Mario Cipollini
Encyclopedia
Mario Cipollini often abbreviated to "Cipo", is a retired Italian
professional road cyclist
most noted for his sprinting
ability, the longevity of his dominance (his first pro win came in 1989, his last in 2005; 191 victories in all) and his colourful personality. His nicknames include Il Re Leone (The Lion King) and Super Mario. He is regarded as one of the best sprinters of his generation.
and Milan – San Remo in 2002, and 42 stages in the Giro d'Italia
. Cipollini's 42nd Giro stage win in 2003 - his last stage win in that race - broke the record by Alfredo Binda
that had stood since 1933. He also won 12 stages in the Tour de France
and three stages in the Vuelta a España
. In the 1999 Tour de France
he led the peloton on the fastest stage in the history of the Tour, averaging more than 50 km/h over 194.5 km. In the same Tour, he won 4 stages and set the post-WWII record for consecutive stage wins. He has also found success in Belgium, winning Gent–Wevelgem in 1992, 1993 and 2002 (record).
At the peak of his career, Cipollini's speed was unrivaled, and he is credited with being the first rider with a sprint train
. The red jerseys of his team were commonly seen at the front of the peloton
toward the end of the flat Grand Tour
stages in the late 1990s. The train kept the pace high in the closing kilometers, to dissuade opposing riders from attacking and to ensure that in the final 200–300 meters, Cipollini was the only cyclist able to maintain the speed. This changed the way teams approached mass sprints and bred a new generation of sprinters such as fellow Italian Alessandro Petacchi
.
The beginning of 2002 saw Cipollini win Milan – San Remo with his new Acqua-Sapone team, and later Gent–Wevelgem. However, a falling out with the organizers of the Tour de France made him announce his retirement. Italian national coach Franco Ballerini
convinced him to return to competition, and built the Italian national team around Cipollini for the 2002 UCI world championship. Cipollini won the rainbow jersey
in a sprint finish in Zolder, Belgium
.
In the 2003 Giro d'Italia
Cipollini focused on Alfredo Binda's record 41 Giro stage wins while in the world champion's jersey. His attempt was almost derailed by Alessandro Petacchi of the Fassa Bortolo team. After many failed attempts, he finally broke the record, although he had to abandon the next stage due to injuries in a crash on a rain-soaked finish. He said that the crash ended his career. His team, Domina Vacanze-Elitron, was left out of the Tour de France that year, prompting a comment from Cipollini that the organisers disrespected the rainbow jersey. When he retired from the 2004 Giro due to another crash, it was the only time he entered the Giro without winning a single stage.
In 2008, he returned to competitive cycling with the Rock Racing
team at the Tour of California.
Cipollini also became infamous for extravagant clothing, especially racing uniforms, sporting custom-made skin suits. Some of his memorable kits include a muscle suit, zebra, and tiger prints, and a techno-skinsuit inspired by the 1982 film Tron
. Off the course, Cipollini and his Saeco squad dressed as ancient Romans during a rest day at the 1999 Tour de France
, to celebrate Julius Caesar
's birthday and to commemorate Cipollini's record fourth consecutive Tour de France stage win. He was fined for wearing an all-yellow outfit while leading the Tour de France.
These antics violated UCI
regulations, which resulted in Cipollini and his team being fined thousands of Swiss francs. The muscle suit fetched 100 million lira (US$43,710) in a charity auction, nearly 100 times the fine. Some organisers, especially Jean-Marie Leblanc
of the Tour de France, took offence at his hijinks and he wasn't invited to race in the Tour from 2000–2003, despite being the world champion in 2003. Later in 2003, he drew the ire of the organisers of the Vuelta a España when he quit after the prologue time trial. His team had been invited to compete with the condition that Cipollini participated. He said he was recovering from injury and should not have been forced to race in the first place. Three years earlier, Cipollini got kicked out of the 2000 Vuelta a España
after he punched Vitalicio Seguros rider Francisco Cerezo
to the ground before the start of a stage.
Cipollini, despite being married through much of his career, was regarded as a sex symbol
and rumored to be a womaniser
. He did little to dispel these notions with comments such as, "If I weren't a professional cyclist, I'd be a porn star".
