Francesco Moser

Francesco Moser (, ; born 19 June 1951), nicknamed "Lo sceriffo" (The sheriff), is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer. He finished on the podium of the Giro d'Italia six times including his win in the 1984 edition.

Moser was dominant from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. He turned professional in 1973, showing a cultured pedaling style. But his powerful build meant he was not a gifted climber. He entered one edition of the Tour de France, in 1975, where he won two stages, held the maillot jaune for six days and finished 7th overall. He also won the 1977 world road racing championship in addition to collecting silver medals in 1976 and 1978. He won six times in three of the five monuments. Three consecutive editions of Paris–Roubaix, two victories in the Giro di Lombardia and one win in Milan–San Remo.

His 273 road victories puts him behind Eddy Merckx (525) and Rik Van Looy (379), but ahead of Rik Van Steenbergen (270) and Roger De Vlaeminck (255). He was also an accomplished track rider, riding up to six Six-Day races almost each winter throughout his career. He rode 35, 14 of which with René Pijnen, winning 15.

A nephew, Moreno Moser, (born 25 December 1990) is an Italian professional racer, and Francesco's son Ignazio Moser enjoyed success at the junior and amateur levels before retiring at the age of 22.

Classic races
After finishing second in 1974 behind Roger De Vlaeminck and in 1976 behind Marc Demeyer of Belgium, Moser finally won Paris–Roubaix, his favorite race, three consecutive times. Moser had seven podium finishes in Paris–Roubaix; only De Vlaeminck, with nine, has more. In 1978, he beat De Vlaeminck and Jan Raas of the Netherlands; in 1979, he beat De Vlaeminck and Hennie Kuiper of the Netherlands; and in 1980, he beat Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle of France and the German, Dietrich Thurau. Moser came in third in 1981 behind Bernard Hinault and Roger De Vlaeminck, and was also third in 1983 behind Hennie Kuiper and Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle. He rode Paris–Roubaix in his final season as a cyclist in 1987. Other victories include the 1975 and 1978 Giro di Lombardia and the 1984 Milan–San Remo.

Other classics
Moser won the 1974 Paris–Tours, the 1977 Züri-Metzgete, the 1979 Gent–Wevelgem, and the 1977 Flèche Wallonne.

Grand Tours
Moser had some success in the three-week grand tours. He rode the Tour de France in 1975, and although he won two stages, led the race for seven days and won the young rider competition, he never rode the Tour again; the mountains did not suit him. However, he won the 1984 Giro d'Italia, in front of Laurent Fignon of France and Moreno Argentin of Italy. Taking advantage of an unusually flat course, Moser made the most of the time-trials and the aerodynamic bike with full disc wheels that he had just broken the hour record using (technology not available to any other rider during the race) to overcome what others had gained in the mountains. However the result of the race has been called into question by various accusations including shortend or redirected mountain stages, inconsistent awarding of penalties and low flying helecopters being behind some riders but in front of others. Subsequently he would go on to win the points classification in the Giro d'Italia in 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1982.

Other accomplishments
He competed in the individual road race and team time trial events at the 1972 Summer Olympics.

Moser won the 1977 world road racing championship in San Cristobal, Venezuela, in front of Thurau and Franco Bitossi. Moser was also silver medallist in 1976, behind Freddy Maertens of Belgium and second in 1978 to Gerrie Knetemann of the Netherlands.

On 19 January 1984, in Mexico City, Moser broke the 1972 hour record of Eddy Merckx. His coach at the time was the now banned for life Michele Ferrari. He rode 50.808 kilometers, on an aerodynamic bike with full disc wheels more advanced than the conventional bike Merckx used in 1972. As a result, in 1997 the Union Cycliste Internationale banned hour records set on bikes featuring technological advantages. Under the new rules, Merckx's record wasn't broken until 2000. Moser auctioned his bicycle to benefit UNICEF.

He was a member of the Regional Council of Trentino-Alto Adige from 1993 until 1998.

