Mario Cipollini Factbox

AREZZO, Italy (Reuters) -- Factbox on Mario Cipollini who equalled the record for the most stage wins in the Giro d'Italia with his 41st victory on Sunday:

Born: March 22, 1967 in Lucca, Italy
Turned professional: 1989
Team: Domina Vacanze since 2003, previously with Acqua & Sapone

Cycling Career:

1989: Stage winner in the Giro d'Italia.

1990: Won two stages of the Giro.

1991: Won three stages of the Giro.

1992: Won Ghent-Wevelgem race, four stages of the Giro d'Italia and took a stage in the Tour de France.

1993: Won three stages of the Paris-Nice race and the Ghent-Wevelgem race for the second year running.

1994: Won two stages of the Paris-Nice race

1995: Took two stages in the Giro, the Tour de France and the Tour of Romandie.

1996: Won four stages of the Giro, two stages of the Tour of Catalonia and a stage of the Tour.

1997: Won five stages of the Giro d'Italia and two in the Tour.

1998: Took his tally of Giro stage wins to 25 with four more victories in the race, equalling the record of Belgian Eddy Merckx. Won four stages of the Tour of Catalonia and two stages of the Tour de France.

1999: Won four stages of the Giro. Became the first rider since 1930 to win four consecutive stages of the Tour de France to take his total number of victories in the race to 12.

2000: Won a stage of the Giro. Was thrown out of the Tour of Spain and suspended by his team Saeco after punching Spaniard Francisco Cerezo before the start of the fifth stage. Cipollini later apologized.

2001: Won four stages of the Giro.

2002: Took the Milan-San Remo World Cup race for the first time, won six stages of the Giro for a career total of 40, one short of the record set by Italian Alfredo Binda in 1933.

July: Announced his retirement after his Acqua & Sapone team was not invited to take part in the Tour de France.

September: Made his comeback at the Tour of Spain and won three stages.

October: Won the professional race at the world championships for the first time.

2003: Won the eighth stage of the Giro from Rieti to Arezzo for his 41st career win of the race, equalling Alfredo Binda's record set in 1933.

Won the ninth stage of the Giro from Arezzo to Montecatini Terme for his 42nd career victory, breaking the record he equalled the previous day.

Other information:

A sprinter, Cipollini is nicknamed the "Lion King."

He was one of the leaders of a riders' revolt at the 2001 Giro in protest of the drugs raids that took place during the race. The organizers were forced to cancel the 18th stage of the race when riders refused to start.

 

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