12 questions

[Armchair Cyclist]

It's actually quite easy to fix it.

1. Click the set of three vertical dots furthest to the right.

2. Then click the " [ ] " symbol.

When you do that, the quote will appear in the old way, with brackets around, rather than it will when posted.
Then you can just remove all the quote-brackets.

I've sorted it

 

[RedheadDane]

I've sorted it

I suppose having a nice friendly neighbourhood mod(erman) also helps.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Hello. My name is Ilmaestro

Where are you from? International man of mystery.

Who's your favourite cyclist? Vincnenzo Nibali, Mikel Landa and Fausto Masnada

First favourites were young Sagan and Purito

Your favourite moment in cycling history? NIbali win Sanremo. A bit boring answer but it's honest

What makes cycling better than other sports (to watch)? Scenery, drama, mythology, tradition, narratives, geography, culture

What's wrong with cycling at the moment? Well I can't go into it too much outside of the clinic, but that they are going 4 min faster than prime pantani in the climbs

In general the teams seem to invest a lot more in riders because of their numbers, there is less emphasis on skill, guile, racecraft etc

What is the best stage or race design of all times?

Tour of flanders.

I really liked the 2013 tour de France route


Which other sports do you watch the most? Football. I have a season ticket at my local club

Have you ever raced competitively yourself? Yes. Only really Mickey mouse level although I never stopped so low to do a track race. Never a huge talent but an ok climber, hated time trials and structured training. Maybe again in future but I didn't like a lot of things about it

How do you feel about women's cycling? As long as it's not track cycling I like it

You are writing a novel set in pro cycling – what's your plot? A developing team of young riders from a non traditional cycling nation travelling to Europe together, and their stories and difficulties as they try to establish themselves in the European racing scene

TT or hard climbs? Lol

If you could rent a current pro rider for one day to help you improve your cycling, who would you choose and what should they show you? Simon Yates to show me how to magically transform my shape from one day to the next

 

[RedheadDane]

Who's your favourite cyclist? Vincnenzo Nibali, Mikel Landa and Fausto Masnada

Fausto only third?

 

[pastronef]

Where are you from? Italy

Who's your favourite cyclist? at the moment Matteo Jorgenson. past names? Wiggins/Indurain

Your favourite moment in cycling history? if I had watched it live it would be Froome's raid to Bardonecchia. but I worked. Matt Hayman 2016 Roubaix was great too

What's wrong with cycling at the moment? UCI points, amount of WT teams, wild card selections, sponsors/funding, twitter antidopers.

What makes cycling better than other sports (to watch)? for me, the roads and the scenery and the geography. there are some crossroads and corners in the Pyrenees I know by heart without even having travelled there

What is the best stage or race design of all times? I don't even know the current Zurich parcours I'm watching now I don't remember designs a lot.

Which other sports do you watch the most? Alpine Skiing, MTB XCO world cup

Have you ever raced competitively yourself? yes, on the road, in 1994-95 at 15-16 years old

How do you feel about women's cycling? entertaining, but I'm following it less.

You are writing a novel set in pro cycling – what's your plot? I hate every fantasy/game/fake stuff

TT or hard climbs? hard climbs

If you could rent a current pro rider for one day to help you improve your cycling, who would you choose and what should they show you? Matteo Jorgenson. the mental drive

 

[Froome]

Hello. My name is Ilmaestro

Where are you from? International man of mystery.

Who's your favourite cyclist? Vincnenzo Nibali, Mikel Landa and Fausto Masnada

First favourites were young Sagan and Purito

Your favourite moment in cycling history? NIbali win Sanremo. A bit boring answer but it's honest

What makes cycling better than other sports (to watch)? Scenery, drama, mythology, tradition, narratives, geography, culture

What's wrong with cycling at the moment? Well I can't go into it too much outside of the clinic, but that they are going 4 min faster than prime pantani in the climbs

In general the teams seem to invest a lot more in riders because of their numbers, there is less emphasis on skill, guile, racecraft etc

What is the best stage or race design of all times?

