Alessandro Ballan
 Ballan at the 2017 Milan–San Remo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alessandro Ballan | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | Bontempino | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 6 November 1979 Castelfranco Veneto, Italy | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 68 kg (150 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current team | Retired | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Road | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Rider | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rider type | Classics specialist | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Professional teams | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2009 | Lampre | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2014 | BMC Racing Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Major wins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Grand Tours
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Medal record
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Alessandro Ballan (born 6 November 1979 in Castelfranco Veneto, Veneto) is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer who most recently rode for UCI World Tour team BMC Racing Team. He is best known for winning the World Road Race Championships, in 2008.[1] Although he possessed a frame that was usually more associated with climbing,[citation needed] Ballan established himself as a leading spring classics contender. His nickname, Bontempino, is a diminutive reference to Guido Bontempi, to whom he bears a resemblance.[2]
Career
[edit]Ballan turned professional in 2004 with the Lampre team. Despite a decent amateur career, Ballan was not sought after by professional teams, and required a little bit of help to secure a professional contract.[2] In his first season, Ballan worked as a domestique for Romāns Vainšteins and Gianluca Bortolami.
2005
[edit]In 2005, Ballan was given the opportunity to aim for high placings in the spring classics and achieved a stage victory and second overall in the Three Days of De Panne,[3] along with sixth place in the Tour of Flanders,[4] having attacked the leading group with 37 km to go. Later in the season, he achieved his first ProTour victory in taking stage 4 of the Eneco Tour of Benelux.[5]
2006
[edit]In 2006, Ballan started his spring classics campaign as a highly rated contender, given his performances in 2005 and his success in the warm-up races in winning the Trofeo Laigueglia,[6] a second place to Tom Boonen in the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen[7] and third overall at the Tirreno–Adriatico.[8] Ballan was a leading protagonist in the classics: he took fifth at the Tour of Flanders[9] and followed this with third at Paris–Roubaix, following the disqualifications of Peter Van Petegem, Vladimir Gusev and Leif Hoste.[10] Later in the season, Ballan further proved his talent with a second placing in stage 12 of the Tour de France[11] and a third place overall in the Tour de Pologne.[12] Ballan finished in sixth place in the individual rankings of the 2006 UCI ProTour.[13]
2007
[edit]In 2007 Ballan suffered a broken collarbone during Tirreno–Adriatico. Despite this injury, Ballan worked hard in Milan–San Remo, although Ballan's teamleader Daniele Bennati did not win the race. Nearly two weeks later, Ballan won the Three Days of De Panne after an escape during stage 1. Ballan did not win the stage, but beat his nearest opponent Luca Paolini during the closing time trial, in which Ballan finished 10. On 8 April, Ballan took a prestigious win at the Tour of Flanders in a close sprint finish ahead of local favourite Leif Hoste of Belgium. Ballan is the first Italian to win the Tour of Flanders and the Three Days of De Panne in the same season. On 19 August he won the Vattenfall Cyclassics with an attack in the final kilometer, holding off all of the sprinters, including former winner Óscar Freire and promising young German sprinter Gerald Ciolek, to take his second one-day classic of the season.
