Stefano Casagranda lost his battle against evil

Stefano Casagranda, a former professional cyclist, died Wednesday at the age of 52. A native of Trentino in Borgo Valsugana, he had never hidden his battle against the disease, which he had fought with great courage: surgeries, hospitalizations and treatments had accompanied him for four and a half years after the terrible diagnosis of colon and liver cancer.

Casagranda had raced from 1996 to 2004 for teams such as MG Boys, Riso Scotti, Amica Chips, Alessio, and Saeco, earning important successes: a stage at Paris-Nice in 1996, one at the Giro del Trentino in 1998, right on his home roads, one at the Vuelta Castilla y León in 2000, one at the Tour of Denmark in 2001, and one at the Regio Tour in 2002.

After retiring from racing, he had remained connected to the world of cycling, becoming vice-president of the Trentino Federciclismo, president of the Veloce Club Borgo Valsugana as well as serving on the organizing committee of the Coppa d’Oro.

Just a few days ago, friends and former teammates – including Fabio Baldato, Gilberto Simoni, Giorgio Furlan, Andrea Ferrigato, Daniel Oss and Francesco Moser – had reached him at his home to be close to him at such a difficult time.