing second in the gene ...
of by thirteen seconds.
During
stage two, he was caught up in a very large crash which brought down an estimated thirty riders.
He crossed the finish line nursing his left hand but appeared to be fine during the yellow jersey presentation.
The next day, he won the
third stage
''Third Stage'' is the third studio album by the American rock band Boston, released on September 24, 1986, on MCA Records, as the band's first album on the label. It was recorded at Boston co-founder Tom Scholz's Hideaway Studio over a long, s ...
in Compiègne after he caught and overtook the breakaway group just from the finish line.
Cancellara held the yellow jersey until stage seven, the Tour's first mountain stage.
Cancellara returned to the
Road World Championships in September with the aims to defend his time trial crown.
He achieved his goal and won the
time trial
In many racing sports, an sportsperson, athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial (TT) against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athle ...
by 52 seconds over second-place finisher
László Bodrogi.
Three days later, Cancellara raced the
road race, but did not finish the course.
2008: Olympic champion
Cancellara won the prologue of the
Tour of California ahead of Olympic track gold medalist
Bradley Wiggins
Sir Bradley Marc Wiggins (born 28 April 1980) is a British former professional Road bicycle racing, road and track cycling, track racing cyclist, who competed professionally between 2001 and 2016. He began his cycling career on the track, but ...
in his first race of the season.
Two weeks later, he won the second edition of Italian
Monte Paschi Eroica ahead of Italian rider
Alessandro Ballan.
Cancellara then rode the
Tirreno–Adriatico
Tirreno–Adriatico, nicknamed the "Race of the Two Seas", is an elite road bicycle racing, road cycling stage race in Italy, run between the Tyrrhenian Sea, Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Sea, Adriatic coasts. Traditionally held in the early part of th ...
where he won stage five time trial to Recanati, which allowed him to take the race lead.
Cancellara would go on to win the race by sixteen seconds over the second place rider.
Just a few days later in the
Milan–San Remo
Milan–Sanremo (in italian language, Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance ...
classic
monument
A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...
race, Cancellara broke away from a leading group in the final kilometres to win the race, thus becoming just the second Swiss rider triumphant in this race, after
Erich Maechler
Erich Mächler (also spelled Maechler) (born 24 September 1960 in Hochdorf (Lucerne), Hochdorf) is a former professional Swiss cyclist. In the 1987 Tour de France, he wore the yellow jersey for 6 days. He was the Swiss National Road Race Champions ...
in 1987.
At
Paris–Roubaix
Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France, starting north of Paris and finishing in Roubaix, at the border with Belgium. It is one of cycling's oldest races, and is one of the 'Cycling monument, Monuments' ...
, Cancellara finished second after being out-sprinted by the winner Boonen.
In preparation for the second half of the season, Cancellara rode the Tour de Luxembourg and the
Tour de Suisse
The Tour de Suisse () is an annual road cycling stage race. Raced over eight days, the event covers two weekends in June, and along with the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is considered a proving ground for the Tour de France, which is on the calend ...
. Cancellara won the prologue of the Tour de Luxembourg and briefly held the overall lead because of the victory.
After finishing the Tour de Luxembourg, he started the Tour de Suisse where he saw great success.
Cancellara won the seventh and ninth stages through attacks in the closing kilometers of each stage.
In addition to the two stage wins, he also won the points classification.
Cancellara joined his team at the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
.
Cancellara proved to be a valuable asset to the squad as he helped his teammate
Carlos Sastre to overall victory at the Tour.
Cancellara was later awarded the stage win in the penultimate stage after the initial winner,
Stefan Schumacher, tested positive for
EPO.
In the
Olympic Road Race in Beijing, Cancellara was in a chasing group with around before he attacked and successfully bridged the gap to the leading group when was left to race.
The race then came down to a sprint finish that was won by the
Samuel Sánchez
Samuel "Samu" Sánchez González (born 5 February 1978) is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally in the sport between 2000 and 2017 for the and squads. He was the gold medal winner in the Cycling at the 2008 ...
, with
Davide Rebellin coming in second and Cancellara coming in third for a bronze medal.
However, later it was found that Rebellin had tested positive for
Continuous erythropoietin receptor activator (CERA, a third-generation form of erythropoietin) and his medal was removed by both the UCI and the IOC. Cancellara was subsequently promoted to second place, and the initial fourth-place finisher
Alexandr Kolobnev
Alexandr Vasilievich Kolobnev (; born 4 May 1981) is a Russian former professional road bicycle racer. His major victories include winning the 2007 Monte Paschi Eroica, a stage of the 2007 Paris–Nice and he is a two-time winner of the Russi ...
was promoted to third place. The riders did not initially receive new medals for their new placings.
On 18 December 2010, Cancellara received the same physical medal initially given to Rebellin, in a ceremony held in his hometown of
Ittigen
Ittigen is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.
The municipality was formed in 1983 when it and Ostermundigen were separated from territory once part of Bolligen.
History
Its ...
, Switzerland.
Cancellara's bronze was then given to Kolobnev.
Four days after racing the road race, Cancellara raced the
time trial event.
