A poignant exposé on a cyclist's popularity

[CTQ]

i have more dislikes for some cycling fans than riders.

 

[Breh]

I tend to dislike riders from my own country because of our local media.
Belgian journalists tend to throw any modicum of neutrality overboard when it concerns athletes from Belgium.

 

[topcat]

After a brief wobble, we're back on track. Try to retain poise and poignancy at all times.

 

[Rackham]

if you blame froome for hanging onto a motorbike, you have to do it for others who have done the same but with cars like Nibali or Bardet, otherwise you are a hypocrite. maybe you should read the definition of psychophate.

I didn't call Froome a psycho because he held onto a motorbike & cheated in a bike race. As this is a topic about "popularity" & likeability, I just don't think the whole snakes & rabbits episode can be treated as "normal behavior".

It was not.

I really hate to admit this -- I'm not some nationalistic knob-head in a political sense -- but a rider's nationality is the most prominent factor in determining my level of interest.

I'm the complete opposite, i.e. nationality plays zero role. They're all gladiators out there & I throw my support behind the most worthy according to my own preferences.

 

[RedheadDane]

After a brief wobble, we're back on track. Try to retain poise and poignancy at all times.

Surely, Logic made the most poignant post, with his mention of Lambrecht.

 

[Anderis]

What I think makes a rider popular in general:

• success first and foremost- some less successful riders might get more popular than they results would suggest but the riders with the biggest fanbases are pretty much exclusively big winners
• nationality- whether you like it or not it's a big factor for most people
• time of rising to the top- a rider who starts dominating against a bunch of well-liked riders will get more unpopular while a rider who stops the domination of a disliked rider will get more popular for example
• relatable life story
• charisma

What makes me to like a rider:
- some more random and superficial stuff than you would think.

 

[RedheadDane]

nationality- whether you like it or not it's a big factor for most people

For me, I think it's because I tend to like riders more if I feel like I "know" them, and since Danish media tends to mainly focus on Danish riders, I end up focusing maybe a little more on the Danes.

 

[BlueRoads]

What I think makes a rider popular in general:

• success first and foremost- some less successful riders might get more popular than they results would suggest but the riders with the biggest fanbases are pretty much exclusively big winners
• nationality- whether you like it or not it's a big factor for most people
• time of rising to the top- a rider who starts dominating against a bunch of well-liked riders will get more unpopular while a rider who stops the domination of a disliked rider will get more popular for example
• relatable life story
• charisma

What makes me to like a rider:
- some more random and superficial stuff than you would think.

Great points.

 

[topcat]

The success of this thread has exceeded my wildest dreams. After all, it's mostly a thread about nothing. There have been some groundbreaking revelations. Most of the posts have been ... poignant, for want of a better word.

 

[BlueRoads]

The success of this thread has exceeded my wildest dreams. After all, it's mostly a thread about nothing. There have been some groundbreaking revelations. Most of the posts have been ... poignant, for want of a better word.

Clearly going better than my Golden CN.

 

[Wyndbrook]

I like and support all riders, appreciating their participation in a challenging hard sport.
I enjoy both mens and womens races across all disciplines.
Rarely do I criticise a rider, usually supporting them them, especially in post article comments when the knives are out.
But I am very patriotic, my shouting at the tv highlights of this year have been Pidcock winning Olympic gold, Evie Richard's the worlds , and Lizzie Roubaix.

 

[Breezy1985]

I like all the riders in the peleton - I have no rational reason to dislike any rider.

Cant even find a single reason to not like Moscon

 

[Breezy1985]

For me, I think it's because I tend to like riders more if I feel like I "know" them, and since Danish media tends to mainly focus on Danish riders, I end up focusing maybe a little more on the Danes.

You like Danish cyclists ?

 

[RedheadDane]

You like Danish cyclists ?

Yes. And the occasional French, or Dutch, or Belgian, or Slovenian, or Italian, or Spanish, or even Irish rider!
One thing I don't like, however, is when people try to turn Danes into other nationalities. For example sir fly's habit of referring to Juul-Jensen as "Irish". Listen; just because you can count all your WT riders on one hand, doesn't mean you get to steal ours!

 

[EliseeReclus]

But I am very patriotic, my shouting at the tv highlights of this year have been Pidcock winning Olympic gold, Evie Richard's the worlds , and Lizzie Roubaix.

I think I'm the opposite in that I tend not to like British riders all that much despite living here. I think perhaps it is an overcorrection from having them be the focus of English speaking TV coverage and a lack of patriotism more generally in my personal life (I leave it there or else this will probably begin to veer towards political discussion).

 

[RedheadDane]

I think I'm the opposite in that I tend not to like British riders all that much despite living here. I think perhaps it is an overcorrection from having them be the focus of English speaking TV coverage and a lack of patriotism more generally in my personal life (I leave it there or else this will probably begin to veer towards political discussion).

