Mario Cipollini once famously said that if he hadn’t been a cyclist, he’d have become a porn star. A video for the launch of his brand's new BOND bike for 2013, however, sees him play out another silver screen fantasy, with Super Mario taking on the role of a James Bond-style secret agent.
It’s all here – the iconic location (Monte Carlo), helicopter and motorbike chases, speedboat with bikini-clad beauty, as Mario outdoes the villains to preserve his secrets.
FILM BOND from Mcipollini on Vimeo.
Those secrets, by the way? They’re revealed at the end of the film, and keep watching for a teaser of the “aesthetically sexy” 2013 bikes.
There is also a technical video and two ‘behind the scenes’ ones to go with the finished film – the latter showcasing a fantastic descent by Cipollini from the aptly named Cipollaio near his home town of Lucca – clock the startled cyclist coming the other way just after 5:20 in the first of those.
Cipollini Bond from Mcipollini on Vimeo.
Cipollini Bond - Behind the scene 1
Cipollini Bond - Behind the scene 2 from Mcipollini on Vimeo.
Cipollini isn’t the first top Italian sprinter to feature in a video inspired by Ian Fleming’s secret agent – last year, James Bond also provided the theme as Pippo Pozzato was filmed on the streets of Milan for Playboy.
Unlike that infamous Sidi Cycling Shoes ad, this time the former national champion and Milan-Sanremo winner kept his clothes on, appearing in a succession of dinner jackets, or lo smoking as the Italians call them.
Born in Scotland, Simon moved to London aged seven and now lives in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds with his miniature schnauzer, Elodie. He fell in love with cycling one Saturday morning in 1994 while living in Italy when Milan-San Remo went past his front door. A daily cycle commuter in London back before riding to work started to boom, he's been news editor at road.cc since 2009. Handily for work, he speaks French and Italian. He doesn't get to ride his Colnago as often as he'd like, and freely admits he's much more adept at cooking than fettling with bikes.