Miscellaneous mysteries of pro cycling

[L'arriviste]

I've started this thread because I was very happy to have finally found out about Henry Rossom, the perennial favourite of the Muur:

Now I'm sure there are many other small roadside stories that deserve a bit of attention along with the main events that pass by. Here's one that's been bugging me for a couple of years now.

My other half and I have taken to counting the number of times in a race that we see this "LUC" flag:

I actually stood near one last year but the crowds prevented me from getting over there to ask the guy what it was all about. So tell me, just who or what is Luc? It's getting to be almost as common as seeing this almost knock the riders off their bikes:

 

[L'arriviste]

In other news, I learned recently that it's only a myth that Freddie Mercury was inspired by the Tour passing by his hotel in Nice. The year that was supposed to happen, says Queen biographer Phil Sutcliffe, the Tour went nowhere near Nice.

 

[craig1985]

I do wonder if the Basque flag I see the near finish of most races is either one guy going to cheer on EE, or just random Basques with the ikurrina.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

There's this bunch of internet heroes who are ALWAYS at 200m/150m from the finish line in the Amstel Gold Race...every year

Wonder what their story is... oh wait...that's just me + some guys from PCMBenelux (ryo hazuki amongst others)

 

[boomcie]

There's this bunch of internet heroes who are ALWAYS at 200m/150m from the finish line in the Amstel Gold Race...every year

Wonder what their story is... oh wait...that's just me + some guys from PCMBenelux (ryo hazuki amongst others)

Yeah, and what was the deal with those guys standing on the "Wijnpers" hill during the Belgian Championchips in Leuven last year. They were so cool and they gained so much respect with everyone. They also had an in-depth conversation with Ben Hermans before the race, but he performed ****ty.

I wonder what their story is? Oh don't wait, cause it was me (and some friends amongst others) and that story is so boring and it will take too long to tell. O wait anyway... I already told it.

 

[Christian]

Well and then of course there's this guy, seen him once or twice ...

 

[hrotha]

I do wonder if the Basque flag I see the near finish of most races is either one guy going to cheer on EE, or just random Basques with the ikurrina.

They overlap 99%. For a year or two it seemed like EE had become too mainstream and Kaiku was where it was at, but of course Kaiku folded so now it's all EE again. It's not just a commercial team, it's more like a national team.

I don't know about Caja Rural, since they're Navarrese (and I'm not going to start that debate again) and have just become pro-conti.

edit: speaking of Caja Rural, this guy from their amateur squad is quite a mysterious mystery.

 

[L'arriviste]

edit: speaking of Caja Rural, this guy from their amateur squad is quite a mysterious mystery.

Awesome! Was he a) fired or somehow contractually unconfirmed after they took the pic or b) was the photographer the Google Street View car?

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

one of the biggest myths at least in colombia is the true date of birth of hernan buenahora.

he was born in a town in santander, barichara and after a huge fire in the town and or municipal they lost all certificates including his. buenahora turning pro in 1990 supposedly falsified whatever documents he had by 4 years!! meaning he was 23 when turning pro but in reality he was 27. it's evenmore amazing when you remember how strong he was in europe especially giro 2001, where he was one of the best climber officially at age 34 but more likely 38! back in colombia he did even better and was on the verge of winning the vuelta colombia 2005 at age 43!! when organisers formed a roadblock behind him so his teamcar couldn't help him out and he had no helpers as he rode for a venezuelan team, who's riders had almost all abondoned by then. the bogotan organisers wanted walter pedraza to win as he was cundinamarcan but in the end it was libardo nino who won the vuelta, ironically a rider from boyaca and not bogota/cundinamarca.

after the race riots broke out at the finish over this and it was complete chaos. buenahora retired the race immediately.

I have this story from someone in colombia would be nice if there was anyone who would know more though. About the date of birth he was asked 5 years ago during an interview and he only smiled and said who knows...

 

[The Hitch]

There's this bunch of internet heroes who are ALWAYS at 200m/150m from the finish line in the Amstel Gold Race...every year

Wonder what their story is... oh wait...that's just me + some guys from PCMBenelux (ryo hazuki amongst others)

Yeah, and what was the deal with those guys standing on the "Wijnpers" hill during the Belgian Championchips in Leuven last year. They were so cool and they gained so much respect with everyone. They also had an in-depth conversation with Ben Hermans before the race, but he performed ****ty.

I wonder what their story is? Oh don't wait, cause it was me (and some friends amongst others) and that story is so boring and it will take too long to tell. O wait anyway... I already told it.

And who was this unknown figure speaking a foreign tongue who rode over several riders who had crashed and flown over the barriers then tried and failed to talk to jj haedo.

In all seriousness though, could someone identify this idiot. Im pretty sure its El Pistolero though. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii48-E8H2mE

@ Ruben. You guys all met on PCM?

 

[Race Radio]

Need to get the T-Shirt

 

[sublimit]

In all seriousness though, could someone identify this idiot. Im pretty sure its El Pistolero though. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii48-E8H2mE

@ Ruben. You guys all met on PCM?

