GRAZIANO GASPARRE AND THAT OUTSTRETCHED HAND FROM IVANO FANINI, A STORY OF FRIENDSHIP. GALLERY

INTERVIEW | 21/01/2025 | 08:14
di Valter Nieri
The Unione Ciclistica Bergamasca of then team manager Antonio Bevilacqua, a former rider for Ivano Fanini, was his springboard to professionalism. We are referring to Graziano Gasparre, born in Codogno, now 45 years old and a member of the Piacenza-based Geocart Cooperative, one of the most successful Italian cyclists in 2000, when he also won the European Under 23 Road Race Championship in Kielce, Poland, ahead of Swedish rider Stefan Adamsson and Lorenzo Bernucci.
He was a promising cyclist in the youth categories, equipped with good technique that allowed him to excel in sprints and breakaways, characterized by good performance across various durations.
He reached his peak performance in 2000 as an Under 23, a season rich with successes. In addition to winning the European championship, he won the 3rd stage from Pescia to Cutigliano and the final classification of the Giro delle Regioni. That season, he also triumphed in the MP Filtri Trophy and the second and third stages of the Ronde de l'Isard d'Ariège. At the international level, he also won the 1st stage of Volta a Catalunya de l'Avenir.
These achievements could not go unnoticed by a great team like Mapei, which made him a professional in 2001 and subsequently with De Nardi, with whom he achieved his third professional victory by winning the 1st international half-stage of Coppi e Bartali in Riccione. At 26, he had talent and was considered a one-day classics cyclist.
"Unfortunately," Gasparre told Gazzetta di Lucca, "I didn't train as I should have, I would have certainly done more kilometers with less effort, but a rider's life is sacrifice and consistency, and in those years I was too detached from cycling, which is why I didn't achieve even better results that were within my reach."
In 2005, Gasparre signed a contract with Universal Caffè, and what happened?
"The team remained on paper and never took off. It was just an illusion: during the period of greatest development in a cyclist's results, I lost a year because I found myself without a team."
And then?
"In December 2005, Ivano Fanini contacted me. I signed with Amore e Vita, where I raced from 2006 to 2009. They were four wonderful years. Fanini managed to transform and improve me as a person, even in private life. First of all, he helped me overcome my weaknesses and fragilities. Between us, a fraternal friendship was established, built precisely during races where Ivano never failed to support me. At the start of the season, around March 2006, I also returned to winning."
After two years, Gasparre returned to success by winning the fourth stage of the Settimana Ciclistica Lombarda in Roncadelle.
"I will never forget that victory. Together with President Fanini, I burst into tears of happiness: it was an embrace full of affection. We have similar characters, and that's why we sometimes clashed, but then we would end up understanding each other and loving each other. I subsequently won some circuits and, since Amore e Vita was a young team, I dedicated myself to helping my teammates achieve more team successes. For me, Fanini means family. I named my son Cristian after Ivano's son, whom I wanted as godfather at the baptism. It's been two years since I've been to Capannori, a municipality that, thanks to Fanini, means cycling in the world, but whenever I get the chance, I gladly go to visit this great family that helped me so much."
Gasparre retired from competitive activity at the end of 2009. He started working as a gardener in San Giovanni alla Vena and then moved to Piacenza, where he lives happily with his new partner Gloria and his two children Alessandro and Martina. Now he is a member of the Geocart Cooperative, a Piacenza-based company that deals with green management, environmental hygiene, and socio-rehabilitation.
As someone who has experienced what hard work means, he doesn't shy away from working more hours and satisfying President Sergio Bernini and Vice President Cristina Caviglioni. "I owe my happiness today to their understanding," Gasparre concludes, "while yesterday's happiness is called Ivano Fanini."

COMMENTI

Per poter commentare i post devi esser registrato.
Se sei giá nostro utente esegui il login altrimenti registrati.

TBRADIO

00:00

PROFESSIONISTI

LIMOUSIN-PERIGORD. ISIDORE CONQUISTA LA SUA PRIMA VITTORIA DA PROF

Una volata a ranghi compatti ha deciso l'esito della prima tappa del Tour du Limousin-Périgord - Nouvelle Aquitaine. disputata da Veyrac a Dun-le-Palestel sulla distanza di 174, 9 km: a mettere la sua ruota davanti a tutti è stato Noa Isidore,...

