# Francesco Moser

Francesco Moser (Italian:, German:; born 19 June 1951), nicknamed "Lo sceriffo" (The sheriff), is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer. He finished on the podium of the Giro d'Italia six times including his win in the 1984 edition.
Moser was dominant from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. He turned professional in 1973, showing a cultured pedaling style. But his powerful build meant he was not a gifted climber. He entered one edition of the Tour de France, in 1975, where he won two stages, held the maillot jaune for six days and finished 7th overall. He also won the 1977 world road racing championship in addition to collecting silver medals in 1976 and 1978. He won six times in three of the five monuments. Three consecutive editions of Paris–Roubaix, two victories in the Giro di Lombardia and one win in Milan–San Remo.
His 273 road victories puts him behind Eddy Merckx (525) and Rik Van Looy (379), but ahead of Rik Van Steenbergen (270) and Roger De Vlaeminck (255). He was also an accomplished track rider, riding up to six Six-Day races almost each winter throughout his career. He rode 35, 14 of which with René Pijnen, winning 15.
A nephew, Moreno Moser, (born 25 December 1990) is an Italian professional racer, and Francesco's son Ignazio Moser enjoyed success at the junior and amateur levels before retiring at the age of 22.

## Palmarès
### Classic races

After finishing second in 1974 behind Roger De Vlaeminck and in 1976 behind Marc Demeyer of Belgium, Moser finally won Paris–Roubaix, his favorite race, three consecutive times. Moser had seven podium finishes in Paris–Roubaix; only De Vlaeminck, with nine, has more. In 1978, he beat De Vlaeminck and Jan Raas of the Netherlands; in 1979, he beat De Vlaeminck and Hennie Kuiper of the Netherlands; and in 1980, he beat Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle of France and the German, Dietrich Thurau. Moser came in third in 1981 behind Bernard Hinault and Roger De Vlaeminck, and was also third in 1983 behind Hennie Kuiper and Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle. He rode Paris–Roubaix in his final season as a cyclist in 1987. Other victories include the 1975 and 1978 Giro di Lombardia and the 1984 Milan–San Remo.

### Other classics

Moser won the 1974 Paris–Tours, the 1977 Züri-Metzgete, the 1979 Gent–Wevelgem, and the 1977 Flèche Wallonne.

### Grand Tours

Moser had some success in the three-week grand tours. He rode the Tour de France in 1975, and although he won two stages, led the race for seven days and won the young rider competition, he never rode the Tour again; the mountains did not suit him. However, he won the 1984 Giro d'Italia, in front of Laurent Fignon of France and Moreno Argentin of Italy. Taking advantage of an unusually flat course, Moser made the most of the time-trials and the aerodynamic bike with full disc wheels that he had just broken the hour record using (technology not available to any other rider during the race) to overcome what others had gained in the mountains. However the result of the race has been called into question by various accusations including shortend or redirected mountain stages, inconsistent awarding of penalties and low flying helecopters being behind some riders but in front of others. He went on to win the points classification in the Giro d'Italia in 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1982.

## Other accomplishments

He competed in the individual road race and team time trial events at the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Moser won the 1977 world road racing championship in San Cristobal, Venezuela, in front of Thurau and Franco Bitossi. Moser was also silver medallist in 1976, behind Freddy Maertens of Belgium and second in 1978 to Gerrie Knetemann of the Netherlands.
On 19 January 1984, in Mexico City, Moser broke the 1972 hour record of Eddy Merckx. His coach at the time was the now banned for life Michele Ferrari. He rode 50.808 kilometers, on an aerodynamic bike with full disc wheels more advanced than the conventional bike Merckx used in 1972. As a result, in 1997 the Union Cycliste Internationale banned hour records set on bikes featuring technological advantages. Under the new rules, Merckx's record wasn't broken until 2000. Moser auctioned his bicycle to benefit UNICEF.
He was a member of the Regional Council of Trentino-Alto Adige from 1993 until 1998.

## Rivalries

Moser's biggest rival was Giuseppe Saronni.

## After retirement

Moser started a bike company, Moser Cicli, constructing race bikes in a workshop in Trento. Production is 2,000-3,000 frames annually.
He was the first chairman of the CPA (Cyclistes Professionels Associés), a union for professional riders of TT/I and TT/II league of teams (now UCI WorldTeams and UCI Professional Continental Teams, respectively). He held the position from 1999 until 2007.
Moser also became a viticulturist, cultivating different varieties of grapes. He continued his father's winery with his children Francesca, Carlo and Ignazio on the family estate Maso Villa Warth in Valle di Cembra, on the hills just north of Trento. He is also a passionate hunter and was the host of the television series "A Caccia con Moser" (Hunting with Moser) on Sky Italia's channel Caccia TV.

