Paolo Savoldelli (born 7 May 1973 in Clusone, province of Bergamo) is an Italian former road racing cyclist and winner of the 2002 and 2005 Giro d'Italia.
Savoldelli is a climber but known for his fast downhill riding. He is nicknamed Il Falco ("the falcon"). His downhill skills won him the 2005 Giro. His descent of the Colle delle Finestre before the final ascent to Sestriere in the penultimate stage, closed a gap to Gilberto Simoni, preserving his lead and giving him the win.
On 20 July 2005, Savoldelli won the 17th stage of the Tour de France, becoming only the second teammate of Lance Armstrong to win an individual stage during Armstrong's seven Tour de France wins. He led Astana in the 2007 Giro d'Italia, but worked for team-mate Eddy Mazzoleni.
Savoldelli retired from competitive professional cycling at the end of the 2008 season. He did not leave the cycling world however, as he embarked in a career with the medias' coverage of the sport.
In 2012, Savoldelli works for the Italian television channel RAI, providing viewers with commentaries on cycling races. He is commenting from a motorbike, offering insights from a first-hand point of view. He concludes each of his interventions with an emphatic "A Voi!" (Italian for "Back to you!"), which became his trademark.
Read more about Paolo Savoldelli: Palmarès
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