Giro d'Italia: Leading contenders

MILAN (Reuters) -- Penpix of the leading riders in the Giro d'Italia which starts Saturday:

MARIO CIPOLLINI (Italy) Domina Vacanze team, age 36

The world champion has won 40 stages of the Giro in his career and is one shy of equalling the late Alfredo Binda's record.

He won six stages of last year's race.

A sprinter, Cipollini announced his retirement last July after his Acqua and Sapone team failed to gain a place in the Tour de France but he came back in style in September to win three stages of the Tour of Spain and the world title a month later.

GILBERTO SIMONI (Italy) Saeco, 31

The 2001 Giro winner will be keen for success after being forced to quit last year's race because of a doping accusation of which he was later cleared.

Hails from a small village in the Dolomites and is a brilliant climber. Won the Tour of Trentino for the first time in April.

DARIO FRIGO (Italy) Fassa Bortolo, 29

Second in the world rankings. Has enjoyed impressive early season form, winning the Catalan cycling week and the Tour of Valencia in March. Also won the individual time trial in the Paris-Nice race before dropping out with a stomach bug.

MARCO PANTANI (Italy) Mercatone Uno, 33

Pantani has been back in action only since March after serving a six-month doping ban but the 1998 Giro and Tour de France winner appeared to have rediscovered some form in last month's Tour of Aragon where he was to the fore in a number of stages.

Nicknamed the Pirate, Pantani was disqualified from the 1999 Giro while leading the race because of a high haematocrit value. He retired from last year's race suffering from bronchitis.

STEFANO GARZELLI (Italy) Vini Caldirola-Sidermec, 29

The 2000 Giro champion returned from a doping ban to win two stages of the Tour of Trentino in April.

The quiet all-rounder was expelled from last year's Giro, while second in the overall standings, after a positive test for the banned diuretic probenicid.

AITOR GONZALEZ (Spain) Fassa Bortolo, 28

The Basque-born rider emerged from the shadows by winning the Tour of Spain. He took three stages in the race including both individual time trials.

The powerfully built Spaniard was sixth in last year's Giro with two stage wins.

 

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