He won the gold medal by winning the race by over thirty seconds to Swedish rider
Gustav Larsson
Gustav Erik Larsson (born 20 September 1980) is a Swedish former professional road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2001 and 2016 for nine different teams. Larsson specialised as a time trialist, winning the Swedish National Tim ...
.
After finishing with the Olympics, Cancellara decided not to defend his
world time trial title in
Varese
Varese ( , ; or ; ; ; archaic ) is a city and ''comune'' in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, north-west of Milan. The population of Varese in 2018 was 80,559.
It is the capital of the Province of Varese. The hinterland or exurban part ...
due to mental fatigue. For his successes on the road in the 2008 season, Cancellara was named the Swiss Male Athlete of the Year at the
Credit Suisse
Credit Suisse Group AG (, ) was a global Investment banking, investment bank and financial services firm founded and based in Switzerland. According to UBS, eventually Credit Suisse was to be fully integrated into UBS. While the integration ...
Sports Awards on 6 December 2008.
2009: Domination in the time trial
Cancellara's first victory of the 2009 season came in the
prologue
A prologue or prolog (from Ancient Greek πρόλογος ''prólogos'', from πρό ''pró'', "before" and λόγος ''lógos'', "speech") is an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier st ...
of the
Tour of California.
This was his second victory in a row in the prologue at the Tour of California.
Cancellara then returned to the
Tirreno–Adriatico
Tirreno–Adriatico, nicknamed the "Race of the Two Seas", is an elite road bicycle racing, road cycling stage race in Italy, run between the Tyrrhenian Sea, Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Sea, Adriatic coasts. Traditionally held in the early part of th ...
, but an injury prevented his efforts to repeat as winner of the event.
Cancellara did not finish the sixth stage of the race; he left the event without winning a single stage.
Poor performance marred the early portion of the season for Cancellara as he achieved no success in the early season classics; he did not finish the
Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders () may refer to the following cycle races:
* Tour of Flanders (men's race)
The Tour of Flanders (), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race held in Belgium every spri ...
after suffering problem with his bike chain early in the race, on the
Koppenberg, and he finished 49th overall in the
Paris–Roubaix
Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France, starting north of Paris and finishing in Roubaix, at the border with Belgium. It is one of cycling's oldest races, and is one of the 'Cycling monument, Monuments' ...
.
Cancellara began to achieve success in June, during the
Tour de Suisse
The Tour de Suisse () is an annual road cycling stage race. Raced over eight days, the event covers two weekends in June, and along with the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is considered a proving ground for the Tour de France, which is on the calend ...
. He won the
opening time trial of the race and the time trial on
stage nine en route to his overall victory.
In addition to the general classification, he also won the secondary points classification of the Tour de Suisse.
A week after finishing the Tour de Suisse, he won his first Swiss national road racing crown on 28 June after outsprinting
Mathias Frank at the line. He continued to win in July, as he won the opening stage of the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
and took the first
yellow jersey
The general classification of the Tour de France is the most important classification of the race and determines the winner of the race. Since 1919, the leader of the general classification has worn the yellow jersey ( ).
History
For the first t ...
of the race.
He then successfully defended the lead until the seventh stage, when he was unable to bridge the gap to the leaders on the
Arcalis mountain-top finish.
Cancellara's next victories season came at the
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España (; ) is an annual stage race, multi-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Ital ...
. He won the
opening time trial and then held the lead of the race until the race's fourth stage.
Cancellara briefly regained the lead of the race after winning the time trial on
stage seven, but he lost the lead after the
next stage's conclusion.
The
Road World Championships took place in Cancellara's native country Switzerland and he stated that he wished to win both events.
Cancellara dominated the
time trial
In many racing sports, an sportsperson, athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial (TT) against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athle ...
event and won by a margin of close a minute and a half over the second-place finisher.
This was Cancellara's third world championship in the time trial discipline, which was tied for most ever with Australia's Michael Rogers.
Cancellara's next goal was the
road race, which was to take place three days later.
During the final lap of the race, Cancellara crossed the gap to the race's leading group that had just formed.
At the bottom of the final climb
Cadel Evans (Australia) attacked, but no other riders reacted.
Cancellara crossed the line in fifth.
2010: Victories abound
Fabian Cancellara kicked off his 2010 campaign with an overall victory at the
Tour of Oman.
He gained the lead after the race's final stage and won the race without winning a single stage.
In late March, Cancellara won the
E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
E3 Saxo Bank Classic, previously known as E3 BinckBank Classic, E3 Harelbeke, Harelbeke–Antwerp–Harelbeke and E3-Prijs Vlaanderen, is an annual road cycling race in Flanders, Belgium. The race starts and finishes in Harelbeke, covering 203 ki ...
after riding away from Boonen and
Juan Antonio Flecha
Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (born 17 September 1977) is an Argentina, Argentine-born Spanish former professional road bicycle racer, who competed as a professional between 2000 and 2013. Flecha had a reputation of being a Classic cycle races, C ...
with about remaining in the race.
On 4 April he raced the famed
Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders () may refer to the following cycle races:
* Tour of Flanders (men's race)
The Tour of Flanders (), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race held in Belgium every spri ...
.
Cancellara first attacked in the race on the Molenberg with about remaining in the race and only Boonen was able to mark his efforts.
