Do You Care If Your Favourite Cyclist Is a "Nice Person"??

[Cycle Chic]

I,m talking about while they are racing or stage starts or finishes.....Not in interviews. The riders attitudes to the spectators / fans. Any personal experiences ? i have followed races and i,m realising the riders are all 'a bit up themselves'.

 

[Christian]

Has anyone ever had any rider wave to them or SMILE or throw them a bottle ?? The only riders i,ve seen who actually seem to be enjoying their job is Heinrich Haussler and Ed Boassen Hagen. The riders look at spectators as though they are looney and come across as a bit arrogant.

Any experiences ?

No personal experiences but from all I've seen Jens Voigt is a really nice guy enjoying his job.

I have heard the same things about Weylandt and Tondo ... still remember that picture of Weylandt in the desert with a huge smile on his face and a thumbs up, they had it at the funeral. Ken Sommer posted a story on twitter about the Strade Bianche stage at the Giro in the torrential rain, "the only guy crossing the line with a smile on his face: Xavier Tondo" ... RIP

 

[ferryman]

I really wanted to vote yes here:

Fav riders of the last decade or so:

Andy/Cunego/Valverde - quite nice guys (OK Andy is more in the dim but nice category)
Ullrich - nice guy
Contador - really nice guy
Sastre - really really nice guy

Fav rider full stop:

Robert Millar

I voted No

 

[Angliru]

No personal experiences but from all I've seen Jens Voigt is a really nice guy enjoying his job.

I have heard the same things about Weylandt and Tondo ... still remember that picture of Weylandt in the desert with a huge smile on his face and a thumbs up, they had it at the funeral. Ken Sommer posted a story on twitter about the Strade Bianche stage at the Giro in the torrential rain, "the only guy crossing the line with a smile on his face: Xavier Tondo" ... RIP

I've read nothing but good things about Tondo. A great loss.

Ullrich seemed like such a nice guy. You never heard him say a bad thing about anyone, even all the journalists that made fun of his supposed battles with his weight and training and all the years he battled and loss to HWSNBN.

Hincapie seems like a nice fellow too. Very humble.

As much as I talk about and make fun of his riding style, I have to say that Leipheimer seems like a genuinely nice guy too.

 

[screaming fist]

No personal experiences but from all I've seen Jens Voigt is a really nice guy enjoying his job.

I remember the team time trial at the 2007 Deutschland Tour. Jens and a chaperon walked to the doping control from the team bus. The chaperon was quite close to losing his patience because Jens stopped for anybody who wanted a signature, a picture or a handshake.

 

[RedheadDane]

I have heard the same things about Weylandt and Tondo ... still remember that picture of Weylandt in the desert with a huge smile on his face and a thumbs up, they had it at the funeral. Ken Sommer posted a story on twitter about the Strade Bianche stage at the Giro in the torrential rain, "the only guy crossing the line with a smile on his face: Xavier Tondo" ... RIP

Don't remember that picture of Weylandt, but I remember that story about Tondo being the only guy smiling.

 

[boomcie]

Don't remember that picture of Weylandt, but I remember that story about Tondo being the only guy smiling.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

I care more about whether CN mods/admins are a nice people or for that matter the posters here

 

[El Pistolero]

I'd add Geraint Thomas to that list. Amazing guy. Flecha is another one, constant smile on his face and attitude even in his interviews

Which reminds me of a Roger de Vlaeminck quote:

"If Flecha wins the Omloop again, I'll hang my self."

 

[hrotha]

Which reminds me of a Roger de Vlaeminck quote:

"If Flecha wins the Omloop again, I'll hang my self."

Haha, why did he say that?

 

[El Pistolero]

Haha, why did he say that?

I admit I left out the second part of the quote to arouse some curiosity.

Full quote:

"If Flecha wins the Omloop again, I'll hang my self. He always rides with a bag of cash on him."

 

[karlboss]

Has anyone ever had any rider wave to them or SMILE or throw them a bottle ?? The only riders i,ve seen who actually seem to be enjoying their job is Heinrich Haussler and Ed Boassen Hagen. The riders look at spectators as though they are looney and come across as a bit arrogant.

Any experiences ?

