Cipollini cast Sanremo vote: Bennati

Ex-sprint god, Mario Cipollini, celebrated his fortieth birthday yesterday and had the opportunity voice to his opinion on this Saturday's Italian one-day Classic, Milan - San Remo. The 2002 winner and former World Champion is leaning towards his fellow Tuscan but thinks the race will be unusual.

"I am expecting an atypical Sanremo because in the first races of the season there has not been a true dominator," said Cipollini, who retired in 2005 and used to control the sprints with an iron fist. Paolo "Bettini, with the crash in Tirreno-Adriatico, will be an unknown. For [Alessandro] Petacchi something is not quite functioning. [Tom] Boonen did not win at Paris-Nice and then he retired. ... [Daniele] Bennati is the only one that has a little something more than the others."

Cipollini finished by giving a nod to Oscar Freire. "When he is going well he has another leg."