The world of cycling is today mourning the death at 45 years of age of Italy’s national coach, Franco Ballerini, who has died from injuries sustained in a crash this morning during a rally in Larciano, Tuscany, where he was acting as navigator in a car driven by Alessandro Ciardi.
Ballerini died in hospital in Pistoia, where he had been taken after the pair’s Renault Clio came off the road. Ciardi is in serious condition, although his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
Born in Florence, Ballerini won Paris-Roubaix twice, his first victory coming in 1995, two years after he had been beaten on the line in the Roubaix velodrome by Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle. His other victories during a career in which he rode for teams such as Del Tongo, Mapei and Lampre-Daikin included the Giro del Piemonte and the Giro della Romagna as well as Paris Brussels.
In 2001, Ballerini became coach of the Italian national cycling team. Under his tutelage, the azzurri enjoyed a string of successes, with Mario Cipollini, Alessandro Ballan and Paolo Bettini all winning the World Road Race Championship, the latter twice, and Bettini also taking gold in that event at the Athens Olympics in 2004.
According to the Gazzetta dello Sport, Bettini had been due to take part in the Rally Ronde del Larciano with Ballerini – the close friends participated in six rallies together, with Bettini as driver and Ballerini as navigator – but was unable to do so as a result being busy organising yesterday’s Gran Premio Costa degli Etruschi bike race.
The newspaper said that Ballerini had wanted to compete in the rally, held on his home roads, at all costs, and as news of his death spread, a clearly upset Bettini was reported to have arrived in tears at the hospital in Pistoia, where he comforted Ballerini’s wife.
The sports daily said that the accident happened as the car passed through a forested section of the rally’s route between Casa al Vento and Larciano, the car coming off the road and hitting a wall head-on, with most of the damage done to the side of the car that Ballerini was in. Although first-aid was provided on the spot, there was little that could be done.
Tributes have flooded in for Ballerini, many from people connected to the sport of cycling who use the social networking website, Twitter. Lance Armstrong said: “So sad to hear of passing of Franco Ballerini. Raced many years w/ him. Cool guy and great champ. Leaves behind a wife and 2 kids. RIP, FB,” while Bradley Wiggins stated that Team Sky’s win in the opening team time trial of the Tour of Qatar had been “overshadowed by the death of a great champion.”
This is all well and good, but will it persuade any dyed in the wool tories? I think not. Facts don't persuade people with opinions, especially...
Excellent review. I did wonder when I saw this bike unveiled how those massive 3D printed sections would affect the ride quality (and weight)....
When I saw the photo, I thought it was a Bianchi...
"At the end of the 2009 Olympics in Beijing, Cavendish borrowed a silver medal from which of his teammates to try to get an upgrade on the flight...
Sure, but no-one's going on the wall because they think it'll help them win. It's not motorsport where you can just keep your boot in and overtake...
Railway approach might not be a destination for the family, but Worthing itself surely is. You'd think in the summer months family footfall would...
None?? Shouldnt the costs be paid by the driver, the employer (or their insurers) who lost in court? (or am i looking at it the wrong way?)...
I think you are wrong in assuming size = bad. However since DCRainmaker has just torn it to pieces in his review you are probably right on all...
I've submitted a few clips to Avon & Somerset Police; got the usual 'driver has been served a letter/fixed penalty/Notice to Prosecute'. In...
I think they're just frustrated that some virus keeps replacing all their carefully crafted cogent comments with 'blah blah blah'.