2008 Tour de France, Stage 8: Riders are permitted to ride without helmets in the neutral zone so spectators know what they look like without them in the event they encounter them at non-cycling locations such as cafés and shops. (Credit: Isabelle Duchesne via Cyclingnews.com)

2006 Tour de France, Stage 6: After another long stage of protecting sprinter Tommeke in the sun Pippo showed the tanlines created by his sunglasses. (Credit: Sirotti via Cyclingnews.com)

2006 Tour de France, Stage 5: Here be Pippo without his helmet yet again. (Credit: Sirotti via Cyclingnews.com)

2008 Tour de France: This lucky, lucky cycling fan got to pose with Pippo, Spartacus, and several members of the award-winning Awesome 2008 CSC Saxo Bank Squad led by Don Carlos. (Credit: ????? via Nieuwsblad.be)

2007 Tour de France, Stage 2: Yes, photographers, more pictures of Smiley Pippo please! (Credit: Roberto Bettini via Cyclingnews.com)

2006 Tour de France, Stage 16: It is never “a party in the back” for the gruppetto as urban cycling legends allege; on steep mountains stages it is about surviving the deathly time limit set by mounting goats on bicycles. (Credit: Sirotti via Cyclingnews.com)

2007 Tour de France, Stage 6: Heh, there was enough room on his helmet to tastefully self-promote his [now defunct?] website. (Credit: Sirotti via Cyclingtime.com)

2007 Tour de France, Stage 6: Yes, dear madam/sir, Pippo can get away with frosted locks and hair gel…so long as it is not paired with strange facial hair experiments, right? (Credit: Sirotti via Cyclingtime.com)

2006 Tour de France, Stage 8: Pippo and Tossa ever-so-graciously posed for the cameras. (Credit: Makoto Ayano via Cyclingtime.com)

2008 Tour de France, Stage 10: Pippo rode up Hautacam alongside Robbie “Pocket Rocket” McEwan on stage that may have put both “in the hurt bag” along with Heinrich “Hairmorph” Haussler, then of now defunct Gerolsteiner, who lurked in the background. (Credit: Velo Peloton via Picasaweb)