THIS WEEK IN PRO CYCLING
Giro: Cipo' does it!
World champion Mario Cipollini did Sunday what everyone expected him to do last weekend: win a stage at the Giro d'Italia and equal the 41-win record held by the late Alfredo Binda.
In Sunday's eighth stage, Cipollini shook a monkey off his back that, to some, seemed to be quickly growing into a gorilla after he failed to win a stage in six consecutive sprints that opened the 86th Giro.
Domina Vacanze's zebras shot the 36-year-old toward the line and this time no one beat him to the tape. Lotto-Domo's Robbie McEwen took second while three-stage winner Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) settled for third.
"I think I've shown it I'm not past it. I'm incredibly happy to have finally won a stage," Cipollini told journalists afterwards. "I've shown that even at 36 and even without great form, I can still do something in a sprint."
The Lion King struggled in the opening week of the Giro, twice finishing second, missing out on three other sprints and then sitting up in Friday's mass gallop. His off-form even prompted a hint at retirement from the flamboyant Italian.
There was no talk of retirement after Sunday's win, which comes just in time for Monday's announcement of the final four teams to race in July's Tour de France.
"In the final 300 meters, I was shoulder to shoulder with Petacchi and McEwen. We are three of the best sprinters in the world and so that makes it an even better win," Cipollini said. "I think this is the best Giro sprint of my career."
Cipollini was under intense media pressure as he entered the Giro in Lecce on May 10 just one win shy of the all-time Giro stage record held by Binda. With nearly two weeks still to go, Cipollini has at least another half dozen chances to break the record.
"I'm not a great champion like Binda or (Fausto) Coppi, I haven't won any major stage races, but breaking the record would be something special and would give me a place in cycling history," Cipollini told Reuters before the start of this year's Giro.
The victory not only tied him with Binda, who dominated the Giro in the 1920s and 1930s, but it kept alive Cipollini's streak of winning a stage in every Giro he's started.
Sunday's 214km stage from Rieti to Arezzo was an easy day in the saddle compared to the uphill struggles in Saturday's explosive climbing stage to Terminillo.
Caldirola-Sidermec controlled the tempo Sunday to protect the overall lead of Stefano Garzelli, who won Saturday's stage to bounce into the maglia rosa ahead of Saeco's Gilberto Simoni.
Only Garzelli and Andrea Noe (Alessio) were strong enough to follow Simoni as he powered up the 16km climb to Terminillo on Saturday. The stage proved disastrous for many riders who started the Giro with ambitions to win, including Fassa Bortolo's Aitor Gonzalez and Dario Frigo. Both lost six minutes in the climb.
Lampre's Francesco Casagrande and Mercatone Uno's Marco Pantani also lost valuable time in what's shaping up to be a two-way battle between Garzelli and Simoni going into the Giro's second week.
Monday's 160km ninth stage and Wednesday's 222km 11th stage presents more chances for sprinters while Tuesday's 202km 10th stage features four Category 2 climbs over the second half of the course.
The Giro hits the difficult climbing stage to Mont Zoncolan on Thursday in what's sure to deliver more shake-ups in the overall standings.
To see how the stage unfolded just follow this link to bring up our live update window.