DONNE

EGMONT RACE. VITTORIA NETTA DI BALSAMO, LA GIOVANE BIANCHI (CANYON SRAM) 7A

Elisa Balsamo succede a Martina Alzini nella edizione 2026 della Egmont Cycling Race Women, gara disputata in circuito con partenza e arrivo a Zottegem sulla distanza di 130 chilometri. L’atleta della Lidl Trek, pilotata splendidamente dalla compagna Lucinda Brand, si...

LUTTO

GIANNI SOMMARIVA E QUELL'ULTIMO SALUTO CARICO DI EMOZIONI

Un’ulteriore, affettuosa, partecipata, testimonianza della considerazione e della stima che la sua terra bergamasca – e non solo – nutriva (e continuerà a nutrirla) per Gianni Sommariva si è manifestata con l’affollata, sentita, partecipazione alla cerimonia di commiato del pomeriggio...

MERCATO

XDS ASTANA,ARRIVA IL RINNOVO TRIENNALE PER L'URUGUAIANO SILVA

Il Team XDS Astana e il ciclista uruguaiano Thomas Silva, reduce dalla vittoria finale all'Arctic Race of Norway, hanno raggiunto un accordo per il rinnovo e l'estensione del loro contratto. In base al nuovo accordo, Silva rimarrà con il Team...

VUELTA

VUELTA. LE FORMAZIONI: DECATHLON PER GALL, MOVISTAR PER UIJTDEBROEKS, VISMA A CACCIA DI TAPPE. AGGIORNATO

Tra poche ore le squadre si metteranno in viaggio verso il Principato di Monaco dove sabato scatterà la Vuelta España: domani sono in programma le visite mediche, giovedì la presentazione ufficiale delle squadre e quindi nelle ultime ore, possiamo dire...

MERCATO

UAE EMIRATES XRG. UFFICIALE L'ARRIVO DI MARCO FRIGO, C'E' UN BIENNALE PER LUI

Il team UAE Emirates-XRG annuncia l'ingaggio di Marco Frigo, che entrerà a far parte della squadra a partire dall'inizio della stagione 2027 con un contratto biennale. Il corridore italiano arriva dopo quattro stagioni tra i professionisti, durante le quali si...

VUELTA

VERSO LA VUELTA. RED BULL: ROGLIC PER LA CLASSIFICA, MEEUS E FISHER-BLACK PER LE TAPPE

Primož Roglič, Finn Fisher-Black, Jordi Meeus, Gianni Moscon, Callum Thornley, Luke Tuckwell, Gianni Vermeersch e Frederik Wandahl si schiereranno al via a Monaco il 22 agosto, portando con sé esperienza nei Grandi Giri, velocità in volata, forza in salita e...

PROFESSIONISTI

GROUPAMA FDJ. ENNESIMO RITIRO PER GAUDU, SI SOTTOPORRA' AD ESAMI CLINICI APPROFONDITI

Da diversi mesi, il team ciclistico Groupama-FDJ United sta lavorando a stretto contatto con David Gaudu per aiutarlo a ritrovare un livello di prestazioni all'altezza del suo talento e delle sue capacità. Dopo un inizio di stagione che gli...

DONNE JUNIORES

BRUTTO INCIDENTE IN ALLENAMENTO PER JOLANDA SAMBI: DISTACCO TENDINEO ALLA SPALLA

Quello che doveva essere un allenamento ferragostano insieme a papà Christian si è trasformato in una brutta avventura per Jolanda Sambi, sedicenne atleta juniores della Libertas Ceresetto. Secondo quanto ricostruito, la 16enne si stava allenando sulle strade di Rocca San...

MTB

VAN DER POEL E IL GRANDE SOGNO DEL MONDIALE IN VAL DI SOLE

Ci sono vittorie che sembrano mancare quasi per un dettaglio, titoli che continuano a sfuggire anche a un campione abituato a trasformare in oro quasi tutto ciò che tocca. Nel palmarès di Mathieu van der Poel c'è ancora una casella...