Fabian Cancellara is a professional cyclist from Switzerland. He became a true legend during his lifetime. Near the Swiss Olympic Committee there is a “star” Fabian. He became one of the great time trialists.
Childhood
Fabian Cancellara was born in Switzerland on March 18, 1981. His family is international. His mother is from Switzerland. But the surname Fabian inherited from the pope. His name is Donato. The father of our hero was born in the southern region of Italy - Basilicata (in the province of Potenza, in the city of San Fele). Where Donato grew up, there were no prospects for the future. Therefore, he went to work after his elder brother in Switzerland. There he met Rosa. Soon the young people got married. And they began to live in a suburb of Bern. Fabian was born there. Thanks to such an international family, the athlete is fluent in several languages: French, English, German, Italian.
Cycling: Career Start
Since childhood, Fabian Cancellara loved to chase the ball with his peers. And when he was 13 years old, he found an old bicycle in his father’s garage. This was an important moment in his biography. Fabian himself says that it was the find of a two-wheeled vehicle that completely changed his life. The landscapes that he observed while riding played a big role - he began to get involved in cycling. The father fueled the addiction of his son, traveling with him on vacation to Basilicata.
As part of juniors
Fabian’s amazing cycling abilities began to unfold in the junior racing categories. And soon he began to dominate among peers. One of his friends said that once in a competition Fabian Cancellara won 1.5 seconds in a matter of kilometers. Even then, it became clear that he had phenomenal abilities.
In 1998 and 1999 in a separate start, Fabian became the world champion. In 2000, he made his debut at the World Cup. Then Kanchellara received silver, losing gold to the Russian E. Petrov. Fabian was only nineteen when he was put on the “tick” of the strongest professional team - Mapei.
In the Mapei project
At the end of 2000, Cancellara competed as an intern. In 2001, he was taken into the main team of the strongest Mapei team, according to the project for young riders. As a result, Fabian was offered ideal conditions for the development of talent. When Cancellara first appeared at the Mapei base, he had to prove that he was not a mechanic. Fabian was so serious for his age.
Cancellara prefers to achieve his goal step by step. For him, doping victories are unacceptable. At Mapei, under the direction of Aldo Sassi, Fabian immediately showed good results. And if you take the statistics of the youth project Mapei, the percentage of personal success of Cancellara is much higher than that of other riders. In 2002, the team stopped sponsoring young athletes.
Racer career
Fabian Cancellara joined the Fassa Bortolo team. More and more athlete's talent was revealed in competitions with a separate start. He scored victories in every season. And not only in a separate start, but also in other disciplines. In 2003, he won the Tours of Romandia and Switzerland. In 2004, he took 4th place in Paris-Roubaix. And in Liège, in the Tour de France, he was even ahead of Lance Armstrong.
In csc
In 2005, Cancellara became the 3-time national champion in a separate start. In the fall, he won the World Cup in Madrid, taking third place. When Fassa Bortolo was dissolved, a new path came to Fabian’s sports career. He became a member of the CSC team. And the tests began in the wind tunnel. Fabian had only dreamed of such a thing before. It was in CSC that his talent began to sparkle with all its facets. He won the Tirreno Adriatico. Then the legendary Paris-Roubaix competitions took place. He became the second winner from the Swiss after 1923. In the summer he began to prepare for the world championship in Salzburg. In 2007, Fabian repeatedly confirmed the championship title. Including the World Cup in Stuttgart.
In 2008, Fabian's career went up. Many high-profile victories were added to his account. At the Beijing Olympics, Kanchelara Fabian went not only for gold. First of all, he wanted to show his talent in the group race. But his powerful jerk brought only bronze. And yet Fabian was on the podium, becoming the Olympic medalist. But a separate start brought the long-awaited gold.
In 2008, Fabian received an invitation to the Russian Katyusha team. But he chose his old team - the former CSC. For him, not only money was important, but also friendly relations with colleagues. Fabian was injured during a California Tour. At the same time, his aunt fell ill and died in a short time. And on the Tour of Flanders, his chain broke, adding to a number of failures. According to the athlete, this time was the most difficult period in life. He began to be the last to start. But he was able to pull himself together and rise again. As a result, he again and again began to defeat his rivals. And now Fabian is considered the best in the world in a separate start - a master of prologues and long races.
Personal life
Fabian Cancellara, whose photo is in this article, married Stephanie in 2006. In the same year they had a daughter, Julian. The second baby, Elina, was born in 2012. Fabian is an excellent father. Since childhood, he has been trying to instill the right values in his children. He, of course, wants to give them a better education. But he believes that this is not the main thing. Financial security is important, but moral values are even more significant. Fabian tries not to pamper the children. He became a role model for them. The athlete wants his daughters not to consider money the main life value.
Hobbies and character
Fabian inherited the genes from both parents. But Italian blood, he always attached greater importance. Now he has the citizenship of Italy and Switzerland. But even Fabian’s friends confirm that it has a lot more Italian features. Nevertheless, he is more of a Swiss citizen and patriot. By the way, Fabian Cancellara - Spartak has an interesting nickname. He received it for multiple sports victories. In addition, the man is interested in snowboarding and mountain biking. He loves nature. She is engaged in charity work and is an ambassador from a foundation that supports dysfunctional youth and children through sport.