# Mercatone Uno–Scanavino

Mercatone Uno–Scanavino is a former professional cycling team which was based in San Marino and then in Italy. Throughout the 1990s it was one of the strongest Italian cycling teams in the peloton. The team was sponsored by a chain of supermarkets in Italy.

## History
### San Marino Team

The team began as Mercatone Uno-Zucchini in 1992 and was based in San Marino. Riding with the team Adriano Baffi won the points classification in the 1993 Giro d'Italia. During the 1995 season the General Manager of the team was Franco Gini and the directeur sportifs were Antonio Salutini, Franco Chioccioli, Olivano Locatelli and Bruno Vicino. This team closed at the end of 1995 season with the withdrawal of the sponsor: the new team had the same sponsor but was a totally different team.

### Team built around Pantani

When Carrera Jeans manufacturers stopped sponsoring the famous Italian cycling team Carrera Jeans–Tassoni at the end of 1996, it was reported that manager Davide Boifava would be building a team around Marco Pantani with Mercatone Uno as the main sponsor. However Luciano Pezzi became the President of that new team, taking with him as directeur sportifs Giuseppe Martinelli, Davide Cassani and Alessandro Giannelli and ten of the riders from Carrera including Pantani. In this way a new team based in Italy was formed with Marco Pantani as the team leader and which rode Bianchi bikes. According to former cycling champion Felice Gimondi the team was built exclusively around Pantani with directeur sportif Martinelli refusing to sign a sprinter as this could have created other objectives of the team. According to Gimondi, in this way the team was conceived similarly to the way the Bianchi cycling team was conceived in the mid-1940s as a team built around Fausto Coppi. In the 1997 season, Pantani finished third overall at the 1997 Tour de France and won several stages including the stage to the Alpe d'Huez. The following year Pantani won the 1998 Giro d'Italia and then won the 1998 Tour de France – becoming only the seventh rider in history to achieve the Giro–Tour double. Pantani dedicated his win to the recently deceased General manager of Mercatone Uno Luciano Pezzi. After achieving this great success, the head of the branch of the Mercatone Uno supermarkets, Romano Cenni, said that the sponsor would remain in cycling as long as Pantani was still cycling. In the 1999 Giro d'Italia, Pantani dominated the race until he was suspended from the race due to a high haematocrit level. As a result, the entire Mercatone Uno team withdrew from the race. The following year the team won the 2000 Giro d'Italia with Stefano Garzelli to which he thanked Pantani for help. Although Garzelli had a contract that run until the end of the 2001 season, he left the team at the end of 2000. When Pantani abandoned the 2002 Giro d'Italia, there was immediate talk of Mercatone Uno stopping its sponsorship after the 2002 season as the team had not been invited to the 2001 and 2002 Tour de France. However the team continued during the 2003 season where Pantani rode to 14th overall in the 2003 Giro d'Italia. The team was disbanded at the end of 2003 due to the probable retirement of Pantani with several riders going to the South African team Barloworld.

## Major wins
### 1992

    Stage 18 Vuelta a España, Enrico Zaina

### 1993

    Settimana Ciclistica Lombarda, Enrico Zaina
    Profronde van Made, Adri van der Poel
    Profronde van Surhuisterveen, Adri van der Poel
    Stages 2, 8 & 18 Giro d'Italia, Adriano Baffi

### 1994

    Giro di Toscana, Francesco Casagrande
    Criterium d'Abruzzo, Michele Bartoli
    Firenze–Pistoia, Francesco Casagrande
    Trofeo Luis Puig, Adriano Baffi
    Stages 1 & 6 Paris–Nice, Mario Cipollini
    Stage 1 Tirreno–Adriatico, Adriano Baffi
    Brabantse Pijl, Michele Bartoli
    Grand Prix Pino Cerami, Michele Bartoli
    GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano, Francesco Casagrande
    Stage 13 Giro d'Italia, Michele Bartoli
    Stage 15 Tour de France, Eros Poli
    Stages 2 & 3 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, Simone Biasci
    Stage 6 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, Massimo Donati
    Giro della Romagna, Giuseppe Petito
    Giro dell'Emilia, Francesco Casagrande
    Milano–Torino, Francesco Casagrande

