Maria Canins
Born on 4 June 1949, the now 72-year-old Italian was a talented athlete, excelling as a champion skier, runner and cyclist. She was one of the most successful riders during the 1980s, winning the Grande Boucle twice after only taking up riding at the age of 32. Canins also won the Trofeo Alfredo Binda four times, a feat that has only been matched by Marianne Vos. When asked, she admitted that she preferred the racing style of the 1980s, when riders did not receive instructions through an earpiece but rather had to read the race themselves and ride intelligently. These days she still rides her bike several times a week and is involved as a cycle tour guide in the Dolomites where she lives
Edwige Pitel
Born on 4 June 1967, Pitel is a French rider who most recently rode for the UCI Women’s Continental Team Cogeas-Mettler-Look. She was the winner of the 2003 ITU Duathlon world Championships, an event that involves a continuous run-cycle-run course. After that win, however, she concentrated on road cycling, winning multiple national road and time trial titles and before retiring at 52 was the oldest competitor on the circuit. In her later years, she raced without a salary but purely because she was still very passionate about riding and competing. Outside of the sport, Pitel earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Imperial College in 1994. |