## Major results
### 1971

    1st Overall Giro Ciclistico d'Italia
       1st Stages 1a & 6
    4th Trofeo Alcide Degasperi

### 1972

    3rd Gran Premio della Liberazione
    8th Road race, Olympic Games

### 1973

    1st Stage 14 Giro d'Italia
    3rd Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
    5th Overall Giro di Puglia
    7th Trofeo Laigueglia
    9th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
    9th La Flèche Wallonne
    9th Milano–Torino

### 1974

    1st Paris–Tours
    1st Coppa Bernocchi
    1st Giro del Piemonte
    1st Giro dell'Emilia
    1st Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
    1st Giro Di Toscana
    1st Giro dell'Umbria
    1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Roy Schuiten)
    2nd Paris–Roubaix
    2nd Coppa Placci
    2nd Gran Premio di Lugano
    2nd Trofeo Matteotti
    2nd Gran Premio de Valencia
    4th Giro della Romagna
    5th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
    5th Grand Prix des Nations
    5th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato
    7th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
    7th Overall Giro d'Italia
    7th Giro di Lombardia
    8th Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
    10th Paris–Brussels

### 1975

    1st Road race, National Road Championships
    1st Overall Grand Prix du Midi Libre
       1st Stages 3 & 4a
    1st Giro di Lombardia
    1st Trofeo Matteotti
    1st Gran Premio Città di Camaiore
    1st Coppa Placci
    1st Giro dell'Umbria
    1st Grand Prix de Monaco
    1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Gianbattista Baronchelli)
    2nd Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
       1st Prologue (TTT)
    2nd Milan–San Remo
    2nd Trofeo Pantalica
    2nd Gran Premio di Lugano
    2nd Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
    3rd Züri-Metzgete
    4th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
    4th Overall Giro di Puglia
    4th Giro dell'Emilia
    5th Paris–Roubaix
    5th Milano–Torino
    5th Giro Di Toscana
    6th Giro del Veneto
    6th Coppa Sabatini
    6th Critérium des As
    7th Overall Tour de France
       1st Young rider classification
       1st Prologue & Stage 7
       Held after Prologue–Stage 5
       Held after Prologue & Stage 1b
    8th Overall À travers Lausanne
    8th Gent–Wevelgem
    9th Coppa Ugo Agostoni
    10th Coppa Bernocchi

### 1976

    1st Individual pursuit, UCI Track World Championships
    1st Overall Giro di Puglia
       1st Stage 2
    1st Giro dell'Appennino
    1st Giro Di Toscana
    1st Trofeo Pantalica
    1st Trofeo Matteotti
    1st Tre Valli Varesine
    2nd Road race, UCI Road World Championships
    2nd Road race, National Road Championships
    2nd Paris–Roubaix
    2nd Tour of Flanders
    2nd Coppa Bernocchi
    2nd Coppa Placci
    2nd Trofeo Baracchi (with Roy Schuiten)
    3rd Coppa Ugo Agostoni
    3rd Giro del Friuli
    4th Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Points classification
       1st Stages 4, 7 (ITT) & 14
       Held after Stage 7
    4th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
    4th Züri-Metzgete
    6th Giro di Lombardia
    6th Giro dell'Umbria
    6th Giro di Campania
    6th Milano–Vignola
    7th Gent–Wevelgem
    8th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato
    9th Milan–San Remo
    9th Giro dell'Emilia

### 1977

    1st Road race, UCI Road World Championships
    1st La Flèche Wallonne
    1st Züri-Metzgete
    1st Châteauroux Classic
    1st Grand Prix Le Télégramme
    1st Critérium des As
    1st Coppa Ugo Agostoni
    1st Giro del Lazio
    1st Giro Di Toscana
    1st Giro dell'Umbria
    1st Stage 4 Tour de l'Aude
    2nd Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Points classification
       Held after Stages 5–16b
    3rd Road race, National Road Championships
    3rd Giro di Campania
    4th Overall Giro di Puglia
    4th Tour of Flanders
    4th Giro del Veneto
    5th Milano–Torino
    5th Coppa Bernocchi
    5th Trofeo Pantalica
    5th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato
    5th Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
    6th Trofeo Matteotti
    6th Coppa Placci
    6th Gran Premio Città di Camaiore
    7th Amstel Gold Race
    7th Giro dell'Emilia
    9th Tre Valli Varesine