Cancellara's second major attack took place on the steepest part of the
Muur van Geraardsbergen
The Muur van Geraardsbergen ( English: ''Wall of Geraardsbergen/Grammont'', French: ''Mur de Grammont'') is a steep, narrow road with cobblestones in Geraardsbergen, Belgium. It is also known as Kapelmuur, Muur-Kapelmuur or simply Muur. The h ...
.
The attack proved successful as he was able to drop Boonen and solo on to the victory.
By winning the Tour of Flanders, he became the twelfth cyclist to win the opening three monuments of the cycling year –
Milan–San Remo
Milan–Sanremo (in italian language, Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance ...
, Tour of Flanders, and the
Paris–Roubaix
Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France, starting north of Paris and finishing in Roubaix, at the border with Belgium. It is one of cycling's oldest races, and is one of the 'Cycling monument, Monuments' ...
– in a career.
After winning the Tour of Flanders, Cancellara stated that he wished to win the other two cycling monuments: the
Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Liège–Bastogne–Liège , also known as ''La Doyenne'' ("The Old Lady"), is a one-day classic cycling race in Belgium.Cycling Weekly, UK, 13 March 1993 First run in 1892, it is the oldest of the five ''Cycling monument, Monuments'' of the Eur ...
and the
Giro di Lombardia
The Giro di Lombardia (), officially ''Il Lombardia'', is a cycling race in Lombardy, Italy. It is traditionally the last of the five 'Cycling monument, Monuments' of the season, considered to be one of the most prestigious one-day events in cycli ...
.
Just a week after his victory at the Tour of Flanders, Cancellara raced the
Paris–Roubaix
Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France, starting north of Paris and finishing in Roubaix, at the border with Belgium. It is one of cycling's oldest races, and is one of the 'Cycling monument, Monuments' ...
.
Cancellara made a move during the Mons-en-Pévèle portion of the race with more than to go in the race and no one was able to match his efforts.
Cancellara then rode solo all the way to the finish in the
Roubaix Velodrome and finished two minutes ahead the second-place finisher Thor Hushovd.
After winning the Roubaix, Cancellara decided to skip the rest of the classics to race the
Tour of California as part of his warm up for the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
.
He completed the Tour of California without winning a single stage.
Cancellara's next victory came at the
Tour de Suisse
The Tour de Suisse () is an annual road cycling stage race. Raced over eight days, the event covers two weekends in June, and along with the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is considered a proving ground for the Tour de France, which is on the calend ...
where he won the prologue, which was an individual time trial around the city of Lugano.
Cancellara came close to another stage win in the stage nine individual time trial, but fell short by seventeen seconds.
Next, Cancellara won the
prologue
A prologue or prolog (from Ancient Greek πρόλογος ''prólogos'', from πρό ''pró'', "before" and λόγος ''lógos'', "speech") is an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier st ...
of the Tour de France.
He then held the lead until the
second stage came to an end, after stage winner
Sylvain Chavanel took it away.
However, Cancellara regained the lead the after the next day and held it until
stage seven when Chavanel again took the lead.
Later in the Tour, Cancellara won the
stage nineteen individual time trial that stretched from Bordeaux to Pauillac by seventeen seconds over German rider
Tony Martin.
The
Road World Championships took place in Melbourne and Cancellara returned to the event to defend his title as world champion of the time trial discipline.
He won the
time trial
In many racing sports, an sportsperson, athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial (TT) against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athle ...
by over a minute to the second-place finisher and in doing so, he became the first four-time men's world champion of the time trial.
Four days later, he competed in the
road race and finished 50th overall.
Allegation of 'mechanical doping'
In 2010, former cyclist
Davide Cassani claimed in a
YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
video that Fabian Cancellara had used a
motorized bike during his victories at the Tour of Flanders and the Paris–Roubaix that year.
In the video, Cassani showed a normal road bike on a stand and after he pressed a button, the pedals began to rotate.
Cassani then alleged that a motor could easily be stowed in the seattube of the bike and the button to turn it on would be located on the handlebars.
In the YouTube video, Cassani showed clips of Cancellara at the two races allegedly "turning on" the motor while riding and showing the drastic increase in speed.
The claims caught steam since rumors were already going around about riders possibly using the new motor, the Gruber Assist, which could produce 100 Watts of power to aid the rider.
Critics of the motor-theory often say that the Gruber Assist was way too noisy at that time and in solo ride or a smaller group it could have surely been heard when turned on.
The
Union Cycliste Internationale
The Union Cycliste Internationale (; UCI; ) is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland.
The UCI issues racing licenses to riders and enforces di ...
(UCI) stated that whilst they are not investigating any specific teams or riders, it would review the need for a new bicycle inspection system to detect such cheating.
Then UCI stated that there was no case against Cancellara after the claims gained prominence.
Cancellara dismissed Cassani's claims saying that they were "stupid" and far too risky to do.
He even told the Belgian newspaper ''
Het Nieuwsblad
(; ) is a Flemish newspaper that mainly focusses on "a broad view" regarding politics, culture, economics, lifestyle, society and sports.
