A Cyclist's Life in Tenerife (Canary Islands)

OK, he’s finally added me to my myspace profile after a loooong delay, so here’s my tribute to Mario Cipollini! I’m not going to bore you with his long list of race performances which you can easily get elsewhere. Wikipedia cites the following:

Mario Cipollini is an Italian professional road cyclist most noted for his sprinting ability, the longevity of his dominance (his first pro win came in 1989, his last in 2005; 191 victories in all) and his colourful personality.

Although he was an adept sprinter, climbing was not Mario’s forté; despite entering the Tour de France 8 times and winning 12 stages, he always dropped out before the race even hit the mountains, casually slipping into the back of his team support car… no, he was never going to be a real overall contender.

His competition results aside, he takes top honours for the best dressed cyclist both on and off the bike. When riding, he is well known for his outlandish lycra skin suits… my personal favourite is the zebra pattern he wore in the days when he was sponsored by Specialized. Off the bike, he has extravagant taste in designer clothing, owning literally hundreds of formal suits, ties and shoes. Yes it seems to be true: Italians must have a 6th sense when it comes to STYLE!

Those that have met or interviewed Mario Cipollini say that he is very charming, tall (190cm) and handsome. Along with that long fringe of hair, he is reputation as both the «Lion King» and «Super Mario» are well deserved.

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