Mario AngryMario Cipollini doesn't change. With the passing of the years, Supermario, who in a little more than a month will celebrate the his thirtieth birthday, still has the same will to win. On the eve of his debut in the 1997 season at the Tour of the Mediterraneo, he spoke to us. "I don't understand how the peloton has agreed to ride this Tour of the Mediterraneo which the organizer has transformed in to a mini-Tour de France: 5 days of competition, 6 stages, a team time trial, and a finish at Mount Faron. For whoever is starting their season, it will be a true calvary".- You're riding it anyway? "I'm a little later in my preparation, as compared to last year. I had to interrupt my training for two weeks due to an bout of influenza, but I won't confine myslef to be an extra. There are adversaries already on the ball like Virenque, Svorada and Moncassin. The Great Cipollini, the real one, will be seen a little more ahead". - This year won't be easy without your loyal 'bulldozer' Poli. "Poli's departure has disturbed me, but has not put the team in crisis. I still count on an excellent Fagnini, on Martinello, who is an excellent 'bulldozer', and on Francesco Casagrande who has things in line to fight for the classification". - Did you have proposals from foreign countries at the end of the last season? "No, my contract with Saeco expires at the end of the season and I would not mind to wear the jersey of another country's team, before hanging the bike. I have so much to demonstrate still and I have so much to experience". - Have you defined your program for the season already? "Only the main events. After the Tour of the Mediterraneo I will race the Trofeo Puig trophy, the Vuelta Valenciana and Paris-Nice which should allow me to prepare the best for Milano-Sanremo, one of my greater objectives. I will continue then with the others classics. I will almost certainly not ride the Giro and I will dispute the Tour de France and la Vuelta instead". - You won't be at the Giro then? "The decision is not yet official. I won't be able to defend the National Jersey on the roads of the Giro which I regret. But I haven't made a big deal about that, because I understand the demands of the sponsor". - So when will the first victory be? "I'm still not in perfect form and until then I will have to deal with my adversaries who are prepared and who didn't have any health problems and who are only thinking about beating Cipollini. I'm not apprehensive and up to now nobody has asked me to win all costs. But if I have the occasion I will exploit it". -How do you see the 1997 season? "Like the preceding. Engulfed with a thousand small races which at times are useless, by every small organizer, that invent impossible layouts and that think that we are Jacques Goddet and that on the bikes there are robots. So much has been said about doping in these last weeks, but I would like for people to face the future, because there are so many other problems that affect us". |