Oh, I can definitely see how too much focus on riders of your own nationality might tip the scale towards being annoyed at the constant talk about them. For example; I do recall being slightly... perplexed when Danish TV2 asked whether Cort would be allowed to sprint on stage 18 of the 2016 Vuelta. Like, of course he wouldn't! They had Chaves, who was riding for the podium. And then he - Cort - won the stage anyway...

 

[saganftw]

for me its very simple, i like attacking riders and i dislike conservative riders and sprinters (i think pan flat stages are a waste of everyones time), unfortunately the nature of the sport often rewards wheel sucking which only makes attacks that much more enjoyable

is there anything better than van der poel attack in Tirreno-Adriatico in miserable weather when he crosses the finish line he is dead or pogacar attacking in tdf? those are great moments, especially if they are assisted by weather conditions, where men are separated from the boys ...on the other hand everytime i hear a team or a rider complaining about "dangerous" conditions i roll my eyes

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

Yeah I love the hard men who don't mind a bit of bad weather. MvdP makes the list as does Asgreen. In fact most of Quickstep and I really like the Uno-X bunch.

I don't like the riders who complain they are being marked and are forced to close the gap all the time. The solution to that would be to attack like MvdP, Pog, Alaphilippe, Remco etc. Ffs, Ala attacks so hard and so often he takes himself out half the time but at least he's giving it a go.

 

[perico]

I was a really odd one. I was an American kid cheering for the Spaniards when LeMond was on the rise. Obviously it’s no secret who I was pretending to be when I was climbing as a boy, so I’ve always been drawn to explosive Spanish climbers who TT well enough. I like Indurain more now than I did when he was riding.

Ive had to narrow it down recently to any Spanish rider who can make it up a mountain in the GC group before the final climb.

 

[fbjim]

I like weirdos. I hated Cadel Evans until it became apparent how much of a weird, almost fragile person he was (I've never seen a victory celebration weirder than him at Worlds, he seemed terrified that someone was going to take it away from him) I loved him.

I like Alaphillippe because he's the best kind of world champion- the kind who thinks the rainbow jersey gives him superpowers and rides like an idiot in it, sometimes even winning.

And anyone Basque. I am a Basque-weeb.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

I like Alaphillippe because he's the best kind of world champion- the kind who thinks the rainbow jersey gives him superpowers and rides like an idiot in it, sometimes even winning.

This.

 

[Pantani_lives]

My favorites are usually the stubborn individuals who fight against the team that's controlling the race, by attacking at crazy times and going against logic, by ripping it all up and making the race less predictable.

Examples:
*Chiapucci/Rominger (vs. Banesto)
*Pantani (vs. Telekom)
*Cancellara/Sagan (vs. QuickStep)
*Contador/Quintana (vs. Sky)
*Pogacar (vs. Jumbo)

Long live the rebels!

 

[the delgados]

Forgot to mention that in addition to my preference for the Canucks, the emergence of cycling in Africa the past decade or so is inspiring. Johnathan Boyer deserves a huge amount of credit for kick-starting a campaign years ago to introduce cycling to kids in Rwanda and beyond; and the program is either directly or indirectly responsible for producing world-class riders. It's always inspiring to see an African rider in the peloton. It just goes to show how far the program has come in a relatively short period of time.
p.s. Shout out to norcalcycling's Youtube channel for the reminder.

 

[Breezy1985]

Yes. And the occasional French, or Dutch, or Belgian, or Slovenian, or Italian, or Spanish, or even Irish rider!
One thing I don't like, however, is when people try to turn Danes into other nationalities. For example sir fly's habit of referring to Juul-Jensen as "Irish". Listen; just because you can count all your WT riders on one hand, doesn't mean you get to steal ours!

I steal JJ from time to time too but only as a joke and usually on an Irish forum not here.
If we allow widespread stealing then the Irish could lose Martin, Dunne, Brammier, Healy, Mullen and Townsend to the UK. Nico to the French and Bennett to the Belgians

Off the top of my head only Deignan and Dunbar are Irish born in recent times

 

[Armchair cyclist]

I have very few favourites or villains: some from nationality, CQ games (past or present), PCM games, notorious events, personal character, but more often than not it is the way a rider has approached that particular race that makes me root for or against him.

Which means I tend to cheer for the plucky breakaway, the guy who has come back from mishaps, the instigator of a decisive move, or the one who has done at least his share of pulling. Which in turn means that, more often than not, I get disappointed by the peloton closing down the break or a wheelsucker, or the man benefiting from team tactics. It also means that I am rarely very invested in sprint finishes: they become a thing of interest rather than enthusiasm.