This is a list of career achievements by Fabian Cancellara, a Swiss former professional racing cyclist. During his professional career, Cancellara was known for being a quality time trialist,[1] a classics specialist, and a workhorse for his teammates that had general classification aspirations. Cancellara achieved great successes in the classics; he won Paris–Roubaix three times, Milan–San Remo once, and the Tour of Flanders three times. Cancellara won the opening stage of the Tour de France five times and led the race for 29 days total,[2] the most of any rider to not win the Tour.[3] His success was not limited to just time trials and classics, as he has won the general classification of the Tirreno–Adriatico, Tour de Suisse, and the Tour of Oman. In 2008, he won gold in the individual time trial and silver in the men's road race at the Summer Olympics. In 2016, he won Olympic gold in the individual time trial for the second time in his career. In addition, Cancellara was time trial world champion four times in his career.
After two previous prologue stage wins in 2004 and earlier in the 2007 edition, Cancellara wins his first road stage at the Tour de France, out-sprinting the main sprinters in the peloton into Compiègne.[2]
2008
Cancellara wins his second Monument classic at Milan–San Remo, breaking away from the leading group in the final kilometres.[5]
Cancellara wins two of the three individual time trial stages at the Vuelta a España, holding the race leader's gold jersey for five days.[7][8]
Cancellara wins a record-equalling third world time trial championships on home soil in Mendrisio. Winning the gold medal by almost a minute and a half, Cancellara free-wheeled the final 200 metres saluting the crowd.[9]
Matching his compatriot Heiri Suter's feat from 1923, Cancellara follows up his Tour of Flanders victory with success at Paris–Roubaix.[11]
Cancellara sets a new record for world time trial titles, with his fourth coming in Geelong, Australia.[12]
2012
During the Tour de France, Cancellara sets a new record for most days spent in the maillot jaune of the general classification leader for a rider not to have won the Tour de France general classification, surpassing René Vietto's tally of 26 days.[13]
Cancellara wins a four-rider sprint to win his second consecutive Tour of Flanders. His third victory in the race,[16] and a seventh Monument overall, also made him the sixth rider to achieve the feat.
2016
Cancellara wins Strade Bianche, a race that includes sectors of gravel roads similar to the cobbles of Paris–Roubaix, for the third time. As a result of his success, a sector of the gravel roads was named in his honour.[17]
Cancellara wins the gold medal in the road time trial event of the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, finishing 47 seconds of his closest rival.[19] This was his 75th and final professional win.