Re: [CR]Re: Christmas Presents

(Example: Component Manufacturers:Avocet)

From: "John Everett" <jeverett3@earthlink.net>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR]Re: Christmas Presents
In-reply-to: <157.1992e029.2b3fa7e0@aol.com>
Content-description: Mail message body
Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 10:43:06 -0600

On 28 Dec 2002 at 20:20, LouDeeter@aol.com wrote:
>
> In a message dated 12/28/2002 7:46:07 PM Eastern Standard Time, jeverett3@earthlink.net
> writes:
>
>
> But how could that be? Lance isn't even Cyclist of the Year, at least
> according to Velo, who recently awarded that title to Mario Cipollini.
>
> Ah...the French!
>
>
> The French? VeloNews is published in Colorado? I don't understand the comment. Lou

CYCLING: Cipollini named cyclist of year Copyright © 2002 Nando Media Copyright © 2002 Agence France-Presse PARIS (November 27 2002 01:55PM http://www.sportserver.com) - Newly-crowned world champion Mario Cipollini was voted cycling's top dog on Wednesday after winning the Velo d'Or (golden bicycle), succeeding three-time consecutive winner Lance Armstrong.

Cipollini, known affectionately as the 'Lion King', won the world road race title at the recent championships in Zolder, Belgium after a successful season during which he falsely announced his 'retirement'.

The 35-year-old flamboyant Italian from Tuscany started off the year winning the Milan-San Remo - the first one-day classic of the season - for the first time.

Cipollini, a noted sprinter who has 12 Tour de France stage wins under his belt although he has never completed the three-week race, then cycled to victory in the Ghent-Welvegem classic before claiming six stage wins in the Tour of Italy.

Cipollini now has 40 stage wins from the Giro, one stage win short of the record held by his compatriot Alfredo Binda.

A rider with the little-known Acqua e Sapone team, Cipollini announced his retirement only days into the Tour de France - but that was seen by many as a cry of desperation after his team was not invited to the Tour.

He then turned up against all expectations at the Tour of Spain in September, winning three stages in the process as he secretly planned his world championship bid.

Finally, after years of waiting for the right course to attempt a world title bid, he got the chance when his team led him to the rainbow jersey in October. Now, all talk of retirement is strangely quiet.

Other contenders for the Velo d'Or included Armstrong, who won his fourth consecutive Tour title in July, and Paolo Bettini, the Mapei rider who finished the year as the World Cup champion and world number three.

Cipollini won the vote of 15 journalists, which is published and awarded by French cycling magazine Velo, with 82 points ahead of Armstrong (68) and Bettini (24).

jeverett3@earthlink.net (John V. Everett)