Filippo Pozzato

Filippo "Pippo" Pozzato (born 10 September 1981) is an Italian former road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2000 and 2018 for the, , , , , , and two spells with the / teams.

A northern classics specialist, Pozzato finished in second place at both the 2009 Paris–Roubaix and the 2012 Tour of Flanders. Pozzato finished a total of 37 Monument classics, including a victory in the 2006 Milan–San Remo; he finished second in the race in 2008 as well. Pozzato also won stages at the 2004 Tour de France, the 2007 Tour de France and the 2010 Giro d'Italia, and was the winner of the 2009 Italian National Road Race Championships.

Mapei–Quick-Step
Born in Sandrigo, Veneto, Pozzato turned professional in 2000 with the cycling team, part of the famous classe di '81 a group of emerging young riders born in 1981 who were part of the Mapei TT3 development team. Other alumni include Fabian Cancellara and Bernhard Eisel, Alexandr Kolobnev and Gryschenko.

Fassa Bortolo
After Mapei ended its sponsorship in 2002 Pozzato joined Giancarlo Ferretti's cycling team. Despite his win of Tirreno–Adriatico in 2003 and a stage win in the 2004 Tour de France, personality clashes with Ferretti meant that Pozzato suffered poor years with Fassa Bortolo in 2002–2004. During this period he was injured for some time and had to work for star sprinter Alessandro Petacchi at other times.

During the 2004 season he was chosen to be part of the Italian 2004 Olympics team in support of team leader Paolo Bettini who went on to win the event.

Quick Step–Innergetic
He re-established contact with several managers and directeurs sportif of. The Quick Step-Innergetic team expressed interest and Pozzato was able to obtain a release for the 2005 ProTour season, joining several former Mapei riders already on the team, such as Paolo Bettini and Davide Bramati.

The 2005 ProTour season went better for Pozzato, with a win in the HEW Cyclassics in front of teammate Luca Paolini.

The 2006 season saw him win the first major classic of the year Milan–San Remo after a superb ride which saw him first work for team leader Tom Boonen, but then was forced to launch his own winning attack in the finale.

Liquigas
For the 2007 season, Pozzato joined the Liquigas squad, and began his season in style, winning the Tour du Haut Var, the Omloop Het Volk and Stage 5 of the Tour de France.

Team Katusha
In 2009 he won the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen. His results show experience, comfort, and power on the cobblestones and on the Belgian hills ("hellingen"). In aftermath of his 2nd place in the 2009 Paris–Roubaix, Pozzato claimed that when avoiding a crash of Thor Hushovd he lost 4 or 5 seconds and the chance for victory. He also suggested that Boonen benefited from the slipstream of official motorcycles to augment his lead.

In 2010 he has been accused by several riders, including Bjorn Leukemans, Boonen and Philippe Gilbert for his "negative tactics" during key races. This resulted in the nickname "The Shadow".

Lampre-Merida
In 2013, Pozzato earned his first victory of the year in the Trofeo Laigueglia, held in Liguria, Italy on mainly narrow, twisting and turning roads. His team reeled in the breakaway and controlled the front of the leading group when Mauro Santambrogio  attacked with 3 km to cover, with Pozzato jumping in his slipstream. The sprint was contested by 4 riders, Pozzato getting the best of them. This marked Pozzato's third win in the event, a record in the race's history. In September, he raced the GP Ouest-France and despite not being a top favourite, he won the race, becoming just the fifth Italian to do that.

Southeast Pro Cycling
In 2016 Pozzato joined the Italian-based Southeast Pro Cycling Team. In December 2018 he announced his retirement from competition.

Doping ban
In 2012, Pozzato was banned from cycling for three months by the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) after it was found that he had worked with infamous doctor Michele Ferrari from 2005 to 2008. CONI had looked to ban him for a year but were forced to reduce it to a three months thanks to a technicality.

