Road Cycling - Congrats Cipo!

I think it is very fitting that hours after getting snubbed from the TdF, Mario Cipollini takes his 42nd Giro Stage! Way to go...and congratulations on the record...so awesome!!!

Congrats Cipo!

The Tour de France is becoming a joke .... at least if we have to watch Lance's victory lap of France, can we have some excitement in the sprints?

I wonder now if he can beat the record? That would be cool.

Originally posted by roadrage
I wonder now if he can beat the record? That would be cool.

Are you talking about Armstrong or Cipollini, because Cipollini beat the record with his stage win today.

Oh yeah... Yesterday was 41(tied), I did not know he won today's stage, so he did beat it, cool. I was talking about Cipo. Thanx for keeping me up to date :)

I have it taped and will watch it tonight. I guess I know who will win now :)

why would the tour society let in a team who's star will just drop out once the road turns towards the sky? because he's got the rainbow jersey on his back? yeah right.

so cipo beat Binda's record. whoop-de-doo. how many Giros has cipo won? better yet, how many times has cipo been on the podium at the end of the Giro? not once. in addition to winning 41 stages Binda also managed to win the Giro 5 times and take a 2nd place. cipo may have beaten the stage win record, but he's nowhere near the rider Binda was.

Originally posted by fore
why would the tour society let in a team who's star will just drop out once the road turns towards the sky? because he's got the rainbow jersey on his back? yeah right.

so cipo beat Binda's record. whoop-de-doo. how many Giros has cipo won? better yet, how many times has cipo been on the podium at the end of the Giro? not once. in addition to winning 41 stages Binda also managed to win the Giro 5 times and take a 2nd place. cipo may have beaten the stage win record, but he's nowhere near the rider Binda was.

Several points:

First, Cipo gave his word that he would finish this TdF. He also has a teammate, Scarponi, who is an exciting and talented young climber who would give the team a presence in the mountains.

Second, yes, it is generally accepted that the World Champion gets to ride the major events in which he desires to ride.

Third, Cipo has showed great respect for Binda and has remarked over and over that he is not a great champion like Binda was. Cipo knows his place in history is not alongside riders like Binda. He is, however, one of the great sprinters of all time.

Fourth, you should not minimize the accomplishment of breaking this record. He has won enough Giro stages to nearly equal TWO complete Giro's. He has won a stage in every Giro he has entered and continues to win at the age of 36.

Fifth, you seem to be equating greatness with finishing on the podium. Great riders abound in cycling that are not Grand Tour winners. They have a niche that should be respected. Riders like Johan Museeuw don't win Tours but are certainly great champions.

Sixth, consider the teams that were allowed into le Tour. They are certainly no more deserving than Cipo's team. We, as fans, are being given an inferior product in LeBlanc's effort to save French cycling. This is an international event that should treat itself as such.

We still might see Cipo and his entourage at the tour. With Coast's problems and Bianchi not having stepped up yet they may still have a spot left. Also there are 22 teams invited this year. In the past there have been up to 23 teams invited. To me it is incredible that the World Champion's team does not get a start in the TDF.
The idea of the TDF supporting French cycling is understandable. But not when the ASO leaves out the champions team to support less deserving or exciting teams. Hopefully LeBlanc sees the error of his ways.
As a point of information does anyone know of any World Champs in the past who have not started the TDF?

Ditto Easyrider ... your reply was everything I am thinking.

Congrats to Cippo ... but I am bummed about his being taken down in yesterdays finish, As they say, "that's racing". He is one great sprinter just coming into form for this Giro, and it will be a shame he has left the tour. :(

Cipo, for all his swagger, showmanship etc. is one
very humble guy (at least IMHO), look at his statements
after the win where he stated that Binda was a great
champion and that he (Cipo) isn't, just a great sprinter.
Le Blanc is a fou. too caught up in nationalism to read
the handwriting on the wall.
I'm afraid that Cipo abandoning the Giro due to injury
after yesterdays fall will hurt any chance of his riding
le tour, Le Blanc will see it as support for his not
picking Domina. . .

Marty

Originally posted by lotek
I'm afraid that Cipo abandoning the Giro due to injury
after yesterdays fall will hurt any chance of his riding
le tour, Le Blanc will see it as support for his not
picking Domina. . .

I didn't see the crash so I don't know how serious it looked. Cipo went to the hospital just to make sure and Galvez dropped out today as well so it must have been bad enough to warrant concern and I am sure some serious pain. If Le Blanc uses this as an excuse he will become even more hated ...

I have to say, I love Cipo!

When I was in Italy last year and I saw him riding up, we all started screaming like little girls. He's just so impressive...

I hope he gets to shine in the T de F.

Originally posted by Ba-Dg-Er
I didn't see the crash so I don't know how serious it looked...

It was nasty! looked as if they slid into that wall HARD! Ouch!

Yeah, it was a nasty crash, as Phil and Paul would say. OUCH! Galvez was right under cipo which must have been even worse, and some Alessio guy was there, but he got up and finished. What a shame Cipo crashed and had to bail. Even bigger shame the tour is screwing the fans again. No cipo, no ullrich, no zulle, no Garzelli, no casagrande, no pantani. Frigo isn't doing the tour either. We need more big guys in the mountains! The Tour is supposed to be for the best riders, not only FRENCH riders, and Cipo is the world champ! Also for some of these guys it will be their last season and last chance to do the tour. I'm getting to feel about the tour like I did about the Olympics a few years ago, after Seoul, just fed up with the way they do things.

Speaking of Pantani .... that was a really nice ride for him today considering his lack of racing recently. He has to be happy with those results!

Originally posted by fore
why would the tour society let in a team who's star will just drop out once the road turns towards the sky? because he's got the rainbow jersey on his back?

No, but because he is Cipollini.

That the World Champion and his team should be allowed to race any UCI race they wish goes without saying.

/Csson

Doing one race, or two a year, I think, gives someone an advantage. In that your a lot fresher. I am a big fan of lance, but , Panntini and especially " the lion King", and yes Ulrich, are still my favorites. if you put these four in one race, with terrain to equitable to each's strong suits, I think it would be a toss up between Pantinni and Ulrich. The TDF is jaded toward the climbers, which is unfair. The lion king is argueably one of , if not the best sprinters of all time. Anyhoo, that's my two cents worth. Cipo is a class act. He represents cycling well. I think.