Cycling Nationalism (on CN forum)

[Parrot23]

EDIT: I guess I should add that the above comment was mainly directed toward the tendency of people to think that their countrymen are those who do not dope--or at least doping less than the other riders. Heck, maybe I should just delete the above altogether.

That seems true. Some seem to think you are impugning their national honour, casting aspersions on the flag, etc., if one doubts, when a rider from country X's [substitute any country name] achievements are doubted at all.

 

[Irish2009]

Walsh exposing that Irish Olympic swimmer must have been tough then, before he moved onto you know who....

Size of country might have something to do with it. Island nation=more nationalism makes sense. Smaller countries like Netherlands and Belgium makes sense.

Michelle De Bruin(Smith) never tested positive, and the sample she "tampered" with wasn't reported to have been tampered with by FINA until it reached the lab....she got a four year ban.This wouldn't happen in cycling, they'ed be back riding next day. She works as a lawyer nowadays.
Funny that it was Janet Evans that first called Smith a cheat considering her record

 

[Amsterhammer]

For me one of the main attractions to the sport is that it is international. I don't buy into petty nationalism and I couldn't careless where a rider is from. I support riders based on their talent and personality not nationality.

Totally agree. I like, and have liked, riders from many different countries because they appeal to me (for whatever reason), not because they come from a particular country.

 

[Parrot23]

For me one of the main attractions to the sport is that it is international. I don't buy into petty nationalism and I couldn't careless where a rider is from. I support riders based on their talent and personality not nationality.

That's what I do, but maybe there just aren't enough good riders from where I come from, LOL.

What I find really interesting is at the World Championships road race there is often an undercurrent of one's pro-team allegiance overriding one's national team allegiance.

Sport is very internationalized then. But some may argue, though, that it is money/self-interest speaking then. That it's another form of vice.

I know at Sydney Olympics there was something in the road race where Vino had to, or appeared to, defer to Ullrich as his pro-team captain (pro team allegiance trumping national allegiance then). It seemed unfair.

 

[Parrot23]

Funny that it was Janet Evans that first called Smith a cheat considering her record

Don't know swimming, so I couldn't say. But some of her records lasted an inordinately long time, I think I remember.

 

[lean mean &green]

I'm not German (or Australian) but I thoroughly enjoyed Haussler's win today. He has been close in big events this year and seemed to erase all of that disappointment with today's result in terrible conditions. You could see how much it meant to him.

I feel sorry for anyone watching the sport who cannot set aside nationalism long enough to enjoy the many plot lines that are taking shape throughout July and the throughout the year. Their loss.

 

[B.Rasmussen]

I think it's natural, especially for the casual fan, to cheer for fellow countrymen simply because we know them better and so they are humanised in a different way. In Denmark the Tour coverage is heavily tilted towards Saxo so we get to know the riders on that team much better.

Personally I'm just a huge fan of the sport and will cheer on most riders if they do well, unless they show themselves to be assholes, like Ricco. Only real douchebags come up with a nickname like The Cobra for themselves. I do have a soft spot for the workhorses of the sport though, and am always extra pleased when they get their rare victory. Nationality doesn't come into play at all.

 

[Parrot23]

In Denmark the Tour coverage is heavily tilted towards Saxo so we get to know the riders on that team much better.

Yes, that's what BroDeal was saying about common languages.

(I promise to shut up now; gotta go....)

 

[Deagol]

I don’t think the nationalism in cycling is too bad here, relatively speaking. I saw lots of people from different nations choosing certain riders like, for example, Jens Voigt as one of their favorites in an older thread. I am among them and am not German. Also, some of the most vocal critics of LA are from the US. And, there is one huge Contador “fanboy” on here who is definitely not from Spain.

 

[Frank71]

Don't feel too sorry. They usually kick our a-s-s-e-s so badly in rugby that it makes up for their cricket team!

There will in all probability be more action in tomorrow's Tri-Nations game than stage 14.

