This was not a comeback from retirement of Michael Jordan proportions.
With just one tour under his belt, Mario Cipollini and Rock Racing pro cycling has called it quits. Cipo says that he wants his return to cycling paired with management and development of a team.
As for riding in the upcoming Milan-San Remo, for instance, Cipollini said it “made sense if it was linked to a wider project of building and managing a new team and my return to racing was part of the project to create a dream team. Despite a contract, this hasn't happened for reasons out of my control.”
Said Rock Racing owner Michael Ball: “From a business perspective and from an overall team standpoint, the relationship between Mario Cipollini and Rock Racing was not advantageous, and would not work long-term. We have terminated his contract and wish him luck in future endeavours.”
I'm a little sorry Cipollini can't stick around. Maybe he'll get picked up by another team.
The Italian sprinter is one of the winningest cyclists of all time. He had 191 victories between 1989 and 2005 — including 42 in the Giro d'Italia — when he retired at age 38.
Two years later he came back to race in the 2008 Tour of California, and he looked just about as sharp as ever. He finished well up in the field in the prologue (44th), nearly won the Stage 2 final sprint, and finished 9th in the points competition.
Let's hope Cipollini finds a better fit with another cycling team this season.
More at VeloNews and The Boulder Report.
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