Tour of flanders.

I really liked the 2013 tour de France route


Which other sports do you watch the most? Football. I have a season ticket at my local club

Have you ever raced competitively yourself? Yes. Only really Mickey mouse level although I never stopped so low to do a track race. Never a huge talent but an ok climber, hated time trials and structured training. Maybe again in future but I didn't like a lot of things about it

How do you feel about women's cycling? As long as it's not track cycling I like it

You are writing a novel set in pro cycling – what's your plot? A developing team of young riders from a non traditional cycling nation travelling to Europe together, and their stories and difficulties as they try to establish themselves in the European racing scene

TT or hard climbs? Lol

If you could rent a current pro rider for one day to help you improve your cycling, who would you choose and what should they show you? Simon Yates to show me how to magically transform my shape from one day to the next

I thougt your favourite moment was when Masnada saved Remco's a$$ in Il Lombardia and gave the fight of the year to Pogacar, who was more fresh in the last 20 km!

 

[Valv.Piti]

Where are you from?
Denmark

Who's your favourite cyclist?
Valverde, Rasmussen, Sami Sanchez, Tommeke, Purito, Van Aert, Pog

Your favourite moment in cycling history?
Valverde's stage win against Armstrong in 2005 on Courchevel, Rasmussen sealing the deal on Aubisque in 2007, Flanders 2023 with Pog, MVP and WVA and Pog doing Visma and Vingegaard dirty on Plateau de Beille 2024.
But the big one of course is the WC of 2018

What's wrong with cycling at the moment?
Too much of the talent concentrated on a few teams. Otherwise I think cycling is in a great spot in terms of entertainment

What makes cycling better than other sports (to watch)?
Dno, I just love it

What is the best stage or race design of all times?
Current Tour of Flanders, TdF 2022, Giro 2015

Which other sports do you watch the most?
NBA

Have you ever raced competitively yourself?
Not really, but used to do lots of races which werent competitive per se, but if you like to ride your bike, you know they are still competetive

How do you feel about women's cycling?
Meh

You are writing a novel set in pro cycling – what's your plot?
Dont care about cycling fiction

TT or hard climbs?
Climbs

If you could rent a current pro rider for one day to help you improve your cycling, who would you choose and what should they show you?
Rasmussen's diet, training and attention to detail

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Fun to read or re-read this thread after four years, but also kind of a bummer because quite a few great or solid posters no longer frequent this forum, including the thread starter, BlueRoads.

Also a bummer to reflect on how many top pros have since retired (sad fact of life I know), I'd have to say I really miss Sagan. I always looked forward to watching a race when I knew Sagan was in it.

 

[DutchDynamite]

Where are you from?

Netherlands

Who's your favourite cyclist?

MvdP and Roglic (because he seems like the coolest dude of the bike)

Your favourite moment in cycling history?

MvdP winning Amstel

What's wrong with cycling at the moment?

Big Money on few teams

What makes cycling better than other sports (to watch)?

i like the geography and the cultural aspects of it

What is the best stage or race design of all times?

Flanders

Which other sports do you watch the most?

NBA and Tennis

Have you ever raced competitively yourself?

No

How do you feel about women's cycling?

Not interested.

You are writing a novel set in pro cycling – what's your plot?

Roglic beating Pog in a sprint for gold tomorrow

TT or hard climbs?

I dunno. Probably climbs

 

[ChasingPotatoes]

I'm pretty new on this forum so I see this as a way to introduce myself!

Where are you from?

W-Europe

Who's your favourite cyclist?

I've got some, but the first rider set of riders that got me into watching cycling were (in random order) Pantani, Bartoli, Museeuw, Ulrich, Jalabert, Vandenbroucke, so from 1995-2000.

Your favourite moment in cycling history?

I don't have one in particular, but Ullrich in that 2003 TdF TT, Vandenbroucke on Redoute 1999, Pantani on Galibier,... Those are moments you don't forget easily.

What's wrong with cycling at the moment?

