35 Facts About Daniele Bennati

Daniele Bennati has won 11 stages in Grand Tours: two in the Tour de France, three in the Giro d'Italia, and six in the Vuelta a Espana.

Daniele Bennati won the points jersey in the 2007 Vuelta a Espana, and the Giro d'Italia.

Daniele Bennati retired at the end of the 2019 season, citing back pain.

Daniele Bennati was born in Arezzo, Tuscany, into a family of cyclists.

Daniele Bennati's father did well as an amateur, and his brother raced as a junior.

Daniele Bennati entered and won his first race at the age of 9.

Daniele Bennati soon showed an ability to sprint of his own: in March 2002, he finished second in a stage of the Settimana internazionale di Coppi e Bartali, behind Alessandro Petacchi.

Daniele Bennati was an important part of Cipollini's leadout train, alongside Guido Trenti, Mario Scirea, Martin Derganc and Giovanni Lombardi, helping Cipollini to some of his fourteen victories that year.

When Cipollini dropped out of the Vuelta a Espana, Daniele Bennati received his team's support and managed his first strong result in a Grand Tour sprint stage, 5th at the stage twelve finishing in Burgos.

Daniele Bennati did not get any victories during that season.

At Lampre, Daniele Bennati grew from a promising domestique into a top sprinter.

Daniele Bennati tested positive for Betamethasone after the race, but was only handed a warning by the Italian Cycling Federation.

At the season's close, Daniele Bennati was ranked 28th in the UCI Pro Tour standings, and had become a rider to watch.

Daniele Bennati started the 2006 season with two second places in the Gran Premio della Costa Etruschi, and then took his first win of the season in February's Volta a la Communitat Valenciana, four seconds ahead of the peloton, led home by Napolitano.

Daniele Bennati probably was not at his best form when he started the Tour of Flanders, and he had to drop out.

Ten days later a fully recovered Daniele Bennati won the final stage of the Giro del Trentino, won overall by teammate Cunego.

The next week, he competed in the Tour de Romandie, where Robbie McEwen showed that Daniele Bennati was not quite at the top level.

The Lampre team for the Giro d'Italia was again built around the overall competition, and Daniele Bennati was not included.

Daniele Bennati dropped out after a fall during the 16th stage; he was third in the points jersey competition at the time.

Two months later, Daniele Bennati returned to the Tour of Poland, where he won two stages and wore the leader's jersey for two days.

In September, Daniele Bennati raced in his second Grand Tour of the season, the 2007 Vuelta a Espana.

Daniele Bennati won the first stage ahead of Freire and Petacchi, and wore the leader's jersey for a day, losing it after a fall two kilometers from the finish of the second stage.

The Tour de Romandie opened with a very short prologue, where Daniele Bennati took second behind Mark Cavendish.

Daniele Bennati took second behind Robbie McEwen in the first sprint finish, showing that he was coming back into form.

The 2008 Giro d'Italia was a success for Daniele Bennati, and was marked by a series of battles with Cavendish.

Daniele Bennati won the third stage, into Milazzo; the following day, Cavendish won the stage to Lungomare, his first Grand Tour win.

The next sprinters' stage was the ninth; Daniele Bennati won, by a whisker, over Paolo Bettini, who was racing his final Giro d'Italia.

Daniele Bennati won the 12th stage, with a narrow margin over Cavendish; the order was reversed the following day.

However, Daniele Bennati paid a price for the points jersey: the long pull in cold weather over the Mortirolo Pass caused an inflammation of Daniele Bennati's left Achilles tendon, the same leg as the knee injury.

Daniele Bennati was dropped in the fourth stage, finishing in 88th place 22 seconds behind Boonen and losing the lead in the GC to Andre Greipel.

Daniele Bennati served as a domestique for Pozzato during the second stage, but when Pozzato did not retain the leader's jersey he was able to ride for himself.

Daniele Bennati was 2nd to Boonen the following day, and then won the fourth stage, ahead of Boonen but dropped out after the 9th stage.

However, Daniele Bennati won his final race of the year, the Giro del Piemonte; it was his second victory in this race, which he won in 2006.

At the Vuelta a Espana, Daniele Bennati took his first win of the 2012 season in a very close finish on stage 18, edging Team Sky's sprinter Ben Swift.

Daniele Bennati dedicated his victory to the memory of Wouter Weylandt and of his grandfather.