Stefano Baudino

Born in Pinerolo in the Piedmont Region, Stefano Baudino began his sporting activity at only eight years of age in the club of his hometown, S.C. Piossasco, under the guidance of his father Paolo. Later he moved to another club, G.S. Condor Pinerolo, where he was coached by Claudio Godino. He won five races in road cycling, but the track was where he performed best. At the Italian Junior Championships in 1980, he won the bronze medal in the 1,000 metres time trial and, a year later, at the 1981 Junior Track Worlds in Leipzig, he again won bronze, in addition to silver in the sprint at the National Championships.

As an amateur Baudino was twice Italian champion (1982 and 1983) in the 1,000 metres time trial and he also won the gold medal at the 1983 Casablanca Mediterranean Games ahead of the Frenchman Philippe Boyer. At the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, in the most important race of his career, he was not in good shape and, after a good start (3rd time overall after the first lap behind upcoming medallists Fredy Schmidtke of Germany and Curt Harnett of Canada), he barely finished 9th despite the absence of the cyclists of East Europe.