Daniel Coyle's book Lance Armstrong's War says Cipollini's profile was little more than a decoy. The intent was that competitors would find themselves distracted by the constant media coverage of Cipollini, and demoralised by the impression that he could party all night and beat them the next morning.
Despite this boisterous public image, Cipollini could often be quite humble regarding his fellow cyclists. After breaking Alfredo Binda
's record for Giro stage wins he remarked he would have been happy "just to polish [Binda's] shoes." Reacting to the 2004 death of Marco Pantani
, Cipollini said, "I am devastated. It's a tragedy of enormous proportions for everyone involved in cycling. I'm lost for words."
Cipo emerged from retirement in early 2008, with Rock Racing. His first race back was the Tour of California, and he finished 3rd on stage 2. On the eve of the Milan – San Remo, he announced that he would retire again; citing disagreements over his leadership role on Rock Racing.
In 2010 Cipollini started his own brand of bicycles which were used by the Italian team.
Other one-day and stage races
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
professional road cyclist
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
most noted for his sprinting
Cycling sprinter
A cycling sprinter is a road bicycle racer or track racer who can finish a race very explosively by accelerating quickly to a high speed, often using the slipstream of another cyclist or group of cyclists tactically to conserve energy.-The road sprinter:...
ability, the longevity of his dominance (his first pro win came in 1989, his last in 2005; 191 victories in all) and his colourful personality. His nicknames include Il Re Leone (The Lion King) and Super Mario. He is regarded as one of the best sprinters of his generation.
Career
Cipollini's career highlights include the Road World ChampionshipsWorld Cycling Championship
The UCI Road World Championships, often referred to as the World Cycling Championships, is the annual world championship for bicycle road racing organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale . The UCI Road World Championships include championships for elite men's road race and individual time trial...
and Milan – San Remo in 2002, and 42 stages in the Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
. Cipollini's 42nd Giro stage win in 2003 - his last stage win in that race - broke the record by Alfredo Binda
Alfredo Binda
Alfredo Binda was an Italian cyclist of the 1920s and 1930s, later trainer of Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali. Binda was the first multiple Giro d'Italia champion, securing five victories between 1925 and 1933 that redefined the way stage races were ridden...
that had stood since 1933. He also won 12 stages in the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
and three stages in the Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
. In the 1999 Tour de France
1999 Tour de France
The 1999 Tour de France was the 86th Tour de France, taking place from July 3 to July 25, 1999. It was won by Lance Armstrong, his first of 7 consecutive wins, the most in Tour history. There were no French stage winners for the first time since the 1926 Tour de France.The 1999 edition of Tour de...
he led the peloton on the fastest stage in the history of the Tour, averaging more than 50 km/h over 194.5 km. In the same Tour, he won 4 stages and set the post-WWII record for consecutive stage wins. He has also found success in Belgium, winning Gent–Wevelgem in 1992, 1993 and 2002 (record).
At the peak of his career, Cipollini's speed was unrivaled, and he is credited with being the first rider with a sprint train
Sprint train
A sprint train is a group of road bicycle racers who at the end of a race work together to set a high pace to keep their sprinter at the front of the race, discourage late attacks, and allow the sprinter to launch his or her sprint as late as possible with the least amount of fighting for position....
. The red jerseys of his team were commonly seen at the front of the peloton
Peloton
The peloton , field, bunch or pack is the large main group of riders in a road bicycle race. Riders in a group save energy by riding close near other riders...
toward the end of the flat Grand Tour
Grand Tour (cycling)
In road bicycle racing, a Grand Tour refers to one of the three major European professional cycling stage races:* Tour de France – Tour of France , held in July* Giro d'Italia – Tour of Italy , held in May...
stages in the late 1990s. The train kept the pace high in the closing kilometers, to dissuade opposing riders from attacking and to ensure that in the final 200–300 meters, Cipollini was the only cyclist able to maintain the speed. This changed the way teams approached mass sprints and bred a new generation of sprinters such as fellow Italian Alessandro Petacchi
Alessandro Petacchi
Alessandro Petacchi is an Italian professional road racing cyclist for .A specialist sprinter, Petacchi has won 51 grand tour stages with wins of the points jersey in the Giro d'Italia in 2004, the Vuelta a España in 2005 and the Tour de France in 2010.In 2007 Alessandro was banned from cycling...
