Mattia Cattaneo
A powerful Italian time trialist who transformed from a promising amateur winner into a rock-solid engine for cycling's top teams.
Born 1990 (age 36)·Italian racing cyclist·Birthday: October 25·Millennials
Biography
Mattia Cattaneo's profile in the peloton is that of the reliable powerhouse, a rider built for setting a fierce tempo on flat and rolling roads. His amateur victory in the 2011 Girobio, the so-called 'Baby Giro,' marked him as a future professional of note. Since turning pro in 2013, he has honed his natural ability against the clock into a specialist skill, claiming time trial victories in stage races like the Tour de Luxembourg and the Tour de Pologne. While individual wins have been selective, his true value lies in his capacity for selfless work. At teams like Androni Giocattoli, Deceuninck–Quick-Step, and Soudal–Quick-Step, Cattaneo has been deployed as a key domestique, using his strength to shield team leaders from the wind and position them critically in the fraught finales of classics and Grand Tour stages. He is the definition of a rider who measures success in team results as much as personal accolades.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Mattia was born in 1990, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Mattia Was Born
The biggest hits of 1990
#1 Movie
Home Alone
Best Picture
Dances with Wolves
#1 TV Show
Roseanne
Mattia's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1990Born
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1995Started school
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2003Became a teenager
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2006Could drive
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2008Could vote
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2011Turned 21
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2020Turned 30
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 36 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the prestigious Girobio (Baby Giro) as an amateur in 2011.
- Won the individual time trial stage at the 2021 Tour de Luxembourg.
- Won the individual time trial stage at the 2023 Tour de Pologne.
- Secured a professional one-day race victory at the 2019 Giro dell'Appennino.
Did You Know?
Before focusing fully on cycling, he was a competitive cross-country skier in his youth.
He holds a degree in Sports Science from the University of Bologna.
His first professional victory came at the 2017 Tour La Provence, winning a mountainous stage.
“My job is to make the race hard from the first kilometer.”
