Daniele Bennati (born 24 September 1980) is an Italian former road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2002 and 2019 for the , , , , , , and squads. Specialising in fast sprint finishes, Bennati turned professional in 2002, when he joined the team and wore zebra stripes as part of Mario Cipollini's leadout train. Upon joining the team in 2005, he demonstrated the ability to win on his own, and continued to do so when he joined in 2008. Bennati has won 11 stages in Grand Tours: two in the Tour de France, three in the Giro d'Italia, and six in the Vuelta a España. He won the points jersey in the 2007 Vuelta a España, and the Giro d'Italia. He retired at the end of the 2019 season, citing back pain. Biography Early days Bennati was born in Arezzo, Tuscany, into a family of cyclists. His father did well as an amateur, and his brother raced as a junior. Bennati entered and won his first race at the age of 9. As an amateur he raced in the Grassi Mapei team, and won a stage of the Giro delle Regioni. 2002–03: At the side of Mario Cipollini At the age of 21, Bennati turned professional and joined the team of the successful Italian sprinter Mario Cipollini. Bennati soon showed an ability to sprint of his own: in March 2002, he finished second in a stage of the Settimana internazionale di Coppi e Bartali, behind Alessandro Petacchi. He took his first victory in June at the Tour of Austria, and he took another one two months later at the Regio-Tour. He was an important part of Cipollini's leadout train, alongside Guido Trenti, Mario Scirea, Martin Derganc and Giovanni Lombardi, helping Cipollini to some of his fourteen victories that year. When Cipollini dropped out of the Vuelta a España, Bennati received his team's support and managed his first strong result in a Grand Tour sprint stage, 5th at the stage twelve finishing in Burgos. A few days later, he dropped out of the race too. In 2003, Bennati stayed with the same team, although it had changed sponsors and was now called . As his stature grew, Bennati was seen at Cipollini's side in his favorite Italian races. In the Grand Tours, Cipollini followed his usual practice of dropping out when the road went up, which gave Bennati a