.
The beginning of 2002 saw Cipollini win Milan – San Remo with his new Acqua-Sapone team, and later Gent–Wevelgem. However, a falling out with the organizers of the Tour de France made him announce his retirement. Italian national coach Franco Ballerini
Franco Ballerini
Franco Ballerini was an Italian road racing cyclist.Born in Florence, his greatest exploits as a rider came with his two victories in the cycling classic Paris–Roubaix, riding for the Mapei cycling team. In 1993 he was beaten on the line by Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle in an exciting Paris–Roubaix finale...
convinced him to return to competition, and built the Italian national team around Cipollini for the 2002 UCI world championship. Cipollini won the rainbow jersey
Rainbow jersey
The Rainbow jersey is the distinctive jersey worn by the reigning world champion in a bicycle racing discipline. The jersey is predominantly white with five horizontal bands in the UCI colours around the chest. From the bottom up the colours are: green, yellow, black, red and blue; the same colours...
in a sprint finish in Zolder, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
In the 2003 Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
Cipollini focused on Alfredo Binda's record 41 Giro stage wins while in the world champion's jersey. His attempt was almost derailed by Alessandro Petacchi of the Fassa Bortolo team. After many failed attempts, he finally broke the record, although he had to abandon the next stage due to injuries in a crash on a rain-soaked finish. He said that the crash ended his career. His team, Domina Vacanze-Elitron, was left out of the Tour de France that year, prompting a comment from Cipollini that the organisers disrespected the rainbow jersey. When he retired from the 2004 Giro due to another crash, it was the only time he entered the Giro without winning a single stage.
In 2008, he returned to competitive cycling with the Rock Racing
Rock Racing
Rock Racing is a cycling team founded in 2007 by Michael Ball. The team is affiliated with Ball's Rock & Republic clothing. Rock Racing received media attention for hiring outcasts in the sport, including those tainted by performance enhancing drug scandals...
team at the Tour of California.
Controversy
Cipollini made no secret that he did not like climbing stages, and while he completed all stages of the Giro on many occasions, he infuriated purists by not attempting mountain stages at the Tour or Vuelta. While this is a common practice with sprinters without points jersey aspirations so as to save themselves for the rest of the season, Cipollini's practice of releasing photos of himself lounging at the beach while the others struggled in the mountains earned him more than his fair share of attention in this regard.Cipollini also became infamous for extravagant clothing, especially racing uniforms, sporting custom-made skin suits. Some of his memorable kits include a muscle suit, zebra, and tiger prints, and a techno-skinsuit inspired by the 1982 film Tron
Tron
-Film:*Tron , a franchise that began in 1982 with the Walt Disney Pictures film Tron** Tron , a 1982 science fiction film by Disney, starring Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, Cindy Morgan, Dan Shor and David Warner...
. Off the course, Cipollini and his Saeco squad dressed as ancient Romans during a rest day at the 1999 Tour de France
1999 Tour de France
The 1999 Tour de France was the 86th Tour de France, taking place from July 3 to July 25, 1999. It was won by Lance Armstrong, his first of 7 consecutive wins, the most in Tour history. There were no French stage winners for the first time since the 1926 Tour de France.The 1999 edition of Tour de...
, to celebrate Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
's birthday and to commemorate Cipollini's record fourth consecutive Tour de France stage win. He was fined for wearing an all-yellow outfit while leading the Tour de France.
These antics violated UCI
Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....
regulations, which resulted in Cipollini and his team being fined thousands of Swiss francs. The muscle suit fetched 100 million lira (US$43,710) in a charity auction, nearly 100 times the fine. Some organisers, especially Jean-Marie Leblanc
Jean-Marie Leblanc
Jean-Marie Leblanc is a French retired professional road bicycle racer who was general director of the Tour de France from 1989 to 2005, when he reached pensionable age and was succeeded by Christian Prudhomme.He became a professional in 1966 and rode until 1971...
of the Tour de France, took offence at his hijinks and he wasn't invited to race in the Tour from 2000–2003, despite being the world champion in 2003. Later in 2003, he drew the ire of the organisers of the Vuelta a España when he quit after the prologue time trial. His team had been invited to compete with the condition that Cipollini participated. He said he was recovering from injury and should not have been forced to race in the first place. Three years earlier, Cipollini got kicked out of the 2000 Vuelta a España
2000 Vuelta a España
The 55th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from August 26 to September 17, 2000. It consisted of 21 stages covering a total of 2,904 km, and was won by Roberto Heras of the cycling team.-External links:**...
