Bianchi was an Italian professional cycling team that was sponsored by and cycled on Bianchi Bicycles. A Bianchi cycling team existed in 1899 which implies that Bianchi was sponsoring professional cycling at a very early stage in the sport. It appears that the team existed from 1899 to 1900, then from 1905 to 1966, then from 1973 until 1984. It existed again in 1993 and for the last time in 2003, as . In addition Bianchi has been a co-sponsor of many cycling teams.
Gewiss sponsored Gewiss–Bianchi from 1987 to 1989; the later Gewiss–Ballan team originated as a new project, Mecair–Ballan, in January 1993 and adopted the Gewiss name when the company replaced Mecair as title sponsor in 1994.
History
In 1899 Giovanni Tommaselli won the first international cycling victory for Bianchi at the world championship of track racing: the Grand Prix of Paris. During the existence of the Bianchi team in Italy in 1919–1920, Bianchi was also a co-sponsor of a French team that was called Peugeot–Bianchi–Pirelli which according to a historical cycling website, the team rode on Peugeot bikes. It is possible that this team rode on Bianchi bikes in Italy.
The team had many famous cyclists on the team over the course of its existence. In 1945, Fausto Coppi joined the team and would stay with the team until 1956 and 1958. It has been said that the team of the mid-1940s was built around Coppi. During this time the Tour de France was disputed by national teams and Coppi won the Tour in 1949 and 1952. Coppi won the Giro d'Italia for the team in 1947, 1949, 1952 and 1953. Coppi became the first cyclist in history to achieve the Giro-Tour double. For which it was suggested at the time that he was the greatest cyclist ever seen. During this time, the directeur sportifs were Giovanni Tragella and Franco Aguggini.
In the seventies, Bianchi returned as main sponsor to the peloton in the Bianchi–Campagnolo team that contained the 1972 and 1973 world champions Marino Basso and Felice Gimondi. This team was the continuation of the Salvarani team that Gimondi had started his career with and which, in 1972, was directed by 1965 Giro d'Italia champion and 1968 World Champion Vittorio Adorni who had retired from professional racing just two years previously. Adorni directed the Bianchi–Campagnolo team with Giancarlo Ferretti in 1973. Ferretti took over as the main directeur sportif of the team the following year. This team also included the four-time winner of the Vuelta a Colombia Martin Emilio Rodriguez who won stages in the Giro d'Italia.
Finally Team Bianchi was main sponsor when German Jan Ullrich challenged American Lance Armstrong in the Centenary edition of the Tour de France.
After the cycling season of 2003 ended, Bianchi became co-sponsor of the Alessio–Bianchi team and again they were a co-sponsor of the Liquigas-Bianchi team for the 2005 season. In 2005 Bianchi also became the co-sponsor of the Norwegian cycling team Team Maxbo Bianchi, a continental cycling team, with whom they co-sponsored until the end of the 2010 season. In October 2011, it was announced that Bianchi would be the bike sponsor of the Vancansoleil-DCM team on a two-year contract from 2012 Since 2014, Bianchi is the supplier of .
Bianchi became involved in sponsorship in Mountain biking in the early nineties. Bruno Zanchi won the first World Championship for Bianchi in 1991 in the downhill speciality. Two years later, Dario Acquaroli became World Champion in cross country for Bianchi. From 2000 to 2006, the Bianchi MTB (Bianchi-Motorex and Bianchi-Agos) team dominated the sport with José Antonio Hermida and multiple World Champion Julien Absalon. In 2007 the team was renamed Gewiss–Bianchi.
Major results
1899 No recorded wins
1900 No recorded wins
1905 Milano–Torino, Giovanni Rossignoli
1906 Coppa Val d'Olona, Luigi Ganna Milano–Modena, Anteo Carapezzi Giro di Lombardia, Cesare Brambilla
