# Ercole Baldini

Ercole Baldini (26 January 1933 – 1 December 2022) was an Italian cyclist. As an amateur he won an Olympic gold medal in the road race and the world title in the individual pursuit on track, both in 1956. Next year he turned professional, and in 1958 won the world title in the road race and the Giro d'Italia. He continued competing on track and won bronze medals in the individual pursuit at the world championships of 1960 and 1964.

## Biography

Baldini was born at Villanova di Forlì. At 21 he set the hour record for amateurs, with 44.870 km, gaining the nickname of Forlì train. His best year was 1956, in which he won a gold medal in the road race at the Summer Olympics in Melbourne, and, in September, stripped Jacques Anquetil of the hour record, riding 46.394 km at the Velodromo Vigorelli in Milan.
In 1957 he became professional and won six important races, including the Trofeo Baracchi alongside Fausto Coppi, and became Italian champion. In 1958 Baldini won the Giro d'Italia, beating Charly Gaul on the latter's favourite terrain, climbing. He was again Italian champion and also won the World Cycling Championship.
Baldini finished 6th in the 1959 Tour de France. His career ended in 1964 after surgery to a leg.

## Death

Baldini died in his home in Villanova on 1 December 2022, at the age of 89.

## Career achievements
### Major results
#### 1953

    3rd Piccolo Giro di Lombardia

#### 1954

    1st Targa D’Oro Città di Legnano
    World hour record (Amateurs) – 44.90km

#### 1956

    1st Olympic Games Road Race
    1st UCI Track Cycling World Championships (Individual Pursuit)
    1st National Track Cycling Championships (Individual Pursuit)
    1st Milano–Bologna
    1st Manx International
    World hour record – 46.39km

#### 1957

    1st National Road Championship, Road Race
    1st Coppa Brescia
    1st Pescara Criterium
    1st Giro della Romagna
    1st Giro del Lazio
    1st GP de Lugano
    1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Fausto Coppi)
    2nd Tre Valli Varesine
    2nd Grand Prix des Nations
    2nd Vezzola Criterium
    2nd GP Martini
    2nd Cenon Criterium
    3rd Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Stage 12
    3rd Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
    3rd Parma Criterium

#### 1958

    1st UCI Road World Championships, Road Race
    1st National Road Championship, Road Race
    1st Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Stages 2, 8, 15 & 17
    1st Trofeo Matteotti
    1st GP Industria e Commercio di Prato
    1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Aldo Moser)
    1st Coppa Collecchio
    1st Castrocaro Terme
    1st Forlì Criterium
    1st Riccione Criteriym
    1st Stages 3b & 6a Roma–Napoli–Roma
    2nd GP Martini
    2nd Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
    2nd San Maria Vezzola
    2nd Valeggio sul Mincio
    5th Desgrange-Colombo

#### 1959

    1st Castrocaro Terme
    1st GP Faema
    1st Giro dell'Emilia
    1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Aldo Moser)
    2nd Bol d'Or des Monédières
    2nd GP de Lugano
    3rd Trofeo Longines
    6th Overall Tour de France
       1st Stage 18

#### 1960

    1st Grand Prix des Nations
    2nd Giro dell'Appennino
    2nd Trofeo Baracchi
    2nd Castrocaro Terme
    3rd UCI Track Cycling World Championships (Individual Pursuit)
    3rd GP de Lugano
    3rd Giro del Veneto

#### 1961

    1st Trofeo Moschini
    1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Joseph Velly)
    1st GP d'Europe
    2nd Ravenna Criterium
    2nd Castrocaro Terme
    3rd GP du Parisien
    3rd Coppa Agostoni
    8th Bordighera Criterium

#### 1962

    1st Ponte di Piave
    2nd Castrocaro Terme
    2nd Coppa Sabatini
    2nd GP de Lugano
    2nd Trofeo Baracchi
    3rd Giro della Romagna
    4th GP Alghero
    7th Overall Giro d'Italia
    7th Giro di Lombardia
    7th Giro del Lazio
    8th Overall Tour de France

#### 1963

    1st Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
    1st Criterium dei Campioni
    1st Coppa Placci
    1st Castrocaro Terme
    3rd Overall Giro del Trentino

#### 1964

    2nd Trofeo Baracchi
    3rd UCI Track Cycling World Championships (Individual Pursuit)

### Grand Tour general classification results timeline

| Grand Tour | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 |
| Vuelta a España | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Giro d'Italia | 3 | 1 | 17 | 41 | DNF | 7 | 26 | DNF |
| Tour de France | — | — | 6 | 33 | — | 8 | — | DNF |
Legend :
| — | Did not compete |
| DNF | Did not finish |
| DSQ | Disqualified |