Major results

 * 1998
 * UCI Junior Road World Championships
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg Road race
 * 3rd Bronze medal blank.svg Time trial
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg Team pursuit, UCI Junior Track World Championships


 * 1999
 * 3rd Bronze medal blank.svg Team pursuit, UCI Junior Track World Championships
 * 4th Road race, UCI Junior Road World Championships


 * 2001
 * 9th Trofeo Luis Puig
 * 9th Paris–Bourges


 * 2002
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Vuelta a Cuba
 * 1st Stage 11a
 * 1st Duo Normand (with Evgeni Petrov)
 * 1st Giro del Lago Maggiore
 * 1st Tour du Lac Léman
 * Tour de Normandie
 * 1st Prologue, Stages 2, 3 & 5
 * Tour of Slovenia
 * 1st Stages 4 & 7
 * Tour de l'Avenir
 * 1st Stages 1 (ITT) & 5
 * 1st Prologue Ytong Bohemia Tour
 * 2nd Time trial, National Road Championships
 * 10th Chrono des Herbiers


 * 2003
 * 1st Jersey yellowred.svg Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
 * 1st Stage 2
 * 1st Trofeo Laigueglia
 * 1st Trofeo Matteotti
 * 1st Giro dell'Etna
 * 2nd Road race, National Road Championships
 * 2nd Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
 * 6th Omloop Het Volk


 * 2004
 * 1st Overall Giro della Liguria
 * 1st Trofeo Laigueglia
 * 1st Stage 7 Tour de France
 * 4th Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli


 * 2005
 * 1st HEW Cyclassics
 * 1st Giro del Lazio
 * 1st Stage 2 Deutschland Tour
 * 2nd Road race, National Road Championships
 * 4th Overall Ster Elektrotoer


 * 2006
 * 1st Milan–San Remo
 * 3rd Overall Tour of Britain
 * 1st Stage 3
 * 3rd Vattenfall Cyclassics
 * 4th Gent–Wevelgem
 * 5th Omloop Het Volk
 * 6th GP Ouest–France
 * 10th Züri-Metzgete
 * 10th Paris–Tours


 * 2007
 * 1st Omloop Het Volk
 * 1st Tour du Haut Var
 * 1st Trofeo Matteotti
 * 1st Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato
 * 1st Stage 5 Tour de France
 * 1st Stage 6 Tour de Pologne
 * 3rd Trofeo Laigueglia
 * 4th GP Ouest–France
 * 5th Memorial Cimurri
 * 6th Gran Premio Città di Camaiore


 * 2008
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Giro della Provincia di Grosseto
 * 1st Stage 1
 * 1st Stage 1 (TTT) Vuelta a España
 * 2nd Milan–San Remo
 * 2nd Giro del Lazio
 * 2nd Coppa Sabatini
 * 3rd Road race, National Road Championships
 * 6th Tour of Flanders
 * 7th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
 * 7th Trofeo Laigueglia


 * 2009
 * 1st Jersey italianflag.svg Road race, National Road Championships
 * 1st E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
 * 1st Giro del Veneto
 * 1st Memorial Cimurri
 * 1st Stage 1 Three Days of De Panne
 * 2nd Paris–Roubaix
 * 2nd Trofeo Laigueglia
 * 4th Paris–Tours
 * 5th Tour of Flanders
 * 5th Clásica de San Sebastián


 * 2010
 * 1st Stage 12 Giro d'Italia
 * 1st Stage 3 (TTT) Vuelta a Burgos
 * 3rd Giro del Piemonte
 * 4th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
 * 4th Montepaschi Strade Bianche
 * 4th E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
 * 5th Giro del Friuli
 * 7th Paris–Roubaix
 * 10th Omloop Het Nieuwsblad


 * 2011
 * 1st Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli
 * 3rd Overall Tour de Picardie
 * 5th Milan–San Remo


 * 2012
 * 1st GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano
 * 2nd Tour of Flanders
 * 6th Milan–San Remo
 * 6th Dwars door Vlaanderen
 * 9th Gent–Wevelgem


 * 2013
 * 1st Trofeo Laigueglia
 * 1st Coppa Ugo Agostoni
 * 1st GP Ouest–France
 * 2nd Roma Maxima
 * 3rd Gran Premio della Costa Etruschi
 * 5th Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal


 * 2014
 * 2nd Coppa Bernocchi
 * 3rd Tre Valli Varesine


 * 2015
 * 10th Overall Dubai Tour


 * 2016
 * 2nd Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli
 * 3rd Road race, National Road Championships
 * 4th Dwars door Vlaanderen
 * 5th Coppa Bernocchi
 * 7th Overall Giro di Toscana
 * 8th Milan–San Remo
 * 9th Gran Piemonte


 * 2017
 * 8th GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano
 * 8th Tour of Flanders