When Giovanni Fidanza joined the professional women's team Eurotarget-Bianchi-Vitasana in 2018, it was hard to have more family in a cycling team. He brought his two daughters Martina and Arianna Fidanza onto the team as bosses. He had previously looked after Arianna as sporting director at Astana, while he helped Martina make her professional debut on the road with his team. Father and daughters were together in a racing team for two years, and the trio took part in the Giro d'Italia together in 2018.
Giovanni Fidanza himself was a member of the professional peloton from 1989 and was able to record some notable victories as a sprinter. In his first professional year, he immediately won the points classification at the Giro d'Italia for the Chateau d'Ax team and a sprint stage of the Tour de France in l'Isle d'Abeau. A year later, he also won a stage at the Giro. His CV also includes two stage wins at the Tour de Romandie and another success at Tirreno-Adriatico.
Giovanni Fidanza Sports Director at T-Mobile
He ended his career in 1997 and joined the Italian team Polti as sports director. Between 2003 and 2006, he also held the same position at Team T-Mobile, and in 2007 at Astana. In 2010, he took on sporting responsibility in women's cycling and was in charge of the De Rosa-Ceramica Flaminia team as sporting director.
Cycling has therefore always played a role in his daughters' lives. And her father was always there, especially during Arianna Fidanza's first career steps. After her professional debut with Estado de Mexico-Faren Kuota, Giovanni Fidanza was always one of the sporting directors of her subsequent teams Alé Cipollini (2015) and Astana (2016 and 2017).
Martina Fidanza world champion on the track
The path taken by her older sister also inspired Martina Fidanza - in particular Arianna's 2013 junior world championship title in the points race on the track. "From then on, I also set myself goals and dreams. And I decided to dedicate myself 100 per cent to cycling to see how it would go," Martina Fidanza told the portal "Rouleur.cc" in 2021.
From then on, things went remarkably well for her, especially on the track: in 2017, Martina Fidanza won gold in the scratch and team pursuit at the World Championships and the European Championships in the U23 category, followed by the European Championship title in the elite scratch in 2020. She even became world champion in this discipline in 2021 and 2022.
Fidanza sisters back in a team since 2023
In addition to competing with the national team on the track, Martina Fidanza also rides on the road - and has been back in a team with her sister since 2023. Both ride for the German Continental team Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling. Her father is also still active in cycling with his team, which now also rides under a Continental licence under the name Isolmant - Premac - Vittoria.
