Mario Cipollini

At 57 years old, Mario Cipollini has this physical status:

Mario Cipollini (Italian pronunciation: [maeli tipolli]; born 22 March 1967), is a retired Italian professional road cyclist who is best known for his sprinting skills, his endurance, (he died in 1988, his last in 2005; 170 professional victories, 192 including criteriums) and his vibrant personality. Il Re Leone (The Lion King) and Super Mario are two of his nicknames. He is regarded as the best sprinter of his generation.

Lifestyle

Cipollini's good shows were often undermined by his flamboyant demeanor and lifestyle, which sometimes threatened to be eclipsed. He was deemed "Lion King" because of his height, appearance, and mane of hair, and he later adopted other names, including "Mario the Magnificent" and "Super Mario." Hundreds of suits, ties, and boots were among his closet's treasures, many of which he never wore. He was arrested in 2002 for speed pacing on an Italian autostrada. He said that this was the only place he could safely get up to speed for training. He responded to criticism by saying that he contributed to the coverage for his sponsors and that it was all part of his showmanship.

In 1993, Cipollini married Sabrina Landucci. In 2005, the couple separated. Despite being married for a large portion of his life, Cipollini was widely revered as a sex symbol and was rumored to be a womanizer. "If I weren't a professional cyclist, I'd be a porn actor," Johnson did not do much to refute those beliefs.

Cipollini's biography was no more than a decoy, according to Daniel Coyle's book Lance Armstrong's War. The intention was that competitors would be distracted by Cipollini's constant media coverage, and that they would be dissatisfied by the appearance that he could party all night and beat them the next morning.

Despite this burgeoning public image, Cipollini could be surprisingly compassionate toward his fellow cyclists. He remarked he'd been able to polish [Binda's] shoes after breaking Alfredo Binda's record for Giro stage victories. "I am devastated," Cipollini said in reaction to Marco Pantani's 2004 death. For those that participate in cycling, it's a tragedy of epic proportions. "I'm lost for words."

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Life and career

Cipollini was born in San Giusto di Compito, surrounded by the peaks of Capannori south of Lucca, Tuscany. He came from a cycling family – Vivaldo, his father, had been a good amateur racer in his youth, but Cesare wasn't a professional, and Tiziana had competed as a cyclist. During his youth, Mario had won 125 titles in age group and amateur races before entering the professional circuit in 1989.

His accomplishments include the Road World Championships and Milan-San Remo in 2002 and 42 stages in the Giro d'Italia. Cipollini's 42nd Giro stage win in 2003 – his last stage victory in the competition – tied the record set by Alfredo Binda, who had been on the podium since 1933. He has also competed in the Tour de France and three stages in the Vuelta a Espaa. He led the peloton on the fastest stage in the Tour's history, averaging more than 50 km/h over 194.5 kilometers. He won four stages in a row, establishing a new record for consecutive stage victories in the same Tour. He has also excelled in Belgium, winning Gent–Wevelgem in 1992, 1993, and 2002 (record).

Cipollini's speed was unrivaled throughout his career, and he was credited with being the first rider to ride a sprint train. In the late 1990s, Paolo Fornaciari, Giuseppe Calcaterra, Gian Matteo Fagnini, and Mario Scirea's red jerseys of his Saeco team, as well as colleagues such as Paolo Fornaciari, Giuseppe Calcaterra, Gian Matteo Fagnini and Mario Scirea, were often seen at the front of the peloton's grand Tour stage. In the closing kilometers, the train sped up to discourage riding riders from attacking and to ensure that Cipollini was the only cyclist able to maintain the speed in the final 200–300 meters. This changed the way teams competed and bred a new generation of sprinters, including fellow Italian Alessandro Petacchi.

Cipollini defeated Milan–San Remo with his new Acqua-Sapone team at the start of 2002, and Gent–Wevelgem later. However, a losing match with the Tour de France's organizers prompted him to announce his resignation. Franco Ballerini, the Italian national coach, convinced him to return to action and assembled the Italian national team around Cipollini for the 2002 UCI Road World Championships. In Zolder, Belgium, Cipollini won the rainbow jersey in a sprint finish.

Cipollini's 2003 Giro d'Italia concentrated on Alfredo Binda's record 41 Giro stage victories, while wearing the world champion's jersey. Alessandro Petacchi of the Fassa Bortolo team was close to ending his attempt. After many failed attempts, he eventually broke the record, but he had to cancel the next stage due to injuries in a rain-soaked finish. The crash ended his career, according to him. Domina Valiant-Elitron's crew was disqualified from the Tour de France this year, triggering Cipollini's observation that the organisers disrespected the rainbow jersey. It was the first time he had entered the Giro without winning a single stage when he pulled out of the 2004 Giro due to another accident.

He returned to competitive cycling with the Rock Racing team at the Tour of California in 2008.

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