Bettini becomes Italy's national sports director

Paolo Bettini

Italian Paolo Bettini will become his country's national sports director, a post left vacant by the death of Franco Ballerini in February. The Italian cycling federation (FCI) announced today that it will be officially give Bettini the post in Rome on June 23.

Ballerini, 45, died in due to injuries suffered in a rally car race in Larciano, Italy, February 7. He and driver Alessandro Ciardi veered off course and crashed into a wall immediately after the race started.

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Gregor Brown

Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.