He is a sports director and, today, primarily a cycling commentator for RAI. A former professional cyclist, he was a major protagonist of the Giro d’Italia between 1997 and 2013. In a career spanning nearly twenty years, his outstanding palmarès includes winning the Tour de Suisse in 1998 and the Giro d’Italia in 2000. Runner-up in the 2003 Giro d’Italia, he went on to win the Maglia Verde (Green Jersey) as the best climber of the Giro d’Italia in both 2009 and 2011. With 7 stage wins at the Giro d’Italia, he reached a total of 50 prestigious career victories.