### 1978

    1st Overall Volta a Catalunya
       1st Points classification
       1st Prologue, Stages 1, 3b & 7b (ITT)
    1st Overall Tour de l'Aude
       1st Prologue, Stages 1 & 3
    1st Paris–Roubaix
    1st Giro di Lombardia
    1st Tre Valli Varesine
    1st GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano
    1st Giro del Lazio
    1st Coppa Sabatini
    1st Trofeo Matteotti
    1st Stage 2 Giro di Sardegna
    2nd Road race, UCI Road World Championships
    2nd Road race, National Road Championships
    2nd Overall Giro di Puglia
    2nd Amstel Gold Race
    2nd Züri-Metzgete
    2nd Gran Premio di Lugano
    2nd Grand Prix des Nations
    3rd Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Points classification
       1st Stages 11b, 13, 14 (ITT) & 16 (ITT)
    3rd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
    3rd Liège–Bastogne–Liège
    3rd Gent–Wevelgem
    3rd Trofeo Laigueglia
    3rd Grand Prix of Aargau Canton
    4th Rund um den Henninger Turm
    6th Milan–San Remo
    7th Tour of Flanders
    8th Giro della Romagna
    8th Critérium des As
    9th Overall Grand Prix du Midi Libre
       1st Prologue & Stage 3

### 1979

    1st Road race, National Road Championships
    1st Overall Ruota d'Oro
       1st Stages 2 & 3 (ITT)
    1st Overall Tour de l'Aude
       1st Prologue
    1st Paris–Roubaix
    1st Gent–Wevelgem
    1st Giro dell'Emilia
    1st Giro del Friuli
    1st Giro del Veneto
    1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Giuseppe Saronni)
    2nd Individual pursuit, UCI Track World Championships
    2nd Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Prologue, Stages 3 (ITT) & 17
       Held after Prologue–Stage 7
       Held after Prologue, Stages 2–5, 15 & 17–18
    2nd Overall Giro del Trentino
    2nd Grand Prix des Nations
    2nd Züri-Metzgete
    2nd GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano
    2nd Coppa Ugo Agostoni
    3rd Overall Deutschland Tour
    3rd Trofeo Laigueglia
    3rd Coppa Bernocchi
    3rd Giro di Campania
    4th Milan–San Remo
    4th Giro del Lazio
    5th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
       1st Prologue
    5th Tre Valli Varesine
    6th Trofeo Pantalica

### 1980

    1st Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
       1st Prologue
    1st Overall Giro del Trentino
       1st Prologue & Stage 1
    1st Paris–Roubaix
    1st Nice–Alassio
    Giro d'Italia
       1st Prologue
       Held after Prologue–Stage 4
       Held after Prologue–Stage 1
    2nd Tour of Flanders
    2nd Rund um den Henninger Turm
    2nd Milano–Torino
    2nd Trofeo Pantalica
    2nd Milano–Vignola
    3rd Overall Tour of Belgium
    3rd Trofeo Laigueglia
    3rd Coppa Sabatini
    3rd Grand Prix des Nations
    5th Coppa Ugo Agostoni
    6th Milan–San Remo
    6th Coppa Placci
    7th Giro dell'Emilia
    7th Giro del Lazio
    8th Trofeo Matteotti

### 1981

    1st Road race, National Road Championships
    1st Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
       1st Prologue
    1st Overall Giro di Frasassi
       1st Stage 2
    1st Coppa Ugo Agostoni
    1st Giro dell'Umbria
    Giro d'Italia
       1st Stage 14
       Held after Stage 1b & Stages 3–5
    2nd Overall Giro del Trentino
    2nd Overall Ruota d'Oro
    2nd Giro dell'Emilia
    2nd Giro della Romagna
    2nd Grand Prix Le Télégramme
    2nd Milano–Vignola
    2nd Trofeo Baracchi (with Knut Knudsen)
    3rd Paris–Roubaix
    3rd Coppa Bernocchi
    3rd Giro Di Toscana
    3rd Giro di Campania
    3rd Giro dell'Etna
    4th Rund um den Henninger Turm
    4th Giro del Friuli
    6th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
    7th Giro del Lazio
    8th Overall Tour de l'Aude
    8th Coppa Placci

