Filippo Pozzato enters into the spirit of things with Manuel Quinziato at the 2007 Tour de France in London.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato with Daniele Bennati and Franco Pellizotti at Liquigas.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato in the winning move at the 2012 Tour of Flanders.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato piles on the pressure at the 2012 Tour of Flanders. Tom Boonen follows.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato was beaten by his old teammate Tom Boonen at the 2012 Tour of Flanders.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato dropped down to Pro Continental level with Vini Fantini in 2012.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato helped to tee up Tom Boonen's 2006 Tour of Flanders win.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato with Tom Boonen on his wheel at Quick-Step in 2006.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato is mobbed on the Via Roma after winning Milan-San Remo in 2006.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato joined former Mapei teammate Paolo Bettini at Quick-Step in 2005 and 2006.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato at Gent-Wevelgem in 2005.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato during his tenure at Quick-Step.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato meets the press ahead of the 2007 Milan-San Remo.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
The odd couple. Filippo Pozzato with Luca Scinto in 2012.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato won the Trofeo Laigueglia for a third time in 2013.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato mistakenly believes he has won the 2013 Roma Maxima, not realising the break has stayed clear.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato spent two years at Liquigas.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Mark Scanlon beats Filippo Pozzato to the junior title at the 1998 Worlds in Valkenburg.(Image credit: Getty Images)
Filippo Pozzato wins at Saint-Brieuc on the 2004 Tour de France.(Image credit: Getty Images)
Filippo Pozzato finished his career with Wilier-Selle Italia.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato at the 2017 Giro d'Italia.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato returned to Luca Scinto with Southeast in 2016.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
A youthful Filippo Pozzato after taking silver at the junior Worlds in Valkenburg in 1998.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato claimed two medals but no rainbow jersey at the 1998 Worlds.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato reports for duty at Lampre.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato wins the 2013 Coppa Agostoni.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato with Fassa Bortolo manager Giancarlo Ferretti on the day of his Tour de France debut in Liege in 2004.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato long regretted his 4th place finish at the 2010 Worlds in Geelong.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato at the Giro della Liguria in 2004.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato meets the press during the cobbled Classics in 2009.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato with the late Franco Ballerini.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato at Liquigas.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato won Tirreno-Adriatico at the age of 21 in 2003.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato wins his first Trofeo Laigueglia in 2003.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato joined Katusha in 2009.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato wins the 2007 Trofeo Matteotti.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato wins at Autun, Tour de France 2007.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato wins Omloop Het Volk in 2007.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato wins the Giro della Provincia di Grosseto in 2008.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato contemplates second place at Paris-Roubaix, 2009.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato chases Tom Boonen at Paris-Roubaix in 2009.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato had to settle for second behind Tom Boonen at Paris-Roubaix in 2009.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato wins in Recanati on the 2010 Giro d'Italia.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato on the dirt roads near Montalcino at the 2010 Giro.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato paid tribute to the late Franco Ballerini at the 2010 Paris-Roubaix.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
A young Filippo Pozzato at the Coppa Placci.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato ahead of the 2008 Tour of Flanders.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Hometown hero. Filippo Pozzato won the Giro del Veneto in 2009.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato won the Giro della Provincia di Grosseto in 2008.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Italian champion Filippo Pozzato with world champion Alessandro Ballan at the 2009 Tour de France.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato's initial Italian champion's jersey upset traditionalists.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato at the 2003 Tirreno-Adriatico with Oscar Freire.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato flies the flag for peace. Tirreno-Adriatico 2003.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato in Mapei colours in 2002.(Image credit: Twitter)
It's Filippo Pozzato.(Image credit: Stephen Farrand)
Filippo Pozzato announced his retirement on Tuesday, bringing the curtain down on a long, varied and colourful career. The Italian was among the longest-serving riders in the peloton, having started his professional career in 2000.
From the outset, Pozzato was lauded as a predestinato and he bypassed the amateur category by moving directly from junior racing to Mapei, the peloton’s most star-studded team.
After a three-year apprenticeship, Pozzato hit the big time when he moved to Fassa Bortolo in 2003, winning Tirreno-Adriatico as a 21-year-old that same season. Stage wins at the Tour de France and victory at the 2006 Milan-San Remo soon followed, but while Pozzato became a consistent performer in the Classics, he endured more heartbreak than happiness in the Monuments.
Second place finishes at Milan-San Remo (2008), Paris-Roubaix (2009) and the Tour of Flanders (2012) – not to mention 4th at the 2010 Worlds in Geelong – saw Pozzato cast as a nearly-man, and routinely criticised for his apparent failure to land the biggest prizes.
Pozzato’s charisma and articulacy meant that he remained one of the Italian gruppo’s biggest names even after his star had begun to wane in recent seasons. His reputation was enough to secure wildcards for Wilier-Triestina, while he developed a large following on social media and became something of a fixture on Rai television’s Processo alla Tappa post-race show during his final Giro d’Italia appearances.
Although linked with a move to the revamped CCC team earlier in 2018, Pozzato began to ponder retirement over the summer and he confirmed a decision long since taken on Tuesday morning.
Scroll through the gallery above for an overview of Pozzato’s career, which saw him ride for Mapei, Fassa Bortolo, Quick-Step, Liquigas, Katusha, Vini Fantini, Lampre and Wilier.
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