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Is anyone not a Fan of anyone?

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DFA123 said:
Ramon Koran said:
I support winners but I don't dislike riders who don't win, if I rider starts winning on a regular basis I will support him regardless. So in the end I support a lot of people and don't anyone as if they started winning I would end up backtracking
That's taking glory-hunting to a ridiculous level. I thought all these die-hard Sagan, Contador and Froome fanboys were bad enough in that regard, but that takes it to new heights.
I thought his honesty was refreshing. Most people aren't so upfront about their bandwagoning.
 
I've always tend to root for fellow countrymen and I don't see what's wrong with it. It's natural. In an era of extreme globalization, it's always good to get more local. It's not chauvinism, it's patriotism without excess. Liking our own country does not mean that our country becomes an absolute. In Belgium we always could welcome foreigners as they should. I still remember how Kirsipuu was praised after his win in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. It's not supporting our government, the state or whatever, just people. After all, they are the riders we know best and when I read posts on forums, I appreciate posts about cycling in the poster's country more than general posts because they tell me something I cannot know from where I live. After all, if there are no Dane to tell me about what's going on in Denmark, who would do so?

And I still remember those words by G.K. Chesterton in Heretics:

And every generous person will equally agree that the one kind of pride which is wholly damnable is the pride of the man who has something to be proud of. The pride which, proportionally speaking, does not hurt the character, is the pride in things which reflect no credit on the person at all. Thus it does a man no harm to be proud of his country, and comparatively little harm to be proud of his remote ancestors. It does him more harm to be proud of having made money, because in that he has a little more reason for pride. It does him more harm still to be proud of what is nobler than money-- intellect. And it does him most harm of all to value himself for the most valuable thing on earth--goodness. The man who is proud of what is really creditable to him is the Pharisee, the man whom Christ Himself could not forbear to strike.
 
It depends entirely on the race and line-up.
Sometimes, if none of my favourite riders are in the race, I just enjoy the race for what it's worth. The Ardennes Classics are usually like that for me (pity the racing is always ****) and so was the Giro this year. It can be quite a relief sometimes to just watch a race without being nervous on behalf of how your preferred rider(s) perform. Because of the lack of emotional investment, I often start noticing different aspects of the race, which I would, otherwise, tend not to notice.
 
Not a fan of any one rider or country, I enjoy good racing be it in a monument or some lower tier race, I don't care if the battle is between the big names and teams and have found that some of the better racing happens when they aren't involved. To be totally honest I'd pick heading out for a ride over watching cycling any day,
 
I love riders who may not be the best, but have the panache. A very special soft spots for Tchmil & Voeckler. Vinokourov too (yes, despite all).

Being a total idiot with senseless attacks (Pirazzi-style) is posturing though...


Then what makes me "anti-fan". Well, methodical "super-team-in-service-of-one-and-one-only" methods leave me cold... Lance, Sky...

The always passive, almost-great riders as well...
Example : His prime was cut horribly short, but can anyone remember any positive move made by Joseba Beloki??? I think that leading the chase of Vino for moments before hitting the tarmac on way to Gap in Tour2003 was the 1st time you basically ever saw him initiating something. That despite his quartet of Grand Tour podiums.
 
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Angliru said:
seldon71 said:
I love riders who may not be the best, but have the panache. A very special soft spots for Tchmil & Voeckler. Vinokourov too (yes, despite all).

Being a total idiot with senseless attacks (Pirazzi-style) is posturing though...


Then what makes me "anti-fan". Well, methodical "super-team-in-service-of-one-and-one-only" methods leave me cold... Lance, Sky...

The always passive, almost-great riders as well...
Example : His prime was cut horribly short, but can anyone remember any positive move made by Joseba Beloki??? I think that leading the chase of Vino for moments before hitting the tarmac on way to Gap in Tour2003 was the 1st time you basically ever saw him initiating something. That despite his quartet of Grand Tour podiums.

I recall multiple attacks initiated by Beloki. They seldom worked because Armstrong seemed to take great pleasure in shutting down each and every Beloki attack. They likely aren't remembered because of that fact.
He was, in my opinion a fairly aggressive rider that was simply overmatched by Armstrong. At least that is how I remember him before his tragic crash and the resulting injuries that sent his career into a tailspin. It's sad that the only attack you recall is the moment in his career that he is most well known for.
 
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seldon71 said:
The always passive, almost-great riders as well...
Example : His prime was cut horribly short, but can anyone remember any positive move made by Joseba Beloki??? I think that leading the chase of Vino for moments before hitting the tarmac on way to Gap in Tour2003 was the 1st time you basically ever saw him initiating something. That despite his quartet of Grand Tour podiums.
You forgot the stage before his infamous crash, between Sallanches and l'Alpe d'Huez. He was the first to attack Armstrong but was unable to drop him.
 
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Alexandre B. said:
seldon71 said:
The always passive, almost-great riders as well...
Example : His prime was cut horribly short, but can anyone remember any positive move made by Joseba Beloki??? I think that leading the chase of Vino for moments before hitting the tarmac on way to Gap in Tour2003 was the 1st time you basically ever saw him initiating something. That despite his quartet of Grand Tour podiums.
You forgot the stage before his infamous crash, between Sallanches and l'Alpe d'Huez. He was the first to attack Armstrong but was unable to drop him.