History and profile
In 1929, was published by for the first time. In 1939, the sports paper ''Spo ...
'' that he had "never had batteries on
isbike."
During an April 2017 press conference, just before his final Ronde van Vlaanderen,
Tom Boonen
Tom Boonen (; born 15 October 1980) is a Belgian former road bicycle racer, who competed as a professional between 2002 and 2017 for the and teams and a professional racing driver who currently competes in Belcar, having previously competed in ...
was asked if it was always the strongest rider who wins the Tour of Flanders.
"Yes, most of the time", he said. "In every race like that, it is not always the strongest that wins, but most of the time it is. In Flanders, I can't really recall one year... Well, I can recall one year..."
When asked what year he was referring to, Boonen smiled and replied "No comment".
On 6 April, two days before the 2018 Paris–Roubaix, Samuël Grulois of Radio Télévision Belge Francophone (RTBF) asked Boonen if he believed Cancellara had used a motor to beat him in 2010: "Did Cancellara steal the 2010 Flanders due to a motor? Is there any doubt?" Boonen replied "Yes", and added "But it's not for me to say. I finished second, and it's not the one in second who has to say the situation is not normal. It's very difficult to prove because we do not have the bike to check. It's too late".
2011: Close, but no victories
This was Cancellara's first year with his new team , which lacked the high caliber domestiques that Cancellara had in the past, meaning that winning would be tougher for Cancellara. His first major race of the year was the
Tirreno–Adriatico
Tirreno–Adriatico, nicknamed the "Race of the Two Seas", is an elite road bicycle racing, road cycling stage race in Italy, run between the Tyrrhenian Sea, Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Sea, Adriatic coasts. Traditionally held in the early part of th ...
, where he won the race's final stage which was an individual time trial.
Cancellara came to the
Milan–San Remo
Milan–Sanremo (in italian language, Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance ...
with the hopes of winning the race a second time.
He positioned himself in an eight-man breakaway that made it all the way to the finish.
As the group approached the finish line, Cancellara was bested in the sprint for the line by Australian
Matthew Goss
Matthew Harley Goss (born 5 November 1986) is a former Australian professional road and track racing cyclist, his final professional team before retirement was the UCI Professional Continental team . He first competed in track cycling before ...
and Cancellara crossed the line in second.

Cancellara was seen as the favorite or top contender for the next three one day races – the
E3 Prijs Vlaanderen–Harelbeke,
the
Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders () may refer to the following cycle races:
* Tour of Flanders (men's race)
The Tour of Flanders (), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race held in Belgium every spri ...
,
and the
Paris–Roubaix
Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France, starting north of Paris and finishing in Roubaix, at the border with Belgium. It is one of cycling's oldest races, and is one of the 'Cycling monument, Monuments' ...
– due to his great performance in the 2010 season and his good form in the early portion of the 2011 season. He lived up to his expectations and won the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen – Harelbeke after having several flat tires and a few bike changes, he launched a solo attack with and rode by himself to the finish line for the victory.
The next weekend, Cancellara began the Tour of Flanders.
He launched an attack with about left to go in the race and caught up with the leader Sylvain Chavanel; however, Cancellara cracked after Chavanel did not help with the pacing and the two were picked up by a chasing group on the Muur van Geraardsbergen.
With left in the race, Cancellara launched two attacks.
His first attack was marked by the whole group, while his second attack could only be matched by Chavanel and
Nick Nuyens.
The three rode into the finish together, with Nuyens taking the win, Chavanel second, and Cancellara third.
The Paris–Roubaix was next on the calendar for Cancellara.
Cancellara finished in second place after a crash hurt him early on, as did being a member of a chasing group that did not work with him to catch the leading riders.
On 1 June, Cancellara began the
Tour de Luxembourg
The Tour de Luxembourg is an annual stage race in professional road bicycle racing held in Luxembourg. The Tour de Luxembourg is classified as a UCI race classifications, 2.Pro race, the highest rating below the UCI World Tour, World Tour, by the ...
.
He won the prologue and was the first to wear the race leader's yellow jersey.
He then held the lead until the second stage came to a close when stage winner
Linus Gerdemann
Linus Gerdemann (born 16 September 1982) is a German former professional road bicycle racer, who won a stage in the 2007 Tour de France and led the general classification in the Tour de France, general classification for two days, wearing the yell ...
took the lead away from him.
Cancellara then raced the
Tour de Suisse
The Tour de Suisse () is an annual road cycling stage race. Raced over eight days, the event covers two weekends in June, and along with the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is considered a proving ground for the Tour de France, which is on the calend ...
and won the opening and closing stages of the race, which were both individual time trials.
He then closed out June by winning the Swiss National Road Race after he out-sprinted
Steve Morabito for the win, which was his second Swiss National Road Race title.
Cancellara entered the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
in July, but was unable to come away with a victory in either the
team time trial
A team time trial (TTT) is a road bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock (see individual time trial for a more detailed description of ITT events).
The winning team in a TTT is determined by the comparing the times of ...
or the lone
individual time trial
An individual time trial (ITT) is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock (in French: ''contre la montre'' – literally "against the watch", in Italian: ''tappa a cronometro'' "stopwatch stage"). There are also trac ...
