Mario Cipollini begins work with Katusha
The rumoured hiring of Mario Cipollini by Russian team Katusha has been confirmed by the retired Italian cyclist.
“I’ll be a consultant to the team, with the specific role of helping develop the young Russian sprinters in the team,” said Cipollini to
Gazzetta dello Sport.
Cipollini, 2002 road world champion and record-holding Giro d’Italia stage winner, with 42 stage wins between 1989 and 2003, retired in 2005 but has remained a media favourite. He worked with team Liquigas after retiring from that team but made a brief comeback
in 2008 with American-based Rock Racing, which would collapse soon after.
Now 43 years old, the rider is rumoured to be negotiating a second return with Team Type 1. His commitment to Katusha lasts only until February.
“l’ll start off quietly and with respect for everybody else’s roles within the team. Nobody knows the young riders but the team management is betting on them doing well and I’ve got to help them develop,” said Cipollini. “Most of my work will be between
now and February. When the race calendar gets under way, my work will be done and hopefully the team will know how to carry on without me.”
Cipollini will be in charge of hosting a ‘master class’ in sprinting, with the goal of developing the line-up of young Russian riders into a perfect lead-out train. Rumours of his hiring caused proud cyclist Filippo Pozzato to publicly complain, having already
been criticised by Cipollini, but that didn’t stop team manager Andrei Tchmil’s desire to hire the consultant. Katusha sports director Serge Parsani agreed with Pozzato.
“I don’t think they’ve got anything against me,” said Cipollini. “I’ve criticised Pippo in the past but surely in 2010 everyone has a right to express their opinions. It’s important to respect each other and I hope I haven’t offended him.”
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