Angelo Fausto Coppi, better known by the name of Fausto (Castellania, 15 September 1919 – Tortona, 2 January 1960) was an Italian road and track cyclist.

Professional from 1939 to 1960, nicknamed the Campionissimo or the Heron, he was the most famous and successful rider of the golden age of cycling and is considered one of the greatest and most popular athletes of all time.[1][2] [3] A formidable long distance runner, exceptional climber and gifted with a good quick start, he was a complete runner and suitable for any type of road competition [3].

He won both the most important stage races and the major one-day classics. He won the Giro d'Italia five times (1940, 1947, 1949, 1952 and 1953), a record shared with Binda and Merckx, and the Tour de France twice (1949 and 1952), also becoming the first cyclist to win the two competitions in the same year. Among the successes in road races we must remember the five victories at the Giro di Lombardia (1946, 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1954), a record, the three victories at Milan-Sanremo (1946, 1948 and 1949) and the successes at Paris-Roubaix and at the Flèche Vallone in 1950. He won the World Championship in 1953 and also excelled in track cycling, winning the World Pursuit Championship in 1947 and 1949. He was the hour record holder (with 45.798 km) from 1942 to 1956 .

Legendary was his rivalry with Gino Bartali, which divided Italy immediately after the war (also due to the alleged different political positions of the two).

Coppi is also known for changing the approach to cycling competitions, thanks to his interest in diet, technical developments in cycling, training methods and sports medicine. His exploits and the tragic circumstances of his death (due to undiagnosed malaria) have made him an icon of Italian sporting history.