.
Up next for Cancellara was the
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España (; ) is an annual stage race, multi-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Ital ...
, where he helped his team achieve victory in the
stage one's team time trial.
Cancellara's final events for the 2011 season were the
road race and the
time trial
In many racing sports, an sportsperson, athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial (TT) against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athle ...
at the
Road World Championships. Cancellara came with the hopes of winning a third consecutive time trial world crown; however, he would finish in third place after the winner Martin and runner-up Wiggins.
Four days later, Cancellara lined up to race the road race.
The race came down to a sprint finish that was won by
Mark Cavendish
Sir Mark Simon Cavendish (born 21 May 1985) is a Manx people, Manx retired professional cyclist. As a Track cycling, track cyclist he specialised in the Madison (cycling), madison, points race, and scratch race disciplines; as a road racer he ...
; Cancellara barely missed a medal after finishing in fourth place.
2012: An injury-ridden season
In the first races of the 2012 season, Cancellara showed a good form: he powered to a second victory on the gravel roads of the
Strade Bianche
The Strade Bianche (; ) is a road bicycle race in Tuscany, Central Italy, starting and finishing in Siena. First held in 2007, it is raced annually on the first or second Saturday of March. The name stems from the historic white gravel roads in ...
and took a victory in the closing time trial of the
Tirreno–Adriatico
Tirreno–Adriatico, nicknamed the "Race of the Two Seas", is an elite road bicycle racing, road cycling stage race in Italy, run between the Tyrrhenian Sea, Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Sea, Adriatic coasts. Traditionally held in the early part of th ...
. In the final of the first monument of the year,
Milan–San Remo
Milan–Sanremo (in italian language, Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance ...
, he was the strongest rider during the descent of the
Poggio, but was outsprinted for victory by
Simon Gerrans.
He was in great form for the Belgian spring classics, but a fall and material malfunction kept him from playing a part in the final of both the
E3 Harelbeke and
Gent–Wevelgem
Gent–Wevelgem, officially Gent–Wevelgem – In Flanders Fields, is a road bicycle racing, road cycling race in Belgium, held annually since 1934. It is one of the classic cycle races, classic races part of the Flemish Cycling Week, run in late ...
. Cancellara was one of the favourites to win the renewed
Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders () may refer to the following cycle races:
* Tour of Flanders (men's race)
The Tour of Flanders (), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race held in Belgium every spri ...
but played no part in the final due to a crash in the feed zone. It was caused by a discarded water bottle. He suffered a four-part fracture of the right collarbone which ruined his spring campaign.
He came back to competition on 10 June in his homeland, racing in the
Tour de Suisse
The Tour de Suisse () is an annual road cycling stage race. Raced over eight days, the event covers two weekends in June, and along with the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is considered a proving ground for the Tour de France, which is on the calend ...
. Cancellara stated that he was nervous before the start of the prologue, which he finished in second position, four seconds behind the winner, 's
Peter Sagan
Peter Sagan (; born 26 January 1990) is a Slovak former professional cyclist who competed in road bicycle racing and mountain bicycle racing. Sagan had a successful junior cyclo-cross and mountain bike racing career, winning the junior cross-c ...
.
In the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
, Cancellara won the opening-day prologue in Liège; his fifth such victory in the Tour. After his fifth day in the yellow jersey in the race, Cancellara broke
René Vietto's longstanding record as the rider with the most career yellow jerseys who has not won the Tour overall. He subsequently lost the jersey to Wiggins of after conceding almost two minutes on the
seventh stage, which finished on top of a steep Category 1 climb leading to Planche des Belles Filles. He withdrew from the Tour after the eleventh stage to return home to support his wife before the birth of their second child.
Cancellara returned to compete in the
road race at the
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...
. He was the leading rider of a massive breakaway when he badly negotiated a right turn with about to cover and fell heavily on his right shoulder. He completed the race, finishing approximately five minutes after the winner, the
Kazakh Alexander Vinokourov, but was in obvious pain and could not hold his handlebar properly with his right hand. As he crossed the line, he was in tears and was sent to the hospital where it was revealed that he did not suffer any fractures. Two days after the incident, it was announced that he would be able to defend his
Olympic Time Trial title, an event he subsequently finished in seventh. In August, Cancellara announced that he was putting an end to his 2012 season. He required further surgery on his collarbone to get the stabilizing vises out of his body.
2013: Return to form
Cancellara began the 2013 campaign with the
Tour of Qatar and the
Tour of Oman, but failed to collect any victories.
After finishing the aforementioned tours, he raced the
Strade Bianche
The Strade Bianche (; ) is a road bicycle race in Tuscany, Central Italy, starting and finishing in Siena. First held in 2007, it is raced annually on the first or second Saturday of March. The name stems from the historic white gravel roads in ...
and finished in fourth place.
Next, Cancellara raced the
Tirreno–Adriatico
Tirreno–Adriatico, nicknamed the "Race of the Two Seas", is an elite road bicycle racing, road cycling stage race in Italy, run between the Tyrrhenian Sea, Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Sea, Adriatic coasts. Traditionally held in the early part of th ...
.
