Of course, the Tour’s long flat stages would be a little dull without the eminently quotable Cipo. This is the rider who once told a stunned press corps that he’d like to appear in blue films and who claimed to drive his Mercedes at 200 kph - but with the sun roof closed of course, to avoid disturbing his carefully arranged blond locks. "I like to laugh," he says. "I don’t take things too seriously — apart from losing a sprint, of course. But when I give my bike to the mechanic after the stage, it’s over for the day. When the team sits down to eat, I like to see everybody having a good time, relaxing. Sometimes, we sit next to these other teams, and when I see their serious, glum faces it makes me sad. I’ve changed over the years. I’m more mature now. People always think that I want to hang out at the beach or in a club with girls, but that’s all in the past. It annoys me when journalists write the same old stuff about me, because these days I’m a true professional."
Cipollini is one of the only riders to have already been assured a place in the Italian team for the road race at the Atlanta Olympics. "It’s my big goal for the year," he enthuses. "I wanted to carry top form through from the Tour to Atlanta, and that’s what I’m going to do. Probably, I’ll leave the Tour next week, although if I’ve got the green jersey I’ll have a re-think."