Filippo Pozzato announced his retirement on Tuesday, bringing the curtain down on a long, varied and colourful career. The Italian was among the longest-serving riders in the peloton, having started his professional career in 2000. From the outset, Pozzato was lauded as a predestinato and he bypassed the amateur category by moving directly from junior racing to Mapei, the peloton´s most star-studded team. After a three-year apprenticeship, Pozzato hit the big time when he moved to Fassa Bortolo in 2003, winning Tirreno-Adriatico as a 21-year-old that same season. Stage wins at the Tour de France and victory at the 2006 Milan-San Remo soon followed, but while Pozzato became a consistent performer in the Classics, he endured more heartbreak than happiness in the Monuments.ADVERTISEMENT Second place finishes at Milan-San Remo (2008), Paris-Roubaix (2009) and the Tour of Flanders (2012) - not to mention 4th at the 2010 Worlds in Geelong - saw Pozzato cast as a nearly-man, and routinely criticised for his apparent failure to land the biggest prizes. Pozzato´s charisma and articulacy meant that he remained one of the Italian gruppo´s biggest names even after his star had begun to wane in recent seasons. His reputation was enough to secure wildcards for Wilier-Triestina, while he developed a large following on social media and became something of a fixture on Rai television´s Processo alla Tappa post-race show during his final Giro d´Italia appearances. Although linked with a move to the revamped CCC team earlier in 2018, Pozzato began to ponder retirement over the summer and he confirmed a decision long since taken on Tuesday morning.
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