Cycling in mourning: Gianluca Pierobon has died; he won the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de Suisse

The cycling world mourns Gianluca Pierobon, who passed away at the age of 59 after a long illness. Born in Gallarate on March 2, 1967, the former rider from Varese was a professional from 1989 to 1998, earning particular acclaim for his skills as a stage racer and time trial specialist.

Having come up through the ranks of the Gruppo Sportivo Biancorossi in Gazzada, Pierobon had stood out since his youth categories, achieving the difficult feat of winning the Italian road title in the Esordienti, Allievi, and Juniores divisions. In 1988, riding for Passerini Gomme, he made a name for himself at the Giro d’Italia for amateurs, also winning a stage of the Giro della Valle d’Aosta. The following year, he turned professional with Franco Cribiori’s Atala team, the first chapter of a career that would see him also ride for Malvor, ZG Mobili, Mecair-Ballan, Amore & Vita, Refin, Batik-Del Monte, and Kross.

Among his most notable achievements was his victory in the individual time trial in Sassari at the 1991 Giro d’Italia, a seven-kilometer race in which he showcased all his skills against the clock. In 1994, he achieved another prestigious victory in the prologue of the Tour de Suisse in Yverdon-les-Bains, where he finished ahead of a specialist like Tony Rominger, and went on to finish the Swiss race in third place overall, behind Pascal Richard and Vladimir Pulnikov. His list of achievements also includes a stage win at the Tirreno-Adriatico in 1995, one at the Vuelta a Aragón in 1994, as well as other international successes.

A well-rounded rider, Pierobon combined power on the climbs with remarkable bike-handling skills, honed in part by his extensive experience in cyclocross, a discipline in which he had represented the Italian national team. After retiring from competitive cycling in 1998, he continued to devote himself to the sport, sharing his experience with the young riders of the Velo Club Lugano for several years. He is remembered as an athlete who left his mark both on the professional circuit and in youth cycling in the Varese area, where he grew up and achieved his first successes.