1907 Giro del Piemonte, Giovanni Gerbi Gran Fondo La Seicento, Giovanni Gerbi Coppa Val d'Olona, Giovanni Rossignoli Coppa Savona, Giovanni Gerbi Milano–Firenze, Giovanni Gerbi Roma–Napoli–Roma, Giovanni Gerbi
1908 Coppa Savona, Giovanni Cuniolo Tre Coppe Parabiago, Clemente Canepari Italy National Road Race Championship, Giovanni Cuniolo Milano–Modena, Giovanni Cuniolo
1909 Stages 1 & 8 Giro d'Italia, Dario Beni Stages 3 & 6 Giro d'Italia, Giovanni Rossignoli Corsa Audax Roma, Dario Beni Giro di Liguria, Piero Lampaggi Coppa Val d'Olona, Mario Bruschera Overall Roma–Napoli–Roma, Giovanni Gerbi Italy National Road Race Championship, Dario Beni
1910 Giro del Piemonte, Vincenzo Borgarello Coppa Bastogi: Giovanni Cuniolo Stages 3 & 5 Ai mari ai laghi ai monti, Mario Bruschera Overall Roma–Napoli–Roma, Mario Bruschera Stages 1 & 2, Mario Bruschera Giro degl'Alpi Orobie, Giovanni Cuniolo Giro Colli Laziali, Dario Beni
1911 Giro del Piemonte, Mario Bruschera Overall Giro d'Italia, Carlo Galetti Stages 1, 4 & 10, Carlo Galetti Stage 3, Giovanni Rossignoli Stage 7, Dario Beni Tre Coppe Parabiago, Carlo Galetti Stage 3 Torino–Firenze–Roma, Dario Beni Overall Roma–Napoli–Roma, Dario Beni Stage 2, Dario Beni Italy National Road Race Championship, Dario Beni
1912 Roma–Frosinone–Anzio–Roma, Gino Brizzi Giro della Romagna, Dario Beni Overall Giro di Campania, Gino Brizzi Stages 1 & 2, Gino Brizzi Overall Giro d'Italia, Giovanni Micheletto & Eberardo Pavesi Stages 1 & 8, Giovanni Micheletto La Spezia–Salsomaggiore–La Spezia, Giuseppe Santhia Roma–Napoli–Roma, Dario Beni
1913 No recorded wins
1914 Milan–San Remo, Ugo Agostoni Stage 4 Giro d'Italia, Giuseppe Azzini Giro della Romagna, Giovanni Cervi Giro di Lombardia, Lauro Bordin
1915 Milano–Torino, Costante Girardengo
1916 No recorded wins
1917 Milan–San Remo, Gaetano Belloni Stage 1 Giro della Provincia Milano, Gaetano Belloni Milano–Torino, Oscar Egg Giro dell'Emilia, Angelo Gremo Milano–Modena, Oscar Egg
1918 Milan–San Remo, Costante Girardengo Giro dell'Emilia, Costante Girardengo Stage 1 Milano–Bologna–Roma, Marcel Godivier Milano–Torino, Gaetano Belloni Milano–Modena, Gaetano Belloni Giro di Lombardia, Gaetano Belloni GP Chiusura, Lauro Bordin
1919 Stage 1 Circuit des Champs de Bataille, Oscar Egg Stage 5 Circuit des Champs de Bataille, Jean Alavoine Stage 3 Giro d'Italia, Oscar Egg Stage 5 Giro d'Italia, Gaetano Belloni Stages 4, 5, 7, 8 & 15 Tour de France, Jean Alavoine Stages 12 & 13 Tour de France, Luigi-Natale Lucotti GP Sporting, Jean Alavoine
1920 Six Days of Brussels, Marcel Buysse Milan–San Remo : Gaetano Belloni Nice–Mont Agel : Henri Pélissier GP de la Loire : Henri Pélissier National Road Race Championships, Jean Alavoine Stage 1 Giro della Provincia Milano : Gaetano Belloni & Giuseppe Azzini Overall Giro d'Italia, Gaetano Belloni Stage 1, Giuseppe Oliveri Stages 2, 3 & 7, Gaetano Belloni Stage 4 & 6, Jean Alavoine Stage 8, Ugo Agostoni Overall Tour du Sud-Est, Francis Pélissier Stages 1, 3 & 4, Francis Pélissier Paris–Brussels, Henri Pélissier Stages 3 & 4 Tour de France, Henri Pélissier GP Sporting, Henri Pélissier & Francis Pélissier Circuit des Champs de Bataille, Henri Pélissier Giro di Lombardia, Henri Pélissier
1921 No recorded wins
1922 GP de La Bordeta, Pedro Escrich
1923 No recorded wins
1924 Coppa Cavacciocchi, Nello Ciaccheri Milan–Modena, Nello Ciaccheri
1925 No recorded wins
1926 No recorded wins
1927 Stage 4 Giro d'Italia, Domenico Piemontesi Stage 11 Giro d'Italia, Arturo Bresciani Giro dell'Emilia, Domenico Piemontesi Milano–Modena, Domenico Piemontesi
1928 Stages 1, 6, 7, 9 & 12 Giro d'Italia, Domenico Piemontesi Groβer Sachsenpreis, Domenico Piemontesi UCI Amateur Road World Championships, Allegro Grandi Giro dell'Emilia, Alfonso Piccin Stage 4 Volta a Catalunya, Carlo Porzio Circuit de Champagne, Aimé Dossche Hekelgem Criterium, Aimé Dossche
1929 Six days of Chicago, Gaetano Belloni Stage 1 Giro d'Italia, Gaetano Belloni Stage 12 Giro d'Italia, Domenico Piemontesi Giro dell'Emilia, Allegro Grandi Roma–Napoli–Roma, Gaetano Belloni
