Итальяндық велошабаншы: Жекілберто Симонидің мансабы

Italian cyclist

Gilberto Simoni (born 25 August 1971 in Palù di Giovo, Trentino) is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer, most recently for Simoni won the Giro d'Italia cycling race twice: once in 2001 and again in 2003. In 2002 he tested positive for cocaine and was withdrawn from the race by his Saeco team; he was later cleared of any doping violation by the Italian Cycling Federation. Aside from his withdrawal in 2002, he finished on the podium in every other Giro between 1999 and 2006. Simoni is a native of Palu di Giovo, and was considered a climbing specialist. His final race as a professional road cyclist was the 2010 Giro d'Italia, which he finished in 69th place overall, 2:40:14 behind other two time winner, Ivan Basso.

Simoni was born in Palù di Giovo, in Trentino, and began competing as an amateur with the goal of someday winning the Giro d'Italia. Simoni confirmed his potential in 1993, when he won both the amateur version of the Giro d'Italia (known as the Baby Giro) and the Italian Road Cycling Championship. Prior to his retirement in 2010, Simoni would reveal to the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport that the Giro was the one race that attracted him to cycling and which motivated him as a professional. "It was the Giro that brought me to cycling when I was a child", he said. "It triggered my dreams." Simoni turned professional in 1994 with the team, but suffered through an inauspicious rookie season, having to cope with the deaths of both his father and older brother. It was only three years later in 1997 that Simoni won his first professional race, a stage of the Giro del Trentino, while riding for the team of sports director Giancarlo Ferretti. 1998 was another disappointing season for Simoni, and his results sheet was barren after a year spent with the team. He briefly quit cycling and worked as a bicycle mechanic for 1984 Giro d'Italia winner Francesco Moser. However, a resurgent Simoni joined the team in 1999 and finished a surprising third on the general classification of that year's Giro d'Italia. In a race that saw another mercurial Italian climber thrown off the Giro for doping (Marco Pantani), Simoni was criticized in some sectors of the press for claiming a podium finish without having earned the placing. But he proved his critics wrong by winning a stage in the Tour de Suisse and again finishing on the final podium.

The 2000 season started well for Simoni: he'd transferred to the top ranked team of two time Giro d'Italia winner Giuseppe Saronni and went on to again finish on the podium of the Giro d'Italia. Simoni cemented his reputation as a climbing specialist by winning the dramatic Alto de El Angliru stage of that year's Vuelta a España. Simoni started the 2001 Giro d'Italia as Lampre's undisputed leader and hope for the general classification, which he won with a comfortable margin.

Following his Giro victory Simoni moved to the team with the goal of repeating his Giro success of the previous year. However, traces of cocaine were found in his blood and he was disqualified despite his protestations of innocence. It was later determined that the cocaine in his blood came from candies that his aunt had bought for him from Peru. In 2003, the Saeco team came to the Giro d'Italia with the sole purpose of supporting Simoni. After competing with a resurgent Stefano Garzelli, Yaroslav Popovych and Marco Pantani in the high mountains in a hailstorm, Simoni achieved his second Giro d'Italia victory. His pursuit was documented in the film The Quest. Following his successful performance in the Giro, he set his aims on the Tour de France and in several interviews challenged the incumbent Lance Armstrong to a battle in the mountains. His performance was lacking, although he was able to gain a stage win.