It's easy to mention now, but rider's safety. You saw riders dying in formula 1 decades ago, but not many anymore. In cycling, riders keep dying.

What makes cycling better than other sports (to watch)?

A combination of landscape / features of the parcours, dynamics of a peloton / a race... A bit of all of this at the same time.

What is the best stage or race design of all times?

The riders make the race, and there is almost nothing better than a windy race with echelons. Favourite 1-day race is PR though.

Which other sports do you watch the most?

Not that many, mainly Olympics so not that many!

Have you ever raced competitively yourself?

Yes, amateur level. I even won a race, once.

How do you feel about women's cycling?

It's much much improved compared to even 5 years ago. I nowadays look forward to some women's races as much as the men's editions.

You are writing a novel set in pro cycling – what's your plot?

Cycling is an analogy of life. But it's a circus and there is a thin line between being the clown and being the artist in this arena. It would be a tragecomedy I guess.

TT or hard climbs?

hard climbs.

If you could rent a current pro rider for one day to help you improve your cycling, who would you choose and what should they show you?

I need a skinny rider that was once heavy and muscular. So I know how to loose some weight!

 

[Gigs_98]

Looked back at my old reply and I find it interesting how my view on some stuff has already changed, especially when it comes to what's wrong with cycling. Back in 2020 the discrepancy in team strength was the biggest thorn in my side and this discrepancy has only really gotten worse (though there is no longer an obvious number one team like Sky was for quite a long time) but the discrepancy in riders strength has become so extreme that this has seemingly overtaken the previous problem. Like, if Pogacar and Vingegaard battle each other in the Tour, and one of the two attacks the other one will immediately respond instead of relying on their team to chase, although those teams are probably stronger than anything we've even seen during the Sky era. But both Vingegaard and Pogacar are so much stronger than the best domestique in the world that the advantage of staying in the draft isn't worth the time you lose.

So really the former biggest problem has not been solved but it's been overshadowed by a new one. Though I will say, when there is more than one of the aliens at a race, this makes for much better entertainment than the old Sky train.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Looked back at my old reply and I find it interesting how my view on some stuff has already changed, especially when it comes to what's wrong with cycling. Back in 2020 the discrepancy in team strength was the biggest thorn in my side and this discrepancy has only really gotten worse (though there is no longer an obvious number one team like Sky was for quite a long time) but the discrepancy in riders strength has become so extreme that this has seemingly overtaken the previous problem. Like, if Pogacar and Vingegaard battle each other in the Tour, and one of the two attacks the other one will immediately respond instead of relying on their team to chase, although those teams are probably stronger than anything we've even seen during the Sky era. But both Vingegaard and Pogacar are so much stronger than the best domestique in the world that the advantage of staying in the draft isn't worth the time you lose.

So really the former biggest problem has not been solved but it's been overshadowed by a new one. Though I will say, when there is more than one of the aliens at a race, this makes for much better entertainment than the old Sky train.

Currently the Tour has become the Vingo and Pog show, if one of them were to crash out or isn't 100% it's kind of a bummer. It does give a chance to other riders, but it's still the Vingo and Pog show, for better or worse.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

I'm pretty new on this forum so I see this as a way to introduce myself!

W-Europe

I've got some, but the first rider set of riders that got me into watching cycling were (in random order) Pantani, Bartoli, Museeuw, Ulrich, Jalabert, Vandenbroucke, so from 1995-2000.

I don't have one in particular, but Ullrich in that 2003 TdF TT, Vandenbroucke on Redoute 1999, Pantani on Galibier,... Those are moments you don't forget easily.

It's easy to mention now, but rider's safety. You saw riders dying in formula 1 decades ago, but not many anymore. In cycling, riders keep dying.

A combination of landscape / features of the parcours, dynamics of a peloton / a race... A bit of all of this at the same time.

The riders make the race, and there is almost nothing better than a windy race with echelons. Favourite 1-day race is PR though.

Not that many, mainly Olympics so not that many!

Yes, amateur level. I even won a race, once.