1930 Six days of New York City, Gaetano Belloni Milan–San Remo, Michele Mara Stages 1, 9, 10, 12 & 15 Giro d'Italia, Michele Mara Stage 5 Giro d'Italia, Domenico Piemontesi Stage 6 Giro d'Italia, Allegro Grandi Overall Torino–Brussels, Allegro Grandi Stage 1, Allegro Grandi Stage 2, Michele Mara Overall Roma–Napoli–Roma, Michele Mara Stages 1 & 2, Michele Mara Giro di Lombardia, Michele Mara
1931 Stages 5 & 9 Giro d'Italia, Michele Mara Stage 12 Giro d'Italia, Ambrogio Morelli
1932 Milan–San Remo, Alfredo Bovet Circuito Castelli Romani, Michele Mara Overall Barcelona–Madrid, Luigi Marchisio Stage 4, Luigi Marchisio
1933 Stages 4 & 12 Giro d'Italia, Giuseppe Olmo Overall Volta a Catalunya, Alfredo Bovet Stages 3 & 9, Alfredo Bovet Stage 5, Ambrogio Morelli Tre Valli Varesine, Alfredo Bovet Pistoia–Prunetta, Remo Bertoni
1934 Nice–Mont Agel, Luigi Barral Stages 13, 16 & 17 Giro d'Italia, Giuseppe Olmo Piacenza Criterium, Pietro Rimoldi Brasschaat Criterium, Raffaele Di Paco Coppa Bernocchi, Pietro Rimoldi
1935 Milan–San Remo, Giuseppe Olmo Stages 5a, 12, 15 & 16 Giro d'Italia, Giuseppe Olmo Marina di Massa, Giuseppe Olmo GP Cinquantenario, Giuseppe Olmo Poperinge Criterium, Jef Demuysere Coppa Collecchio, Pietro Rimoldi World hour record, Giuseppe Olmo
1936 Ferrara Criterium, Giuseppe Olmo Giro dell'Emilia, Giuseppe Olmo Stages 1, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 15b, 16, 17a & 19 Giro d'Italia, Giuseppe Olmo Stage 2 Giro d'Italia, Aldo Bini Giro del Piemonte, Aldo Bini Italy National Road Race Championship, Giuseppe Olmo
1937 Milano–Torino, Giuseppe Martano Stages 3 & 4b Paris–Nice, Giuseppe Martano Stage 6 Giro d'Italia, Giuseppe Olmo Stages 13, 14 & 19 Giro d'Italia, Aldo Bini Giro di Lombardia, Aldo Bini
1938 Milan–San Remo, Giuseppe Olmo Overall Giro di Campania, Giuseppe Olmo Stage 1, Giuseppe Olmo Stage 2, Adolfo Leoni Stage 4b Giro d'Italia, Walter Generati Stage 6 Giro d'Italia, Adolfo Leoni Stage 16 Giro d'Italia, Diego Marabelli Torino–Ceriale, Giuseppe Olmo
1939 Stage 1 Giro d'Italia, Vasco Bergamaschi Stage 7 Giro d'Italia, Adolfo Leoni Stage 8 Giro d'Italia, Diego Marabelli Giro del Veneto, Adolfo Leoni
1940 Overall GP Leptis-Magna, Adolfo Leoni Stage 1, Adolfo Leoni Bologna–Passo della Raticosa, Vito Ortelli Giro del Piemonte, Cino Cinelli Stages 1, 8, 10 & 13 Giro d'Italia, Olimpio Bizzi Stages 4, 5, 12 & 20 Giro d'Italia, Adolfo Leoni Stages 15 & 16 Giro d'Italia, Mario Vicini Tre Valli Varesine, Cino Cinelli Giro dell'Emilia, Osvaldo Bailo
1941 Giro della Toscana, Fausto Coppi Giro del Veneto, Fausto Coppi Italy National Road Race Championship, Adolfo Leoni Giro del Piemonte, Aldo Bini Gran Fondo, La Seicento, Aldo Bini Giro dell'Emilia, Fausto Coppi Gorizia–Ljubljana–Trieste–Gorizia, Olimpio Bizzi Trento–Monte Bondone, Giovanni De Stefanis Tre Valli Varesine, Fausto Coppi
1942 Milan–San Remo, Adolfo Leoni Giro della Toscana, Vito Ortelli Giro dell'Emilia, Adolfo Leoni Italy National Road Race Championship, Fausto Coppi Trento–Monte Bondone, Giovanni De Stefanis Giro del Piemonte, Fiorenzo Magni Giro di Lombardia, Aldo Bini World hour record, Fausto Coppi
1943 Milan–San Remo, Cino Cinelli Giro della Toscana, Olimpio Bizzi
1944 No recorded wins
1945 Tre Valli Varesine, Adolfo Leoni
1946 Milan–San Remo, Fausto Coppi Giro della Romagna, Fausto Coppi Stage 3 Giro d'Italia, Adolfo Leoni Stage 4b, 13 & 14 Giro d'Italia, Fausto Coppi Stage 9 Giro d'Italia, Aldo Baito Stage 1 Monaco–Paris, Aldo Baito Stages 4 & 5 Monaco–Paris, Adolfo Leoni Grand Prix des Nations, Fausto Coppi Giro dell'Emilia, Adolfo Leoni Coppa Ugo Agostoni, Luigi Casola Giro di Lombardia, Fausto Coppi
1947 Giro della Romagna, Fausto Coppi Overall Giro d'Italia, Fausto Coppi Stages 4, 8 & 16, Fausto Coppi Stages 14, 17 & 19, Adolfo Leoni Stage 5b Tour de Suisse, Fausto Coppi Giro del Veneto, Fausto Coppi Italy National Road Race Championship, Fausto Coppi Grand Prix des Nations, Fausto Coppi