The Beginning

"They told me: Racing is life. I admit: winning is more." Raphael Visconti grew up in a cycling family. His father was a distraught great, which made Raphael a sort of self-claimed prodigree. Living up to that label has proved to be a long, bumpy road.

Starting on the cyclocross circuit, Raphael couldn't crack the code to winning his first race. Coming close numerous times, he always fell just short (figuratively and literally). From sickness to crashes, the struggle for victory was real. Yet, he was still young: time was on his side.

Visconti crashing during BPost Bank Trofee - Hasselt. A victory that slipped away.

The Present

Behavior issues struck once again at the end of 2015 season as Visconti had an altercation with a reporter. The consquences of his actions got him suspended by the team. He then withdrew his eligibility for the World Championships.

Looking back on the third completed season, Visconti can still proud of what he accomplished. 10th Ronde Van Vlaanderen, and victories at De Brabantse Pijl and Clasica San Sebastian. Plus, all the life lessons he learned along the way.

Sensational San Sebastian!

The Future

The 2016 season is on the horizon, eventually. Shonak has decided to take a break from the story for while. When and if the story does get restarted Raphael Visconti is ready to take the next step in his development. It's safe to say he is on the verge of breaking through after all the hard times he has had. Perhaps, getting more chances to stick it to the obnoxious Italian press once and for all.