He came close to a stage victory in the race's
stage seven individual time trial, but missed the win by twelve seconds.
Just five days later, Cancellara lined up at the
Milan–San Remo
Milan–Sanremo (in italian language, Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance ...
,
where he was considered by many as a favorite to win the race. The race was marred by poor weather conditions, but Cancellara remained near the front and managed to place third overall after losing out in the sprint for the finish line.

His first win of the year came in
E3 Harelbeke, after an attack on
Oude Kwaremont
The Oude Kwaremont ( English: ''Old Kwaremont'') is a road in Kluisbergen, a municipality in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The Oude Kwaremont, contrary to popular belief, is not the name of a hill, but the name of one of the cobbled ro ...
, with remaining of the race.
His victory at E3 Harelbeke solidified him as a contender for the upcoming
Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders () may refer to the following cycle races:
* Tour of Flanders (men's race)
The Tour of Flanders (), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race held in Belgium every spri ...
.
On the last lap of the Tour of Flanders, Cancellara attacked on Oude Kwaremont and only Peter Sagan was able to match Cancellara's move.
Together, the two rode to the last remaining escapee in the front of the race.
Cancellara then attacked on the
Paterberg hill with about remaining.
Cancellara's attack was successful and he powered on solo into the finish and won his second Tour of Flanders.
After the Tour of Flanders, Cancellara started in the
Scheldeprijs in Belgium.
During the race, he crashed after but finished the race.
The next day, Cancellara fell while riding on the Waindignies-Hamage cobbled sector of the
Paris–Roubaix
Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France, starting north of Paris and finishing in Roubaix, at the border with Belgium. It is one of cycling's oldest races, and is one of the 'Cycling monument, Monuments' ...
.
Despite the crashes, many still considered Fabian Cancellara the favorite to win the Paris–Roubaix.
During the Paris–Roubaix on 7 April, Cancellara was attacked multiple times by his competitors, but managed to counter all their attacks.
With about to go, Cancellara made a move that only
Sep Vanmarcke
Sep Vanmarcke (born 27 July 1988) is a Belgian former professional road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2008 and 2023 for , , , (over two spells), and , before being forced to retire from the sport for medical reasons. During his ...
and
Zdeněk Štybar could follow.
Štybar was dropped after colliding with a spectator, leaving Cancellara and Vanmarcke to ride to the finish.
Cancellara outsprinted Vanmarcke at the finish on the
Roubaix
Roubaix ( , ; ; ; ) is a city in northern France, located in the Lille metropolitan area on the Belgian border. It is a historically mono-industrial Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, depar ...
velodome to claim his third Paris–Roubaix win.
After the race, Cancellara stated that he would enter neither the
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
or the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
, but instead ride the
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España (; ) is an annual stage race, multi-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Ital ...
in order to prepare for the
UCI Road World Championships
The UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organized by the (UCI). The UCI Road World Championships consist of events for road race and individual time trial, and , a UCI Road World Championships ...
.
On 7 June 2013 it was announced that Cancellara would ride the
Tour of Austria
The Tour of Austria () is a stage race, stage cycling race held in Austria. From 1949 to 1995 it was a race for amateur cyclists, turning into a professional event in 1996. In 2005 and 2006 it was organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour ...
.
The next race he started was the
Tour de Suisse
The Tour de Suisse () is an annual road cycling stage race. Raced over eight days, the event covers two weekends in June, and along with the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is considered a proving ground for the Tour de France, which is on the calend ...
.
Cancellara placed sixteenth overall in the
stage 1 individual time trial.
Although he did not win a stage, Cancellara expressed his excitement for his teammate Grégory Rast's victory in the race's
sixth stage.
Days after finishing the Tour de Suisse, Cancellara entered and won the men's time trial event at the Swiss Road Championships for the eighth time in his career. It was announced on 1 July 2013 that Cancellara signed a three-year deal with Trek, effective on 1 January 2014 and up to and including the 2016 season.
After a short hiatus from racing, Cancellara lined up for the Tour of Austria on 30 June. He won the
stage 7 individual time trial by a margin of 22 seconds over the second-place finisher,
before completing the race the next day.
On Friday 26 July, Cancellara attended the formal team presentation
Tour de Pologne
The Tour de Pologne (; ), officially abbreviated TdP, is an annual, professional men's Race stage, multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race primarily held in Poland. It consists of seven or eight stages and is usually around 1,200 km ...
.
The next day, he finished over sixteen minutes behind the stage winner in the
first leg of the race.
He finished second on
stage seven's time trial, 56 seconds behind stage winner Bradley Wiggins.
Cancellara went in hoping to win the time trial, and the second-place finish on the stage left him disappointed.
Cancellara entered the Vuelta a España and helped assist RadioShack-Leopard to a second-place finish in the race's
opening team time trial. He won the
stage eleven individual time trial by a margin of 37 seconds over reigning world champion Tony Martin. Cancellara then rode in support of team leader and eventual Vuelta winner
Chris Horner
Christopher Brandon Horner (born October 23, 1971) is an American retired professional Road bicycle racing, road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 1996 and 2019.
