If I met a pro

[mr. tibbs]

I sorta met Emilia Fahlin once. Here's the post I made about it:

What a beautiful stage! I rode out early to watch the peloton on a punchy climb in the circuit, and then beat it down to the finish line to catch the sprint.

I was also **face to face with <3 Emilia Fahlin <3** (and two of her cohort) after the team presentation and said: "Congratulations, ladies; you guys ****in' killed it."

Way to go, tibbs. fml. I need cyclist stalking lessons from ACF and Florecita.
[...]

 

[RedheadDane]

Lol, this thread is so dumb. They're just people...I've met various pro's but I surely don't treat them any different to any other human being.

I think we already agreed that there's a huge difference between meeting a pro at a race, where they're partly payed to talk to random people and sign stuff, and when they're just out-and-about.

Of course, as has already been mentioned, not even sure I'd recognize them! Actually reminds me of something from the Tour a few years back, after the last stage they (Danish television) did an interview with CAS as he was on his way to the after-party. I was seriously all "What's he wearing? Oh... normal clothes..."

 

[Fus087]

If I had a chance to talk to any of the pros just before a race, I'd wish them good luck!

I do that as well, but it seems to have a negative effect. Mostly, the riders I wish good luck to crash out of the race!

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I met a lot of pros including my faborites. Only thing i ever achieved was helping to talk theo bos into a road career at six days Amsterdam in 2008

 

[RedheadDane]

I do that as well, but it seems to have a negative effect. Mostly, the riders I wish good luck to crash out of the race!

You're jinxing them!
Don't start wishing the riders you don't like good luck, still gotta play fair!

 

[hmsgenoa]

Since almost all the good races are ridden, it's time for a thread that helps us through the winter. What would you guy's say if you met a certain rider?

I'll start off

If I met Alberto Contador I'd ask him for his signature, tell him he's a legend, tell him I hope he continues to make stuff exciting and at last I'd tell him he should meet LaFlo

If I met Alejandro Valverde I'd tell him he's a great rider, and that he should race in Italy more often, more specifically I'd tell him really should do the Giro one day

If I met either Mollema, Gesink or Kruiswijk, I'd tell them they should try to get results in other GT's before they fail at the tour again.

If I met Samuel Sanchez I'd tell him he is awesome and that I hope he wins a GT before he retires

If I met Bradley Wiggins, I'd ask him for his signature and I'd tell him that he, although he doesn't have to answer wether it's possible to win the tour without doping, cán win the Tour without acting like a ****ing *******. After that I'd through his signature away while he sees it

If I met Contador, I'd ask him if he thought he'd been stitched up by the UCI, either with a British Tour winner in mind (that'll see Brits flocking to the Tour) or at the behest of Armstrong (since they seem to be his lackie and seemed altogether keener to see him banned as compared to their attitude to their blue eyed boy).



If I met If I met either Mollema, Gesink or Kruiswijk, I'd tell them to stop wasting their energy and save it for the crucial points of key stages.

If I met Sanchez, I'd acknowledge he's a great bike handler, but, like Valverde I'd tell him I'm more than a little bit suspicious that he's got blood on his hands. I'd tell him that even juiced up he'll never win a GT before he retires.

If I met Wiggins I'd shake his hand......but tell him to get his a_se out of Girona, former home of Armstrong, has a certain suburb that is also home to a major pharmaceutical company that just happens to pop up in Livestrong conferences and was also the hometown of Tondo. I'd tell him to forget about the Giro & Vuelta, get himself in the form of his life again, do top notch rides in the ITT's (so Froome has to work for his right to chase yellow and deny Bradley the chance to defend his title) and to go 'toe to toe' with Contador.

I hope this helps you through the winter and to see the wood for the trees.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Blood on his hands because of Tondó's death? That's crazy. I mean, you could ask him if he felt any sense of survivor's guilt, but little else. It's not like they knowingly sent him to that garage, he was just doing a different training day to the rest of them so him and Intxausti were meeting them later. Intxausti was trying to call the others but was screaming and incoherent and those that gave accounts said they (the rest of the training group, so I think Barredo, Samu, Valverde, Rojas, LuLu and maybe one or two others I'm forgetting) did the fastest TTT descent they've ever done in their lives to get back there.

Now, the question as to whether Beñat Intxausti feels a sense of survivor's guilt, that can be answered with an almost unequivocal "yes".

I also don't see what Girona being Tondó's hometown (Olot was, anyway) has to do with its dubious reputation either.

 

[The Hitch]

I am not going bat ****. If anything it would be you that goes bat **** if I said anything against Samu or AC!

the fact that one has to ps every little criticsism against cadel evans with attempts to calm ACF, tells its own story.

