Mauro Gianetti
Mauro Gianetti is a Swiss former professional road cyclist and later directeur sportif. Gianetti was employed as team manager for the cycling team throughout its existence between 2004 and 2011. In 2016, Gianetti coordinated the acquisition of Lampre-Merida's UCI WorldTeam license as part of a project backed by TJ Sport Consultation. After difficulties arose with TJ Sport, Giuseppe Saronni and Gianetti secured the backing of the United Arab Emirates and formed the current UAE Team Emirates UCI WorldTeam. Gianetti currently sits on the Board of Directors of UAE Team Emirates and serves as the Team Principal and CEO.
Several riders were sanctioned for doping violations that occurred during his tenure as directeur sportif at Saunier Duval, including Riccardo Riccò and Juan José Cobo.
With over 30 professional victories, Gianetti's biggest career accomplishments as a rider include winning the 1995 Liège–Bastogne–Liège and Amstel Gold Race and representing Switzerland at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
His son Noé Gianetti is also a former professional cyclist.
Doping incident
During the 1998 Tour de Romandie, Gianetti abandoned during a stage and later became unconscious. He was taken to Lausanne University Hospital where he remained on the intensive care for 10 days, as his life was in danger. Initially, doctors suspected an infection, but all tests came back negative. Two doctors then suspected that Gianetti had been transfused with a perfluorocarbon emulsion, to increase the oxygen carrying capacity of his blood. This was reported to the authorities and an investigation was opened. According to legal documents and witness testimony uncovered by Radio France, Gianetti blocked the public release of this investigation by filing for damages when he discovered the identities of the whistleblower doctors who reported him. Gianetti filed for 900,000 Swiss francs from Dr Jean-Pierre Randin and 3 million Swiss francs from Dr. Gérald Grémion. In the 2025 Radio France report, Grémion confirmed that the financial pressure forced him to negotiate with Gianetti's lawyer to reach an agreement. “In exchange, I had to promise never to speak publicly about this person again,” Grémion told Radio France. “You could say that my silence was bought.”Major results
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