Saeco (cycling team)

Saeco was the name of an Italian road bicycle racing team, sponsored by the company with the same name. They rode on Cannondale bicycles.

The company did not prolong the sponsorship for 2005, and the team was merged with the team, forming, sponsored by Caffita.

Team history
In the 1990s the team was famous for Mario Cipollini's sprint train and his antics. One of their most memorable moments was Cipollini's 4 consecutive stage wins in the 1999 Tour de France. The image of Mario Cipollini approaching the TV camera right after a win to say, "Cannondale makes the best bikes!" propelled Cannondale's popularity among road racers.

The Saeco team is known for their pranks and antics. Cipollini's antics are legendary, including showing up to the stage start at the Tour de France dressed in a Julius Caesar-inspired toga complete with an olive wreath, riding on a carriage pulled by his teammates on bicycles. More recently, the entire Saeco team raced a stage of the 2003 Tour de France wearing a Legalize my Cannondale chaingang cycling kit to protest the UCI's lower bound on bike weight which means that their six13 prototype team bikes were underweight and required the installation of additional weight.

Major wins

 * 1996
 * 🇮🇹 Road Race Championships, Mario Cipollini
 * Coppa Colli Briantei Internazionale, Carlo Marino Bianchi
 * Volta a Portugal em Bicicleta, Massimiliano Lelli
 * Overall Jersey blue.svg Tirreno - Adriatico, Francesco Casagrande
 * Stage 4, Francesco Casagrande
 * Overall Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco, Francesco Casagrande
 * Stage 2, Francesco Casagrande
 * Stage 5b, Francesco Casagrande
 * Stage 2 Volta a la Comunidad Valenciana, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 5a Volta a la Comunidad Valenciana
 * Stage 3 Tour de Romandie, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 5a Tour de Romandie, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 6 Tour de Romandie, Mario Cipollini
 * Points Classification Jersey violet.svg Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 1, Silvio Martinello
 * Stage 4, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 8, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 11, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 18, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 2 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 5 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 2 Tour de France, Mario Cipollini


 * 1997
 * Overall [[Image:Jersey pink.svg|20px]] Giro d'Italia, Ivan Gotti
 * Stage 1, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 2, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 4, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 10, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 14, Ivan Gotti
 * Stage 22, Mario Cipollini
 * Overall Jersey blue.svg Tirreno - Adriatico, Roberto Petito
 * Overall Giro di Romagna et Coppa Placci, Francesco Casagrande
 * Stage 1 Volta a la Comunidad Valenciana, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 5a Volta a la Comunidad Valenciana, Gian Matteo Fagnini
 * Stage 2 Tour de Romandie, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 3 Tour de Romandie, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 5 Tour de Romandie, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 1 Tour de France, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 2 Tour de France, Mario Cipollini


 * 1998
 * Overall [[Image:Jersey yellow.svg|20px]] Giro del Trentino, Paolo Salvodelli
 * Stage 2, Paolo Salvodelli
 * GP Costa degli Etruschi Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 5 Giro d'Italia Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 7 Giro d'Italia Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 8 Giro d'Italia Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 10 Giro d'Italia Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 20 Giro d'Italia Gian Matteo Fagnini
 * Stage 22 Giro d'Italia Gian Matteo Fagnini
 * Stage 1a Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 2 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 3 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 4 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 5 Tour de France Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 6 Tour de France Mario Cipollini


 * 1999
 * Road Race Championships, Armin Meier
 * 🇮🇹 Road Race Championships, Salvatore Commesso
 * Peperbus Profspektakel Zwolle, Mario Cipollini
 * Trofeo Manacor Mario Cipollini
 * La Poly Normande, Laurent Dufaux
 * Overall [[Image:Jersey yellow.svg|20px]] Giro del Trentino, Paolo Salvodelli
 * Stage 1, Paolo Salvodelli
 * Trofeo Laigueglia, Paolo Salvodelli
 * Trofeo Luis Puig, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 3 Tirreno–Adriatico, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 5 Tour de Romandie, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 2 Giro d'Italia, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 10 Giro d'Italia, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 12 Giro d'Italia, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 14 Giro d'Italia, Paolo Salvodelli
 * Stage 17 Giro d'Italia, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 1 Volta a Catalunya, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 2 Volta a Catalunya, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 4 Tour de France, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 5 Tour de France, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 6 Tour de France, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 7 Tour de France, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 13 Tour de France, Salvatore Commesso


 * 2000
 * Overall Tour de Romandie, Paolo Salvodelli
 * Prologue
 * Stage 3 Giro del Trentino, Paolo Salvodelli

Stage 18 Tour de France, Salvatore Commesso


 * 2001
 * Criterium Bavikhoeve, Mario Cipollini
 * GP Costa degli Etruschi, Fabio Sacchi
 * Trofeo Laigueglia, Mirko Celestino
 * Points Classification, Volta a Portugal, Salvatore Commesso
 * Rund um die Hainleite, Christian Wegmann
 * Tour of Austria, Cadel Evans
 * Brixia Tour, Cadel Evans
 * Tre Valli Varesine, Mirko Celestino
 * Milano-Torino, Mirko Celestino
 * Stage 2 Tour Down Under, Fabio Sacchi
 * Stage 3 Tour Down Under, Alessio Galletti
 * Stage 1 Tirreno - Adriatico, Biagio Conte
 * Prologue Tour de Romandie, Paolo Salvodelli
 * Stage 2 Tour de Romandie, Paolo Salvodelli
 * Stage 5 Tour de Romandie, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 1 Bayern-Rundfahrt, Jörg Ludewig
 * Giro d'Italia Azzurri d'Italia classification Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 6, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 9, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 19, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 21, Mario Cipollini
 * Stage 2a Rothaus Regio-Tour International, Biagio Conte
 * Stage 5 Rothaus Regio-Tour International, Biagio Conte