Rivalries
Moser's biggest rival was Giuseppe Saronni.

After retirement
Moser started a bike company, Moser Cicli, constructing race bikes in a workshop in Trento. Production is 2,000-3,000 frames annually.

He was the first chairman of the CPA (Cyclistes Professionels Associés), a union for professional riders of TT/I and TT/II league of teams (now UCI WorldTeams and UCI Professional Continental Teams, respectively). He held the position from 1999 until 2007.

Moser also became a viticulturist, cultivating different varieties of grapes. He continued his father's winery with his children Francesca, Carlo and Ignazio on the family estate Maso Villa Warth in Valle di Cembra, on the hills just north of Trento. He is also a passionate hunter and was the host of the television series "A Caccia con Moser" (Hunting with Moser) on Sky Italia's channel Caccia TV.

Major results

 * 1971
 * 1st Jersey pink.svg Overall Giro Ciclistico d'Italia
 * 1st Stages 1a & 6
 * 4th Trofeo Alcide Degasperi


 * 1972
 * 3rd Gran Premio della Liberazione
 * 8th Road race, Olympic Games


 * 1973
 * 1st Stage 14 Giro d'Italia
 * 3rd Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
 * 5th Overall Giro di Puglia
 * 7th Trofeo Laigueglia
 * 9th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
 * 9th La Flèche Wallonne
 * 9th Milano–Torino


 * 1974
 * 1st Paris–Tours
 * 1st Coppa Bernocchi
 * 1st Giro del Piemonte
 * 1st Giro dell'Emilia
 * 1st Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
 * 1st Giro Di Toscana
 * 1st Giro dell'Umbria
 * 1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Roy Schuiten)
 * 2nd Paris–Roubaix
 * 2nd Coppa Placci
 * 2nd Gran Premio di Lugano
 * 2nd Trofeo Matteotti
 * 2nd Gran Premio de Valencia
 * 4th Giro della Romagna
 * 5th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
 * 5th Grand Prix des Nations
 * 5th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato
 * 6th Road race, National Road Championships
 * 7th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
 * 7th Overall Giro d'Italia
 * 7th Giro di Lombardia
 * 8th Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
 * 10th Paris–Brussels


 * 1975
 * 1st MaillotItalia.svg Road race, National Road Championships
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Grand Prix du Midi Libre
 * 1st Stages 3 & 4a
 * 1st Giro di Lombardia
 * 1st Trofeo Matteotti
 * 1st Gran Premio Città di Camaiore
 * 1st Coppa Placci
 * 1st Giro dell'Umbria
 * 1st Grand Prix de Monaco
 * 1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Gianbattista Baronchelli)
 * 2nd Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
 * 1st Prologue (TTT)
 * 2nd Milan–San Remo
 * 2nd Trofeo Pantalica
 * 2nd Gran Premio di Lugano
 * 2nd Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
 * 3rd Züri-Metzgete
 * 4th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
 * 4th Overall Giro di Puglia
 * 4th Giro dell'Emilia
 * 5th Paris–Roubaix
 * 5th Milano–Torino
 * 5th Giro Di Toscana
 * 6th Giro del Veneto
 * 6th Coppa Sabatini
 * 6th Critérium des As
 * 7th Overall Tour de France
 * 1st Jersey white.svg Young rider classification
 * 1st Prologue & Stage 7
 * Held Jersey yellow.svg after Prologue–Stage 5
 * Held Jersey green.svg after Prologue & Stage 1b
 * 8th Overall À travers Lausanne
 * 8th Gent–Wevelgem
 * 9th Coppa Ugo Agostoni
 * 10th Coppa Bernocchi


