TNT Sports
Cipo ready to roll
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Published 26/01/2005 at 14:31 GMT
Aging sprint thoroughbred Mario Cipollini, 38, is giving it one more go, the Italian helming the mass-sprint hopes of the ProTour qualified Liquigas-Bianchi team in 2005. "I want to prove I can still win big races," Cipollini said Tuesday at his team's pr
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"I'm very motivated, I have a terrific team and I'll be racing in the best possible of conditions."
"The only question mark right now is me," Cipollini said, showing a rare crack in his usually hyper-confident armour, admitting that his sprint pistons may no longer be firing at top power.
In 2004, "Super Mario" was systematically relegated in finish-line fisticuffs by cycling's dominate sultan of sprints Alessandro Petacchi, also of Italy.
"I will race Milan-San Remo [in 2005], where I will go up against Petacchi for the first time this season," Cipollini confirmed.
Following the Milan-San Remo super classic, Cipollini will "take a little look" at the Ghent-Wevelgem semi-classic before targeting multiple stage wins at the Giro d'Italia.
In addition to Cipollini, the Liquigas formation will be putting its one-day race eggs in the basket of Danilo Di Luca, with former Giro d'Italia winner Stefano Garzelli taking up stage-race duties for the Italian squad.
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