Fabian Cancellara

Fabian Cancellara

Fabian Cancellara is an ex-professional cyclist who raced from 2001 to 2016 for Mapei, Fassa Bortolo, CSC and Trek. 


One of a select trio of riders to have won Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders three times, alongside arch rival Tom Boonen and Johan Museeuw, he is the only racer who can add the Strade Bianche triple to that glittering statistic – first across the line in Siena at four year intervals between 2008 and 2016.


"Spartacus" was also a formidable time trialist, arguably the finest male ever against the clock. Four times world champion, twice Olympic champion – plus silver in the road race at Beijing 2008 – his final race as a professional cyclist came in the TT at the Rio Olympics in 2016, where he triumphed over second-placed Tom Dumoulin by a staggering 47 seconds. 


Seven of his eight Tour de France stage wins came in time trials or prologues, whilst his sole road stage victory in 2007 was one of the all-time greats, taking a flyer from the bunch in the final kilometre and holding off the charging sprinters by metres at the line.


Cancellara also won three Vuelta a España stages, as well as Milan-San Remo (2008) and overall GC at Denmark Rundt (2006), Tirreno-Adriatico (2008), Tour de Suisse (2009) and Tour of Oman (2010).


Alongside various business interests – and being a Cyclingnews columnist, of course – Cancellara is a founder of the Tudor Pro Cycling team, currently racing at UCI Pro Team level.



Latest articles by Fabian Cancellara

Fabian Cancellara runs the rule over Mathieu van der Poel and the 2024 Paris-Roubaix
Cancellara's Classics column: After Flanders-Roubaix double, Mathieu van der Poel should ride Liège-Bastogne-Liège

By Fabian Cancellara Published

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How the Hell of the North was an Alpecin-Deceuninck show from start to finish

Analysis
Fabian Cancellara's Paris-Roubaix column
Cancellara's Classics column: New Arenberg chicane will have consequences at Paris-Roubaix

By Fabian Cancellara Published

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Mathieu van der Poel’s Spanish trip was the ideal way to prepare for Ronde-Roubaix double

Analysis
Fabian Cancellara's column for the 2024 Tour of Flanders
Cancellara's Classics column: Mathieu van der Poel will break the Tour of Flanders record, it's just a matter of time

By Fabian Cancellara Published

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Alpecin-Deceuninck come up big for the world champion on the big occasion

Analysis
Mathieu van der Poel riding at E3 Saxo Bank Classic, alongside Cyclingnews columnist Fabian Cancellara
Cancellara’s Classics column: Attack might be Mathieu van der Poel’s best form of defence in chaotic Tour of Flanders

By Fabian Cancellara Published

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How the absence of Van Aert and Stuyven changes the dynamic of the Ronde for the world champion

Analysis
WEVELGEM, BELGIUM - MARCH 24: (L-R) Mads Pedersen of Denmark and Team Lidl - Trek celebrates at finish line as race winner ahead of Mathieu van der Poel of The Netherlands and Team Alpecin - Deceuninck during the 86th Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields 2024 - Men's Elite a 253.1km one day race from Ieper to Wevelgem / #UCIWT / on March 24, 2024 in Wevelgem, Belgium. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Cancellara’s Classic column: Mathieu van der Poel is human and Lidl-Trek are real contenders

By Fabian Cancellara Published

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Pedersen’s Gent-Wevelgem triumph after team effort shows that nobody is unbeatable in cycling

Analysis
Fabian Cancellara analyses the 2024 E3 Saxo Bank Classic and the Van der Poel-Van Aert rivalry
Cancellara's Classics column: Don't overlook the mental aspect of the Van der Poel-Van Aert duel

By Fabian Cancellara Published

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Peerless Van der Poel triumphs over under-pressure Van Aert, though history shows nobody is unbeatable at Flanders and Roubaix

Analysis
Fabian Cancellara analyses Wout van Aert and Visma-Lease a Bike at Opening Weekend 2024
Cancellara’s Classics column: Visma-Lease A Bike are dominant, but they can destroy themselves too

By Fabian Cancellara Published

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Wout van Aert and Visma may outgun the peloton, but tactics-wise and racing-wise Opening Weekend showed they're far from flawless

Analysis
Paris-Roubaix 2023
Cancellara's Classics column: Bad luck and good decisions separate Van der Poel and Van Aert at Paris-Roubaix

By Fabian Cancellara Published

Analysis A tale of two punctures for Jumbo-Visma

Analysis
Fabian Cancellara looks at the outsiders ahead of Sunday's Paris-Roubaix
Fabian Cancellara’s Paris-Roubaix preview

By Fabian Cancellara Published

While the Van Aert-Van der Poel rivalry returns, our Classics columnist keeps an eye on the outsiders

Teams & Riders
Fabian Cancellara says Tadej Pogacar is changing the game of professional cycling
Cancellara's Classics Column: The new generation and Pogacar's Paris-Roubaix chances

By Fabian Cancellara Published

Analysis Is Tadej Pogacar changing the game of professional cycling?