 * 1976
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Individual pursuit, UCI Track World Championships
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Giro di Puglia
 * 1st Stage 2
 * 1st Giro dell'Appennino
 * 1st Giro Di Toscana
 * 1st Trofeo Pantalica
 * 1st Trofeo Matteotti
 * 1st Tre Valli Varesine
 * 2nd Silver medal uci.svg Road race, UCI Road World Championships
 * 2nd Road race, National Road Championships
 * 2nd Paris–Roubaix
 * 2nd Tour of Flanders
 * 2nd Coppa Bernocchi
 * 2nd Coppa Placci
 * 2nd Trofeo Baracchi (with Roy Schuiten)
 * 3rd Coppa Ugo Agostoni
 * 3rd Giro del Friuli
 * 4th Overall Giro d'Italia
 * 1st Jersey violet.svg Points classification
 * 1st Stages 4, 7 (ITT) & 14
 * Held Jersey pink.svg after Stage 7
 * 4th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
 * 4th Züri-Metzgete
 * 6th Giro di Lombardia
 * 6th Giro dell'Umbria
 * 6th Giro di Campania
 * 6th Milano–Vignola
 * 7th Gent–Wevelgem
 * 8th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato
 * 9th Milan–San Remo
 * 9th Giro dell'Emilia


 * 1977
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Road race, UCI Road World Championships
 * 1st La Flèche Wallonne
 * 1st Züri-Metzgete
 * 1st Châteauroux Classic
 * 1st Grand Prix Le Télégramme
 * 1st Critérium des As
 * 1st Coppa Ugo Agostoni
 * 1st Giro del Lazio
 * 1st Giro Di Toscana
 * 1st Giro dell'Umbria
 * 1st Stage 4 Tour de l'Aude
 * 2nd Overall Giro d'Italia
 * 1st Jersey violet.svg Points classification
 * Held Jersey pink.svg after Stages 5–16b
 * 3rd Road race, National Road Championships
 * 3rd Giro di Campania
 * 4th Overall Giro di Puglia
 * 4th Tour of Flanders
 * 4th Giro del Veneto
 * 5th Milano–Torino
 * 5th Coppa Bernocchi
 * 5th Trofeo Pantalica
 * 5th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato
 * 5th Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
 * 6th Trofeo Matteotti
 * 6th Coppa Placci
 * 6th Gran Premio Città di Camaiore
 * 7th Amstel Gold Race
 * 7th Giro dell'Emilia
 * 9th Tre Valli Varesine


 * 1978
 * 1st MaillotVolta.png Overall Volta a Catalunya
 * 1st Jersey blue lines volta.svg Points classification
 * 1st Prologue, Stages 1, 3b & 7b (ITT)
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Tour de l'Aude
 * 1st Prologue, Stages 1 & 3
 * 1st Paris–Roubaix
 * 1st Giro di Lombardia
 * 1st Tre Valli Varesine
 * 1st GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano
 * 1st Giro del Lazio
 * 1st Coppa Sabatini
 * 1st Trofeo Matteotti
 * 1st Stage 2 Giro di Sardegna
 * 2nd Silver medal uci.svg Road race, UCI Road World Championships
 * 2nd Road race, National Road Championships
 * 2nd Overall Giro di Puglia
 * 2nd Amstel Gold Race
 * 2nd Züri-Metzgete
 * 2nd Gran Premio di Lugano
 * 2nd Grand Prix des Nations
 * 3rd Overall Giro d'Italia
 * 1st Jersey violet.svg Points classification
 * 1st Stages 11b, 13, 14 (ITT) & 16 (ITT)
 * 3rd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
 * 3rd Liège–Bastogne–Liège
 * 3rd Gent–Wevelgem
 * 3rd Trofeo Laigueglia
 * 3rd Grand Prix of Aargau Canton
 * 4th Rund um den Henninger Turm
 * 6th Milan–San Remo
 * 7th Tour of Flanders
 * 8th Giro della Romagna
 * 8th Critérium des As
 * 9th Overall Grand Prix du Midi Libre
 * 1st Prologue & Stage 3


