# Franco Bitossi

Franco Bitossi (born 1 September 1940) is an Italian former professional cyclist. He was born in Camaioni di Carmignano.

## Career

Bitossi cycled for three years as an amateur and became a professional in October 1961, after he had reached the required age of 21. As a professional cyclist, from 1961 until 1978, he won a total of 171 races.
In 1965, he won the Tour de Suisse and the Züri-Metzgete, which he won again in 1968. In 1967 he won the Tirreno–Adriatico, Giro di Lombardia and Coppa Agostoni, while the following year he became the first Italian to win the points classification in the Tour de France.
In 1970, he won the Italian championship.
In 1972 he became famous for his near victory at the World Championship in Gap, France, where he was beaten by only a few meters by his teammate Marino Basso.
Four years later, in 1978, he won the Italian Championship again.
Bitossi was nicknamed Cuore matto ("Crazy heart") due to a cardiac arrhythmia which often compelled him to stop midway in a stage.

## Major results
### 1964

    2nd Giro di Romagna
    3rd Coppa Sabatini
    10th Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Mountains classification
       1st Stages 3, 16, 17 & 20

### 1965

    1st Overall Tour de Suisse
       1st Stage 2 & 5
    1st Giro del Lazio
    1st Züri-Metzgete
    3rd Giro dell'Emilia
    3rd Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
    4th Giro di Lombardia
    6th Coppa Sabatini
    7th Giro di Toscana
    7th Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Mountains classification
       1st Stage 21

### 1966

    1st Coppa Sabatini
    Tour de France
       1st Stages 5 & 17
    Tour de Romandie
       1st Stages 1a (ITT), 1b & 4
    2nd Giro del Piemonte
    2nd Milano–Vignola
    3rd Coppa Ugo Agostoni
    4th Giro della Romagna
    5th Tre Valli Varesine
    8th Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Mountains classification
       1st Stages 14 & 16
    10th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
    10th Giro di Toscana

### 1967

    1st Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
       1st Stage 1
    1st Giro di Lombardia
    1st Trofeo Laigueglia
    1st Coppa Ugo Agostoni
    1st Stage 7 Giro d'Italia
    2nd Milano–Torino
    2nd Coppa Sabatini
    2nd Giro dell'Appennino
    3rd Milan–San Remo
    3rd Giro dell'Emilia
    7th Milano–Vignola
    10th Liège–Bastogne–Liège

### 1968

    1st Milano–Torino
    1st Coppa Bernocchi
    1st Giro di Toscana
    1st Coppa Sabatini
    1st Züri-Metzgete
    1st Stage 7 Giro di Sardegna
    2nd Giro di Lombardia
    2nd Giro di Campania
    4th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
       1st Stage 4
    4th Overall Paris–Luxembourg
    4th Road race, National Road Championships
    4th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
    5th Giro dell'Emilia
    7th Milano–Vignola
    8th Overall Tour de France
       1st Points classification
       1st Combination classification
       1st Stages 7 & 16
    9th Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Stages 17 & 21

### 1969

    1st Coppa Ugo Agostoni
    2nd Volta a Catalunya
       1st stages 7 & 8
    2nd Giro dell'Emilia
    3rd Overall À travers Lausanne
    3rd Giro di Lombardia
    3rd Milano–Torino
    3rd Trofeo Laigueglia
    4th Tour of Flanders
    10th Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Points classification
       1st Stages 11 & 14
    10th Overall Giro di Sardegna

### 1970

    1st Road race, National Road Championships
    1st Overall Volta a Catalunya
       1st Stage 1a
    1st Giro di Lombardia
    1st Giro dell'Emilia
    1st Giro del Veneto
    1st Giro di Campania
    1st Stage 2 Tour de Romandie
    2nd Trofeo Masferrer
    2nd Boucles de l'Aulne
    3rd Coppa Placci
    4th Overall À travers Lausanne
       1st Stage 1 (ITT)
    5th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
    5th Critérium des As
    7th Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Points classification
       1st Stages 1, 3, 17 & 19
    7th Overall Tour de Suisse
       1st Stages 1 & 3
    7th Coppa Sabatini
    9th Giro della Romagna
    9th Road race, UCI Road World Championships

### 1971

    1st Road race, National Road Championships
    1st Coppa Ugo Agostoni
    1st Giro della Romagna
    1st GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano
    1st Stage 15 Giro d'Italia
    1st Stage 3 Paris–Nice
    1st Stage 1b Tour de Romandie
    2nd Giro di Lombardia
    5th Tre Valli Varesine
    8th Overall Volta a Catalunya
    9th Coppa Placci
    10th Milano–Vignola

### 1972

    1st Giro di Puglia
    1st Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
    1st Giro di Campania
    2nd Road race, UCI Road World Championships
    2nd Road race, National Road Championships
    2nd Milano–Torino
    2nd Giro dell'Appennino
    4th Giro dell'Emilia
    4th Tre Valli Varesine
    6th Coppa Placci
    7th Overall Tour de Romandie
    8th Overall Giro di Sardegna
    8th Züri-Metzgete
    9th Giro di Lombardia

### 1973

    1st Giro dell'Emilia
    1st Giro del Veneto
    1st Stage 6 Giro di Sardegna
    2nd Overall Giro di Puglia
    2nd Milano–Torino
    3rd Coppa Sabatini
    3rd Coppa Ugo Agostoni
    4th Tre Valli Varesine
    4th Milano–Vignola
    6th Giro della Romagna
    9th Giro di Lombardia
    9th Trofeo Laigueglia

### 1974

    1st Giro della Romagna
    1st Trofeo Matteotti
    2nd Giro del Lazio
    2nd Coppa Ugo Agostoni
    2nd Giro di Toscana
    3rd Coppa Sabatini
    4th Milan–San Remo
    5th Giro di Campania
    7th Overall Tour de Suisse
       1st Stages 3a, 3b (ITT), 6 & 9a
    8th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
       1st Stage 4
    8th Giro di Lombardia
    9th Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Stages 6, 8 & 18
    10th Giro del Veneto

### 1975

    1st Stage 15 Giro d'Italia
    1st Stage 3 Paris–Nice
    La Méditerranéenne
       1st Stages 4 & 5
    2nd Overall Giro di Puglia
       1st Stage 1
    2nd Giro di Toscana
    2nd Coppa Placci
    4th Trofeo Laigueglia
    8th Gran Premio Città di Camaiore

### 1976

    1st Road race, National Road Championships
    1st Coppa Bernocchi
    1st Giro del Friuli
    1st Trofeo Laigueglia
    1st Stage 2a La Méditerranéenne
    2nd Milano–Torino
    2nd Giro del Lazio
    2nd Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
    4th Coppa Placci
    4th Giro di Campania
    5th Giro di Toscana
    8th Giro di Lombardia
    8th Trofeo Pantalica
    9th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
    9th Overall Giro di Sardegna

### 1977

    1st Gran Premio Città di Camaiore
    3rd Road race, UCI Road World Championships
    3rd Giro di Lombardia
    4th Milano–Torino
    4th Coppa Ugo Agostoni
    6th Overall La Méditerranéenne
    6th Tre Valli Varesine
    6th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato
    8th Giro dell'Emilia
    9th Trofeo Matteotti
    10th GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano

### 1978

    1st Stage 2 Tirreno–Adriatico
    3rd Milano–Torino
    3rd Coppa Sabatini
    5th Trofeo Pantalica
    9th Giro della Romagna