Amore & Vita

Amore & Vita (UCI team code: AMO) is a continental cycling team founded in 1989. It is registered in Ukraine and it participates in UCI Continental Circuits races.

Amore e Vita – KIBAG – Obor

Team information
UCI code	AMO
Registered	Italy (1990–1998) United Kingdom (1999) Poland (2001–2008) United States (2009, 2022) Ukraine (2010–2016, 2021) Albania (2017–2018) Latvia (2019–2020)
Founded	1989 (1989)
Discipline(s)	Road
Status	Div. II: 1998–1999 Non-UCI: 2000 Div. II: 2001–2002 Div. III: 2003–2004 Continental: 2005–
Key personnel
Team manager(s)	Cristian Fanini Volodymyr Starchyk Reto Winter Alessio Di Basco Maurizio Giorgini Marco Zamparella
Team name history
1989 1990–1992 1993–1995 1996–1998 1999–2000 2001–2005 2006–2009 2010 2011–2013 2014–2017 2018–2021 2022–	Polli-Mobiexport Amore & Vita–Fanini Amore & Vita–Galatron Amore & Vita–ForzArcore Amore & Vita–Giubileo 2000-Beretta Amore & Vita–Beretta Amore & Vita–McDonald's Amore & Vita–Conard Amore & Vita Amore & Vita–Selle SMP Amore & Vita–Prodir Amore e Vita Amore e Vita-KIBAG-Obor

Team history

The team's origins date to 1948 when Lorenzo Fanini founded an amateur cycling team. The team website states it is "the oldest professional cycling team in the world."^[1]

In 1984, the team turned professional and was renamed Fanini–Wührer.^[2]

In 1989, during an audience at the Vatican with Pope John Paul II, the manager, Ivano Fanini, had his riders appearing in jerseys with the slogan "No to Abortion".

Subsequently, the team was renamed Amore e Vita, "Love and Life" or "Love for Life".^[3]

Chad Gerlach rode with the team in 2009 after years of homelessness and addiction preceded by promising career.^[4]

In 2004, the team bikes featured a crucifix on the handlebars.^[5]

Doping violations

During the Tour de Suisse in 1999, Fanini fired Timothy Jones and Massimo Gimondi after they failed hematocrit tests.^[6]

Fanini offered David Millar and Jesús Manzano team spots in 2004 after they confessed to doping.^[7]

After Riccardo Riccò was fired by Vacansoleil for doping violations in 2011, Fanini offered him a spot on the team if he accepted "penitential confinement". The conditions included removing his earrings, piercings and the diamond embedded in his tooth.^[8] Both sides could not agree on the deal and Ricco joined Meridiana–Kamen.^[9]

On 6 June 2014, Luca Benedetti gave an adverse analytical finding for Darbepoetin (dEPO), was suspended from competing and later banned for life.^[10]

Team roster

As of 5 March 2021.^[11][12]

Rider Date of birth  Davide Appollonio (ITA) (1989-06-02) 2 June 1989 (age 35)  Mykola Kravchuk (UKR) (2000-05-27) 27 May 2000 (age 24)  Andrii Nepyivoda (UKR) (2000-03-22) 22 March 2000 (age 24)  Charly Petelin (LUX) (1994-03-18) 18 March 1994 (age 30)  Manuel Senni (ITA) (1992-02-06) 6 February 1992 (age 32)  Marco Tizza (ITA) (1992-03-11) 11 March 1992 (age 32)  Paolo Totò (ITA) (1991-01-22) 22 January 1991 (age 33)

Rider Date of birth  Dmytro Volkov (UKR) (2002-02-21) 21 February 2002 (age 22)  Mykhailo Yanitskyi (UKR) (1999-11-20) 20 November 1999 (age 24)  Bogdan Zachepa (UKR) (1997-06-07) 7 June 1997 (age 27)  Anton Zaichenko (UKR) (1996-05-16) 16 May 1996 (age 28)  Vladislav Zubar (UKR) (1997-05-11) 11 May 1997 (age 27)  Antonio Zullo (ITA) (1993-08-31) 31 August 1993 (age 31)