 * 1979
 * 1st MaillotItalia.svg Road race, National Road Championships
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Ruota d'Oro
 * 1st Stages 2 & 3 (ITT)
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Tour de l'Aude
 * 1st Prologue
 * 1st Paris–Roubaix
 * 1st Gent–Wevelgem
 * 1st Giro dell'Emilia
 * 1st Giro del Friuli
 * 1st Giro del Veneto
 * 1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Giuseppe Saronni)
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg Individual pursuit, UCI Track World Championships
 * 2nd Overall Giro d'Italia
 * 1st Prologue, Stages 3 (ITT) & 17
 * Held Jersey pink.svg after Prologue–Stage 7
 * Held Jersey violet.svg after Prologue, Stages 2–5, 15 & 17–18
 * 2nd Overall Giro del Trentino
 * 2nd Grand Prix des Nations
 * 2nd Züri-Metzgete
 * 2nd GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano
 * 2nd Coppa Ugo Agostoni
 * 3rd Overall Deutschland Tour
 * 3rd Trofeo Laigueglia
 * 3rd Coppa Bernocchi
 * 3rd Giro di Campania
 * 4th Milan–San Remo
 * 4th Giro del Lazio
 * 5th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
 * 1st Prologue
 * 5th Tre Valli Varesine
 * 6th Trofeo Pantalica


 * 1980
 * 1st Jersey blue.svg Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
 * 1st Prologue
 * 1st Jersey violet.svg Overall Giro del Trentino
 * 1st Prologue & Stage 1
 * 1st Paris–Roubaix
 * 1st Nice–Alassio
 * Giro d'Italia
 * 1st Prologue
 * Held Jersey pink.svg after Prologue–Stage 4
 * Held Jersey violet.svg after Prologue–Stage 1
 * 2nd Tour of Flanders
 * 2nd Rund um den Henninger Turm
 * 2nd Milano–Torino
 * 2nd Trofeo Pantalica
 * 2nd Milano–Vignola
 * 3rd Overall Tour of Belgium
 * 3rd Trofeo Laigueglia
 * 3rd Coppa Sabatini
 * 3rd Grand Prix des Nations
 * 5th Coppa Ugo Agostoni
 * 6th Milan–San Remo
 * 6th Coppa Placci
 * 7th Giro dell'Emilia
 * 7th Giro del Lazio
 * 8th Trofeo Matteotti


 * 1981
 * 1st MaillotItalia.svg Road race, National Road Championships
 * 1st Jersey blue.svg Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
 * 1st Prologue
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Giro di Frasassi
 * 1st Stage 2
 * 1st Coppa Ugo Agostoni
 * 1st Giro dell'Umbria
 * Giro d'Italia
 * 1st Stage 14
 * Held Jersey pink.svg after Stage 1b & Stages 3–5
 * 2nd Overall Giro del Trentino
 * 2nd Overall Ruota d'Oro
 * 2nd Giro dell'Emilia
 * 2nd Giro della Romagna
 * 2nd Grand Prix Le Télégramme
 * 2nd Milano–Vignola
 * 2nd Trofeo Baracchi (with Knut Knudsen)
 * 3rd Paris–Roubaix
 * 3rd Coppa Bernocchi
 * 3rd Giro Di Toscana
 * 3rd Giro di Campania
 * 3rd Giro dell'Etna
 * 4th Rund um den Henninger Turm
 * 4th Giro del Friuli
 * 6th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
 * 7th Giro del Lazio
 * 8th Overall Tour de l'Aude
 * 8th Coppa Placci