### 1995

    Settimana Ciclistica Lombarda, Massimiliano Lelli
    Profronde van Oostvoorne, Mario Cipollini
    Italy National Time Trial championships, Massimiliano Lelli
    Overall Driedaagse van De Panne, Michele Bartoli
    Firenze–Pistoia, Francesco Casagrande
    Coppa Placci, Francesco Casagrande
    Trofeo Luis Puig, Mario Cipollini
    Stages 4 & 5 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Mario Cipollini
    Stages 2 & 5 Tour de Romandie, Mario Cipollini
    Giro dell'Appennino, Francesco Casagrande
    Stages 1 & 3 Giro d'Italia, Mario Cipollini
    Stages 2, 3 & 5 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, Mario Cipollini
    Stages 2 & 4 Tour de France, Mario Cipollini
    Milano–Vignola, Angelo Canzonieri

### 1997

    Ronde van Pijnacker, Marco Pantani
    Giro del Mendrisiotto, Beat Zberg
    Overall Giro di Toscana, Sergio Barbero
    Coppa Placci, Beat Zberg
    Stage 7 Tirreno–Adriatico
    Stages 13 & 15 Tour de France, Marco Pantani
    Stage 19 Tour de France, Mario Traversoni
    Urkiola Igoera – Subida Urkiola, Beat Zberg
    Stage 7 Tour de Pologne, Markus Zberg

### 1998

    GP Tell, Marco Velo
    De Draai van de Kaai, Marco Pantani
    Profronde van Surhuisterveen, Marco Pantani
    Firenze–Pistoia, Marco Velo
    Gala Tour de France, Marco Pantani
    Stage 4 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Dimitri Konyshev
    Overall Giro d'Italia, Marco Pantani
       , Mountains classification, Marco Pantani
       Stages 14 & 19, Marco Pantani
       Stage 16, Fabio Fontanelli
    Overall Tour de Suisse, Stefano Garzelli
       Points classification, Stefano Garzelli
       Combination classification, Stefano Garzelli
       Stages 5 & 6, Stefano Garzelli
    Italy National Time Trial championships, Marco Velo
    Overall Tour de France, Marco Pantani
       Stages 11 & 15, Marco Pantani
    Urkiola Igoera - Subida Urkiola, Simone Borgheresi
    Boucles de l'Aulne, Marco Pantani

### 1999

    Firenze–Pistoia, Marco Velo
    Roma Maxima, Sergio Barbero
    Overall Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia – Costa Calida, Marco Pantani
       Stage 4, Marco Pantani
    Stage 2 Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme, Marco Pantani
    Stage 5a Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme, Fabiano Fontanelli
    GP Miguel Induráin, Stefano Garzelli
    Stage 3 Vuelta Ciclista al País Vasco, Stefano Garzelli
    Paris–Camembert Lepetit, Fabiano Fontanelli
    GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano, Massimo Podenzana
    Stages 8, 15, 19 & 20 Giro d'Italia, Marco Pantani
    Giro dell'Appennino, Simone Borgheresi
    Italy National Time Trial championships, Marco Velo
    Stage 14 Tour de France, Dimitri Konyshev
    Tre Valli Varesine, Sergio Barbero
    GP Llodio, Marco Velo
    Giro della Romagna, Roberto Conti
    Grand Prix de Fourmies, Dimitri Konyshev
    Coppa Sabatini, Dimitri Konyshev
    Japan Cup, Sergio Barbero

### 2000

    Acht van Chaam, Marco Pantani
    Profronde van Stiphout, Marco Pantani
    Overall Giro del Trentino, Simone Borgheresi
    Overall Giro d'Italia, Stefano Garzelli
       Stage 18, Stefano Garzelli
    Overall Tour of Sweden, Michael Andersson
       Stage 2, Michael Andersson
    Stage 8 Tour de Suisse, Stefano Garzelli
       Mountains classification Stefano Garzelli
    Sweden National Time Trial championship, Michael Andersson
    Italy National Time Trial championships, Marco Velo
    Stages 12 & 15 Tour de France, Marco Pantani

### 2001

    Klasika Primavera, Igor Astarloa
    Stage 7 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, Daniele De Paoli
    Italy National Time Trial championships, Marco Velo