after he punched Vitalicio Seguros rider Francisco Cerezo
Francisco Cerezo
Francisco Javier Cerezo Perales , known as Francisco Cerezo for short, is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer. He rode at the Danish professional cycling team of CSC-Tiscali, which he joined in 2001 from the Spanish team Vitalicio Seguros...
to the ground before the start of a stage.
Lifestyle
Cipollini's powerful performances sometimes risked being eclipsed by his flamboyant manner and lifestyle. His height, looks and mane of hair earned him the nickname Lion King, and he adopted other names, including Super Mario and Mario the Magnificent. His wardrobe consisted of hundreds of suits, ties and shoes, many of which he never wore. In 2002 he was arrested for motorpacing on an Italian autostrada. He commented that it was the only place where he could safely get up to top speed for training. He responded to criticisms by claiming that he helped generate coverage for his sponsors, and that it was all part of his showmanship.Cipollini, despite being married through much of his career, was regarded as a sex symbol
Sex symbol
A sex symbol is a celebrity of either gender, typically an actor, musician, supermodel, teen idol, or sports star, noted for their sex appeal. The term was first used in the mid 1950s in relation to the popularity of certain Hollywood stars, especially Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte...
and rumored to be a womaniser
Womaniser
Womaniser or womanizer may refer to:*Womaniser, a promiscuous heterosexual man*"Womanizer" , a 2008 song by Britney Spears...
. He did little to dispel these notions with comments such as, "If I weren't a professional cyclist, I'd be a porn star".
Daniel Coyle's book Lance Armstrong's War says Cipollini's profile was little more than a decoy. The intent was that competitors would find themselves distracted by the constant media coverage of Cipollini, and demoralised by the impression that he could party all night and beat them the next morning.
Despite this boisterous public image, Cipollini could often be quite humble regarding his fellow cyclists. After breaking Alfredo Binda
Alfredo Binda
Alfredo Binda was an Italian cyclist of the 1920s and 1930s, later trainer of Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali. Binda was the first multiple Giro d'Italia champion, securing five victories between 1925 and 1933 that redefined the way stage races were ridden...
's record for Giro stage wins he remarked he would have been happy "just to polish [Binda's] shoes." Reacting to the 2004 death of Marco Pantani
Marco Pantani
Marco Pantani was an Italian road racing cyclist, widely considered one of the best climbers in professional road bicycle racing...
, Cipollini said, "I am devastated. It's a tragedy of enormous proportions for everyone involved in cycling. I'm lost for words."
Retirement
After having vowed to retire several times in his career, usually in a public fit of pique, Cipollini finally made good on his promise on April 26, 2005, one week before the start of the 2005 Giro. His swan song was to participate in a ceremonial prologue of the Giro wearing a fluorescent pink skin suit, which listed his 42 stage wins.Cipo emerged from retirement in early 2008, with Rock Racing. His first race back was the Tour of California, and he finished 3rd on stage 2. On the eve of the Milan – San Remo, he announced that he would retire again; citing disagreements over his leadership role on Rock Racing.
Major results
World Road Cycling Championships (2002)-
Italian National Road Race ChampionshipItalian National Road Race ChampionshipThe Italian National Road Race Championships are held annually. They are a cycling race which decides the Italian cycling champion in the road racing discipline, across several categories of rider. The event was first held in 1906 and was won by Giovanni Cuniolo. At the beginning there were often...
(1996)
- Giro d'ItaliaGiro d'ItaliaThe Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
: Career: 42 stage wins (Giro record); 3-time points classification winnerPoints classificationThe points classification is a secondary award category in road bicycle racing. Points are given for high finishes and, in some cases, for winning intermediate sprints. The points classification is the top prize for many cycling sprinters and therefore is often known as the Sprint Classification;...
(maglia ciclaminoMaglia ciclaminoThe points classification in the Giro d'Italia is one of the secondary classifications in the Giro d'Italia. It is determined by the placements in the daily stages, independent from time distances...