Ok, I can (barely - long time ago) remember that Beloki had looked a bit more aggressive than ever before on that 2003 Tour. So probably I witnessed the effort to attack you mention.

When he crashed he of course not attacking, but just initiating the chase. Vino attacked... (as always)
 
Nah sorry, I just saw this picture and I am obliged to cheer for someone.
1473184507-ideal-picture.jpg
 
I like the individual who challenges the organized team in power. In 1998 that was Pantani vs. Telekom. In the classics that was often Cancellara vs. Etixx. I even rooted for Ludo Dierckxsens against Team Lefevre in P-R. Now I root for anyone who challenges Team Sky, and that's mainly Quintana.

What I don't like is judging riders by how often they accelerate during a race. It's an endurance sport, so you have to measure your efforts and ride tactically. Sometimes this means waiting, but it also means attacking when it can lead to something other than the Combativity Price.
 
I like genuine fighters who probably never had (have) some kind of incredible God-given talent but nonetheless managed to become big riders, like Sastre, Evans, Bardet, Thibaut Pinot. they never win 'easily', 'handsdown', 'effortlessly' hence it's not a type of riders fanboys tend to lean to, but their achievements are not less significant.
 
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Pantani_lives said:
I like the individual who challenges the organized team in power. In 1998 that was Pantani vs. Telekom. In the classics that was often Cancellara vs. Etixx. I even rooted for Ludo Dierckxsens against Team Lefevre in P-R. Now I root for anyone who challenges Team Sky, and that's mainly Quintana.

What I don't like is judging riders by how often they accelerate during a race. It's an endurance sport, so you have to measure your efforts and ride tactically. Sometimes this means waiting, but it also means attacking when it can lead to something other than the Combativity Price.
I identify myself with this so much. Maybe that's why that nowadays, I'm the biggest Sagan fanboy (Peter Vs everybody else) and in this Vuelta I cheer for Froome so much against Movistar.
 
I generally prefer riders who have both great strenghts and considerable weaknesses. That means leaning mostly towards climbers in stage races, though Dumoulin's fight in last Vuelta was a gripping viewing. In classics I prefers riders who are very strong at key parts of a race, but lack definitive weapons (fast sprint, supreme TT-ing ability) to turn that strength into race wins. Vanmarcke being the obvious example of those.

Also usually I too root against teams I find too dominant in certain types of races. Sky in stage races and Etixx in classics are the most obvious picks, but not necessarily only ones. That though doesn't mean always rooting for the underdog. Lot of it is very subjective and doesn't follow the rules of logic.
 
Echoes said:
... After all, if there are no Dane to tell me about what's going on in Denmark, who would do so?

I don't know? What is going on in Denmark?
Joke aside; I guess of course I automatically get to follow the Danish riders a bit more, because I'm essentially "first to the news" about them. What bugs me is my fellow country-men who apparently think that the value of the TdF is dependent on how many Danes are in the race, and who get angry at media for talking about Contador because he's a Spanish rider on a Russian team. (funnily enough no other rider gets the same reaction.) Even though talking about Contador might have less to do with the fact that he's on a team that used to be Danish, and more to do with the fact that he's just a good rider; bit hard to not talk about him in this Vuelta.
 
Having followed this sport for 50+ years I've had many, many favorites. Some riders come, capture my heart, and inevitably retire. There have been dry spells when no once captured me but I knew that sooner or later a new rider would come along. No matter Who is racing my Love for the Sport has never diminished. I can always find someone to root for in every race :).
 
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I'm a fan of exciting racing and not a fan of domination by one person or one team.

I am a huge Vino fan, simply because Vino got me interested in this sport. When I saw him, covered with mud, going all-out in the 2010 Giro I fell in love with him and with bike racing. So I owe it all to him and always will. Not only did he animate races, he was very easy on the eyes.

As a result I do tend to root for Astana riders. So at the Giro this year I was rooting for Nibali, against Contador, but now at the Vuelta I'm rooting for Contador because he's making the race exciting. I'm also pulling for Quintana. I want exciting racing!

Generally I don't care what country a rider is from, but a part of me wants a non-white guy like Quintana on the podium because everything seems so wrapped up in race right now here in the USA and I'd like to see a win for someone other than an European. Sorry, I am having a hard time explaining that, maybe someone else knows what I'm talking about.
 
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Carols said:
Having followed this sport for 50+ years I've had many, many favorites. Some riders come, capture my heart, and inevitably retire. There have been dry spells when no once captured me but I knew that sooner or later a new rider would come along. No matter Who is racing my Love for the Sport has never diminished. I can always find someone to root for in every race :).

50 years! Well CarolS you are our own legend on this forum ;)
And most of all a great member and voice of reason on this forum.
 
Re: Re:

Kwibus said:
Carols said:
Having followed this sport for 50+ years I've had many, many favorites. Some riders come, capture my heart, and inevitably retire. There have been dry spells when no once captured me but I knew that sooner or later a new rider would come along. No matter Who is racing my Love for the Sport has never diminished. I can always find someone to root for in every race :).

50 years! Well CarolS you are our own legend on this forum ;)
And most of all a great member and voice of reason on this forum.

Thanks for the kind words. With age one acquires patience, reason and the ability to put things in perspective :).

The first elite men's race I remember vividly is the 1961 Tour, I was 11. So it's been 55 years! But I've been going to races since I was a toddler....
 

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