 * 1982
 * 1st Jersey orange.svg Overall Tour Midi-Pyrénées
 * 1st Prologue
 * 1st Giro Di Toscana
 * 1st Giro di Campania
 * 1st Grand Prix Le Télégramme
 * 2nd Overall Grand Prix du Midi Libre
 * 1st Stage 1
 * 2nd Overall Giro del Trentino
 * 2nd Coppa Ugo Agostoni
 * 3rd Overall Tour of the Basque Country
 * 3rd Giro di Lombardia
 * 3rd Coppa Sabatini
 * 4th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
 * 4th Milan–San Remo
 * 4th GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano
 * 6th Overall Giro di Sardegna
 * 6th Overall Tour de l'Aude
 * 7th Milano–Torino
 * 7th Giro del Friuli
 * 8th Overall Giro d'Italia
 * 1st Jersey violet.svg Points classification
 * 1st Stages 7 & 20
 * Held Jersey pink.svg after Stages 7–11
 * 9th Overall Ruota d'Oro
 * 9th Coppa Bernocchi
 * 10th Paris–Roubaix


 * 1983
 * 1st Jersey violet.svg Overall Giro del Trentino
 * 1st Prologue
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Tour of Norway
 * 1st Stage 1
 * 1st Milano–Torino
 * 1st Milano–Vignola
 * 1st Giro del Friuli
 * 1st Giro di Campania
 * 1st Trofeo Pantalica
 * 1st Giro dell'Umbria
 * 2nd Giro del Lazio
 * 3rd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
 * 3rd Paris–Roubaix
 * 3rd Giro del Piemonte
 * 3rd Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
 * 4th Giro del Veneto
 * 4th Trofeo Matteotti
 * 5th Giro di Lombardia
 * 5th Critérium des As
 * 10th Giro dell'Emilia
 * 10th Gran Premio Città di Camaiore


 * 1984
 * Best human effort: Sport records icon WR.svg 50.808 km (19 Jan 1984)
 * Best human effort: Sport records icon WR.svg 51.151 km (23 Jan 1984)
 * 1st Jersey pink.svg Overall Giro d'Italia
 * 1st Prologue, Stages 6, 15 (ITT) & 22 (ITT)
 * 1st Milan–San Remo
 * 1st Giro del Lazio
 * 1st Giro dell'Etna
 * 1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Bernard Hinault)
 * 2nd Gran Premio Città di Camaiore
 * 5th Trofeo Pantalica
 * 6th Grand Prix Le Télégramme
 * 8th Critérium des As
 * 10th Overall Vuelta a España
 * 1st Prologue & Stage 11
 * Held Jersey gold.svg after Prologue–Stage 5
 * Held Jersey light blue.svg after Prologue


 * 1985
 * 1st Giro dell'Appennino
 * 1st Giro dell'Etna
 * 1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Hans-Henrik Ørsted)
 * 1st Stage 1 Ruota d'Oro
 * 2nd Overall Giro d'Italia
 * 1st Prologue, Stages 19 & 22 (ITT)
 * Held Jersey pink.svg after Prologue–Stage 1
 * 2nd Giro del Friuli
 * 4th Giro di Campania
 * 5th Overall Giro del Trentino
 * 5th Giro dell'Emilia
 * 5th Giro dell'Umbria


 * 1986
 * 1st Giro dell'Etna
 * 2nd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
 * 1st Prologue & Stage 6 (ITT)
 * 2nd Giro dell'Appennino
 * 2nd Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
 * 3rd Overall Giro d'Italia
 * 1st Stage 18 (ITT)
 * 3rd Trofeo Pantalica
 * 4th Overall Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
 * 1st Stage 4
 * 5th Giro di Campania
 * 6th Overall Giro di Puglia
 * 6th Tre Valli Varesine
 * 6th GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano
 * 7th Amstel Gold Race
 * 7th Coppa Ugo Agostoni
 * 8th Paris–Roubaix
 * 9th Rund um den Henninger Turm


 * 1987
 * 3rd Overall Tour Méditerranéen
 * 1st Prologue
 * 4th Overall Giro del Trentino
 * 1st Prologue
 * 4th Firenze–Pistoia
 * 5th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
 * 5th Milano–Vignola
 * 9th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato
 * 9th Trofeo Matteotti
 * 10th Road race, National Road Championships
 * 10th Trofeo Pantalica