2008
[edit]
His spring of 2008 wasn't as prolific as 2007 although he was involved in the decisive break of Paris–Roubaix and rode hard to a third place behind past winners Tom Boonen and Fabian Cancellara together with whom he entered the Roubaix Velodrome losing out in a sprint to the line. This came a week after a fourth place in defence of his Tour of Flanders crown. He again opted to skip his home tour – the Giro d'Italia, but raced in both the other grand tours – the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, winning a mountain stage and wearing the leader's jersey in the latter.[14]
In September 2008 Ballan won the UCI Road Race World Championships. In a race in which 2007 champion and Italian team mate Paolo Bettini was favourite, Ballan was again involved in the decisive break on the final lap of the undulating Varese circuit. From a group of 12 riders, including 2 Italian team mates Damiano Cunego and Davide Rebellin, Ballan attacked from 1500 metres out and held off the sprint to win by 3 seconds in front of his home crowd.[1]
2009
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As if suffering from the curse of the rainbow jersey, Ballan was diagnosed with cytomegalovirus in March 2009 and as a result was unable to contest that year's Spring Classics and Giro. During the Tour de France he had an average performance, only coming into the picture in the 19th stage as part of a breakaway which was caught before the finish line.[15]
In August 2009, he won the Tour of Poland.[16] Ballan signed with BMC Racing Team for the 2010 season.[17]
2012
[edit]_(cropped).jpg)
At the Tour of Flanders in April, Ballan placed third after initiating a break with 25 km to go. Boonen and Pozzato took up the chase and placed ahead of Ballan in the final sprint.[18] In December, Ballan suffered a severe training crash during a descent as he was riding with his team in Spain. He fractured his left femur, broke a rib and ruptured his spleen, which had to be removed. He spent a little more than a week in intensive care.[19]
Doping sanction
[edit]Ballan is one of 27 people indicted in Italy as part of the Mantova doping investigation. In 2010 when the enquiry was announced he was subsequently suspended by the BMC cycling team.[20] He was later cleared by BMC and allowed to race again on 28 May 2010.[21] In November 2013 it was reported that CONI were seeking a 2-year ban for violation of article 2.2 of the WADA code.[22]
In January 2014, CONI handed Ballan a two-year suspension. His contract with BMC Racing Team was subsequently terminated.[23]
Late 2015, his suspension was overturned in court, and Ballan was cleared of any wrongdoing.[24]
In 2016, Ballan had attempted to get a contract as professional cyclist, but was unable to do so and thus retired.[25]
Career achievements
[edit]Major results
[edit]- 2001
- 3rd Trofeo Città di San Vendemiano
- 2003
- 1st Trofeo Zsšdi
- 2nd Overall Giro della Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia
- 2nd Circuito del Porto
- 3rd Trofeo Gianfranco Bianchin
- 4th Trofeo Città di Brescia
- 2005 (2 pro wins)
- 1st Stage 4 Eneco Tour
- 2nd Overall Three Days of De Panne
- 1st Stage 1
- 3rd Classic Haribo
- 6th Tour of Flanders
- 2006 (1)
- 1st Trofeo Laigueglia
- 2nd E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
- 3rd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
- 3rd Overall Tour de Pologne
- 3rd Paris–Roubaix
- 4th Road race, National Road Championships
- 4th Milano–Torino
- 4th Trofeo Città di Borgomanero
- 5th Tour of Flanders
- 8th Overall Eneco Tour
- 8th Milan–San Remo
- 2007 (3)
- 1st
Overall Three Days of De Panne - 1st Tour of Flanders
- 1st Vattenfall Cyclassics
- 4th Clásica de San Sebastián
- 5th Overall Tour de Pologne
- 1st Stage 1 (TTT)
- 8th Firenze–Pistoia
- 9th Coppa Sabatini
- 2008 (2)
- 1st
Road race, UCI Road World Championships - Vuelta a España
- 1st Stage 7
- Held
& after Stage 7 - Held
after Stages 7–8
- 2nd GP Ouest-France
- 2nd Monte Paschi Eroica
- 3rd Paris–Roubaix
- 4th Tour of Flanders
- 4th Coppa Bernocchi
- 7th Overall Three Days of De Panne
- 7th Giro del Piemonte
- 2009 (2)
- 1st
Overall Tour de Pologne
- 1st Stage 5
- 3rd Overall Giro di Sardegna
- 5th Trofeo Laigueglia
- 2010
- 3rd Road race, National Road Championships
- 5th Overall Tour de Pologne
- 6th Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec
- 10th Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal
- 2011
- 2nd Montepaschi Strade Bianche
- 4th Milan–San Remo
- 6th Paris–Roubaix
- 7th Trofeo Laigueglia
- 2012 (2)
- 1st Giro di Toscana
- 1st Stage 7 Eneco Tour
- 1st Stage 1 (TTT) Giro del Trentino
- 2nd
Team time trial, UCI Road World Championships - 3rd Paris–Roubaix
- 3rd Tour of Flanders
- 4th Strade Bianche
- 8th Milan–San Remo
- 9th E3 Harelbeke
Grand Tour general classification results timeline
[edit]| Grand Tour | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Giro d'Italia
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | 103 | — |
 Tour de France
|
67 | 88 | 94 | 95 | 87 | — | — | — |
 Vuelta a España
|
— | — | DNF | DNF | — | — | 63 | — |
Classics results timeline
[edit]| Monument | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milan–San Remo | — | 52 | 8 | 55 | 16 | — | 64 | 4 | 8 | — |
| Tour of Flanders | 82 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 4 | — | 35 | 12 | 3 | — |
| Paris–Roubaix | DNF | 47 | 3 | 61 | 3 | — | — | 6 | 3 | — |
| Liège–Bastogne–Liège | DNF | — | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Giro di Lombardia | — | DNF | 56 | DNF | 14 | 29 | — | — | — | — |
Major championship results timeline
[edit]| Championship | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 World Championships
|
— | — | 88 | 52 | 1 | 41 | — | — | — | — |
| — | Did not compete |
|---|---|
| DNF | Did not finish |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Atkins, Ben; Brown, Gregor; Friebe, Daniel; Kröner, Hedwig (28 September 2009). "Ballan crowned new King of Italy". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ^ a b Maloney, Tim (7 April 2005). "Ballan following in Bartoli's footsteps?". Cyclingnews.com – First Edition Cycling News for 7 April 2005. Retrieved 27 September 2006.
