It’s rumored that Mario Cipollini is thinking of making a comeback in the upcoming Giro d’Italia.
Except for a brief return to cycling with Rock Racing in 2008, he’s been retired since 2005. He’ll be 45 years old at the start of the Giro and is heavier than he was in his racing days by nearly 20 pounds. He’d like to race with Farnese Vini Selle Italia team and be leadout man for Guardini who races on his bikes. He’d like to help him outsprint Cavendish for some wins.
He says he will be totally transparent and do whatever doping controls are necessary. He also says he’s willing to be a scientific experiment to see how a body performs at this age and how it changes over time.
However, there’s a UCI rule that says retired athletes must announce their intentions 6 months in advance and begin the doping controls process 4 months in advance. The Giro is just 2-1/2 months away. The rules were waived for Armstrong do race the Tour Down Under. Cipollini says he’ll be as “transparent as water”. He cited Basso as an example of renewed credibility.
