Gotti Cycles To Tour Of Italy Win

Unheralded Ivan Gotti became the first Italian in six years to win the Tour of Italy overall title, leading defending champion Pavel Tonkov of Russia by 1 minute, 27 seconds at the end of the 22-stage cycling marathon.

“SuperMario” Cipollini, a teammate of Gotti with the Saeco commercial team, took the last stage beating Swede Glenn Magnusson in a crowded sprint of the group.

Italy’s Luca Mazzanti and Nicola Loda placed third and fourth respectively, with Germany’s Marcel Wust coming fifth.

It was the fifth stage victory in this year’s tour for Cipollini. The traditionally ceremonial 102-mile final leg was a triumphant parade for the 28-year-old Gotti.