Fabio Aru
Nationality: Italian
Date of birth: July 3, 1990
Height: 181cm
Weight: 61.5kg
Team: UAE Team Emirates
Having signed for the Astana team in 2012, Fabio Aru has steadily established himself as Grand Tour contender, making his breakthrough ride in the 2014 Giro d'Italia where he won a stage and finished third overall.
In 2015, Aru went one better in the Giro and won two stages and placed second overall behind the far more established Grand Tour star Alberto Contador, just one minute and 53 seconds behind.
Next stop was the 2015 Vuelta a España, where Aru has put in a solid performance to take his first first Grand Tour victory.
The following year he gained only a single victory, with a stage win at the Critérium du Dauphiné. After a strong early performance in that years tour, he suffered an illness on the final mountain stage and lost 13 minutes to his rivals, finishing 13th overall.
Fabio Aru had a frustrating start to the 2017 season, when a crash and resulting knee injury meant he was unable to train in the final weeks leading up to the Giro d'Italia - subsequently missing the race.
He returned in time for the Critérium du Dauphiné, taking fifth place, 1-37 back on his team mate Jakob Fuglsang.
He drew attention at the 2017 Tour de France when he attacked on the summit finish to La Planche des Belles Filles, on stage five. This led to a stage win, and left the prime GC contenders facing havoc in his wake as their group splintered to give way to the first major gaps in the overall. Here, Aru moved into second place behind Chris Froome (Team Sky).
The Astana rider raised eyebrows on stage nine when he appeared to attack the yellow jersey immediately after Froome raised his hand for a mechanical - though he claimed he was unaware of the leader's issue.
Aru lost an important team mate in Dario Cataldo who crashed out on stage 11, but the following day he attacked in the final 300 metres of the summit finish, stealing the yellow jersey from the dominant Sky rider, before losing it on stage 14 and sinking further down the GC on stage 17.
Stage 18 saw Aru's chances of becoming the Tour de France champ all but diminish after dropping down to fifth and losing more time on his rivals. He was never able to claw back the difference, eventually rolling into Paris in fifth on the GC, behind Team Sky's Mikel Landa.
After six seasons with Astana, he transitioned to UAE Team Emirates for 2018. The repeating pattern of under-performing at Grand Tours continued into 2018, eventually withdrawing on stage 19 of the Giro after suffering from fatigue. Similar troubles occurred at the Vuelta, eventually finishing well behind eventual winner Simon Yates.
Aru suffered even more difficulty in 2019 when he was diagnosed with a constriction of the iliac artery. This forced him off the bike for several months. His comeback in June revealed his lost form, finishing 22nd at the Gran Premio di Lugano. He failed to gain a top ten position on any stage at the Tour de France and finished 14th overall.
Aru's strength lies as a climber, where his bobbing riding style and trademark face-pulling may look untidy but is evidently effective. Only time will tell whether the Italian is able to overcome his difficulties and win a Grand Tour.
Major wins: 2015 Vuelta a España
-
Fabio Aru achieves the impossible to take Vuelta a España to the wire
The Vuelta could barely be closer after Astana leader stays within touch of Tom Dumoulin after a time trial performance that few thought he had in him
By Gregor Brown Published
-
Fabio Aru to make Grand Tour comeback at Tour de France after successful surgery
The Italian missed the Giro d'Italia after undergoing surgery for a constructed iliac artery in his leg
By Jonny Long Published
-
'Crazy' to suggest swerve towards Fabio Aru was on purpose, says Chris Froome
Defending Tour champion Chris Froome says he was losing his balance and accidentally swerved towards Aru on the Mont du Chat on stage nine of the Tour de France
By Gregor Brown Published
-
Astana seeking compensation from Fabio Aru after UAE Team Emirates move, says Vinokourov
Alexander Vinokourov says team will seek damages after being left without a lead rider for 2018
By Richard Windsor Published
-
'I really don’t know what is happening to me': Fabio Aru left in shock after Tour de France abandonment
The Italian gave a brutally honest assessment of the situation that forced him to abandon the Tour in the Pyrenees
By Richard Windsor Published
-
Fabio Aru trying to stay 'realistic' at Tour de France after comeback from operation
Italian pleased with performance in first Grand Tour after operation
By Richard Windsor Published
-
Fabio Aru officially signs for Qhubeka-Assos as he looks to reboot his career
Fabio Aru finally announces that he will be joining Qhubeka-Assos for the 2021 season after several transfer rumours went around
By Tim Bonville-Ginn Published
-
Chris Froome sensationally retakes Tour de France race lead as Matthews wins stage 14