A current resident of Bend, Oregon, Horner dominated the American ro ...
until the seventeenth stage, after which he left the race in order to focus on the World Championships. Cancellara was seen as a contender for the gold medal in both the men's
time trial
In many racing sports, an sportsperson, athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial (TT) against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athle ...
and
road race events at the UCI Road World Championships. Cancellara finished the time trial in third position, 48 seconds behind the winner Tony Martin, earning a bronze medal. Four days after completing the time trial event, Cancellara entered the Elite Men's road race.
For most of the race, Cancellara stayed near the front of race,
before being dropped however on the final climb of the day and fighting his way to tenth place.
In late December, RadioShack-Leopard's general manager Luca Guercilena announced that Fabian Cancellara would attempt to break the
hour record
The hour record is the record for the longest distance cycled in one hour on a bicycle from a stationary start. Cyclists attempt this record alone on the track without other competitors present. It is considered one of the most prestigious record ...
during the 2014 season.
2014: Third Tour of Flanders victory
Fabian Cancellara began the 2014 cycling season by competing in the inaugural
Dubai Tour.
The first stage of the race was a brief individual time trial which Cancellara managed to complete 25 seconds slower than the stage winner
Taylor Phinney
Taylor Carpenter-Phinney (born June 27, 1990) is an American retired professional road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2009 and 2019 for the , and teams. Phinney specialized in time trials on the road as well as the individual ...
.
Cancellara managed to hold his fifth place overall to the race's finish that ended in front of the
Burj Khalifa
The Burj Khalifa (known as the Burj Dubai prior to its inauguration) is a megatall skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With a total height of 829.8 m (2,722 ft, or just over half a mile) and a roof height (excluding the antenna, but inc ...
in
Dubai
Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
.
Next, Cancellara began the
Tour of Qatar,
where his highest stage finish, fourth place, came during the race's third stage, an individual time trial.
He finished the race in 67th overall in the general classification.
On 18 February, Cancellara started the Tour of Oman.
Five days later, he completed the race in thirty-first place overall.
Cancellara then entered the
Strade Bianche
The Strade Bianche (; ) is a road bicycle race in Tuscany, Central Italy, starting and finishing in Siena. First held in 2007, it is raced annually on the first or second Saturday of March. The name stems from the historic white gravel roads in ...
,
where he finished in sixth place behind winner
Michał Kwiatkowski.
On 12 March he started the
Tirreno–Adriatico
Tirreno–Adriatico, nicknamed the "Race of the Two Seas", is an elite road bicycle racing, road cycling stage race in Italy, run between the Tyrrhenian Sea, Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Sea, Adriatic coasts. Traditionally held in the early part of th ...
.
Cancellara had one top ten result with his second-place finish in the
stage seven individual time trial.
Next on the calendar for Cancellara was the
Milan–San Remo
Milan–Sanremo (in italian language, Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance ...
which took place on 23 March.
The one-day race came down to a bunch sprint after of racing.
Norwegian
Alexander Kristoff won the bunch sprint and the race, while Cancellara finished in second position.
Five days later, he competed in the
E3 Harelbeke where he finished in ninth place after being caught up behind a crash and having to change a tire.
Two days later, he started the
Gent–Wevelgem
Gent–Wevelgem, officially Gent–Wevelgem – In Flanders Fields, is a road bicycle racing, road cycling race in Belgium, held annually since 1934. It is one of the classic cycle races, classic races part of the Flemish Cycling Week, run in late ...
.
Cancellara came to the race a favorite, but his goal of winning the race were erased when it came down to a field sprint, where he finished in thirty-eighth position.
A week after the Gent–Wevelgem, Cancellara raced the
Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders () may refer to the following cycle races:
* Tour of Flanders (men's race)
The Tour of Flanders (), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race held in Belgium every spri ...
.
On the penultimate climb of the day, the Oude Kwaremont, Cancellara attacked and only Sep Vanmarcke was able to mark his move.
The pair traveled along the course and caught the leaders on the road and the group of four then rode into the finish together.
Cancellara out-sprinted the three other riders to win his third edition of the Tour of Flanders.
Three days later, Cancellara raced in the Scheldeprijs.
Four days following the Scheldeprijs, Cancellara began the
Paris–Roubaix
Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France, starting north of Paris and finishing in Roubaix, at the border with Belgium. It is one of cycling's oldest races, and is one of the 'Cycling monument, Monuments' ...
.
He made a move in the Carrefour de l'Arbre sector and which led to the formation of a lead group.
The group came to the line twenty seconds after the winner, with Cancellara managing to sprint to a third-place finish.
In September, Cancellara announced he would not compete in the World Championship Time Trial event, concentrating his energy for the road race which profile he said suited him. He withdrew from the
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España (; ) is an annual stage race, multi-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Ital ...
before Stage 18 to better prepare for this race.
2015: Crashes and injuries
Cancellara's 2015 campaign started strong with a victory on Stage 2 of the
Tour of Oman. He outsprinted a leading ten-man group to take the honours. In the Italian race
Tirreno–Adriatico
Tirreno–Adriatico, nicknamed the "Race of the Two Seas", is an elite road bicycle racing, road cycling stage race in Italy, run between the Tyrrhenian Sea, Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Sea, Adriatic coasts. Traditionally held in the early part of th ...
