The Lion King roaring again?!!???

"I'm as confused as you are!"

Say it ain't so, Mario! Various sites are now reporting that Mario Cipollini has finalized a deal with the US continental Rock & Republic pro cycling team. Cipo has gone back and forth with Rock & Republic's mercurial boss, Michael Ball, about both his contract negotiations AND his desire to lead a European outfit of the RandR team. Meanwhile, Mr. Ball has already signed controversial fixer-uppers like Tyler Hamilton, Santiago Botero and Oscar Sevilla, so the signing of the Lion King only makes sense.

Cipo, through a statement from his lawyer, allowed that he is not returning to the peloton with the hope of winning, but merely as a figure head to draw attention to the R&R label. He plans (as of now) only to race in America, while acting as team director in Europe.

The glory years with Saeco . . . he made it look sooooo easy! Notice how few helmets.

The ultimate question is this: If he's not coming back to win, why the hell is he coming back at all? Is Mario planning on suddenly playing the role of Gregario for "NotSoFast" Freddy Rodriguez? Or will he go the route of Roberto Gaggioli and ride the parade laps of each race and then drop out? Either way, it can't end well for Mario. If he's foolish enough to start in California, my prediction is he'll find himself dropped early and often.

So what's the point of all this then? Easy, cheap thrills and has been star power. Like Hamilton, Cipollini is still a big draw among American cycling fans. He'll be interviewed ad nauseum, all the while hocking the Rock&Republic brand. He'll wear his designer R&R jeans to all press conferences, and he'll pull on a pair when he gets picked up in the sag wagon on stage 1 en route to Santa Rosa, Ca. It will surely be sad to see a once proud Lion get dropped by a bunch of young cubs.




Similar to when he wore Stars & Stripes shorts in the Tour de France to promote Cannondale frames, Cipo will use his star power to promote the Rock and Republic jeans brand. Only this time, he won't be winning.

Briggs Heaney