Fabio Aru loses time in hilly stage finale to relinquish Tour de France race lead to Chris Froome
By Nigel Wynn Published
-
If you haven't been watching the Vuelta a España, you should be now
Tom Dumoulin leads Fabio Aru by just three seconds going into the final four stages in what promises to be the closest Vuelta a España finish in years
By Stuart Clarke Published
-
Fabio Aru fends off Chris Froome's attacks to retain Tour de France lead as Warren Barguil wins stage
A perfect Bastille Day result for the French as Warren Barguil wins in Foix, and with an entertaining battle between Froome and Aru on a short, punchy stage
By Nigel Wynn Published
-
Alberto Contador back in Giro d'Italia lead after crucial time trial
Vasil Kiryienka wins the 2015 Giro d'Italia time trial stage as Sky leader Richie Porte loses further time to his rivals
By Nigel Wynn Published
-
Fabio Aru cancels Giro d'Italia plans due to crash and knee injury
Astana Grand Tour leader Fabio Aru forced to shelve plans to contest the 2017 Giro d'Italia after a crash in training
By Gregor Brown Published
-
Tom Dumoulin takes race lead after stunning Vuelta a España time trial win
Tom Dumoulin leads Fabio Aru by just three seconds heading into the final four stages of the Vuelta a España after smashing the 38.7km time trial
By Stuart Clarke Published
-
Fabio Aru: '2018 was one of the darkest moments of my career'
Aru says he's hoping to put 2018 behind him as he targets Giro d'Italia success in 2019
By Gregor Brown Published
-
Fabio Aru on losing Tour de France lead: 'I paid for being in a bad position'
Fabio Aru may have lost the Tour de France lead due to 'bad positioning' but says he could get the time back in the Alps in the coming week
By Gregor Brown Published
-
Chris Froome: 'I never dreamt I'd take 24 seconds out of Aru'
Chris Froome said that he never expected to take 24 seconds off Fabio Aru on stage 14 of the Tour de France.
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Fabio Aru not ready for the Tour de France, says Vincenzo Nibali
The 2014 champion says that his young teammate could make his mark on the Tour de France in the future
By Simon Collis Published
-
Italian team for World Championships 2018 announced, including Fabio Aru and Gianni Moscon
The Italian riders tackling the slopes of Innsbruck at the World Championships later this month have been announced.
By Alex Ballinger Published
-
Fabio Aru wins Giro d'Italia stage 19 summit finish
Astana leader breaks clear of his rival climbers to finish over a minute ahead of Alberto Contador who retains the maglia rosa
By Richard Windsor Published
-
Dumoulin to be on top after Vuelta time trial, say team bosses
Bar Astana, the bosses of Tom Dumoulin's rivals' teams believe the Dutchman will come out on top of the Vuelta a España stage 17 time trial
By Gregor Brown Published
-
Fabio Aru: 'I knew Landa would try something today but I couldn't follow everyone'
Tour de France yellow jersey Fabio Aru had a suspicion before the stage 13 start that Sky's Mikel Landa would try and attack
By Gregor Brown Published
-
Vuelta a España stage 17 time trial start times
With just a second separating Joaquim Rodriguez and Fabio Aru atop the leaderboard in the Vuelta a España, there's all to play for in the stage 17 time trial
By Stuart Clarke Published
-
Simon Yates and Fabio Aru among those abandoning Tour of the Basque Country
Large number of riders withdraw during stage five of the Tour of the Basque Country in Spain, many due to crash injury
By Nigel Wynn Published
-
Chris Froome loses yellow jersey to Fabio Aru as Romain Bardet wins Tour de France summit finish
Fabio Aru (Astana) has moved into the lead of the Tour de France by six seconds after Chris Froome (Team Sky) lost time on the race's second summit finish.
By Henry Robertshaw Published
-
Chris Froome: Mikel Landa ‘a real threat for the overall’ after stage 13 attack at Tour de France
Chris Froome tips team-mate Mikel Landa as "a real threat" for the Tour de France's overall fight after the dust settled on the Pyrenean stages 12 and 13.
By Gregor Brown Published
-
Vincenzo Nibali says 'everyone loses' if Fabio Aru does not ride the Giro d'Italia
Italian star Vincenzo Nibali publishes open letter to former Astana team-mate Fabio Aru trying to persuade him to start the 2017 Giro d'Italia, despite a recent injury
By Gregor Brown Published
-
Fabio Aru to miss Giro d'Italia after surgery for constricted iliac artery
The Italian faces time off the bike with upcoming surgery
By Gregor Brown Published
-
'I couldn't really pedal': Fabio Aru on the moment he had to use a Tour de France neutral service bike
The Italian lost time after a mechanical meant he had to ride the Mavic neutral service bike
By Gregor Brown Published
-
Astana unsure of what to expect from Fabio Aru in maiden Tour de France
The Kazakh team say the Italian will have to deal with more stress than he may have been used to in his successes at the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España in his first Tour de France
By Gregor Brown Published