Angelo Fausto Coppi

Angelo Fausto Coppi (1919–1960), universally hailed in Italy as Il Campionissimo ('The Champion of Champions'), was an all-powerful cycling deity whose long solo breakaways in the high mountains captivated post-war Europe. Coppi won the Giro d'Italia five times (1940, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953) and the Tour de France twice (1949, 1952).

In 1949, he became the first rider in cycling history to win both the Giro and the Tour in the same year. He modernized the sport through scientific nutrition, training regimes, and aerodynamic bike setups. Coppi died tragically of malaria in 1960 at just 40 years old.