)- 19891989 Giro d'ItaliaThe 1989 Giro d'Italia of cycling was held from 17 May to 10 June 1989, consisting of 22 stages. It was won by the French Laurent Fignon.This 72nd edition was 3,623 km long, completed at an average speed of 38.747 km/h.- General classification :...
: 1 stage win - 19901990 Giro d'ItaliaThe 1990 Giro d'Italia of cycling, the 73rd running of the race, was held from 18 May to 6 June 1990. It covered 3,450 km, for a total of 21 stages, and was completed at an average speed of 37.609 km/h....
: 2 stage wins - 19911991 Giro d'ItaliaThe 1991 Giro d'Italia of cycling, the 74th edition of the Corsa Rosa, was held from 26 May to 16 June 1991. It covered 3,715 km completed at an average speed of 37.03 km/h, for a total of 21 stages...
: 3 stage wins - 19921992 Giro d'ItaliaThe 1992 Giro d'Italia of cycling, the 75th edition of the race, was held from 24 May to 14 June 1992. It covered a total of 3,835 km, in 22 stages, completed at an average speed of 37.017 km/h...
: 4 stage wins;
Maglia ciclamino winner - 19951995 Giro d'ItaliaThe 1995 Giro d'Italia of cycling, the 78th edition of the race, was held from 13 May to 4 June 1995, consisting of 22 stages. It covered a total of 3,736 km, completed at an average speed of 38,26 km/h...
: 2 stage wins; 1 day in maglia rosaMaglia rosaThe pink jersey is awarded to the leader of the General Classification at the Giro d'Italia. The leader of the GC is the rider who has the fastest time when all the stage results are added together, taking into account time bonuses for high finishes and intermediate sprints... - 19961996 Giro d'ItaliaThe 1996 Giro d'Italia of cycling, the 79th edition of the Corsa Rosa, was held from 18 May to 9 June 1996. It covered a total of 3,990 km, in 22 stages, completed at an average speed of 37.877 km/h...
: 4 stage wins - 19971997 Giro d'ItaliaThe 1997 Giro d'Italia of cycling, the 80th running of the race, was held from 17 May to 8 June 1997. It covered a total of 3,912 km, in 22 stages, completed at an average speed of 38.017 km/h. It was won by the Italian Ivan Gotti.- General classification :...
: 5 stage wins; Maglia ciclamino winner - 19981998 Giro d'ItaliaThe 1998 Giro d'Italia of cycling, the 81st running of the race, was held from 16 May to 7 June 1998. It covered , in 22 stages, and it was won by Marco Pantani....
: 4 stage wins - 19991999 Giro d'ItaliaThe 1999 Giro d'Italia of cycling, the 82nd edition of the race, was held from 15 May to 6 June 1999. It covered in 22 stages. It was won by the Italian Ivan Gotti....
: 4 stage wins - 20002000 Giro d'ItaliaThe 2000 Giro d'Italia of cycling, the 83rd running of the race, was held from 13 May to 4 June 2000. It consisted of a prologue plus 21 stages, for a total of 3,676 km, ridden at an average speed of 37.684 km/h...
: 1 stage win - 20012001 Giro d'ItaliaThe 2001 Giro d'Italia of cycling, the 84th running of the race, was held from 19 May to 10 June 2001. It consisted of a prologue plus 21 stages with one rest days, for a total of 3,356 km, ridden at an average speed of 40.170 km/h. It was won by Gilberto Simoni.- Stages :-Jersey Progress:- General...
: 4 stage wins; Azzurri d'Italia classification winner - 20022002 Giro d'ItaliaThe 2002 Giro d'Italia of cycling, the 85th running of the race, was held from 11 May to 2 June 2002. It consisted of a prologue in Groningen plus 20 stages with two rest days, for a total of 3,354 km, ridden at an average speed of 37.567 km/h. It was won by the Italian Paolo...
: 6 stage wins; Maglia ciclamino winner; Azzurri d'Italia classification winner - 20032003 Giro d'ItaliaThe 2003 Giro d'Italia of cycling, the 86th running of the race, was held from 10 May to 1 June 2003, consisting of 21 stages for a total of 3,472 km, ridden at an average speed of 38.828 km/h. It was won by Gilberto Simoni....
