2 replies to this topic

[Nanni Dietrich]

Italian National cycling coach and former Paris-Roubaix winner Franco Ballerini was killed this morning, during the Rally di Larciano, near Pistoia, Italy. He raced as co-driver to Alessandro Ciardi who was seriously injured in the accident. Their Renault Clio Sport went off the road and crashed into a wall on the co-driver's side. Franco Ballerini died shortly afterwards.

A tall, strong and good man. A great man, indeed.

A top professional cyclist who loved the tough Paris-Roubaix race in which he scored two victories, in 1995 and 1998, and also a second, a third and a fifth place.
After his retirement he operated as manager of the National Cycling team. The Italian team led by Ballerini won four times the World Championship with Mario Cipollini (2002), Paolo Bettini (2006 and 2007) and Alessandro Ballan (2008), and the Gold Medal at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004, with Paolo Bettini.

With his friend Bettini, Ballerini enjoied rallying. They started together acting as co-drivers in minor Italian rallies, then in 2009 they decide to race together, Ballerini co-driving to Bettini.

The Rally di Larciano is a small rally-ronde in province of Pistoia, near Ballerini's home.

Sad, sad, sad news.

[Eric Dunsdon]

Very sad news indeed. Franco was a 'Campione' of the cobbles and one of the few Italian riders to specialize in the tough North European classic races such as The Het Volk. Tour Of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.

This is a great loss to the sport of cycle racing in general but to Italian road racing in particular.

RIP Franco.

[MCS]

Dear me, I was only thinking of Paris-Roubaix the other day as I saw a sign for Roubaix as I passed through Lille on the Eurostar. What shocking news.

I'm sure he will be remembered fondly in early April when this year's race takes place.

What an awful weekend. First Ian Carmichael, then Johnny Dankworth and now poor Franco.

Edited by MCS, 07 February 2010 - 17:48.