BiciRace.com :: News :: December 2005

News :: December 2005

27 December 2005

UCI Announces 2006 ProTour Teams, 26 December ...
28 December News ...

Cipo Chills in Lucca Hospital

Cipollini and Argentin Ski, photo: Dolomiti Stars

Former World Champion, Mario Cipollini (38), spent Christmas in the Lucca hospital. The day before Christmas the retired fast-man was out on the ski slopes of Abetone (Toscana) with his cousin, Ugo, when he collided with a tree during a fast downhill run. (read: Mario Cipollini Suffers in Ski Crash) The Lucchese spotted a group of children in his path and was forced to bail from the ski run, resulting in a shattered kneecap.

Il Re Leone called Dr. Enrico Castellacci while being airlifted to the Lucca hospital, asking the doctor to leave his vacation in Viareggio and tend to his knee. "Cipollini has a shattered left kneecap," explained Castellacci, famed Italian sports doctor. "The violent collision caused a bad lesion, very bad ... To get the joint back to the normal functions it will take a month." Castellacci was unable to comment on the condition of the tree, but is concerned there could be retaliation on Cipo's part.

"It was a normal day skiing, the weather was bad so I was not able to go out on my bike," explained Cipollini. "I was going down a long ski run, it was not a difficult run, but I was going fast ... If I would have continued there would have been a bad collision with the children, so I veered off the run and collided with a tree."

Over the holiday Cipollini was kept in good spirits by many visitors. The first visitor was his wife, Sabrina, who fortunately overlooked the couple's differences to be with husband. On Christmas day Cipo was joined by his two daughters, Lucrezia (9) and Rachele (6), and his mother, Alfreda. Franco Ballerini, close friend and Italian national DS, also visited the former sprinter, who he guided to the 2002 World Championship win in Zolder.

Sprint KING, photo: Liquigas

This post retirement crash adds to the three serious crashes that Cipollini suffered while racing. As an amateur he was run over by a car in the lead up to the 1988 Seoul Olympics. In 1994 at the Vuelta a España he collided with Adriano Baffi in the final 50 meters into Salamanca. Baffi, a former teammate, forced Cipo to the barriers resulting in haunting injuries that kept him out of action for four months. The final spectacular crash was while he was in the World Champion rainbow stripes at the 2003 Giro d'Italia. It was badly placed 90° left-hander with 150 meters to the wet finish in San Donà di Piave. Kelme's Isaac Gálvez took out six riders, sending il Re Leone sliding across the tarmac, colliding with the barriers and out of the Giro.

BiciRace.com sends Tanti Auguri to Cipollini, we hope you recover quickly.

Cipollini's Teams: Del Tongo (1989-1991), GB-MG (1992-1993), Mercatone Uno (1994-1995), Saeco (1996-2001), Acqua & Sapone (2002), Domina Vacanze (2003/2004), Liquigas-Bianchi (2005)

Read:
Mario Cipollini Suffers in Ski Crash, 26 December
Argentin Out-Skies Cycling's Past Stars, 9 December
Super Mario Speeds, 24 August
Cipollini, Mario and Sabrina Separate, 17 May
The Body of Cipollini up for Auction, 13 May
Cipo Explains, 30 April
Mario Cipollini Retires, The End of an Era, 29 April

El País Names Armstrong Sportsman of the Year

Spanish daily newspaper El País has named Lance Armstrong as its 2005 Sportsman of the Year. A panel of 100 sports journalists and selected sporting figures chose the recently retired Tour de France champion as the best sporting athlete for the year.

Even though the Texan only won two races in 2005, his seventh straight win in La Grand Boucle was enough to declare him the best sportsman for the year. Armstrong received 28 votes from the selected panel, which put him over Spanish Formula One driver Fernando Alonso, and Italian Moto GP racer, Valentino Rossi.

Read: Armstrong Strong at Team Camp, 12 December

Schreck Family Welcomes Finn Oscar

Schreck (right) shows face of pain, photo: T-Mobile

T-Mobile long-timer, Stephan Schreck (27), became a father on 21 December with the arrival of his son Finn Oscar. The little Schreck weighs 3.86Kg (8.51 lb) and is 54cm (21.2 inches).

"It gives me great motivation," said Schreck. "At night he makes himself known and I must rise to tend to his needs ... But now I just sleep later." Schreck had scheduled an interruption to his winter training due to the new arrival, and he plans to soon be back on the bike in a few days.

26 December News ...