David Parsons can’t wait for Challenge Tour ride with his hero Mario Cipollini

Avid cyclist David Parsons will be riding for the third time in the Challenge Tour which is presented by The Advertiser on Saturday, January 19. And he is hoping for a glimpse of his idol Mario Cipollini

David Parsons will take part in this year's Tour Down Under Challenge Tour event. Pictured at Victoria Park, Adelaide. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

David Parsons is an unabashed fan of flamboyant Italian cycling legend Mario Cipollini saying getting close to the Santos Tour Down Under’s headlining community riding act is near impossible.

The 28-year-old avid cyclist will be riding for the third time in the Challenge Tour which is presented by The Advertiser on Saturday, January 19.

He will be taking on the 102km distance option from Myponga to Strathalbyn.

Parsons says his father Chris Parsons has worked hard for cycling Team Mishmash over the years in several Challenge Tours’ ‘Ride for a Reason’ which raises critical funds for Cancer Council SA.

“I’ve got a replica kit of Cipollini from his Saeco days, he is a machine’’ Parsons said.

“He will be untouchable during the Challenge Tour.”

Mario Cipollini gets naked to promote mystery bike | https://t.co/2nOK3tgmmH pic.twitter.com/SexdfxGpMk

— Cycling Weekly (@cyclingweekly) August 9, 2017

Parsons isn’t a slouch either on the bike.

He now runs a cycling spin studio ‘Ergo Fitness’ and cycling events ‘Ergo Active’ after recalling the first time he took bike racing seriously.

It was during high school at Aberfoyle Park when he was part of the SA Sports Institute’s pedal prix.

Some of his teammates included SA stars, Rohan Dennis, this year’s national road time trial champion from CCC Team, ex Olympian Jack Bobridge and 2007 Paris-Roubaix champion Stuart O’Grady’s brother Darren.

Former Cycling SA chief executive Max Stevens noted Parsons’ pedal prix talent and asked him to take up cycling.

“I won the Alphutte handicap race when I was a C grader,’’ Parsons said.

“I got glandular fever and then decided to get myself back up to fitness and found a great training partner South Korean 2016 Rio Games international Sang-hoon Park who was based in Adelaide for a while.

“We were training hard daily and that eventually led me to Belgium where I raced with Tomacc out of West Flanders 5km from France, we were mainly Commonwealth riders from the UK, New Zealand and Australia.

However, a nasty crash caused by an in attentive motorist on Marion Rd forced Parsons off the road for an 18-month hiatus.

He got lucky, surviving after his head was put through the windscreen of the car.

It did frighten Parsons but not enough for him to stay clear of the road.

“That’s why I do a lot of indoor training in the studio with Ergo Fitness,” he said.

“You can stay safe.”

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Originally published as David Parsons can’t wait for Challenge Tour ride with his hero Mario Cipollini