# Andrea Tafi (cyclist)

Andrea Tafi (born 7 May 1966, in Fucecchio) is an Italian former road bicycle racer who retired from his professional career in 2005. Tafi's propensity to perform best in the harder races earned him the nickname "Il Gladiatore" (English: "The Gladiator").
Tafi specialized in the cobbled Spring Classics such as Paris–Roubaix which he won in 1999, and Tour of Flanders which he won in 2002. He won the Giro di Lombardia in 1996 and the Italian National Championship in 1998.

## Career

The most successful part of Tafi's career was spent with the Italian super-squad Mapei–CLAS. In the 1996 edition of Paris–Roubaix the team put four of their riders in a breakaway at the front of the race: Johan Museeuw, Gianluca Bortolami, previous year's winner Franco Ballerini, and Tafi. Ballerini had a flat and was out of the lead group, but the other three powered their way to the finish.
In 1996 Tafi won the "race of the falling leaves" Giro di Lombardia, using his strength to overcome the climbs of the race. He said that his dream was to emulate his cycling hero fellow Italian Francesco Moser, which is to win Paris–Roubaix wearing the Tricolore jersey as the Italian National Champion. He accomplished this in his win in 1999. He won Paris–Tours in a long breakaway effort in 2000, foiling the sprinters' teams. After a few lacklustre years, he again shone in the 2002 edition of the hilly, cobbled classic Tour of Flanders. Having established himself in a front breakaway with the likes of Johan Museeuw, Peter van Petegem and teammate Daniele Nardello, he made attacks after attacks, finally taking advantage of a moment's hesitation between the two home favorites Museeuw and van Petegem to solo to the finish for the win.
After the demise of the Mapei super-team, Tafi moved to the reformed Team CSC under Bjarne Riis for the 2003 season. His time with team Alessio–Bianchi in 2004 also didn't re-ignite his performance. He finally moved to the new Saunier Duval–Prodir team for his last season in 2005. Tafi ended his career at the 2005 Paris–Roubaix, before retiring from the sport.

### Comeback attempt

Having competed in amateur Masters races for several years, Tafi announced in October 2018 that he would seek a comeback in 2019 to race Paris–Roubaix on the twentieth anniversary of his victory. On 8 November 2018, it was reported that he had found a team to ride with and that would attempt to receive a wildcard invitation for the event. Would his comeback have been successful, he would have been 52 years old when riding the race. A collarbone fracture eventually put an end to Tafi's comeback plans.

## Doping

Tafi's name was on the list of doping tests published by the French Senate on 24 July 2013 that were collected during the 1998 Tour de France and found positive for EPO when retested in 2004.

## Major results
### 1989

    1st Stage 4 Vuelta a Murcia
    8th Firenze–Pistoia
    10th Overall Tour de Luxembourg
       1st Stage 5

### 1990

    1st Stage 2 Kellogg's Tour
    3rd Overall Ruota d'Oro
    6th Firenze–Pistoia

### 1991

    1st Giro del Lazio
    7th Firenze–Pistoia

### 1992

    1st Overall Cronostaffetta

### 1993

    9th Firenze–Pistoia

### 1994

    1st Grand Prix de Fourmies
    1st GP Citta di Rio Saliceto e Correggio
    3rd Coppa Bernocchi
    4th Milano–Vignola
    5th Coppa Placci

### 1995

    3rd Road race, National Road Championships
    3rd GP Industria & Commercio di Prato
    4th Rund um den Henninger Turm
    5th Giro di Toscana
    6th Giro del Lazio
    9th Giro dell'Emilia

### 1996

    1st Giro di Lombardia
    1st Paris–Brussels
    1st Giro del Lazio
    1st Trofeo Melinda
    1st Coppa Placci
    2nd Tre Valli Varesine
    2nd Giro del Piemonte
    2nd Giro del Veneto
    3rd Paris–Roubaix
    4th Overall UCI Road World Cup
    4th Coppa Sabatini
    4th Japan Cup
    5th Gran Premio Città di Camaiore
    6th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
    8th Leeds International Classic

### 1997

    1st Rochester International Classic
    1st Grand Prix de Fourmies
    1st Coppa Sabatini
    Tour de Langkawi
       1st Stages 3 & 9
    2nd Amstel Gold Race
    2nd Japan Cup
    3rd Overall UCI Road World Cup
    3rd Paris–Brussels
    5th Giro del Lazio
    6th Overall Tour of Galicia
    7th Giro di Lombardia
    7th Gran Premio Città di Camaiore
    8th Trofeo Matteotti

### 1998

    1st Road race, National Road Championships
    1st Giro del Lazio
    1st Coppa Agostoni
    1st Gran Premio Città di Camaiore
    2nd Paris–Roubaix
    3rd Overall UCI Road World Cup
    4th Clásica de San Sebastián
    4th Züri–Metzgete
    4th Japan Cup
    5th Overall Tour de Langkawi
       1st Stage 1 (ITT)
    8th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
    8th Paris–Brussels
    8th Giro dell'Emilia
    9th Milano–Torino
    10th Giro di Lombardia

### 1999

    1st Paris–Roubaix
    1st Giro del Piemonte
    3rd Millemetri del Corso di Mestre
    4th Firenze–Pistoia

### 2000

    1st Paris–Tours
    6th Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli
    10th Paris–Roubaix

### 2001

    1st Stage 1 Vuelta a Burgos
    2nd Firenze–Pistoia
    8th Giro della Provincia di Siracusa

### 2002

    1st Tour of Flanders
    8th Overall Tour Down Under
    10th GP Ouest–France

### 2003

    5th Paris–Roubaix