2012 Pre-Giro Promotions: Pippo signed autographs while wearing shirt featuring Retro Pippo image created by the wonders of Photoshop rather than Time Travel. (Credit: Facebook di Pippo)

Oh no, the Playboy Pippo rides again! (Credit: Italian Playboy via Cyclingforall.net)

2009: Playboy Pippo-for reals! To rephrase that: this image is from when Pippo was interviewed for Italian Playboy. (Credit: Italian Playboy via Dotcycle.it)

Dressed for success [we hope] Pippo was interviewed about Milano “La Primavera” Sanremo at the Giro Hall of Fame party where De Kannibaal King Eddy Merckx was the first rider inducted for his contributions to riding all Grand Tours rather than, say, that three week race in France.

Either 2011 or 2012 Photoshoot: Uh-oh, now the shiny, puffy jacket is conspiring with the pool to upstage Pippo. (Credit: Mjrka Boensch Bees via Mrjka.com)

Either 2011 or 2012 Photoshoot: Methinks the shiny, puffy coat attempted to upstage Pippo because it is still distracting me. (Credit: Mjrka Boensch Bees via Mjrka.com)

2012 La Gazzetta Video Interview: That blue screen—or is that green screen?—does not blend well into the background which reminds of the cheesy local productions on cable access here in America which distracts me from the focus of the interview who hopes to wear the Maglia Rosa this year. (Credit: La Gazzetta dello Sport)

2012 Shoe Promotional Extravaganza: Ye Olde Italian [Renaissance] Masters never painted images of Man Surrounded by Shitloads of Sports Shoes because they knew nothing—not one iota—about fangirl service, eh? (Credit: Sidisport via their website—duh!)

2012 Giro d’Italia Function Something or Another: Savvy Giro organizers RCS selected Pippo to be their special guest to advertise the so-called “most tough yet most beautiful race in all the DC and Marvel multiverses” or something like that.  (Credit: Via Sport.sky.it)

2007 Photoshoot: This Ciclismo cover images caused me to wonder if covers with hair gel overindulgence by Italian male athletes causes magazines to have upswings in sales but pejoratively reinforce the stereotypes that Americans often have on the Mediterranean sense of style. (Credit: Via Editsport.it)