MONTECATINI TERME, 20 May 2003 — Italy’s world champion Mario Cipollini broke a 70-year-old record for the most stage wins in the Giro d’Italia with his 42nd career victory yesterday.

Cipollini outsprinted Australia’s Robbie McEwen and Italy’s Alessandro Petacchi in a carbon copy of Sunday’s finish when Cipollini equaled Alfredo Binda’s record of 41 stage wins that was set from 1925-1933.

The 36-year-old, wearing the world champion’s rainbow jersey, was superbly paced by his Domina Vacanze team in the final five kilometers of the 160-km stage to beat McEwen by less than the width of a wheel.

Italy’s Stefano Garzelli, who was caught up in a crash on the final corner, retained the overall lead.

Petacchi was later penalized 25 points in the sprinter’s standings after becoming involved in a skirmish with Latvia’s Andris Nauduzs.

The Latvian was disqualified for punching the Italian shortly before the final sprint.

Cipollini’s success, in his home region of Tuscany, alleviated the disappointment of not receiving a wild card invitation for the Tour de France earlier in the day.

“I’m at the top of a classification but I don’t really deserve it,” said Cipollini afterward.

“I’ve beaten Binda but I can never be compared to him or numerous other champions such as Eddy Merckx.

“I’m not a champion like them, if anything I’m just a sprint champion.”

“Breaking this record is something special and it’s great to do it in Montecatini Terme. My grandmother is buried very close to where the stage finished and I remember my dad bringing me here when I was a child.

“He was the one who got me into cycling, so I owe this record to him.

“Now I hope to keep going for as long as I can in the Giro. I think I’m getting better and hope to win again before the end of the race.”

Cipollini, who has won at least one stage in all 13 of the Giro he has ridden, said he was bitterly disappointed to miss out on a wild card for the Tour de France.

He was only told of the organizers’ decision as they set off on the stage from Arezzo to Montecatini Terme.

“I’ve been trying to control what I say all day because I live in Monte Carlo and so if I say too much, they won’t let me back in France but I just can’t understand why we haven’t been invited,” said Cipollini.

“I’m so angry about not being invited that if the organizers change their mind I’ll only ride if my Domina Vacanze team order me to ride.

“If could choose I’d tell the Tour de France and race organizer Jean Marie Leblanc where to go.”