I'm not sure he would throw his beer away like that. Cancellara took a direct hit if I'm not mistaken.

Great atmosphere but what a tool that threw the drink,
maybe it was a dutch fan pretending to be Belgian.

 

[L'arriviste]

one of the biggest myths at least in colombia is the true date of birth of hernan buenahora.

he was born in a town in santander, barichara and after a huge fire in the town and or municipal they lost all certificates including his. buenahora turning pro in 1990 supposedly falsified whatever documents he had by 4 years!! meaning he was 23 when turning pro but in reality he was 27. it's evenmore amazing when you remember how strong he was in europe especially giro 2001, where he was one of the best climber officially at age 34 but more likely 38! back in colombia he did even better and was on the verge of winning the vuelta colombia 2005 at age 43!! when organisers formed a roadblock behind him so his teamcar couldn't help him out and he had no helpers as he rode for a venezuelan team, who's riders had almost all abondoned by then. the bogotan organisers wanted walter pedraza to win as he was cundinamarcan but in the end it was libardo nino who won the vuelta, ironically a rider from boyaca and not bogota/cundinamarca.

after the race riots broke out at the finish over this and it was complete chaos. buenahora retired the race immediately.

I have this story from someone in colombia would be nice if there was anyone who would know more though. About the date of birth he was asked 5 years ago during an interview and he only smiled and said who knows...

I had no idea that's how things were with Buenahora. Great story thanks, Ryo!

 

[Michele]

one of the biggest myths at least in colombia is the true date of birth of ...

How about Soler?

 

[yetanothergreenworld]

Speaking of Columbians, here's what I wanna know: why did the Columbian invasion of the 1980s peter out? In the late '70s they started to attend amateur races in Europe; in 1983 they hit the pro ranks and in just a couple of years they had two teams at the Tour and were placing multiple guys in the top 10. Then, about five years after that, it was all over.

I'm not discounting the subsequent achievements of Mejia or Soler or Botero, but compared to the achievements of 1984-88, Columbian cycling has been in the wilderness for a while. What happened? Did they fall behind the drug curve in the 1990s? Was there a diminished interest among Columbian cyclists in going to Europe?

 

[auscyclefan94]

This is a bit different to other questions, but with fleche wallone coming up, has anyone attacked before the Mur and won?

 

[chambers]

Speaking of Columbians, here's what I wanna know: why did the Columbian invasion of the 1980s peter out? In the late '70s they started to attend amateur races in Europe; in 1983 they hit the pro ranks and in just a couple of years they had two teams at the Tour and were placing multiple guys in the top 10. Then, about five years after that, it was all over.

I'm not discounting the subsequent achievements of Mejia or Soler or Botero, but compared to the achievements of 1984-88, Columbian cycling has been in the wilderness for a while. What happened? Did they fall behind the drug curve in the 1990s? Was there a diminished interest among Columbian cyclists in going to Europe?

I don't know what the problem was but around mid 1980's is when the drug cartels and the government went to war with each other. It may hinder training if your country is filled so much violence. I don't know if that was the problem or not but it seems reasonable.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

How about Soler?

I never heard anything about him regarding this. you have a story about this?

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Speaking of Columbians, here's what I wanna know: why did the Columbian invasion of the 1980s peter out? In the late '70s they started to attend amateur races in Europe; in 1983 they hit the pro ranks and in just a couple of years they had two teams at the Tour and were placing multiple guys in the top 10. Then, about five years after that, it was all over.

I'm not discounting the subsequent achievements of Mejia or Soler or Botero, but compared to the achievements of 1984-88, Columbian cycling has been in the wilderness for a while. What happened? Did they fall behind the drug curve in the 1990s? Was there a diminished interest among Columbian cyclists in going to Europe?

3 letters. e-p-o

 

[Ildabaoth]

one of the biggest myths at least in colombia is the true date of birth of hernan buenahora.

...

I have this story from someone in colombia would be nice if there was anyone who would know more though. About the date of birth he was asked 5 years ago during an interview and he only smiled and said who knows...

I'll try to do some research about it. Buenahora and I live at the same city. Quite a nice guy, by the way. He uses to go out on sundays to help training the younger guys from Panachi (the local cycling team). I know people close to him, so perhaps I can get some answers.

 

[Michele]

I never heard anything about him regarding this. you have a story about this?

There's some rumors among the peloton that he would be older as well.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

probably because he looks older. but that's his indian blood. many of these guys look much older than they are. here is oscar soliz at age 24:

the guy in the middle

 

[jens_attacks]

no fuccin way.he's at least 46.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Add to the ethnicity that some people simply look older (Ian Stannard and Tiago Machado both look very old for early mid 20s, for example) plus often harsher effects on the physiology that come from living in more challenging climates eg high altitude.

 

[Ryaguas]

hahahaha Soliz looks even older than Merckx in that pic!!!
But yeah Soler looks old but that is cuz his ethnic fenotype...