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

RIVELAZIONE TUCKWELL. «NON MI SAREI MAI IMMAGINATO DI ARRIVARE SECONDO...»

C'è un nome che esce rafforzato dal Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2026 ed è quello di Luke Tuckwell. Il ventunenne australiano, al suo primo anno tra i professionisti con i colori della Red Bull-Bora hansgrohe, ha firmato una delle più belle sorprese...

ABBIGLIAMENTO

ASSOS. MILLE GT S11, UN COMPLETO ENDURANCE CHE CONQUISTA. ECCO LA NOSTRA RECENSIONE

Poche storie, da molto la gamma Mille GT rappresenta un vero pilastro per ASSOS, un insieme di capi progettati senza dubbio per un utilizzo quotidiano, ma anche per stupire gli atleti più esigenti e raffinati. Nel dettaglio la prova riguarda la nuovissima maglia...

DILETTANTI

GIRO NEXT GEN. ANCORA CALABRIA PER UNA FRAZIONE DESTINATA AI VELOCISTI

Tutta calabra anche la seconda tappa del Giro Next Gen che oggi porterà il gruppo da Tropea a Crotone per una distanza di 154 chilometri. Una tappa che strizza l'occhio alle ruote veloci della corsa rosa. per seguire in diretta...

NEWS

IL SORRISO DI SARA PIFFER E QUELLE FRASI CHE DANNO FORZA AI RAGAZZI. VIDEO

Ogni volta, un'emozione. Ogni volta, uno spunto di riflessione. Ogni volta, un pensiero che ti scava dentro e qualcosa ti lascia, laggiù nel profondo. Quando incontri Marianna e Lorenzo Piffer, i genitori di Sara, non è mai un momento banale. ...

EVENTI

24H DI FELTRE CONNECTION, UNA GRANDE FESTA DI SPORT E SOLIDARIETÀ

Hanno sbriciolato ogni record con i loro 557 giri e 1030km percorsi (alla media dei 42km/h), il Team Swatt formato da Luca Martignago, Mauro Basso, Riccardo Buffon, Alberto Pelà, Francesco Zantedeschi, Alessandro Varago, Maurizio Odorizzi, Andrea Barbieri, Carlo Zerbato, Pietro...

NEWS

TOUR OF MALOPOLSKA, TRIONFO VORARLBERG: BALLABIO CEDE LA MAGLIA A STÜSSI CHE FA SUA ULTIMA TAPPA E GENERALE

Non arriva la vittoria ma termina comunque in top ten il Tour of Malopolska 2026 di Giacomo Ballabio. Nell’ultima frazione della corsa a tappe polacca .2, il brianzolo del Team Vorarlberg infatti non è riuscito a difendere la leadership in classifica generale...

PARACICLISMO

#EUROPARACYCLING26, L'ITALIA CHIUDE AL PRIMO POSTO NEL MEDAGLIERE

Si sono conclusi ieri a Maniago (Italia) i Campionati Europei UEC di Paraciclismo Strada 2026, che per tre giorni hanno visto confrontarsi 272 atleti in rappresentanza di 29 nazioni in gare di elevato livello tecnico e spettacolare. L'Italia ha chiuso...

EVENTI

GRANDE SUCCESSO PER LA TRE GIORNI DEDICATA A FRANCO BALLERINI

Dopo tre giornate intense, la Gran Fondo “La Franco Ballerini” a carattere internazionale con l’organizzazione dell’U.C. Larcianese ha concluso a Casalguidi in provincia di Pistoia, l’iniziativa tra sport, amicizia e solidarietà voluta dai figli dell’ex campione di ciclismo e...

ALLIEVI

IACOPI FIRMA LA COPPA SEI MARTIRI - MEMORIAL GINO BARTALI

La Coppa Sei Martiri-Memorial Gino Bartali, una delle classiche più prestigiose e longeve per allievi in Toscana, è stata firmata dall’aretino di Castiglion Fibocchi Niccolò Iacopi della Iperfinish Fabbri di Stabbia che sul traguardo di via Chiantigiana a Ponte a...

GIOVANISSIMI

GP GUERRINI NOLEGGIO . MEMORIAL ADRIANO GALLONI, CHE BELLA FESTA DI CICLISMO! GALLERY

Grande partecipazione per il 3° GP Guerrini Noleggio – Memorial Adriano Galloni, manifestazione riservata alla categoria Giovanissimi organizzata dal Team Guerrini Senaghese. Al via ben 19 società, dalla categoria G0 alla G6, con la presenza di 5 società extra-provinciali, un...