 

[RedheadDane]

Blood on his hands because of Tondó's death? That's crazy. I mean, you could ask him if he felt any sense of survivor's guilt, but little else. It's not like they knowingly sent him to that garage, he was just doing a different training day to the rest of them so him and Intxausti were meeting them later. Intxausti was trying to call the others but was screaming and incoherent and those that gave accounts said they (the rest of the training group, so I think Barredo, Samu, Valverde, Rojas, LuLu and maybe one or two others I'm forgetting) did the fastest TTT descent they've ever done in their lives to get back there.

Now, the question as to whether Beñat Intxausti feels a sense of survivor's guilt, that can be answered with an almost unequivocal "yes".

I also don't see what Girona being Tondó's hometown (Olot was, anyway) has to do with its dubious reputation either.

As if that whole tragedy wasn't already horrible?

 

[hmsgenoa]

Blood on his hands because of Tondó's death? That's crazy. I mean, you could ask him if he felt any sense of survivor's guilt, but little else. It's not like they knowingly sent him to that garage, he was just doing a different training day to the rest of them so him and Intxausti were meeting them later. Intxausti was trying to call the others but was screaming and incoherent and those that gave accounts said they (the rest of the training group, so I think Barredo, Samu, Valverde, Rojas, LuLu and maybe one or two others I'm forgetting) did the fastest TTT descent they've ever done in their lives to get back there.

Now, the question as to whether Beñat Intxausti feels a sense of survivor's guilt, that can be answered with an almost unequivocal "yes".

I also don't see what Girona being Tondó's hometown (Olot was, anyway) has to do with its dubious reputation either.

I find the reporting of the incident remarkably detail free. Cannot imagine that would have been the case had it taken place in the UK.

Coincidence or not that a major pharmaceutical company (that has invested in other smaller companies who produce recombinant EPO and alternatives, and provide cancer cures and are seen appearing with livestrong at conferences) just happens to reside in the suburb of Olot?

Do you not wonder if there's not another reason apart from the climate and roads that sees dozens of pro's reside there? Do you think that Tondo was enemy free having had the decency to go to the police having been offered PEDs? It could well have been a tragic accident, but, given the circumstances, it needed to be investigated thoroughly, it wasn't.

We'll agree to disagree. However it would be good for the future of cycling, if people want to believe in what they see, to make sure the clean up goes beyond Armstrong and the UCI, I'm afraid they are just the tip of the iceberg.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I find the reporting of the incident remarkably detail free. Cannot imagine that would have been the case had it taken place in the UK.

Coincidence or not that a major pharmaceutical company (that has invested in other smaller companies who produce recombinant EPO and alternatives, and provide cancer cures and are seen appearing with livestrong at conferences) just happens to reside in the suburb of Olot?

Do you not wonder if there's not another reason apart from the climate and roads that sees dozens of pro's reside there? Do you think that Tondo was enemy free having had the decency to go to the police having been offered PEDs? It could well have been a tragic accident, but, given the circumstances, it needed to be investigated thoroughly, it wasn't.

We'll agree to disagree. However it would be good for the future of cycling, if people want to believe in what they see, to make sure the clean up goes beyond Armstrong and the UCI, I'm afraid they are just the tip of the iceberg.

If a shady cabal wanted to be rid of Xavier Tondó for busting what was a very small doping ring dealing mostly with amateurs and a few lower level pros (I think Victor de la Parte of Caja Rural was the biggest name involved) then they could have fashioned a much more convincing accident than an elaborate scheme involving a rigged garage door at a place that wasn't even his home. And guys who were friends of his were somehow in on the killing of their friend and in many cases teammate because he shopped a small doping ring that was clumsy enough to send unsolicited emails to the only Spanish male pro on BikePure? If Valverde, Sánchez and co were that bothered they wouldn't have been friends with the guy. After all, Beñat Intxausti and José Joaquín Rojas are training partners, and I wouldn't have imagined Beñat's ardent Basque identity rests well with Rojas' strong Spanish nationalist tendencies, but they can put their differences aside and get along. Hell, a clumsy doping ring like that is liable to get itself busted anyway, and was nothing to do with the others in the group.

I'm forced to consider that you believe Spanish cycling is a cross between a Martin Scorsese film and an Agatha Christie novel, and Beñat Intxausti is a cold-blooded murderer.

If that's the case, then Beñat is an actor finer than any the aforementioned Scorsese has worked with to date.

 

[hmsgenoa]

You may have the benefit of more coverage (if you live in Spain?), however when you look into it the information is rather sparse isn't it?