 

[dgodave]

Oh yeah.... I also like to see Irish riders do well, because I had such a great time there last Nov.
.
And I really want to see the Japanese riders finish this years Tdf, or better still, take a stage, because I like interest in the sport to grow, internationally.
.
I can support any rider who puts on an inspiring performance, really.
.

 

[DenisMenchov]

Yes especialy in countries that have previous successes, for example I live in Serbia, and my favourite tennis player is not Ana Ivanovic, it`s Maria Sharapova.

 

[Parrot23]

That's a "tough, tough" choice, Menchov! (BOTH are quite the "lookers"; real dilemma for me).

 

[Anonymous]

i disagree entirely... i like dave miller, didnt like chris boardman, like lance armstrong, couldnt stand floyd landis, like stuart o grady, dont like cadel evans, love jens voigt, didnt like ulrich, liked pantani dont like cunego, liked cippolini, didnt like delgado..

nationality got nowt to do with it for me..

 

[usedtobefast]

here in socal

we tend to like the homeboys and foreign riders alike. if they ride a bike. cool.

 

[benpounder]

It's the reflexive support or enthusiasm by nationality, with no questions asked, that I wonder about.

Why wonder, but more importantly, why worry?

Most of the "fans" are fair-weather at best. They reflexively root for their countrymen because they dont know the sport. Seriously, if you dont follow curling, which team are you going to root for during the winter olympics? Most of the people following the Tour are not cyclists. Even the sportscasters reporting on the Tour couldn't tell the difference between tubular or clinchers.

 

[usedtobefast]

delgado, as in pedro? spain, not italy. more probenicid please.

 

[TrapperJohn]

So what's wrong with rooting for the home team? It's acceptable, indeed admirable, in any other sport.

Getting a bit thick here, don't you think? Hey, you're missing a terrific British Open. Tom Watson is tied for the lead at age 59, and Tiger missed the cut. More interesting than this somewhat mundane Tour.

 

[elapid]

That's a "tough, tough" choice, Menchov! (BOTH are quite the "lookers"; real dilemma for me).

For me, Ana!

 

[Parrot23]

The pro dimension of the sport is what interests me when it's still combined with nationalism (also when these can collide at World Road Race Championships).

It's been very revealing about EU member countries (and I hold an EU passport from a member country, so don't accuse me of bias). We have a whole superstructure of political rhetoric about a unified Europe, but the masses are not there at all. The mind is there, but not the heart or atavistic allegiances of home and hearth. Nothing wrong with that: patriotism is good.

But it's still a fascinating disjunction and revealing about larger things. In short, cycling (trivial) here is mirroring larger things (not trivial).

So worthwhile to hear everyone's views. Thanks.

 

[Parrot23]

For me, Ana!

+1. I confess to having visited her website a couple of times this last year--for the pics, not her tournament results, LOL.

 

[DenisMenchov]

+1. I confess to having visited her website a couple of times this last year--for the pics, not her tournament results, LOL.

Than what are XXX sites for??? She`s tennis star not porn.

 

[BroDeal]

For me, Ana!

That is a bad place to put an exclamation mark.

 

[Nevermind]

To me, it really isn't about nationalism (some people will say that's because there aren't many canadian riders) but more a question of style. I like riders who aren't afraid to fight for it during long breakaways (Voigt, Voekler), I like the classics type of riders (Boonen, Devolder, Haussler), climbers that are willing to try and chase anything (Andy Schleck) or that are willing to give it a go when they have that gut feeling (Contador), guys that now matter what success they end up having are always team players in the end (Cancellara) or riders that will never give up for their team (Hesdejal in the TTT anyone).

To be honest, more than nationality, what I'm looking for in a rider is those moments where I say to myself: I would've like to be able to do what he just did.

 

[Parrot23]

That is a bad place to put an exclamation mark.

LOL, maybe Elapid is really Menchov looking for XXX. OR maybe Menchov is Tyler Hamilton's chimera.

Menchov, I keep falling off my bike when I see her play tennis. Like her forehand, etc. Here, I posted this today. Don't really care about her nationality, just her....well... everything. See end of page:

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=2133&page=4

Hint: it's Cadel's only hope to distract Astana at Verbier.