 * 2002
 * 🇮🇹 Road Race Championships, Salvatore Commesso
 * Giro d'Oro, Damiano Cunego
 * Giro del Medio Brenta, Damiano Cunego
 * Giro del Veneto, Danilo Di Luca
 * Trophy City 'Castelfidardo, Danilo Di Luca
 * GP Ind.Com.Art of Castelfidardo, Fabio Bags
 * Criterium d'Abruzzo, Salvatore Commesso
 * Stage 11, Giro d'Italia, Gilberto Simoni
 * Trophy Laigueglia, Danilo Di Luca
 * Overall Tour of Austria, Gerrit Glomser
 * Stage 4, Gerrit Glomser
 * Trofeo Matteotti, Salvatore Commesso
 * Overall Brixia Tour, Igor Astarloa
 * Stage 2a, Igor Astarloa
 * Stage 2b, Mirko Celestine
 * Stage 4 Volta a la Comunidad Valenciana, Danilo Di Luca
 * Stage 3 Tirreno - Adriatico, Danilo Di Luca
 * Stage 5 Tirreno - Adriatico, Danilo Di Luca
 * Stage 4 Bayern-Rundfahrt, Christian Wegmann
 * Stage 2 Vuelta a España, Danilo Di Luca


 * 2003
 * World Road Championship, Igor Astarloa
 * Overall [[Image:Jersey pink.svg|20px]] Giro d'Italia, Gilberto Simoni
 * Points Classification [[Image:Jersey violet.svg|20px]], Gilberto Simoni
 * Azzurri d'Italia classification, Gilberto Simoni
 * Stage 12, Gilberto Simoni
 * Stage 14, Gilberto Simoni
 * Stage19, Gilberto Simoni
 * Overall [[Image:Jersey yellow.svg|20px]] Giro del Trentino, Gilberto Simoni
 * Stage 2, Gilberto Simoni
 * Giro dell'Appennino, Gilberto Simoni
 * [[Image:Jersey yellow.svg|20px]] Overall, Tour of Qinghai Lake, Damiano Cunego
 * Stage 7
 * US Pro Championship, Stefano Zanini
 * Milano-Torino, Mirko Celestino
 * Coppa Placci, Danilo Di Luca
 * Trofeo Città´ di Castelfidardom, Alessio Galletti
 * Settimana Ciclistica Internazionale, Mirko Celestino
 * La Flèche Wallonne, Igor Astarloa
 * GP Industria & Artigianato- Larciano, Juan Manuel Fuentes
 * Overall Tour of Austria, Gerrit Glomser
 * Stage 2, Gerrit Glomser
 * Stage 3, Gerrit Glomser
 * GP Llodio, Juan Manuel Fuentes
 * Tre Valli Varesine, Danilo Di Luca
 * Giro di Romagna et Coppa Placci, Fabio Sacchi
 * Stage 2 Tour Down Under, Fabio Sacchi
 * Stage 4 Tour of Qatar, Ivan Quaranta
 * Stage 3 Volta a la Comunidad Valenciana, Igor Astarloa
 * Stage 6 Tirreno - Adriatico, Danilo Di Luca
 * Stage 4 Deutschland Tour, Ivan Quaranta
 * Stage 14 Tour de France, Gilberto Simoni
 * Stage 1 Brixia Tour, Ivan Quaranta
 * Stage 1 Rothaus Regio-Tour International, Nicola Gavazzi


 * 2004
 * Overall [[Image:Jersey pink.svg|20px]] Giro d'Italia, Damiano Cunego
 * Stage 2, Damiano Cunego
 * Stage 3, Gilberto Simoni
 * Stage 7, Damiano Cunego
 * Stage 16, Damiano Cunego
 * Stage 18, Damiano Cunego
 * Giro di Lombardia
 * [[Image:Jersey yellow.svg|20px]] Overall, Giro del Trentino, Damiano Cunego
 * Stage 1, Damiano Cunego
 * Stage 2, Damiano Cunego
 * Giro dell'Appennino, Damiano Cunego
 * Giro del Trentino, Damiano Cunego
 * GP Industria & Artigianato, Damiano Cunego
 * Gran Premio Nobili Rubinetterie, Damiano Cunego
 * Memorial Marco Pantani, Damiano Cunego
 * Giro del Veneto, Gilberto Simoni
 * Raiffeisen GP, Andreas Matzbacher
 * Cup Placci, Leonardo Bertagnolli
 * Trophy Etna, Leonardo Bertagnolli
 * GP Ind.Com.Art of Castelfidardo, Damiano Cunego
 * GP Industria & Crafts-Larciano, Damiano Cunego
 * Trofeo Matteotti, Danilo Di Luca
 * Overall Brixia Tour, Danilo Di Luca
 * Coppa Agostoni, Leonardo Bertagnolli
 * GP Nobili Rubinetterie, Damiano Cunego
 * Overall Tour of Lombardy, Damiano Cunego
 * Stage 1 Bayern-Rundfahrt, Antonio Bucciero
 * Stage 4 Tour of Austria, Gerrit Glomser

National and world champions

 * 1996
 * Jersey italianflag.svg Road Race Mario Cipollini


 * 1999
 * Jersey italianflag.svg Road Race Salvatore Commesso
 * MaillotSuiza.PNG Road Race Armin Meier


 * 2002
 * Jersey italianflag.svg Road Race Salvatore Commesso


 * 2003
 * Jersey rainbow.svg World Road Race Igor Astarloa