🎥 It seems one cyclist should consider MotoGP after his active career....

Bonifazio was born on October 29, 1993, in Cuneo, in the Piedmont region. In his youth, he sought fun and competitiveness on the bike, following in the footsteps of his brother Leonardo. Leonardo and Niccolo would also race together for two years later in their careers: TotalEnergies reunited the brothers in 2020 and 2021.

From the beginning, however, it was evident that the younger of the two had the most talent. Niccolo joined WorldTour team Lampre-Merida in 2013 at just 19 years old, where he could stay immediately. That paid off for both parties: at age 20, the Italian recorded five victories in his first professional year: he won the Copa Agostini, a stage in the Tour of Japan, and three stages in the Tour of Hainan.

In the following winter, the youngster took another step: in the Australian season-opener Tour Down Under, he sprinted top five four times to win the GP Lugano on his return to Europe and, above all, finish fifth in Milan-Sanremo. To be among the top thirty after three hundred kilometers to cross the Poggio and then finish fifth in La Primavera after John Degenkolb, Alexander Kristoff, Michael Matthews, and Peter Sagan at the age of just 21 - very unusual at the time - could be seen as a prelude to a stellar career.

However, things turned out slightly differently that year and throughout his career. After Milan-Sanremo 2015, he no longer recorded any highlights: Bonifazio didn't finish a single race that spring and only came back to the forefront in August. The overall balance was still positive, with good results in the Tour of Poland, Hamburg, and some Italian autumn races.

He then changed Lampre for Trek-Segafredo in 2016, giving his old team another kick in La Gazzetta dello Sport. "I could have done more if someone had believed in me. I had no mentor and felt alone with the team. I did not get support regarding training, nutrition, and traveling," he revealed.

Lampre reacted through manager Brent Copeland in an extensive statement to Tuttobici. Copeland said that it seemed Bonifazio was only concerned with his extended stay at Monaco and that it was difficult to communicate with the talented rider from Piedmont. "We are disappointed in the sporting and human aspect."

At Trek-Segafredo, results-wise, things worked out nicely for Bonifazio, who won a stage in the Tour of Poland and accumulated podium places in races such as Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, Paris-Nice, Scheldeprijs, Tour of Romandie, the Dauphiné and in the Vuelta, his first grand tour. Yet even this combination of rider and employer did not fit well together: Bonifazio and Trek-Segafredo terminated their contract after just one year, and Bonifazio returned to... nota bene Copeland, who, after his time at Lampre was now sports director at Bahrain Victorious.

"Niccolo, at 22 years old, is still very young," the Australian commented when announcing the fast rider's arrival. "But he has been in the pro peloton for quite a few years anyway. I feel he has matured more in the last year, and now he comes to our team with an open and committed mindset. So I believe he can show his talent, and we want to give him at least that chance."

Bonifazio continued the momentum of previous seasons with his new team, consistently stable in WorldTour races, but the standouts were absent. In his two seasons with the Middle Eastern formation, the counter eventually stuck to one win: a stage in the Tour of Croatia. As a result, his contract was not extended, and he joined TotalEnergies in 2019.

In French service, he started with a bang, winning three stages and the GC of the Tropicale Amassa Bongo. Later that season, he also won two races in Belgium and a stage in the Tour of Madrid, but most of all, he impressed with a bold descent of the Cipressa in Milan-Sanremo.

Bonifazio used his body completely into the downhill turns and broke away from the peloton spectacularly. It did not earn him a result (131st), but it earned him many compliments. The sprinter even felt obliged to warn others about the danger of descending.

"I am worried because I have heard that some people try to imitate my descent," said Bonifazio, who deliberately did not post his descent on Strava. However, he reached up to 85 kilometers per hour in the downhill full of turns, as proved by the bike that couldn't keep up with him on that particular Milan-Sanremo day. Also remarkable: he claims he descended the Cipressa even faster in 2017.

The real highlight came in the early spring of 2020: after a victory in the A.S.O. race Saudi Tour, he won one of the last races of that season, a stage in Paris-Nice. That earned him an additional two-year contract, but like many sprinters, Bonifazio's speed diminished somewhat over the years.

At the end of 2022, Bonifazio had to look for a new employer, Intermarché-Circus-Wanty. He won a stage in the Tour of Sicily on behalf of that team, but his contract was not extended. As a result, he had to move down to Corratec before 2024. Even there, he could not find his fast legs again, so he decided to call it a day.

He finally said goodbye in his backyard on the Gran Piemonte and with a letter. "It's been beautiful after 11 years, more than 11,000 hours on the bike, and about 300,000 kilometers of traveling worldwide. I am proud of my results, with 21 wins, 57 podium finishes, and 142 top-ten finishes. My childhood dreams have come true, and now it is time to pursue other incentives."

These are incentives he needs given his descent of the Cipressa, which he had done in recent weeks through his old passion: BMX. But maybe they are still looking for a new Valentino Rossi in MotoGP?