Major wins

1989

GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano, Edward Salas

Trofeo Matteotti, Roberto Pelliconi

Trofeo Laigueglia, Pierino Gavazzi

Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato, Pierino Gavazzi

1990

Stage 5 Giro d'Italia, Fabrizio Convalle

1992

Stage 1 Tour de Suisse, Alessio Di Basco

1993

Giro dell'Appennino, Giuseppe Calcaterra

1994

Stage 1 Tour de Suisse, Gianluca Pierobon

Overall Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali, Rodolfo Massi

Stage 15 Vuelta a España, Alessio Di Basco

Stage 18 Vuelta a España, Giuseppe Calcaterra

1996

Stage 2 Giro d'Italia, Glenn Magnusson

Stage 17 Giro d'Italia, Nicolaj Bo Larsen

1997

 Denmark road race championships, Nicolaj Bo Larsen

 Italy time trial championships, Dario Andriotto

Stage 5 Circuit de la Sarthe, Filippo Meloni

Overall Tour de Normandie, Glenn Magnusson

Stage 13 Giro d'Italia, Glenn Magnusson

Gran Premio Nobili Rubinetterie, Dario Andriotto

1998

 Zimbabwe road race championships, Timothy Jones

Overall Tour de l'Ain, Cristian Gasperoni

Stage 3, Alessio Galletti

Stage 9 Giro d'Italia, Glenn Magnusson

1999

Stage 9 Vodacom Rapport Toer, Gilberto Zattoni

Overall Tour of Slovenia, Timothy Jones

Stage 5, Timothy Jones

Stage 10 Tour de Suisse, Maurizio De Pasquale

Gran Premio Industria e Commercio Artigianato Carnaghese, Mirko Puglioli

Stage 1b Tour de l'Ain, Artur Krzeszowiec

Stage 3 Tour de l'Ain, Mirko Puglioli

Stage 1 Tour du Limousin, Marco Cannone

2000

Stage 5 Tour of Slovenia, Seweryn Kohut

2001

Poreč Trophy III, Andrus Aug

Overall Tour of Slovenia, Faat Zakirov

Stage 2b & 5, Faat Zakirov

Stage 4, Seweryn Kohut

Stage 1 & 5 Course de la Solidarité Olympique, Andrus Aug

Stage 5 Tour of Bulgaria, Andrus Aug

Stage 6 Tour of Bulgaria, Sławomir Kohut

2002

 Hungary road race championships, Balasz Rohtmer

 South Africa time trial championships, James Perry

Stage 3 Tour of Bulgaria, Stefano Ciuffi

Stage 2b Herald Sun Tour, Jonas Ljungblad

2003

Stage 3 Settimana Ciclistica Lombarda, Timothy Jones

Stage 1a Course de la Solidarité Olympique, Mauro Zinetti

Stage 4b Course de la Solidarité Olympique, Marek Wesoły

Giro del Medio Brenta, Przemysław Niemiec

2004

 Poland road race championships, Marek Wesoły

 Finland road race championships, Kjell Carlström

Overall Giro d'Abruzzo, Aleksandr Kuschynski

Stage 1, Ivan Fanelli

Stage 1 Tour of Slovenia, Aleksandr Kuschynski

Stage 4 Tour of Slovenia, Jonas Ljungblad

Châteauroux Classic, Aleksandr Kuschynski

Overall Herald Sun Tour, Jonas Ljungblad

Stage 7, Jonas Ljungblad

Overall Tour of Queensland, Jonas Ljungblad

Stage 5 & 7, Jonas Ljungblad

2005

 Sweden road race championships, Jonas Ljungblad

 Belarus road race championships, Aleksandr Kuschynski

Tour du Lac Léman, Jonas Ljungblad

Stage 1 Szlakiem Grodów Piastowskich, Artur Krzeszowiec

Tour de Vendée, Jonas Ljungblad

Overall Boucles de la Mayenne, Aleksandr Kuschynski

Stage 2 Herald Sun Tour, Dainius Kairelis

Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic, Jonas Ljungblad

2006

 Lithuania road race championships, Dainius Kairelis

Stage 4 Settimana Ciclistica Lombarda, Graziano Gasparre

Stage 1 Vuelta a Extremadura, Ivan Fanelli

2007

Stage 4 Settimana Ciclistica Lombarda, Ivan Quaranta

Giro d'Oro, Dainius Kairelis

2008

 Eritrea road race championships, Daniel Teklehaimanot

Commerce Bank Lehigh Valley Classic, Yuriy Metlushenko

Stage 2 Tour de Beauce, Yuriy Metlushenko

Stage 3 Tour de Beauce, Miguel Martinez

2009

 Ukraine road race championships, Volodymyr Starchyk

Stage 4 Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali, Yuriy Metlushenko