- ^ "KBC Driedaagse van De Panne-Koksijde Results". 31 March 2005. Retrieved 27 September 2006.
- ^ "89th Tour of Flanders Results". 3 April 2005. Retrieved 27 September 2006.
- ^ "1st Eneco Tour of Benelux Results". 10 August 2005. Retrieved 27 September 2006.
- ^ "43rd Trofeo Laigueglia Results". 14 February 2006. Retrieved 27 September 2006.
- ^ "49th E3 Prijs Vlaanderen Results". 27 September 2006. Retrieved 27 September 2006.
- ^ "41st Tirreno-Adriatico Results". 14 March 2006. Retrieved 27 September 2006.
- ^ "90th Tour of Flanders Results". 2 April 2006. Retrieved 27 September 2006.
- ^ "104th Paris-Roubaix Results". 9 April 2006. Retrieved 27 September 2006.
- ^ "93rd Tour de France, Stage 12 Results". 14 July 2006. Retrieved 27 September 2006.
- ^ "63rd Tour of Poland Results". 10 September 2006. Retrieved 27 September 2006.
- ^ "UCI ProTour Individual Rankings as of 2006-10-14". 12 December 2006. Archived from the original on 13 November 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2006.
- ^ "www.cyclingnews.com presents the 63rd Vuelta a España".
- ^ "World Champion Ballan on track in Roubaix".
- ^ "Italy's Ballan wins Tour of Poland". AFP. 9 August 2009. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
- ^ VeloNews.com (1 September 2009). "Hincapie confirms to BMC with Ballan, Kroon, Burghardt". VeloNews. Archived from the original on 3 September 2009. Retrieved 2 September 2009.
- ^ Decaluwé, Brecht (1 April 2012). "Boonen wins 2012 Tour of Flanders". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
- ^ Ben Atkins (28 December 2012). "Alessandro Ballan out of intensive care following leg and abdomen surgery". Velo Nation. Velo Nation LLC. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
- ^ "Lampre refuses to suspend riders over Mantova investigation". 10 April 2010.
- ^ "BMC Racing Team: Statement Regarding Alessandro Ballan". Archived from the original on 9 June 2010.
- ^ "Doping: Procura Coni deferisce Ballan - Altri Sport - Tuttosport". Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
- ^ Wynn, Nigel (17 January 2014). "Alessandro Ballan sacked by BMC after doping ban". Cycling Weekly. IPC Media. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
- ^ "Lampre riders and staff cleared in Mantova doping trial". cyclingnews.com. 18 December 2015.
- ^ "Voormalig wereldkampioen Ballan keert niet meer terug in peloton" [Former world champion Ballan does not return in peloton] (in Dutch). nu.nl. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
External links
[edit]
- Alessandro Ballan at UCI
- Alessandro Ballan at Cycling Archives (archive)
- Interview Alessandro Ballan (2013)
- Team Profile Archived 7 May 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- Eurosport Profile
- Alessandro Ballan at the CONI honored athlete website (in Italian)