Analysis
Fabian Cancellara delivers his verdict on Pogacar's win at the 2023 Tour of Flanders
Cancellara's Classics Column: Tadej Pogacar turns Tour of Flanders into watts-per-kilo game

By Fabian Cancellara Published

Analysis Chapeau, Tadej Pogačar. That was something special

Analysis
Fabian Cancellara examines the Tour of Flanders favourites
Fabian Cancellara's Classics Column: Sizing up the Big Three for Tour of Flanders

By Fabian Cancellara Published

Analysis Our expert analyst picks apart the strengths and weaknesses of Van Aert, Van der Poel, Pogacar, and wonders whether a fourth joker could sneak in

Analysis
Fabian Cancellara's Classics Column: Give Van Aert an Oscar for Gent-Wevelgem but that was too easy
Fabian Cancellara's Classics Column: Give Van Aert an Oscar but that was too easy

By Fabian Cancellara Published

Analysis Our expert analyst dissects Gent-Wevelgem and criticises the lack of an organised chase

Analysis
Fabian Cancellara dissects the 'big three' of Tadej Pogacar, Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel after E3 Saxo Classic
Fabian Cancellara's Classics column - Wout van Aert sits Mathieu van der Poel down to turn weakness into strength

By Fabian Cancellara Published

Analysis Our expert analyst dissects E3 Saxo Classic, poring over the sprint finish and asking: what kind of rider is Tadej Pogacar?

Analysis
Fabian Cancellara gives his opinion on Opening Weekend 2023
Fabian Cancellara’s Classics column: Perfect Opening Weekend creates a luxury problem for Jumbo-Visma

By Fabian Cancellara Published

Analysis Van Baarle and Benoot's wins will push Van Aert further

Analysis
Fabian Cancellara Dylan van Baarle Paris-Roubaix 2022
Cancellara’s Classics Column: Van Baarle’s perfect, spontaneous Paris-Roubaix

By Fabian Cancellara Published

Analysis Van der Poel’s style an issue on cobbles, but he can still win someday

Analysis
Cancellara
Cancellara’s Classics column: Your legs make the difference at Paris-Roubaix, not tyre pressure

By Fabian Cancellara Published

Analysis Van der Poel is favourite, but Küng the dangerman is ready to step up

Analysis
SANREMO, ITALY - MARCH 20: Dylan Van Baarle of Netherlands & Filippo Ganna of Italy and Team INEOS Grenadiers during the 112th Milano-Sanremo 2021 a 299km race from Milano to Sanremo / Cipressa (239m)/ #MilanoSanremo / La Classicissima / #UCIWT / on March 20, 2021 in Sanremo, Italy. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Cancellara's Classics Column: Van der Poel schools Pogacar with badass move

By Fabian Cancellara Published

Analysis Clinching the win at Flanders with cadence, gears and experience

Analysis
Fabian Cancellara
Cancellara's Classics Column: Wout is out, Tour of Flanders is wide open

By Fabian Cancellara Published

Analysis Cyclingnews' expert gives the favourites the star rating treatment

Analysis
Cancellara
Cancellara's Classics Column: Pogacar has something to learn, Van der Poel has nothing to lose

By Fabian Cancellara Published

Analysis The lessons learned from Dwars door Vlaanderen ahead of Sunday's Tour of Flanders

Analysis
KOKSIJDE, BELGIUM - MARCH 18: Pascal Ackermann of Germany and UAE Team Emirates celebrates winning during the 20th Bredene Koksijde Classic 2022 a 200,9km one day race from Bredene to Koksijde / #bredenekoksijde / on March 18, 2022 in Koksijde, Belgium. (Photo by Luc Claessen/Getty Images)
Cancellara's Classics Column: Surprised but not surprised by Girmay

By Fabian Cancellara Published

Analysis Fabian Cancellara gives his verdict on Biniam Girmay’s stunning Gent-Wevelgem performance, plus Wout van Aert and the build-up to Flanders

Analysis
Cancellara
Cancellara's Classics Column: Jumbo-Visma make everyone look like muppets

By Fabian Cancellara Published

Analysis What we learned from E3 and how Van Aert can be beaten

Analysis
Time trial world champion Fabian Cancellara in full flight en route to winning the prologue of the 2010 Tour de France in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands
From apprentice to master: Fabian Cancellara's career through the years

By Fabian Cancellara Published

Features The two-time Olympic time trial champion recalls his professional journey

Features