, he had a good prologue, taking second place behind
Adriano Malori by a single second. He went on to win the final 10 km time trial of the race. In
Milan–San Remo
Milan–Sanremo (in italian language, Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance ...
, Cancellara was in the leading group, sprinting to seventh place. The following week, Cancellara crashed badly in
E3 Harelbeke, suffering two minor fractures in the transverse processes of his lower vertebrae. His injuries prevented him from defending his Tour of Flanders title, thereby ending his spring classics campaign. He came back at the
Tour des Fjords in late May without registering a significant result. On home soil at the
Tour de Suisse
The Tour de Suisse () is an annual road cycling stage race. Raced over eight days, the event covers two weekends in June, and along with the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is considered a proving ground for the Tour de France, which is on the calend ...
, he was second in the opening prologue and third in the final individual time trial, both times behind new time trial star
Tom Dumoulin
Tom Dumoulin (; born 11 November 1990) is a retired Dutch professional road bicycle racer who last rode for UCI WorldTeam . He has won the Giro d'Italia and nine stages across the three Grand Tours, five medals in three different World Champion ...
.
In the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
, Cancellara came in third of stage one's individual time trial. On the second stage, he was donned the yellow jersey thanks to a third place, which gave him four bonus seconds. He was involved in a mass pile-up on the third stage, and finished the race slowly. After a visit to the hospital, it was revealed that he had suffered two transverse process fractures in two vertebrae in his lower back and he had to abandon.
He restarted competition at the
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España (; ) is an annual stage race, multi-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Ital ...
, aiming to regain his form for the world championships. A lingering
stomach ailment forced him to abandon the race on stage 3, ruling him out of competition for the
world championships
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...
in
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, a city in the United States
* Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...
. On 11 November 2015, having suffered a season rife with serious injuries and illness, Cancellara announced that he would retire at the end of the 2016 season.
2016: Final season
Entering his last season as a professional, he started with a win in the Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana, part of the
Vuelta a Mallorca
The Challenge Vuelta Ciclista a Mallorca (, ) is a series of four (five until 2012) professional one day road bicycle races held on the Spanish island of Mallorca in late January or early February. The event is used as an early season preparato ...
, in late January. Two weeks later, he won the time trial in the
Volta ao Algarve
Volta may refer to:
Persons
* Alessandro Volta (1745–1827), Italian physicist and inventor of the electric battery, count and eponym of the volt
* Giovanni Volta (1928–2012), Italian Roman Catholic bishop
* Giovanni Serafino Volta (1764–1 ...
, ahead of Tony Martin. In early March he claimed his third early-season win in the
Strade Bianche
The Strade Bianche (; ) is a road bicycle race in Tuscany, Central Italy, starting and finishing in Siena. First held in 2007, it is raced annually on the first or second Saturday of March. The name stems from the historic white gravel roads in ...
– his third victory in the Tuscan race,
earning him a sector of the race's
gravel roads to be named in his honour. He won the final stage of
Tirreno–Adriatico
Tirreno–Adriatico, nicknamed the "Race of the Two Seas", is an elite road bicycle racing, road cycling stage race in Italy, run between the Tyrrhenian Sea, Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Sea, Adriatic coasts. Traditionally held in the early part of th ...
, his sixth ''Tirreno'' time trial stage win, before entering
Milan–San Remo
Milan–Sanremo (in italian language, Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance ...
.
At the
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...
in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
, Fabian Cancellara won his third Olympic medal, winning gold in the
time trial
In many racing sports, an sportsperson, athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial (TT) against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athle ...
, ahead of Tom Dumoulin and
Chris Froome.
Fabian Cancellara raced his final professional road race, the
Japan Cup
The is one of the most prestigious horse races in Japan. It is contested on the last Sunday of November, post time of 15:40 at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters (about miles) run under weight for age conditions with ...
criterium, on 22 October 2016.
Personal life
Fabian Cancellara was born to southern Italian parents, who lived in Wohlen bei Bern, Switzerland.
His first sport was cross-country skiing, before he adopted cycling as his main pursuit.
He married his wife Stefanie in 2006,
and later in the same year he became a father after Stefanie gave birth to a baby girl,
whom they named Giuliana.
Their second daughter, Elina, was born on 13 July 2012.
The family now resides in Bern, Switzerland.
Cancellara speaks Italian, French, English, and German fluently.
Career achievements
References
External links
*
*
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*
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*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cancellara, Fabian
1981 births
Living people
People from Bern-Mittelland District
Swiss people of Italian descent
Swiss male cyclists
Swiss Tour de France stage winners
Tour de France prologue winners
Swiss Vuelta a España stage winners
Olympic cyclists for Switzerland
Cyclists at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Cyclists at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Cyclists at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Cyclists at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Olympic gold medalists for Switzerland
Olympic silver medalists for Switzerland
UCI Road World Champions (elite men)
Tour de Suisse stage winners
Olympic gold medalists in cycling
Danmark Rundt winners
Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics
2012 Tour de France stage winners
2010 Tour de France stage winners
Cyclists from the canton of Bern
Olympic silver medalists in cycling
21st-century Swiss sportsmen