Less well known cycling records or facts

[GPdesAmeriques]

Courtesy of the Inner Ring:

https://twitter.com/inrng/status/288310818209140737

Pointless fact for the day: there are only 4 pros from Slovakia and they're two sets of brothers: the Sagan brothers and the Velits twins

 

[EvansIsTheBest]

Guess next time I'll make sure to precise that I was talking about men only (it was obvious for me as I don't follow women cycling but I can see how it might not be for others)

 

[The Hitch]

I have of course plenty of anecdotes and records I could bring on this thread but I'm not sure anybody will be interested and I don't want to waste my time and anyway I'm disgusted.

Im interested if they are about the Tour.

 

[Wallace and Gromit]

Chris Hoy's debut for GB in the World Cup was in the Team Pursuit.

 

[Netserk]

Im interested if they are about the Tour.

Good one

 

[Libertine Seguros]

While Angelo Zomegnan may have sent riders of the 2011 Giro d'Italia up Mount Etna mid-eruption, this isn't the first time riders have been made to deal with ongoing disasters. The 1986 edition of the Peace Race started on May 6, for only the second time in its history venturing into the Soviet Union for a start with a prologue and three stages in and around Kiev. Before the race all but two western teams pulled out of the race along with several key names from other Ostbloc teams, leaving just 64 riders in 11 teams to take part (for comparison, there were 159 starters in 1987). When they arrived they found people checking the streets with Geiger counters and tankers regularly spraying the streets with water, for ten days earlier the Chernobyl disaster had taken place just 100km away, and they were scheduled to go closer than that on the third road stage before flying back to Warsaw.

One of the 64 riders in Kiev was able to juxtapose the surreal feeling of participating in a sporting competition amid an enormous disaster (riders such as Olaf Ludwig have mentioned being able to taste the radiation) with the celebration of the birth of his son, back at home, on the day of the prologue. His son's name was the same as his: Roman Kreuziger.

Elsewhere in the startlists of the race we see, alongside the expected famous names of the Wende-time - Ugrumov, Ludwig, Abdoujaparov, Konyshev, Jaskula, Tonkov and so on - some other familiar names, often westerners from the days when going to get ground into dust on terrible roads by Warsaw Pact riders was part of a rider's essential growing up phase:
Jean-René Bernaudeau (1977)
Chris Boardman (1990)
Udo Bölts (1987)
Erik Breukink (1985)
Marco Chagas (4x Volta a Portugal winner)(1979)
Oleg Chuzhda (father of Oleg Chuzhda)(1983, 1990)
Mario de Clercq (3x CX World Champion)(1990)
Maarten Ducrot (1984)
Jacky Durand (1989)
Laurent Fignon (1981)
Joël Gallopin (father of Tony)(1977)
Todd Gogulski (1987)
Mathieu Hermans (two-time lanterne rouge)(1984)
Miguel Indurain (1984)
Roman Kreuziger (father of Roman Kreuziger)(1984-9)
Marc Madiot (1980)
Eros Poli (1984, 1989)
Massimo Strazzer (winner of the Giro points jersey and Intergiro)(1990)
Adri van der Poel (1982)
Jean-Paul van Poppel (1984)

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

Cannondale was the first bike company to colour match a frame to a leader's jersey at the Tour (1997). The rider? None other than the Lion King himself, Mario Cipollini.

 

[movingtarget]

While Angelo Zomegnan may have sent riders of the 2011 Giro d'Italia up Mount Etna mid-eruption, this isn't the first time riders have been made to deal with ongoing disasters. The 1986 edition of the Peace Race started on May 6, for only the second time in its history venturing into the Soviet Union for a start with a prologue and three stages in and around Kiev. Before the race all but two western teams pulled out of the race along with several key names from other Ostbloc teams, leaving just 64 riders in 11 teams to take part (for comparison, there were 159 starters in 1987). When they arrived they found people checking the streets with Geiger counters and tankers regularly spraying the streets with water, for ten days earlier the Chernobyl disaster had taken place just 100km away, and they were scheduled to go closer than that on the third road stage before flying back to Warsaw.

One of the 64 riders in Kiev was able to juxtapose the surreal feeling of participating in a sporting competition amid an enormous disaster (riders such as Olaf Ludwig have mentioned being able to taste the radiation) with the celebration of the birth of his son, back at home, on the day of the prologue. His son's name was the same as his: Roman Kreuziger.

Elsewhere in the startlists of the race we see, alongside the expected famous names of the Wende-time - Ugrumov, Ludwig, Abdoujaparov, Konyshev, Jaskula, Tonkov and so on - some other familiar names, often westerners from the days when going to get ground into dust on terrible roads by Warsaw Pact riders was part of a rider's essential growing up phase:
Jean-René Bernaudeau (1977)
Chris Boardman (1990)
Udo Bölts (1987)
Erik Breukink (1985)
Marco Chagas (4x Volta a Portugal winner)(1979)
Oleg Chuzhda (father of Oleg Chuzhda)(1983, 1990)
Mario de Clercq (3x CX World Champion)(1990)
Maarten Ducrot (1984)
Jacky Durand (1989)
Laurent Fignon (1981)
Joël Gallopin (father of Tony)(1977)
Todd Gogulski (1987)
Mathieu Hermans (two-time lanterne rouge)(1984)
Miguel Indurain (1984)
Roman Kreuziger (father of Roman Kreuziger)(1984-9)
Marc Madiot (1980)
Eros Poli (1984, 1989)
Massimo Strazzer (winner of the Giro points jersey and Intergiro)(1990)
Adri van der Poel (1982)
Jean-Paul van Poppel (1984)

Great story. I remember Etna erupted not long after that stage in 2011. As for the Peace Race, how funny and pathetic. I would love to see some footage of the Peace Race editions. Great riders and in the early years, very hard racing. The fact that Sweden had to advise the USSR that there was a radiation cloud over Ukraine, says it all. Hard to keep such an event secret for too long !