: 2 stage wins
- 1989
- Tour de FranceTour de FranceThe Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
: Career: 12 stage wins; 6 days in maillot jaune; 2 days in maillot vert- 19931993 Tour de FranceThe 1993 Tour de France was the 80th Tour de France, taking place July 3 to July 25, 1993. It consisted of 20 stages, over 3714.3 km, ridden at an average speed of 38.709 km/h....
: 1 stage win; 2 days in maillot jaune; - 19951995 Tour de FranceThe 1995 Tour de France was the 82nd Tour de France, taking place July 1 to July 23, 1995. It was Miguel Indurain's fifth and final victory in the Tour. On the fifteenth stage Italian rider Fabio Casartelli died after an accident on the Col de Portet d'Aspet....
: 2 stage wins - 19961996 Tour de FranceThe 1996 Tour de France was the 83rd Tour de France, starting on June 29 and ending on July 21, featuring 19 regular stages, 2 individual time trials, a prologue and a rest day ....
: 1 stage win - 19971997 Tour de FranceThe 1997 Tour de France was the 84th Tour de France, it took place July 5–27, 1997. Jan Ullrich's victory margin, of 9' 09" was the largest margin of victory since Laurent Fignon won the 1984 Tour de France by 10' 32"...
: 2 stage wins; 4 days in maillot jaune; 1 day in maillot vert - 19981998 Tour de FranceThe 1998 Tour de France, also called the Tour du Dopage , was marred by doping scandals throughout known as the Festina affair, starting with the arrest of Willy Voet, a soigneur in the French Festina team. Voet was traveling into France when he was arrested and found with large quantities of...
: 2 stage wins - 19991999 Tour de FranceThe 1999 Tour de France was the 86th Tour de France, taking place from July 3 to July 25, 1999. It was won by Lance Armstrong, his first of 7 consecutive wins, the most in Tour history. There were no French stage winners for the first time since the 1926 Tour de France.The 1999 edition of Tour de...
: 4 stage wins
- 1993
- Vuelta a EspañaVuelta a EspañaThe Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
: Career: 3 stage wins- 20022002 Vuelta a EspañaThe 57th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from September 7 to September 29, 2002...
: 3 stage wins
- 2002
- Milan – San Remo (1.HC): (2002; 2nd 1994, 2001)
- Gent–Wevelgem (1.HC): (1992, 1993, 2002; 2nd 1991)
- Paris–Nice (2.HC): Career: 7 stage wins
- 1992: 3 stage wins
- 1993: 2 stage wins
- 1994: 2 stage wins
- Tirreno–Adriatico (2.HC): Career: 4 stage wins
- 1999: 1 stage win
- 2002: 1 stage win
- 2003: 2 stage wins
- Tour de RomandieTour de RomandieThe Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs in the Romandie region, in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. It began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling....
(2.HC): Career: 12 stage wins and 1 points classification- 1995: 2 stage wins
- 1996: 3 stage wins
- 1997: 3 stage wins
- 1999: 1 stage win
- 2000: 2 stage wins; Points classification winner
- 2001: 1 stage win
- Volta a Catalunya (2.HC): Career: 11 stage wins
- 1995: 3 stage wins
- 1996: 2 stage wins
- 1998: 4 stage wins
- 1999: 2 stage wins
Other one-day and stage races
- E3 Prijs VlaanderenE3 Prijs VlaanderenThe E3 Harelbeke is an annual cycling race in the Flanders area of Belgium. The race starts and finishes in Harelbeke over 210 kilometres. The event is organised by the Hand in Hand Cycling Club of Harelbeke and is ranked 1.HC on the UCI Continental calendar....
(1.HC): (1993) - Grote ScheldeprijsGrote ScheldeprijsThe Scheldeprijs is a Flanders Classics cycling race which starts in Antwerp and finishes in Schoten. The event, ranked at 1.HC on the UCI European calendar, is seen as a race for sprinters, held on flat roads over roughly 200 kilometres. The race is one circuit of 155 kilometres into the...
(1.1): (1991, 1993) - Memorial Rik Van SteenbergenMemorial Rik Van SteenbergenMemorial Rik Van Steenbergen is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in September in Aartselaar, Belgium. The race, paying respect the famous Belgian rider of the 40's and 50's, quickly gained importance and since 2005, it is a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.-Winners:...
