Mario Cipollini gets naked to promote mystery bike

Italian former pro Mario Cipollini proves he's still adept at generating publicity

Mario Cipollini strips off for a photoshoot.

(Image credit: Mario Cipollini/Instagram)

Mario Cipollini continues to cause a stir in the cycling community despite being retired from pro racing.

The 50-year-old flamboyant former Italian sprinter posted a photograph of himself riding one of his Cipollini bikes wearing nothing but shoes, socks, gloves and a cycling helmet.

A photo posted by on

Never one to shy away from a bit of showmanship, Cipollini was using the image to tease viewers about a new bike.

The bike itself was obscured, but 'Super Mario' looks like he has been keeping himself in shape since finally retiring in 2008.

"We got naked ... And soon we'll show her too" Cipollini said in a caption next to the image.

>>> Mario Cipollini: ‘Vincenzo Nibali is the only Italian rider with talent’

The image was posted along with another photo and a short video for Cipollini bikes, the brand he started in 2010.

During his pro career from 1989 to 2008 Cipollini amassed a total of 191 victories, including 42 stages of the Giro d'Italia, 12 in the Tour de France and three in the Vuelta a España. No rider has ever won more Giro stages.

Among his one-day race victories he counts the 2002 road race world championship and 2002 Milan-San Remo.

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Nigel Wynn
Former Associate Editor

Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.