### 1982

    1st Overall Tour Midi-Pyrénées
       1st Prologue
    1st Giro Di Toscana
    1st Giro di Campania
    1st Grand Prix Le Télégramme
    2nd Overall Grand Prix du Midi Libre
       1st Stage 1
    2nd Overall Giro del Trentino
    2nd Coppa Ugo Agostoni
    3rd Overall Tour of the Basque Country
    3rd Giro di Lombardia
    3rd Coppa Sabatini
    4th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
    4th Milan–San Remo
    4th GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano
    6th Overall Giro di Sardegna
    6th Overall Tour de l'Aude
    7th Milano–Torino
    7th Giro del Friuli
    8th Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Points classification
       1st Stages 7 & 20
       Held after Stages 7–11
    9th Overall Ruota d'Oro
    9th Coppa Bernocchi
    10th Paris–Roubaix

### 1983

    1st Overall Giro del Trentino
       1st Prologue
    1st Overall Tour of Norway
       1st Stage 1
    1st Milano–Torino
    1st Milano–Vignola
    1st Giro del Friuli
    1st Giro di Campania
    1st Trofeo Pantalica
    1st Giro dell'Umbria
    2nd Giro del Lazio
    3rd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
    3rd Paris–Roubaix
    3rd Giro del Piemonte
    3rd Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
    4th Giro del Veneto
    4th Trofeo Matteotti
    5th Giro di Lombardia
    5th Critérium des As
    10th Giro dell'Emilia
    10th Gran Premio Città di Camaiore

### 1984

    Best human effort: 50.808 km (19 Jan 1984)
    Best human effort: 51.151 km (23 Jan 1984)
    1st Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Prologue, Stages 6, 15 (ITT) & 22 (ITT)
    1st Milan–San Remo
    1st Giro del Lazio
    1st Giro dell'Etna
    1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Bernard Hinault)
    2nd Gran Premio Città di Camaiore
    5th Trofeo Pantalica
    6th Grand Prix Le Télégramme
    8th Critérium des As
    10th Overall Vuelta a España
       1st Prologue & Stage 11
       Held after Prologue–Stage 5
       Held after Prologue

### 1985

    1st Giro dell'Appennino
    1st Giro dell'Etna
    1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Hans-Henrik Ørsted)
    1st Stage 1 Ruota d'Oro
    2nd Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Prologue, Stages 19 & 22 (ITT)
       Held after Prologue–Stage 1
    2nd Giro del Friuli
    4th Giro di Campania
    5th Overall Giro del Trentino
    5th Giro dell'Emilia
    5th Giro dell'Umbria

### 1986

    1st Giro dell'Etna
    2nd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
       1st Prologue & Stage 6 (ITT)
    2nd Giro dell'Appennino
    2nd Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
    3rd Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Stage 18 (ITT)
    3rd Trofeo Pantalica
    4th Overall Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
       1st Stage 4
    5th Giro di Campania
    6th Overall Giro di Puglia
    6th Tre Valli Varesine
    6th GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano
    7th Amstel Gold Race
    7th Coppa Ugo Agostoni
    8th Paris–Roubaix
    9th Rund um den Henninger Turm

### 1987

    3rd Overall Tour Méditerranéen
       1st Prologue
    4th Overall Giro del Trentino
       1st Prologue
    4th Firenze–Pistoia
    5th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
    5th Milano–Vignola
    9th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato
    9th Trofeo Matteotti
    10th Trofeo Pantalica

### Grand Tour general classification results timeline

| Grand Tour | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 |
| Vuelta a España | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — |
| Giro d'Italia | 15 | 7 | — | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | DNF | 21 | 8 | DNF | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Tour de France | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |

### Monuments results timeline

| Monument | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 |
| Milan–San Remo | 30 | 12 | 2 | 9 | 35 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 39 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 31 |
| Tour of Flanders | — | — | 25 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 2 | 32 | 23 | — | — | — |
| Paris–Roubaix | — | 2 | 5 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 3 | — | 12 |
| Liège–Bastogne–Liège | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Giro di Lombardia | — | 7 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 14 | — | 18 | 3 | 5 | — | — |

### Major championships results timeline

| Championship | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 |
| World Championships | — | 7 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 26 | 26 | — | — | — |
| National Championships | — | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 10 |
Legend :
| — | Did not compete |
| DNF | Did not finish |