Giampaolo Grisandi

For 30 years Giampaolo Grisandi was associated with the Forestry Corps and Italy´s Carabinieri, and was known as the “Colossus of Ravenna” because of his statuesque physique. Grisandi started his cycling career with Società Ciclistica Ravennate, and in 1983 won the individual Italian pursuit title and an individual silver and a team bronze at the Military World Championships in Barletta. In 1985, at just 21 years-of-age, Grisandi enjoyed the best victory of his career when he won the team pursuit at the World Championships at the Bassano del Grappa velodrome alongside Roberto Amadio, Silvio Martinello, and Massimo Brunelli. The Italian quartet beat Poland in the final. Grisandi won five Italian Championships and a silver medal at the 1983 Mediterranean Games in Casablanca.

The Italian pursuit team could finish only sixth, however, at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Also that year, Grisandi joined the State Forestry Corps and ended his competitive cycling career in 1994 without ever turning professional. He died after a long illness at the age of 60, just two months after retiring from work.

He received in 2020 the Gold Collar for Sporting Merit from the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI).