Cycling great Mario Cipollini confirmed as TDU special guest

Cycling’s most eccentric and extravagant character is coming to SA. Sprinting great Mario Cipollini has been confirmed as a special guest for next year’s Tour Down Under.

The man regarded as cycling’s eccentric version of basketball’s Dennis Rodman and soccer’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic is coming to town.

Mario Cipollini one of road cycling’s greatest sprinters has been confirmed as a special guest at January’s Santos Tour Down Under’s Legends’ Night Dinner where he will be honoured for his cycling achievements.

The handsome 51-year-old Italian attracted legions of fans globally not only for his brilliance on the bike but for his willingness to push the absolute boundaries of the relatively conservative sport.

Cipollini once said if he wasn’t a cyclist he would have been a porn star and had a picture of popular actor Pamela Anderson on his bike stem.

He also admitted to being the first to make a call from his mobile phone during a race.

Cipollini will also ride the 158km Challenge Tour presented by The Advertiser.

Italian cyclist Mario Cipollini crossing line to win the seventh stage of Tour de France.

He claimed 191 victories during his illustrious career including 12 stages of the Tour de France and 42 stage wins at the Giro d’Italia.

“This will be my first official visit to Australia and I can’t wait to experience the Santos Tour Down Under for myself first hand,” Cipollini said.

“Australian cycling fans are passionate about this sport and I know have supported me from afar throughout my career on and off the bike.

“There will be lots of opportunities for me to meet the fans and share my stories about life in the peloton.

“I will be riding the Challenge Tour so expect to have company and may even pack a special skin suit for the occasion!”

His muscle skin suit of the 1990s caused uproar among cycling purists.

That was just one of his outlandish ideas of bringing fun attention to a sport which had been tarnished by drug cheats.

Cyclist Mario Cipollini mannequins wearing Roberto Cavallo in Rome in 2003

Mario Cipollini makes a visit to the Tour de France.

“At the 1997 Tour, I had a different coloured pair of shorts every day, and every day I got a fine,’’ Cipollini told Roleur.cc

“At the ’98 Tour, in Ireland, I had “Peace” written on the green jersey.

“The next year I dressed as an ancient Roman to really enjoy my triumph.

“At the départ I showed up with my own Cleopatra, who was a stripper.

“I was the first to say “If I wasn’t a rider, I’d be a porn star,” the first to make a mobile phone call during the race, the first to have a picture of Pamela Anderson on his stem, the first to ride in the Papal colours in Rome (at the Giro d’Italia), as a tiger in Holland, baroque in Genoa.

“All my ideas, silly but fun.”

Cipollini according to Tour Down Under race director Mike Turtur was due to ride at the second edition of the coveted race in 2000 but his then team Saeco — AS Juvenes San Marino had a change of plans.

Originally published as Cycling great Mario Cipollini confirmed as TDU special guest