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Cipollini just won the Worlds Championship!

www.cyclingnews.com

I have always been a big fan of the lion king. His sprint ability blows me away. Glad to see him get the win. thanks for the great link, Cipher. :beer:

Good thing he didn't retire!

I followed the race on CyclingNews since there was no TV coverage, and it was very exciting. I had been rooting for Zabel and Cipollini and was happy to see them both on the podium.

It would seem Zabel is starting to lose some of his zip in the sprint, I know he and McEwen had to fight over Cipo's wheel but I doubt he could have come around either way.

Not suprising really. He has the most amazing physique I've ever seen on a cyclist, and his legs look exposed pistons from a powerful engine! He was always a first week wonder in the TDF and never completed a tour, always choosing to retire early because of "injury". I wonder how he would have coped on the hill stages.

As a sprinter, was there a better one than he. In much the same way, was there a better climber than Pantani?

Are we talking with or without drugs?

A very good question. When Pantani won the tdf was he 'clean' at that time, or had he escaped detection? He apparently suffered a major wipeout in training that nearly ended his career but he bounced back and that maybe suggests something about his dedication, but did the drug abuse creep in then I wonder? I'd like to remember him as the greatest hill climber, but I'd like to think he once achieved that because of talent alone.

I recall that he was first sussed because his EPO (?) levels were something like 51% when pure-bred, native-to, high-altitude riders in say, Columbia, were mostly in the 35% level.

I like Pantani a lot, and enjoyed watching him in 98, although he beat a struggling Ullrich. I too like to think that he was clean back then, and wish that he would get his act together for one good season so that he could leave on a good note.

There's a lot of great riders out there that have gone the way of doping and been unable to shake the stigma that goes with it. Watching Virenque at this years tour was great, and I hope he can continue to make a comeback.

I know what you mean, Badger. The Festina team has cleaned itself up but it'll always be remembered as the team that were disqualified for doping, and Virenque was one of them. That shook the tour to the ground, and some doubted it would pull through. Thankfully, LA came onto the scene when the tdf needed a hero at the most important time. Even though LA has always been a clean rider, the press doubted his success could be achieved by any means other than dubious, although I recall they did not overtly accuse him of doping, but ran a successful smear campaign against him. LA survived that, and the tdf has righted itself.

I also remember that sad day when Motorola's (?) Fabio Cassertelli (spelling?) was killed in the tdf a few years back. The next day, the tdf teams let Motorola ride 8-abreast at the finish of the stage, and all monies were given to his wife. The next year, the tour slowed to a halt as every rider paused at the scene of the tragedy (there is a monument erected there I believe) and that was something that proved the tdf had a heart that went beyond the act of cycling. Sadly, the doping scandals that were to befall the tdf in the years that followed would shake the tdf to it's foundations. It survived, and is perhaps better for it.

Cipo can get over the mountains when he wants to, like in this year's giro. He wanted to finish with the purple jersey and sthe stage record. And he has done mountainous races like the Tour of Romandie, a couple of years ago, and I think he finished that. But no, he's not a mountaineer.

As for Zabel, he's not having the season he usually does, but I doubt it's age, since Cipo is older! Telekom is having a bit of a moral crisis this year and Zabel has been without his leadout man, Fagnini, for the last few races.