Leandro Faggin is one of the all-time best individual pursuit riders on the track. While he has won one less World Championship than his compatriot, Guido Messina, Faggin has won a record total of 12 medals at the worlds, combining amateur and professional. Faggin won the amateur world title in 1954, earning bronze and silver in the next years. The individual pursuit was not an Olympic event in 1956, but Faggin nonetheless captured two Olympic golds, in the 1 km time trial and team pursuit. Turning professional the next season, he went on to win three medals of each color in the pursuit at the professional World Championships between 1958-68, winning the title in 1963 and 1965-66. Three times he set new records for the 5,000 metres unpaced on the track. Shortly after his retirement from professional cycling he tragically died quite young.
Italy