The ever-reliable Cataldo will forever be linked to the Cuitu Negru

Cataldo’s thoughts in the final days of his cycling career are undoubtedly drawn back to September 3, 2012. On that day, the Vuelta featured a stage with two first-category climbs and a finish on the feared Cuitu Negru. This climb, which makes even the best climbers nervous, looks like a wall from the valley, with gradients reaching up to 24%. It feels as if you are riding straight into the sky.

On that day in 2012, the steepness was clearly visible. Cataldo, riding for Omega Pharma-Quick-Step at the time, struggled up the mountain. He was grinding away in a gear that would make Pieter Weening envious. His mouth hung open, and he was visibly exhausted. Yet, despite everything, he managed to keep Thomas de Gendt at bay by seven seconds and got to celebrate with champagne and pizza, as any true Italian would.

Dario Cataldo was born on March 17, 1985, in the historic town of Lanciano, on the Adriatic Sea. He first made a name for himself in 2006 when he won the Giro d’Italia for U23 riders. This victory led to a pro contract with Liquigas, where Danilo Di Luca was the team leader at the time. However, in 2007, Cataldo mainly raced in U23 events and did so successfully, including winning two stages in the Tour de l'Avenir, where he narrowly beat Bauke Mollema both times. This was an amusing coincidence, as the two riders share some notable similarities.

With his results, Cataldo seemed destined for a bright future, but winning at the pro level proved different from success as an amateur. In 2008, he rode his first grand tour but did not finish. A year later, he completed it and even placed fourth in a stage, which can now be seen as a precursor to the rest of his career. Cataldo became a reliable and solid domestique, but personal victories were rare. In eighteen seasons, he raised his arms in victory only five times.

In 2010, he won the Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli, leaving Jakob Fuglsang behind him. In 2012, he became the Italian time trial champion by just two seconds. But his greatest achievement was perhaps that grueling stage in the 2012 Vuelta, where he reached the top of the Cuitu Negru looking utterly spent. In 2014, he once again demonstrated his class in a time trial by winning the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali.

After his time at Liquigas, Cataldo moved to Quick-Step Innergetic, later Omega Pharma-Quick-Step. In 2013, he signed with Sky Procycling, later Team Sky. In 2015, he joined Astana Pro Team, where he served as a super-domestique for Nibali. He was a key support rider in the 2015 Giro d’Italia, where Alberto Contador won overall and Nibali and Fabio Aru finished second and third, respectively. Cataldo was also part of the 2015 Vuelta team when Aru claimed victory. In the following years, Cataldo continued to stand out as a top domestique, though personal wins became even scarcer.

But on May 26, 2019, the stars finally aligned. The Giro d’Italia had a 232-kilometer route from Ivrea to Como, featuring some second-category climbs. It was a perfect stage for breakaways, and Cataldo proved to be the strongest in the bunch, securing his long-awaited stage victory in the Giro. "This wasn’t the plan at all. I woke up this morning thinking, 'If only I can make it to the finish,'" Cataldo told the Dutch NOS after the race. "It was an incredible finale." When asked what the win meant to him, he responded meaningfully: "Oh man, this was always my dream."

After that victory, Cataldo rode for Movistar Team and ended his career with Lidl-Trek, formerly Trek-Segafredo. He never came close to another win. In 2023, he made headlines again, but not for his performance. During that year’s Tour of Catalonia, he had a severe crash that broke his left femoral head, right acetabulum, several ribs and his left collarbone. His lumbar spine was also fractured — a terrible crash that would have meant the end of the career for most 38-year-old riders.

But not for Cataldo. He returned in 2023, driven by the hope for a better end to his career. The results from the last year and a half showed he was pushing to his limits, with many DNFs. Despite this, he will be remembered as the ultimate team player and one of the most reliable domestiques in recent years. Riders like Cataldo are ones every team wants on their payroll.

Fortunately, he won’t be leaving the professional circuit entirely: starting in 2025, he will be a team director at Astana. With this move, the Italian star has secured a vital new role in cycling, where he can pass on his experience and knowledge to the next generation.