(1.1): (1993) - Three Days of De PanneThree Days of De PanneThe Three Days of De Panne is a mid-week, three-day stage race before the Ronde van Vlaanderen in De Panne in West Flanders, Belgium. It is rated 2.HC by the UCI and is part of the UCI Europe Tour.- Winners :...
(2.2): (1992, 1 stage win) - Four Days of DunkirkFour Days of DunkirkThe Four Days of Dunkirk is road bicycle race around the Nord-Pas de Calais region of northern France. Confusingly, since the addition of an individual time trial in 1963, the race has usually been held over a 5 or 6 day period. Since 2005, the race is organised as a 2.HC event on the UCI Europe...
(2.2): (1992, 3 stage wins and Sprint classification) - Vuelta a AragónVuelta a AragónVuelta a Aragón is a professional cycle road race held in Spain in April each year. The event was first run in 1939 but has not been held consistently, being cancelled in 2006 and 2007...
(2.3): Career: 6 stage wins and 1 points classification- 1996: 2 stage wins; Points classification winner
- 1997: 2 stage wins
- 2001: 2 stage wins
- Vuelta Valenciana (2.3): Career: 6 stage wins
- 1995: 2 stage wins
- 1996: 2 stage wins
- 1997: 1 stage win
- 2000: 1 stage win
- Tour MéditerranéenTour MéditerranéenTour Méditerranéen is a professional road bicycle racing event held in southern France along the Mediterranean Sea. The Tour Méditerranéen is a five-day stage race that began in 1974 and since 2005 has been a part of the UCI Europe Tour as a 2.1 event...
(2.3): Career: 14 stage wins- 1993: 2 stage wins
- 1994: 2 stage wins
- 1995: 3 stage wins
- 1996: 1 stage win
- 1997: 2 stage wins
- 1998: 1 stage win
- 2000: 1 stage win
- 2002: 1 stage win
- 2004: 1 stage win
- Giro di PugliaGiro di PugliaThe Giro di Puglia was a road bicycle racing stage race. It consisted of three or four stages. It was first held in 1972, but last took place in 1998....
(2.3): (1992, 2 stage wins; 1991, 1 stage win) - Trofeo Luis PuigTrofeo Luis PuigThe Trofeo Luis Puig is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in Valencian Community, Spain. In 2005, the race was organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. It has not been run since.-Winners:...
: (1995, 1999) - GP de l'Escaut-Schoten: (1991)
- Giro della Provincia di Siracusa: (2001)
- Regio-TourRegio-TourThe Regio-Tour is a multi-stage road bicycle race held between France, Switzerland and Germany. It was first held in 1985 and since 2005 it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour...
: (1987) - Gran Premio della Costa EtruschiGran Premio della Costa EtruschiThe Gran Premio della Costa Etruschi is a one day professional cycling race between the towns of San Vincenzo and Donoratico on the Tuscany coast in Italy. The 193 kilometre long race takes place at the beginning of February and has now taken over from the Trofeo Laigueglia as the opening event of...
: (1998, 2000) - Tour de GeorgiaTour de GeorgiaThe Tour de Georgia is a U.S. professional cycling stage race across the state of Georgia. The race began in 2003 and has been contested six times. It is one of the three events in North America ranked as Hors Classe stage race events by the UCI, which is cycling's international governing body,...
(2.1): (2004, 1 stage win) - Tour of QatarTour of QatarThe Tour of Qatar is a road bicycle race race held in Qatar and is part of the UCI Asia Tour. The race consists of a men's competition over six stages...
(2.1): (2005, 1 stage win) - Settimana Siciliana (2.3): (1994, 1 stage win)
- Giro della Provincia di LuccaGiro della Provincia di LuccaThe Giro della Provincia di Lucca is a professional road bicycle race held annually in Province of Lucca, Italy. Since 2005, the race has been organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour, previously being a stage race. It wasn't held in 2007 and the future of the race is uncertain.-Winners:...
(1.1): (2005) - Cala Millor - Cala Rajada (1.4): (1999)
- Manacor - Manacor (1.4): (1999)
- Monte Carlo - Alassio (1.4): (1995)