"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Cipollini announces retirement

Cipollini announces retirement

Mario Cipollini is to quit cycling, citing his bitterness at not being invited to the Tour de France as one of the reasons.

In a statement on his official website, he said: "The bitterness of not being able to compete for victory . . . leads me to take this drastic decision to say enough with cycling."

The announcement comes despite the fact that the 35-year-old has had one of his most successful ever seasons.

He won six stages of the Giro d'Italia, the Milan-San Remo classic and the Gand-Wevelgem race.

Cipollini said he would hold a news conference over the next few days to explain the decision.

It was not clear if Cipollini planned to retire immediately or after the racing season.

Story filed: 07:20 Wednesday 10th July 2002

Source: http://www.ananova.com/sport/story/sm_625659.html?menu=sport.latestheadlines

Really ? I couldn´t imagine. He´s so close to the Giro stage winning record of Binda. So why should he quit now ?

Was he not invited to the tour because he doesn't want to climb, and tends to get off before the mountain stages (to keep his sprinter muscles)?

Still it's a shame because he is a real personality.

Ummm... Cipo knows how close he is to Binda's record... he wants Binda's record. I also think he only has a one-year contract with A&S and this is the start of contract negotiation season. If he was serious, he would have waited until later in the season. Cipo'll be back.

Cyclingnews.com says he will retire at the end of the season.... it is sad to see him go.

I'll believe it when he doesn't show for next year's Milan-San Remo.

He won't be the first professional athlete to use a retirement threat as a negotiating ploy or to gain some extra attention. Maybe he was just worried everyone forgot about him during the TdF.

He is a character, it would be sad to see him go! Maybe he should give Professional Mountainbiking a go :D

Rich

I tend to agree with Velocipedio its a bargaining
chip. I seem to have read somewhere (an article
the wife e-mailed) that Cipo is also not thrilled
with the support he got from his new team.
(not THE TEAM but the owners, management etc.)
maybe he's looking for a way out of that contract.

Marty

I'm sure they'll offer him more money and he'll come back for one more year, get Binda's record and reture at the end of next year.

This has caught me as many of guard and I will simply see in the coming weeks/months what will really happen.

Personally I do not see him retiring this year. However he is getting up there in age and I do not feel he wants to break any records just to please the press. He may however fullfil contract and leave it at that.

His anger against the Tour Society is even felt here. I simply wish he would ban the event and with his 'power' convince other italian teams to do the same to put the Tour Society in a hard spot.

The decision to not bring in Aqua E Sapone was a very bad one along with Saeco's decision. The Tour Society clearly was looking for a way to bring in all the French teams possible for their event. Fair? Yes, I would say. It is their race.

The Giro can do the same if they wish or even the Vuelta.

it's hard to go back to being a normal person after the star treatment. he'll see after one month out of the spotlight how good he has it. all his coolness would be wasted. hard to believe he would hang up those zebra's

Not sure his quitting makes sense - doesn't the TDF choose lower level French teams and this ends up excluding better foreign teams? Comments?

Cipo will be back. I can see him moving to one of the smaller Italian teams for a year just to get his ride in the Giro. He wants Bindas record and I think he will get it next year.

As for not being able to complete the tour. Well he has it in him as he completed the Giro this year which is a lot harder than this year TDF

I thought it was bogus.... from Procycling

"Cipo confirms retirement, but …
Mario Cipollini confirmed he would be retiring at the end of the current season at a press conference in Florence yesterday, but also admitted that he thought he would miss cycling and left the door open on his decision. ‘I’ll reconsider in two weeks,’ said this year’s winner of Milan-San Remo..."

Cipo reconsiders.... (http://www.procycling.com/tdfstart_news_main.asp?newsId=250)