King of the stage

Cipollini aiming to claim Giro record

Mario Cipollini needs two more victories to become the Giro's most prolific stage winner. Alex Livesey/Getty Images

LECCE, Italy (Reuters) -- Italian sprinter Mario Cipollini will spend the next three weeks trying to ride his way into the history books as he attempts to break the record for the most stage wins at the Giro d'Italia.

The late Alfredo Binda set the record of 41 victories 70 years ago and Cipollini could equal that by taking the opening stage of this year's race which starts in Lecce in southern Italy on Saturday.

A second win during the three-week race would then give the 36-year-old Italian the record outright.

"The record is my major goal for the Giro and that is what everybody in my Domina Vacanze team will be working for," Cipollini said.

"The first stage in Lecce is a perfect opportunity for me to equal Alfredo Binda's record of 41 stages. Then hopefully I can then win another stage in the first week to make the record my own."

In recent years Cipollini has overtaken Belgian Eddy Merckx and Italians Fausto Coppi and Learco Guerra in the list of Giro stage winners.

Cipollini does not see himself as a big cycling champion but said he wanted to see his name in the history books all the same.

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"I'm not a great champion like Binda or 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 said.

Impressive triple

If he wins the sprint to the line in Lecce, Cipollini will also don the first leader's pink jersey of the Giro guaranteeing himself all the headlines during the opening weekend of the race.

"Winning the first stage, equalling the record and pulling on the pink jersey all from just one sprint would be an impressive triple," he said.

"After 15 years as a professional it is this kind of special sprint which really motivates me.

"I'm not that interested in winning small races any more but three for the price of one on the first day of the Giro would be incredible."

Cipollini briefly retired from cycling last year after his then team, Acqua and Sapone, were not invited to take part in the Tour de France.

But he soon had a change of heart and returned in style two months later in September to win three stages of the Tour of Spain and then take the world title.

As world champion and with more than 180 career wins, Cipollini will be one of the main attractions in the Giro along with former race winners Gilberto Simoni and Stefano Garzelli of Italy and Spaniard Aitor Gonzalez, who won last year's Vuelta.

"The Giro is my favorite race of the year and I think it will be a great race this year," Cipollini said.

"The route is very well balanced and there is something for everybody. I can't wait to get going."

So far this year, Cipollini has failed to win any major races and was only fourth in the Milan-San Remo World Cup race, which he won in 2002.

However, since his last race in Belgium in mid-April, he has trained hard at his home in Tuscany.

"I've been working on my speed, my sprint and my endurance. I've been training with my teammate Mario Scirea doing special speed work behind a car. We've also done several long rides over 200km so I'm ready," he promised.

 

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