Yeah, Some mates and I rocked up to 2010 worlds dressed as a slovakians. Both Sagans once they were dropped gave us a smile and wave for their remaining two laps, threw us a bottle and then the team car gave us about 6.

 

[palmerq]

Yeah, Some mates and I rocked up to 2010 worlds dressed as a slovakians. Both Sagans once they were dropped gave us a smile and wave for their remaining two laps, threw us a bottle and then the team car gave us about 6.

what do slovakians dress like ? :S



anyway I care what they are like as a person although I guess it is not always a critical point for me.. I also like some of the non nice fellows just because their antics can be quite funny, i.e vinokourov and petacchi

 

[boomcie]

what do slovakians dress like ? :S

I'm pretty sure Sagan was just afraid.

 

[palmerq]

I'm pretty sure Sagan was just afraid.

is their violin very big or are they very small?

 

[boomcie]

is their violin very big or are they very small?

Lol Palmer, pretty sure that's a double bass . At least I hope so.

 

[karlboss]

what do slovakians dress like ? :S



anyway I care what they are like as a person although I guess it is not always a critical point for me.. I also like some of the non nice fellows just because their antics can be quite funny, i.e vinokourov and petacchi

we just did facepainting of the flag and carried flags.

 

[RedheadDane]

Now that is one great image!


As for riders throwing bottles to spectators. What about that story with Jens Voigt throwing a bottle to a young child then, when another bloke just went in and took it, got so angry he actually turned around and set things right?
Of course the other guy might not have found Voigt very nice at the moment...

 

[The Hitch]

After the Bilbao stage of the 2011 Vuelta, every rider decided that after 4 hours of riding in circa 40º heat, thanklessly for most, with just two days left of racing and with the team buses all parked up in an area with no shade in sight, getting on the bus, cleaning up and so on were the priorities. The fans could come see them in the morning; posing for photos, talking to fans, signing autographs and facing that unbearable heat was of no interest to any of the riders. Except one. That one was Amets Txurruka.

Would it change your considerable dislike to one Christopher Froome if I told you that on 21 of that race, he did the same?

Only that he wasn't in his home region with his home fans.

 

[Christian]

As for riders throwing bottles to spectators. What about that story with Jens Voigt throwing a bottle to a young child then, when another bloke just went in and took it, got so angry he actually turned around and set things right?
Of course the other guy might not have found Voigt very nice at the moment...

Lol yeah that is a funny story as well. There is a video of McEwen a long time ago, when after an ITT someone snatched his bottle and he cussed the guy out and gave it to a little kid

Another nice one is Horner apparently. It must come with age!

/edit here is the video (it was a TTT):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7O1yMRYSQo

 

[LaFlorecita]

Lol yeah that is a funny story as well. There is a video of McEwen a long time ago, when after an ITT someone snatched his bottle and he cussed the guy out and gave it to a little kid

Another nice one is Horner apparently. It must come with age!

/edit here is the video (it was a TTT):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7O1yMRYSQo

Lol that's priceless.

 

[Caruut]

I'd say that seeming nice on and off the bike adds to it, being a complete tool both on and off the bike takes away from it. I voted 'yes' simply because it does influence it. If I were to list my favourite riders, I'm sure it would contain some lovely blokes and some nasty guys, most of the time I just don't know.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Would it change your considerable dislike to one Christopher Froome if I told you that on 21 of that race, he did the same?

Only that he wasn't in his home region with his home fans.

There actually weren't many fans around after the stage. Most of them were still partying on Gran Via.

Froome's not a bad guy, I just don't like him or believe in him as a cyclist. And the "clean Froome vs. dirty Cobo" arguments were as frustrating as they were hilarious. My snide comments are about Froome the ridiculous cyclist, not Froome the person.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Another nice one is Horner apparently. It must come with age!

A teammate or former teammate of his once quipped that Horner is a great guy to everybody, unless they're not American. It might have been Popovych, I can't recall.

 

[trevim]

As much as I talk about and make fun of his riding style, I have to say that Leipheimer seems like a genuinely nice guy too.

Leipheimer strikes me more as a very professional and focused guy. It's a shame that he has that riding style, but even he has been improving on that aspect