# Ariostea (cycling team)

Ariostea (UCI team code: ARI) was an Italian professional cycling team from 1984 to 1993. Its first team manager was Giorgio Vannucci; he was replaced in 1986 by Giancarlo Ferretti, who remained manager until the team was disbanded in 1993.

## History

The first major victories were the two stage wins at the 1986 Giro d'Italia by Sergio Santimaria (1st stage, maglia rosa for one day) and Norwegian rider Dag Erik Pedersen (15th stage). The highest placed Ariostea rider in the general classification was Alfio Vandi, who finished 11th, 12 minutes and 40 seconds behind the winner.
In the late 1980s the team became a more prominent presence in the peloton. One of its successful riders was Rolf Sørensen who won Paris–Tours in 1990 and the Tirreno–Adriatico of 1992. Moreno Argentin won the team its first "monument", the 1990 Tour of Flanders, followed by a victory at the La Flèche Wallonne. 1990 also saw the team's first Tour de France stage win (Argentin) and two more Girostages (Adriano Baffi).
In 1991, Argentin scored another double in Belgium, with wins in La Flèche Wallonne and Liège–Bastogne–Liège. Davide Cassani won three major classics in Italy (Milano–Torino, Giro dell'Emilia and Coppa Agostoni), while Massimiliano Lelli won two Giro stages - finishing third overall. More success followed at the Tour de France as stage wins for Bruno Cenghialta, Argentin and Marco Lietti registered a Tour triple triumph on consecutive days. That followed a team time trial win on Stage 2 into Chassieu that put Rolf Sørensen in the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification for four days.
Ariostea dominated the 1992 Tirreno–Adriatico with five stage wins and the general classification (Sørensen). Giorgio Furlan won the Tour de Suisse, Rolf Gölz the Tour Méditerranéen. There was another stage win in the Giro, this time for Marco Saligari. Roberto Conti finished 9th in the general classification.
In 1993, its final year, Ariostea was victorious in the Amstel Gold Race (Rolf Järmann). Bjarne Riis won a Giro stage and placed 5th in the general classification in the Tour de France. Saligari also won a stage in the Giro, and was the winner that year's Tour de Suisse. By far the most successful rider of the team this year was Pascal Richard of Switzerland. He won the Giro del Lazio, Giro di Lombardia, the Tour de Romandie and a handful of stages and one day races throughout the year. In the team's final race, the 1993 Giro di Lombardia, Ariostea riders Pascal Richard and Giorgio Furlan finished first and second, breaking away for the final 6 miles of the race.
Team manager Ferretti and a number of riders went to GB–MG Maglificio the next year.

## Major results
### 1985

    Overall Giro di Puglia, Silvano Contini
    Overall GP du Midi-Libre, Silvano Contini
       Stage 1, Silvano Contini
    Coppa Placci, Silvano Contini

### 1986

    Stage 1 Giro d'Italia, Sergio Santimaria
    Stage 15 Giro d'Italia, Dag Erik Pedersen

### 1987

    Stage 8 Tour de Suisse, Alessandro Paganessi

### 1988

    Stage 6 Settimana Siciliana, Rolf Sørensen
    Stage 3 Giro d'Italia, Stephan Joho
    Stages 1 & 9 Tour de Suisse, Stephan Joho
    Stage 7 Tour de Suisse, Francesco Cesarini
    Stage 1b Zürich, Stephan Joho
    Stage 4 Tour of Denmark, Rolf Sørensen
    Overall Schwanenbrau Cup, Bruno Cenghialta
       Stage 2, Rolf Sørensen

### 1989

    Giro di Campania, Luciano Rabottini
    Stage 7a Paris–Nice, Adriano Baffi
    Stages 2 & 3 Driedaagse van De Panne, Adriano Baffi
    GP Pino Cerami, Stephan Joho
    Stage 6 Giro d'Italia, Stephan Joho
    Winterthur Criterium, Stephan Joho
    Coppa Bernocchi, Rolf Sørensen
    Omloop van de Vlasstreek, Rolf Sørensen
    Six Days of Zürich, Adriano Baffi