 

[Armchair cyclist]

Abdoujaparov is only one of four riders (Eddy Merckx,, Alessandro Petacchi, and Laurent Jalabert being the others) to have won the points competition in all three Grand Tours. Source.

Though a fifth name seems to be about to be added to that list.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

Though a fifth name seems to be about to be added to that list.

And now is added: Cavendish joins the exalted company of Abdoujaparov, Merckx, Petacchi and Jalabert.

 

[Squire]

I'm a bit curious: Which stage hunter has most GT stage wins? In either GT could be interesting, or total GT stage wins.

Let's initially define him as never having finished in the top 5 overall, and not capable of winning bunch sprints, although this definition could be discussed.

Anyone better than Moreno Argentin at 15?

 

[Linkinito]

The 15th stage of the 1995 Tour de France should have actually ended at the Pont d'Espagne, but the finish line was moved to Cauterets because of the environmental problems (as the Pont d'Espagne is in a protected zone).

Three months later, Fabio Casartelli died on the road of this stage.

(But that wouldn't have probably changed anything as the Portet d'Aspet was the first climb of the stage).

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

I'm a bit curious: Which stage hunter has most GT stage wins? In either GT could be interesting, or total GT stage wins.

Let's initially define him as never having finished in the top 5 overall, and not capable of winning bunch sprints, although this definition could be discussed.

Anyone better than Moreno Argentin at 15?

Rik Van Looy with 37?

Most GT stages wins

Again, goes back to definition of a sprinter but given he won all the monuments...

 

[Squire]

Rik Van Looy with 37?

Most GT stages wins

Again, goes back to definition of a sprinter but given he won all the monuments...

But he also podiumed the Vuelta a couple of times, as well as a 4th in the Giro, so that way he could be considered a GC rider. I guess the type of rider I'm looking for didn't really exist back in those days, as the really great ones were good at almost everything. Among the Visconti/LLS types (for current examples), I can't find anyone better than Argentin. Cancellara is not too shabby at 12 wins, as I guess that in a GT context a time trial specialist would have to be defined as a stage hunter.

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

But he also podiumed the Vuelta a couple of times, as well as a 4th in the Giro, so that way he could be considered a GC rider. I guess the type of rider I'm looking for didn't really exist back in those days, as the really great ones were good at almost everything. Among the Visconti/LLS types (for current examples), I can't find anyone better than Argentin. Cancellara is not too shabby at 12 wins, as I guess that in a GT context a time trial specialist would have to be defined as a stage hunter.

Oops missed the Vuelta podiums. My mistake.

 

[RedheadDane]

And now is added: Cavendish joins the exalted company of Abdoujaparov, Merckx, Petacchi and Jalabert.

This actually had me thinking; has anyone ever won the KoM in all three GTs?
Sure, I could attempt to look for the statistics myself, but this is easier!

 

[Squire]

This actually had me thinking; has anyone ever won the KoM in all three GTs?
Sure, I could attempt to look for the statistics myself, but this is easier!

Bahamontes and Lucho Herrera.

Hope that club stays that exclusive for the foreseeable future. Any current rider, with the possible exeption of Contador (and maybe Quintana in the future), would look out of place on that list.

Cav does fit in very well on the points list, though.

 

[Bavarianrider]

The total distance of the five time trials in the 1939 Tour was approximately 281 kilometres including the first mountain time trial. Source

Good days

 

[Bavarianrider]

Jan Ullrich is the last Tour de France winner to wear the Green Jersey during the same Tour.

 

[Ruby United]

Abdoujaparov is only one of four riders (Eddy Merckx,, Alessandro Petacchi, and Laurent Jalabert being the others) to have won the points competition in all three Grand Tours. Source.

Besides Cav, by now, of course

 

[Ruby United]

Only one rider has ever raced all three GT's in one year and won one of them. Gastone Nencini in Ninteen Fifty Seven. Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Tour_(cycling)#Grand_Tour_finishers

 

[will10]

Jan Ullrich is the last Tour de France winner to wear the Green Jersey during the same Tour.

 

[Miburo]

LA and wiggins didn't have it officialy though, second in prologue and ITT gave them that jersey.

But ok BR said "wore the green jersey"

 

[Bavarianrider]

Uh forget the Skyborg
In which pUniverse did Armstrong win a Tour de France, though

 

[Miburo]

Uh forget the Skyborg
In which pUniverse did Armstrong win a Tour de France, though

In which universe did Ullrich won a tour de france