caption fullname ridertype updated proteam birth_place weight majorwins height discipline birth_date nickname proyears role image article_title name
paolo bettini in 2007 paolo bettini classics specialist/sprinter 29 january 2009 mg-technogym asics mapei-quick step quick step cecina , italy 58 kg lb st on '' ` grand tours '' ' 1.69 0 road 1 april 1974 grillo 1997 ndash ; 2008 1998 1999 & ndash ; 2002 2003 & rider paolo bettini profile.jpg paolo bettini
 paolo bettini
paolo bettini

paolo bettini -lrb- born 1 april 1974 in cecina , livorno , tuscany -rrb- is an italian former champion road racing cyclist , and the former coach of the italian national cycling team .
considered the best classics specialist of his generation , and probably one of the strongest of all times , he won gold medals in the 2004 athens olympics road race and in the 2006 and 2007 world road race championships .
he is nicknamed `` il grillo '' -lrb- `` the cricket '' -rrb- for his repeated sudden attacks and his sprinting style .
he gained prominence by winning liège -- bastogne -- liège in 2000 and 2002 .
he set the record for world cup wins in a season in 2003 , winning the milan -- san remo , hew cyclassics and clásica de san sebastián .
he won the giro di lombardia in 2005 and 2006 , the züri-metzgete in 2001 and 2005 and tirreno -- adriatico in 2004 .