It's much much improved compared to even 5 years ago. I nowadays look forward to some women's races as much as the men's editions.

Cycling is an analogy of life. But it's a circus and there is a thin line between being the clown and being the artist in this arena. It would be a tragecomedy I guess.

hard climbs.

I need a skinny rider that was once heavy and muscular. So I know how to loose some weight!

Welcome to the madness! Though, it sounds like you've been following cycling a lot longer than me, so a knowledgeable poster is always welcome. (I've been following cycling for only about 11 years and still don't know squat, which is why I mostly post about the weather and the scenery. )

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Where are you from?
Denmark

Who's your favourite cyclist?
Valverde, Rasmussen, Sami Sanchez, Tommeke, Purito, Van Aert, Pog

Your favourite moment in cycling history?
Valverde's stage win against Armstrong in 2005 on Courchevel, Rasmussen sealing the deal on Aubisque in 2007, Flanders 2023 with Pog, MVP and WVA and Pog doing Visma and Vingegaard dirty on Plateau de Beille 2024.
But the big one of course is the WC of 2018

What's wrong with cycling at the moment?
Too much of the talent concentrated on a few teams. Otherwise I think cycling is in a great spot in terms of entertainment

What makes cycling better than other sports (to watch)?
Dno, I just love it

What is the best stage or race design of all times?
Current Tour of Flanders, TdF 2022, Giro 2015

Which other sports do you watch the most?
NBA

Have you ever raced competitively yourself?
Not really, but used to do lots of races which werent competitive per se, but if you like to ride your bike, you know they are still competetive

How do you feel about women's cycling?
Meh

You are writing a novel set in pro cycling – what's your plot?
Dont care about cycling fiction

TT or hard climbs?
Climbs

If you could rent a current pro rider for one day to help you improve your cycling, who would you choose and what should they show you?
Rasmussen's diet, training and attention to detail

I'm gonna do my Jedi mindtrick.

Other of your favorite cyclists you forgot to mention are Mas and Carapaz.
Another race you really enjoyed was Innsbruck 2018.
The reason why you fondly remember the 2007 TDF because you were watching the stages in a bar with your dad in France.
There is a reason why you like cycling, even though you can't put your finger on it. It is because of the endlessness of good races spread throughout the year, peaking early April and July, even though TdF has let you down so many times. You like the diversity of the different races as well. You also like the fact you can be invested in a race for 3 weeks. The build-up and all the hype is great, but you guess thats the same for every sport, it just depends how much you're into it.
While you do watch NBA, you don't watch it a lot. Football when Denmark plays big tournaments.
Subconsciously, you also like TT's.

How? I am allknowing.

And i read the comment you posted two years ago in this thread.

 

[scribers]

I made careful check to the date of the thread to make sure it wasn’t old enough I might have answered to it in a former username lifetime

 

[tobydawq]

I'm gonna do my Jedi mindtrick.

Other of your favorite cyclists you forgot to mention are Mas and Carapaz.
Another race you really enjoyed was Innsbruck 2018.
The reason why you fondly remember the 2007 TDF because you were watching the stages in a bar with your dad in France.
There is a reason why you like cycling, even though you can't put your finger on it. It is because of the endlessness of good races spread throughout the year, peaking early April and July, even though TdF has let you down so many times. You like the diversity of the different races as well. You also like the fact you can be invested in a race for 3 weeks. The build-up and all the hype is great, but you guess thats the same for every sport, it just depends how much you're into it.
While you do watch NBA, you don't watch it a lot. Football when Denmark plays big tournaments.
Subconsciously, you also like TT's.

How? I am allknowing.

And i read the comment you posted two years ago in this thread.

Lol, however, he did also mention Innsbruck in the post you quoted.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I like that Samu has become one of his faovurites during two years. That WC gravel title and recent Spanish masters title must have made the difference.

 

[tobydawq]

I like that Samu has become one of his faovurites during two years. That WC gravel title and recent Spanish masters title must have made the difference.

Or your incessant propaganda may have done wonders.