Mario Cipollini facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mario Cipollini

Cipollini at the 1993 Tour de France
Personal information
Full name	Mario Cipollini
Nickname	Il Re Leone (The Lion King) Super Mario Cipo Mooie Mario (Pretty Mario) Mousselini
Born	(1967-03-22) 22 March 1967 (age 58) Lucca, Italy
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2+1⁄2 in)
Weight	76 kg (168 lb; 12 st 0 lb)
Team information
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	Sprinter
Major wins
Grand Tours Tour de France 12 individual stages (1993, 1995–1999) 1 TTT stage (1993) Giro d'Italia Points classification (1992, 1997, 2002) 42 individual stages (1989–1992, 1995–2003) Vuelta a España 3 individual stages (2002) One-day races and Classics World Road Race Championships (2002) National Road Race Championships (1996) Milan–San Remo (2002) Gent–Wevelgem (1992, 1993, 2002) E3 Prijs Vlaanderen (1993) Scheldeprijs (1991, 1993) Other Vélo d'Or (2002)

Mario Cipollini (born 22 March 1967), also known as Cipo, is a famous Italian professional cyclist. He was known for his amazing sprinting skills. Mario had a long career, winning many races from 1988 to 2005. People called him Il Re Leone (The Lion King) and Super Mario because of his strong personality. Many consider him the best sprinter of his time.

Some of his biggest wins include the Road World Championships and the Milan–San Remo race in 2002. He also won 42 stages in the Giro d'Italia, 12 stages in the Tour de France, and three stages in the Vuelta a España.

Mario Cipollini's Cycling Journey

Cipollini (center) climbing during the 1991 Giro d'Italia

Mario Cipollini grew up in San Giusto di Compito, Italy. Cycling was a big part of his family. His father, Vivaldo, was a good amateur racer. His brother, Cesare, was also a professional cyclist. Even his sister, Tiziana, competed in cycling.

Mario was a very successful young rider. He won 125 races before becoming a professional in 1989.

Winning Big Races

Cipollini at the 1997 Paris-Nice

In the 1999 Tour de France, Mario showed how fast he was. He led the fastest stage in the Tour's history. The cyclists averaged over 50 kilometers per hour for 194.5 kilometers. In that same Tour, he won four stages in a row. This set a record for consecutive stage wins after World War II.

Mario also had great success in Belgium. He won the Gent–Wevelgem race three times. He won in 1992, 1993, and 2002, which is a record.

The Sprint Train Strategy

At his best, Mario Cipollini was incredibly fast. He is famous for creating the "sprint train" strategy. His team, Saeco, had riders like Paolo Fornaciari and Gian Matteo Fagnini. They would ride at the front of the group, called the peloton.

This "train" would keep the speed very high in the last few kilometers of a race. This made it hard for other riders to attack. It also made sure that Mario was in the perfect position to sprint for the win. This new way of sprinting changed how teams raced. It helped new sprinters like Alessandro Petacchi become successful.

World Champion Title

The year 2002 was a fantastic one for Cipollini. He won the Milan–San Remo race with his new team. He also won Gent–Wevelgem again.

Later that year, the Italian national coach, Franco Ballerini, convinced Mario to race in the 2002 UCI Road World Championships. Mario won the world champion's "rainbow jersey" in a sprint finish in Zolder, Belgium.

Breaking Records

In the 2003 Giro d'Italia, Mario wanted to break a record. He aimed to pass Alfredo Binda's record of 41 Giro stage wins. He was wearing his world champion's jersey.

Another cyclist, Alessandro Petacchi, made it tough for him. But Mario finally broke the record. He had to leave the next stage because of injuries from a crash. He said that crash ended his career.

In 2008, Mario returned to racing for a short time. He joined the Rock Racing team and competed in the Tour of California.

Life After Professional Racing

Mario Cipollini often talked about retiring during his career. He finally stopped racing professionally on April 26, 2005. This was just a week before the 2005 Giro started.

He rode in a special opening event for the Giro. He wore a bright pink suit that listed all his 42 stage wins.

Mario came out of retirement briefly in 2008. He raced with the Rock Racing team. His first race back was the 2008 Tour of California. He finished third in one stage. Before the Milan–San Remo race, he announced he would retire again.

Mario's Personality

Mario Cipollini was known for his exciting personality. He was tall, good-looking, and had a lot of hair, which earned him the nickname "Lion King." He also went by "Super Mario" and "Mario the Magnificent."

He had a huge collection of suits, ties, and shoes. Mario believed his showmanship helped his sponsors get more attention.

Even with his lively public image, Mario could be very humble. After breaking Alfredo Binda's record for Giro stage wins, he said he would have been happy "just to polish [Binda's] shoes." When fellow cyclist Marco Pantani passed away in 2004, Mario said he was "devastated."

In 2010, Mario Cipollini started his own brand of bicycles. The Italian ISD–NERI team used his bikes.

Major Achievements

See also

In Spanish: Mario Cipollini para niños