### 1990

    Overall Settimana Siciliana, Rolf Sørensen
       Stage 1, Rolf Sørensen
       Stage 5, Adriano Baffi
    Trofeo Laigueglia, Rolf Sørensen
    Stage 5 Paris–Nice, Adriano Baffi
    Giro dei Sei Comuni, Stephan Joho
    Tour of Flanders, Moreno Argentin
    La Flèche Wallonne, Moreno Argentin
    Stage 2 Giro del Trentino, Adriano Baffi
    Stages 11 & 18 Giro d'Italia, Adriano Baffi
    Stage 9 Tour de Suisse, Moreno Argentin
    Stage 3 Tour de France, Moreno Argentin
    Stage 2 Tour of Belgium, Adriano Baffi
    Stage 5b Tour of Belgium, Stephan Joho
    Coppa Bernocchi, Davide Cassani
    Stage 6 Volta a Catalunya, Marco Lietti
    Overall Schwanenbrau Cup, Stephan Joho
       Stage 3, Stephan Joho
    Giro dell'Emilia, Davide Cassani
    Coppa Sabatini, Moreno Argentin
    Paris–Tours, Rolf Sørensen

### 1991

    La Flèche Wallonne, Moreno Argentin
    Liège–Bastogne–Liège, Moreno Argentin
    Young rider classification Giro d'Italia, Massimiliano Lelli
       Stage 8, Davide Cassani
       Stages 12 & 16, Massimiliano Lelli
    Stage 9 Tour de Suisse, Rolf Sørensen
    Stage 2 (TTT) Tour de France
    Stage 14 Tour de France, Bruno Cenghialta
    Stage 15 Tour de France, Moreno Argentin
    Stage 16 Tour de France, Marco Lietti
    Coppa Bernocchi, Giorgio Furlan
    Coppa Agostoni, Davide Cassani
    Giro dell'Emilia, Davide Cassani
    Milano–Torino, Davide Cassani

### 1992

    Overall Tour Méditerranéen, Rolf Gölz
       Stages 1 & 5, Rolf Gölz
    Giro di Campania, Davide Cassani
    Stage 8 Paris–Nice, Adriano Baffi
    Stage 2 Critérium International, Giorgio Furlan
    La Flèche Wallonne, Giorgio Furlan
    Overall Giro di Calabria, Marco Saligari
    Overall Hofbrau Cup, Alberto Elli
       Stage 2, Alberto Elli
       Stage 3a, Rolf Sørensen
    Stage 13 Giro d'Italia, Giorgio Furlan
    Stage 15 Giro d'Italia, Marco Saligari
    Stage 4 Tour de Luxembourg, Alberto Elli
    Overall Tour de Suisse, Giorgio Furlan
       Stage 2, Giorgio Furlan
    Stage 12 Tour de France, Rolf Järmann
    Paris–Brussel, Rolf Sørensen
    Linz Criterium, Adriano Baffi

### 1993

    Stage 1 Critérium International, Pascal Richard
    Stage 9 Settimana Ciclistica Lombarda, Fabio Casartelli
    Amstel Gold Race, Rolf Järmann
    GP Industria & Artigianato, Marco Saligari
    Overall Tour de Romandie, Pascal Richard
       Stage 3, Pascal Richard
    Stage 7 Giro d'Italia, Bjarne Riis
    Stage 9 Giro d'Italia, Giorgio Furlan
    Stage 15 Giro d'Italia, Davide Cassani
    Stage 17 Giro d'Italia, Marco Saligari
    Overall Tour de Suisse, Marco Saligari
       Stage 2, Giorgio Furlan
       Stage 7 , Rolf Järmann
       Stage 8, Pascal Richard
    Stage 7 Tour de France, Bjarne Riis
    Coppa Agostoni, Davide Cassani
    Giro di Lombardia, Pascal Richard