- Place: Lanciano
- Birth: 17/03/1985
- Country: ITA
- Height: 175 Cm
- Weight: 64 Kg
- Pro debut: 2007
- Career path:
2015-2019: Astana
2013-2014: Sky
2009-2012: Quick Step
2007-2008: Liquigas
Dario Cataldo
A FIVE-STAR DOMESTIQUE. There are very few riders as intelligent and talented as it is needed to put your work at the service of others even if you know you could be able to aim at bigger goals by yourself. That’s why Dario Cataldo, a 13-year pro always part of WorldTour squads, is so immensely valuable. His 20 Grand Tour appearances -10 Giros, 1 Tour, 9 Vueltas-, some of them with notable individual performances (he’s twice finished in 12th place at the ‘Corsa Rosa’), are but a great proof of the talent, strength and composure of this world-class athlete, currently in the best moment of his life when it comes to personal maturity.
MORE THAN JUST COLLECTIVE ATTITUDE. Despite his wheel to make things easier for the team leaders in the mountains or any other terrain -he’s also a very decent time trialist-, Dario has claimed many famous victories. Two of those came at Grand Tours: he won at the Cuitunigru, at the 2012 Vuelta a España, over incredible slopes near 30%, and took the Como stage at the 2019 Giro d’Italia, holding off the charge by the GC contenders and besting fellow countryman Mattia Cattaneo (ANS) into the final sprint.
WINNER OF A ‘LITTLE GRAND TOUR’. Cataldo’s leap towards the pro category had a great launchpad in his win at the 2006 ‘Baby Giro’, now reserved to under-23 riders from around the world yet, at the time, serving as hunting ground for the strong amateur Italian outfits. He shares a place in the race’s palmarès with another Blue member, Carlos Betancur, who notched up overall honours in 2010.
His links to Spain -his girlfriend, Alexandra, hails from our country- have always been intense, to the point of supporting in past years several sporting projects in the country, some of them devoted to women’s cycling. He gave name to the DC Ride squad in 2018, a team featuring top athletes such as Belén López or Ainara Elbusto, an adventure he conitnued in 2019 supporting the Eneicat team. Some other youth teams in southern Spain have his support.
It’s not only about cycling inside Dario’s mind, a man fond of arts and a very skilled sketcher. Some of his portrait pictures available at this page’s gallegy, with beautiful drawings on the balloons used for the photoshoot, are a proof of his talent.
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- Winning stage 15 of the 2019 Giro d’Italia.
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- Victorious atop the Cuitunigru, in La Vuelta.
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- With Chris Froome in his years as Sky member.
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- With the Italian team at the 2018 Worlds.
Palmares
8 Victories as professional
1st (15th stage) Giro d'Italia 2019
1st (4th stage) Settimana Coppi e Bartali 2014
1st (16th stage) Vuelta a España 2012
1st Italian ITT Championships 2012
1st GP Beghelli 2010
1st (7th stage) Tour de l'Avenir 2007
1st (2nd stage) Tour de l'Avenir 2007
1st Baby Giro d'Italia 2006
Results
2020
13 Days of Racing
1961.1 Km covered
35th (1st stage) UAE Tour
36th (5th stage) UAE Tour
56th (3rd stage) Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
62th Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
64th UAE Tour
67th (4th stage) Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
67th (2nd stage) Challenge Mallorca
71th (3rd stage) Challenge Mallorca
74th (4th stage) UAE Tour
74th (5th stage) Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
86th (2nd stage) Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
88th (2nd stage) UAE Tour
98th (3rd stage) UAE Tour
101th (1st stage) Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana