Michele Dancelli died at 83, broke Italy’s fast of victories in 1970 Milan-San Remo

He died at age 83 in his Castenedolo, in the province of Brescia, where he was born May 8, 1942, Michele Dancelli, one of the most representative Italian cyclists of the 1960s and 1970s.

He was a professional cyclist from September 1963, immediately after winning the Italian amateur championship, to 1974, winning 67 road races, including criteriums, which were then very much in vogue.

Memorable was his triumph in the 1970 Milan-San Remo with a 70-kilometer solo breakaway, with which he broke the fast of Italian successes in the spring classic that had lasted since 1953.

In the monument classics (which were not yet called that) he was also fourth in the 1966 Sanremo and sixth in the 1972 Sanremo, sixth in the 1969 Tour of Flanders, sixth in the 1966 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and was seven times in the top 10 at the Giro di Lombardia, with a third place in 1963 as his best result.

He also placed very well in three Giri d’Italia: fourth in 1970 and sixth in 1968 and 1969, winning a total of 11 stages, four in 1970, and wore the pink jersey for 14 days overall. He was third in two world championships, in 1968 and 1969, and participated continuously from 1965 to 1972.

Among his other victories were three Giri dell’Appennino, two Giri del Veneto, two Giri dell’Emilia, two Giri del Lazio and two Italian championships. In 1971 he broke his femur at Tirreno-SAdriatico and was unable to return to the levels of previous years. After retiring he devoted himself to real estate and later to’organizing excursions for cyclists.