'the only Spanish male pro on BikePure' - you've said it. If that doesn't tell you something, then I don't know what would.

A convincing accident, ah, that'd be one like the one that befell Cabedo? And I suppose you cannot see any common denominators in these two very sad stories.

I'm afraid you've hit the nail on the head, at the moment Spanish cycling looks like the bit of the iceberg that's below the water.

If you know of any footage available of Beñat Intxausti in the aftermath of the accident I'd watch it, and if I felt he's genuine fair enough. I think it's perfectly reasonable though, in the highly unusual circumstances, to ask why there has not been an investigation? Intxausti may not have cried crocodile tears, but I'm afraid people under pressure can do extraordinary things.

It's funny you should have mentioned Agatha Christie, certainly Poirot would have had his suspicions. And I'm afraid with all that is at stake to those that peddle Drugs/PEDs and use them you tend to find that the perpetrators tend to lean on people......the Martin Scorsese analogy is quite apt too, one thinks of Armstrong v Hamilton and Travis Tygart receiving death threats.

I haven't said anyone is specifically guilty (I have implied that I think there's a strong chance someone is), what I have said is I think there needs to be very thorough investigation into these recent incidents in case someone is guilty. With all that is going on in the world of cycling at the moment lets not bury our heads in the sand - if you think Armstrong was/is the only person pushing PEDs you are mistaken, there are others out there and they need to be found. No one wants to believe Tondo or Cabedo died in anything other than tragic, accidental circumstances. Let's hope not heh?

 

[RedheadDane]

Okay... I might be overly sensitive, but do you have to discuss this here?

 

[hmsgenoa]

Okay... I might be overly sensitive, but do you have to discuss this here?

No, I agree, let that be an end to it. But let us all look below the surface when we see the news articles popping up. Don't take everything at face value. People were doing that with Armstrong for rather a long time.

 

[gerundium]

i just find this whole discussion entire distasteful and completely out of the scope of this thread.

 

[hrotha]

Hello, hms. You're clinically insane.

 

[palmerq]

deleted some odd and off topic posts :S lets leave that discussion out of here

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I thought I recognised the username. I remember you. You're the guy who claimed everybody was blind to think that Cavendish was any more than 0% to blame for the crash at the Tour de Suisse when Haussler clearly bumped him, and that you had written to the ASO and got them to change the Tour route due to your concerns over a crossing in an ITT or something like that.

Xavier Tondó died not in the middle of a race, but in a freak accident in a garage at a house that wasn't even his own. You may want to see more discussion and coverage to convince yourself it wasn't a conspiracy, and Spanish media may be guilty of a lot of things, but the gross insensitivity of going out of their way to a training ground, shoving a camera and a microphone in the face of a guy who just watched a friend die in his arms isn't one of them. But it seems like digging up 18-month-old conspiracy theories is kinda your gimmick.

 

[jens_attacks]

just passing by. some of you need a reality check...and a good beat up too. also i hope this lunatic with his psycho conspiracy will be banned

 

[hmsgenoa]

I thought I recognised the username. I remember you. You're the guy who claimed everybody was blind to think that Cavendish was any more than 0% to blame for the crash at the Tour de Suisse when Haussler clearly bumped him, and that you had written to the ASO and got them to change the Tour route due to your concerns over a crossing in an ITT or something like that.

Xavier Tondó died not in the middle of a race, but in a freak accident in a garage at a house that wasn't even his own. You may want to see more discussion and coverage to convince yourself it wasn't a conspiracy, and Spanish media may be guilty of a lot of things, but the gross insensitivity of going out of their way to a training ground, shoving a camera and a microphone in the face of a guy who just watched a friend die in his arms isn't one of them. But it seems like digging up 18-month-old conspiracy theories is kinda your gimmick.

You need correcting, I did not say Cavendish was blameless, your memory fails you, what I did say is that he was not entirely to blame and that anyone who thought he was needed to go to specsavers.

It's a fact that the original tour TT route, planned for stage 9, would have gone over level crossings (plural). It's also a fact that I wrote to them to point it out. It's also a fact that they added 4k to the route, using local back roads less than a week or two after I'd written to them. These are facts not speculation.

 

[RedheadDane]

Right... to get this thread back on track!

If I met any of the guys from Garmin's team at last year's TdF I'd ask them what the **** they'd been drinking at that team presentation!

 

[CobbleStoner]

If I met a pro I would ask him to do his part in returning the peloton to a place of honor, respect, brotherhood, and good hard racing. no more tattletales, cry-babies, throwing people under the bus, dirty sprints. these type of riders used to be dealt with by the peloton, now days not so much. we need another Badger/Cannibal to emerge