“He only had two purposes in life: to ride a bike and to start a family.”
Denis Zanette (Sacile, 23.03.1970 – Sacile, 10.01.2003) was born in Sacile, the youngest of four siblings, and began cycling at the age of 6 years in the local cycling club, the Sacilese, winning 27 races with the very young and 6 with the juniors. In 1983 his father, a house painter, died of a heart attack at the age of 47 years. Denis, like the whole family, further rolled up his sleeves and, in his free time between school and training, lent a hand to his older brother Claudio who carried on the family business.
Stubborn athlete, he gave his family their first sporting joy as an amateur actor in 1991. For his mother Edda, who was proud of his sports results by following him closely whenever possible, he had in fact brought home the tricolor jersey of Italian champion of the second series amateur actors.
This prestigious business card served him to pave his way in the difficult world of professionalism.
Professional since 1995, he wore the jerseys of Aki, Vini Caldirola, Team Polti and Liquigas, competing in eight Tour of Italy, a Tour de France, two Vuelta and a world championship, collecting, thanks also to his skills as a fast long-distance racing cyclist, five victories among which two stages at the Tour of Italy stand out (1995, 18th stage Stradella-Santuario di Vicoforte, won by racing for Aki – Gipiemme and 2001 10th stage Lido di Jesolo-Lubiana with the jersey of Liquigas).
Also worth mentioning is the third place at the Tour of Flanders in 2001. At this time he worked for captains such as Casagrande and Rebellin; and it is the latter who wanted him in the national team for the World Cup of Plouay in 2000. His two stage victories at the Tour of Italy were immortalized by Vico Calabrò, the artist passionately fond of cycling, who for over 30 years followed the Tour producing graphic works, publications, meetings, shows and wall paintings, inspired by faces, landscapes, places, situations, turning roads into clouds, effort into music, bicycles into doves or swallows.
In 2002 he joined the staff of the Fassa Bortolo Team where he was immediately appreciated by everyone for his great human qualities that always characterized him: kindness and humility, as well as loyalty and great dedication to the team and its leaders. In 2003 he would have started his ninth season among the professionals with the team directed by Giancarlo Ferretti who said of him ”He was a very kind guy, very courteous, of incredible humility. And, of course, a good racing cyclist,” but an unpredictable heart problem put an end to his life prematurely, leaving his wife and his beloved daughters Anna and Paola, aged 5 years and 8 months.
Denis was also a champion of style: never a phrase over the top, and always available to the local cycling clubs, which competed for him on occasion of the numerous social parties.
“He only had two purposes in life: to ride a bike and to start a family.” This is the exemplary description that has been given by Denis’s older brother, who has always been his mentor.
In memory of this illustrious citizen, the town’s cycle path is named.
