Who were the Top 10 Italian cyclists of the 21st century? See the impressive list that features Grand Tour winners, World champion and many more!
Cycling
Italy is a true cradle of talent in the history of cycling. While it is true that its greatest legends competed in the 20th century, with the exception of Vincenzo Nibali, they also have many names to take into account in recent years. We would like to take the opportunity to make this article about the best Italians who have competed since January 1, 2001.
For this, we take into account only and exclusively from that date onwards. That's why there are some achievements less for Paolo Bettini, Davide Rebellin or Alessandro Petacchi. It's not that we have forgotten, it's just that the results from last century don't count. Those we have also taken into account are names like those of Ivan Basso or the sadly deceased Michele Scarponi.
1. Vincenzo Nibali
- 2x Giro d'Italia and two times second (+ 7 stages)
- Tour de France (+ 6 stages)
- 2x Il Lombardia
- Tirreno-Adriatico
- Vuelta a Espana
- Milano-Sanremo
- GP Ouest France - Plouay
- 2x Giro del Trentino
- Tour of Oman
2. Paolo Bettini
- 2x Gold medal in the World Championships road race
- Liège-Bastogne-Liège
- 2x Il Lombardia
- Gold medal at the Olympic Games road race
- 2x Meisterschaft von Zurich
- Milano-Sanremo
- 5 stages at the Vuelta a Espana
- Tirreno-Adriatico (+ 5 stages)
- HEW Cyclassics
- Clasica San Sebastian
- Giro del Lazio
3. Damiano Cunego
- 3x Il Lombardia
- Giro d'Italia (+ 4 stages)
- Amstel Gold Race
- 3x Tirreno-Adriatico
- 2 stages at the Vuelta a Espana
- 2x Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali
- 2x Japan Cup
- 2x GP Industria & Artigianato
- 2x Giro dell'Appennino
- 2x GP Nobili Rubinetterie-Coppa Papa Carlo-Coppa Citt
- 2 stages at the Tour de Romandie
4. Ivan Basso
- 2x Giro d'Italia (+ 6 stages)
- Critérium International
- Stage at the Tour de France and once second in the overall standings
- Tour of Denmark (+ 4 stages)
- Giro dell'Emilia
- Japan Cup
- Giro del Trentino
- Giro di Padania
5. Danilo Di Luca
- Giro d'Italia (+ 5 stages)
- Liège-Bastogne-Liège
- Il Lombardia
- Itzulia Basque County
- Amstel Gold Race
- La Flèche Wallonne
- 2 stages at the Vuelta a Espana
- 3 stages at the Tirreno-Adriatico
- Giro dell'Emilia
- Milano - Torino
- Coppa Placci
6. Alessandro Petacchi
- 22 stages at the Giro d'Italia
- 18 stages at the Vuelta a Espana
- 6 stages at the Tour de France + 1 points classification
- Milano-Sanremo
- Paris-Tours
- 8 stages at the Tirreno-Adriatico
- 5x GP Costa degli Etruschi
- 2x Niedersachsen-Rundfahrt
- 3x stages in Paris-Nice
- Scheldeprijs
- 2x Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana
7. Gilberto Simoni
- 2x Giro d'Italia, once second overall, two times third + points classification (+ 6 stages)
- Giro dell'Emilia
- Stage at the Vuelta a Espana
- Stage at the Tour de France
- Giro del Veneto
- 2x Giro dell'Appennino
- Giro del Trentino
8. Davide Rebellin
- 3x La Flèche Wallonne
- Liège-Bastogne-Liège
- Tirreno-Adriatico
- Amstel Gold Race
- Paris-Nice
- Tre Valli Varesine
- 2x Giro dell'Emilia
- La Méditerranéenne
- 2x Brixia Tour
9. Michele Scarponi
- Giro d'Italia (+ 3 stages)
- Tirreno-Adriatico and once 2nd (+ 3 stages)
- Volta a Catalunya
- Giro del Trentino
- Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali
- Course de la Paix
- 2x Settimana Ciclistica Lombarda
- GP Costa degli Etruschi
- 2nd at Il Lombardia
10. Stefano Garzelli
- 2nd at the Giro d'Italia (+ 6 stages) + 2 mountain classifications
- Tirreno-Adriatico
- 2x Tre Valli Varesine
- Stage at the Tour de Suisse
- Eschborn-Frankfurt
- Trofeo Melinda - Val di Non
- Stage at the Itzulia Basque County
- Vuelta Aragón
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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