Stage 6 Tour of Qinghai Lake, Yuriy Metlushenko

Overall Univest GP, Volodymyr Starchyk

Stage 1, Team time trial

Stage 2, Volodymyr Starchyk

Stage 3 Tour of Hainan, Yuriy Metlushenko

2010

 Slovakia road race championships, Jakub Novak

Stages 4 & 5 Tour of Qinghai Lake, Yuriy Metlushenko

Stage 1 Tour of Hainan, Yuriy Metlushenko

2011

 Israel road race championships, Niv Libner

 Mexico time trial championships, Bernardo Colex

Trophée de l'Anniversaire, Volodymyr Bileka

Trophée de la Maison Royale, Vladislav Borisov

Stage 6 Vuelta Chiapas, Bernardo Colex

2012

Stage 6 Tour of Bulgaria, Yovcho Yovchev

2013

Stage 5 Baltic Chain Tour, Mihkel Räim

2014

Stage 4 Tour de Beauce, Leonardo Pinizzotto

 Israel road race championships, Niv Libner

Stages 11 & 13 Tour of Qinghai Lake, Mattia Gavazzi

Stage 2 Tour of China I, Mattia Gavazzi

Stage 1 Tour of China II, Mattia Gavazzi

Stage 3 Tour of Fuzhou, Mattia Gavazzi

2015

Stage 6 Vuelta Mexico Telmex, Mattia Gavazzi

Stage 2 Tour of Estonia, Mattia Gavazzi

 Albania road race championships, Redi Halilaj

Stages 8, 10, 11 & 13 Tour of Qinghai Lake, Mattia Gavazzi

Overall Tour of China II, Mattia Gavazzi

Stages 1, 4 & 5, Mattia Gavazzi

Stages 1 & 3 Tour of Fuzhou, Mattia Gavazzi

2016

Stage 4 Vuelta al Táchira, Eugenio Bani

Stages 6 & 8 Vuelta al Táchira, Marco Zamparella

2017

Giro dell'Appennino, Danilo Celano

Fenkil Northern Red Sea Challenge, Pierpaolo Ficara

Stage 4 Tour of Eritrea, Redi Halilaj

Stage 1 Tour of Albania, Pierpaolo Ficara

Stage 2 Tour du Jura, Pierpaolo Ficara

Memorial Marco Pantani, Marco Zamparella

2019

Stage 3 Sibiu Cycling Tour, Marco Tizza

Stage 1 Volta a Portugal, Davide Appollonio

Stage 5 Volta a Portugal, Marco Tizza

Stage 2 Tour of Almaty, Danilo Celano

2020

 Latvia road race championships, Viesturs Lukševics

National championships

1997

Denmark road race championships, Nicolai Bo Larsen

Italy time trial championships, Dario Andriotto

1998

Zimbabwe road race championships, Timothy Jones

2002

Hungary road race championships, Balasz Rohtmer

South Africa time trial championships, James Perry

2004

Poland road race championships, Marek Wesoły

Finland road race championships, Kjell Carlström

2005

Sweden road race championships, Jonas Ljungblad

Belarus road race championships, Aleksandr Kuschynski

2006

Lithuania road race championships, Dainius Kairelis

2008

Eritrea road race championships, Daniel Teklehaimanot

2009

Ukraine road race championships, Volodymyr Starchyk

2010

Slovakia road race championships, Jakub Novak

2011

Israel road race championships, Niv Libner

Mexico time trial championships, Bernardo Colex

2014

Israel road race championships, Niv Libner

2015

Albania road race championships, Redi Halilaj

2020

Latvia road race, Viesturs Lukševics

References

1. "Team Amore & Vita Prodir – la più antica Squadra Ciclistica al Mondo" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
2. "Amore&Vita-USA Racing Cycling and Triathlon Club" (PDF). caferacertt.weebly.com. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
3. "Amore & Vita". www.amoreevita.eu. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
4. "Chad Gerlach turns down Amore & Vita contract". www.cyclingnews.com. 17 December 2009. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
5. "Daily Peloton – Pro Cycling News". Archived from the original on 11 January 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
6. "News for June 18, 1999". autobus.cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
7. "Italian team offers Millar lifeline". ABC News. 22 July 2004. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
8. "Riccò may return to racing in June with Amore & Vita". www.cyclingnews.com. 31 May 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
9. Ryan, Barry (June 2011). "Riccò to sign for Meridian-Kamen". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
10. "Consequences Imposed on License-Holders as Result of Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRV) as per the UCI Anti-Doping Rules (ADR)" (PDF). uci.org. 1 September 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
11. "Amore e Vita". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 30 January 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
12. Nieri, Valter (11 February 2021). "Paolo Toto' riparte dalla Amore e Vita: "Con Fanini ho ritrovato la motivazione"" [Paolo Toto' starts with Amore e Vita: "With Fanini I found the motivation"]. TuttoBici (in Italian). Prima Pagina Edizioni srl. Retrieved 5 March 2021.

External links

• Official website