### 2002

    GP Città di Rio Saliceto e Correggio, Fabiano Fontanelli
    Giro della Provincia di Lucca, Fabiano Fontanelli
    Kazakhstan National Time Trial championships, Andrey Mizurov

### 2003

    Giro del Friuli, Joseba Albizu
    Stage 2 Ster Elektrotoer, Eddy Serri
    Stage 4 Ster Elektrotoer, Luca Solari
    Stage 5 Ster Elektrotoer, Enrico Degano

### Supplementary statistics

Sources:
Note: The team did not exist for the 1996 Season.
Grand Tours by highest finishing position :
| Race | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
| Giro d'Italia | 14 | 11 | 22 | 10 | – | 9 | 1 | DNF | 1 | 11 | 37 | 14 |
| Tour de France | – | – | 42 | 43 | – | 3 | 1 | 32 | 37 | – | – | – |
| / Vuelta a España | 54 | 39 | 13 | 9 | – | – | – | – | – | 46 | – | – |
| Major week-long stage races by highest finishing position ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Race | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
| Tour Down Under | Did not Exist | Did not Exist | Did not Exist | Did not Exist | Did not Exist | Did not Exist | Did not Exist | – | – | – | – | – |
| / Paris–Nice | – | 68 | 22 | 6 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Tirreno–Adriatico | 17 | 20 | 15 | 7 | – | 3 | – | 3 | 22 | 23 | 19 | – |
| Volta a Catalunya | – | – | 9 | 30 | – | – | 4 | 12 | – | – | – | – |
| Tour of the Basque Country | – | – | 4 | – | – | 3 | 15 | 8 | 28 | 26 | – | 49 |
| Tour de Romandie | – | – | – | 2 | – | 3 | 20 | 39 | – | – | – | – |
| Critérium du Dauphiné | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Tour de Suisse | – | – | – | – | – | 8 | 1 | – | 9 | – | – | – |
| Tour de Pologne | – | – | – | – | – | 8 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ronde van Nederland | – | 34 | 15 | 51 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Monument races by highest finishing position ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Monument | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
| Milan–San Remo | 30 | 11 | 2 | 5 | – | 12 | 38 | 4 | 7 | 24 | 68 | – |
| Tour of Flanders | 35 | 33 | 36 | 7 | – | – | – | 31 | 55 | DNF | – | – |
| Paris–Roubaix | – | 5 | – | 32 | – | – | DNF | DNF | – | – | – | – |
| Liège–Bastogne–Liège | 25 | 80 | 17 | 3 | – | 7 | 28 | 13 | 19 | 11 | 21 | – |
| Giro di Lombardia | 39 | 36 | 11 | 3 | – | 21 | 11 | 5 | 35 | 38 | 24 | 65 |
| Classics by highest finishing position ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classic | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
| Omloop Het Volk | 26 | – | 69 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne | 26 | NH | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| E3 Harelbeke | 21 | 6 | 3 | 21 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gent–Wevelgem | 27 | 9 | 19 | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Amstel Gold Race | – | 6 | 34 | 10 | – | 3 | 23 | 10 | 16 | 15 | – | – |
| La Flèche Wallonne | – | 7 | 6 | 4 | – | 5 | 47 | 7 | 15 | 27 | 81 | – |
| Clásica de San Sebastián | 32 | 25 | 36 | 11 | – | 7 | 49 | 14 | 79 | 20 | – | – |
| Paris–Tours | 27 | 5 | 4 | 9 | – | – | 15 | 53 | 40 | – | – | – |
Legend :
| — | Did not compete |
| DNF | Did not finish |
| NH | Not held |

#### Notes

* ↑ The team did not exist in 1996
* ↑ The team pulled out after stage 21 after Marco Pantani who was winning the race was kicked out for having too high a hemacrit level.

## Famous Mercatone Uno cyclists

* Marco Pantani
* Michele Bartoli
* Francesco Casagrande
* Dmitri Konychev
* Bruno Leali
* Adriano Baffi
* John Talen
* Roberto Petito
* Mario Cipollini
* Dario Frigo
* Eddy Mazzoleni
* Stefano Garzelli
* Daniel Clavero
* Sylvester Szmyd