Being behind before the Mortirolo with whatever unfavorable group compositions possible on the run to Aprica is a much bigger reason to go full gas.
And good example of kicking Aru again just because he could on the Monte Ologno.
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Being behind before the Mortirolo with whatever unfavorable group compositions possible on the run to Aprica is a much bigger reason to go full gas.
And good example of kicking Aru again just because he could on the Monte Ologno.
Sayar and Victor de la Parte's ride on the last stage of the 2013 Tour d'Algérie was also pretty ridiculous. They did the same in the following Tour de Blida, where Hichem Chaabane joined in on the fun, before Sayar went mental in Turkey.
Something about going solo at the potentially boring run in of E3 always make things look filthy, and Tankink made it worse with his cramp or whatever it was when following
Raul alarcon in senhora da Graça 2016 on volta a Portugal. 6.5 w/kg. That's ridiculous, a performance at same level of the best gc riders in the world. I'm from Portugal, and it's ridiculous what happens here.
That E3 ride by Cancellara is one of my all-time favs, doped or not. I don’t understand Dutch but it was still so dramatic listening to the announcers call the race, like they were describing this thunderstorm on the Horizon, first rumbling in the distance, then getting closer and growing in power and finally blowing through like a hurricane. Though you could also hear the incredulity in their voices after he swept passed the leaders and pulling away so quickly.
Forget his mugging of that sub-toppers group in the final, that's neither here nor there (I agree with your take on the Tankink thing). The 50km leading up to that point was ridiculous with punctures, shifting issues, always coming back on his own, he was out of the race a couple of times. Then a bike-change at the bottom of the Taaienberg of all places which would normally be the end of anyone's race. Then either solo-ing between groups or ripping a group to pieces from the front on his own without looking for a turn of anyone. Actually winning the race when he finally made it back to the front was just icing.
Zakarin suddenly mugging everyone at the 2015 Romandie and came close to beating Tony Martin in the TT despite a bike chage. Had already served a doping ban and rode for a notoriously un-clean team.
Gilbert returning to Quickstep after some mediocre seasons at BMC. Insane solo RVV attack then wins Amstel despite having a kidney injury. Now riding like cr*p at Lotto.
Cavendish taking four wins after barely contesting a sprint since early 2018.
The whole nuclear 2020 season.
The fact that nearly every rider leaving Quickstep turns into a shadow of their former selves.
Honorable mention to Tommy D at the 2015 Vuelta. Time triallist suddenly beats Rodriguez and a doped alien (Froome) up a wall.
Gilbert returning to Quickstep after some mediocre seasons at BMC. Insane solo RVV attack then wins Amstel despite having a kidney injury. Now riding like cr*p at Lotto.
Cavendish taking four wins after barely contesting a sprint since early 2018.
The whole nuclear 2020 season.
The fact that nearly every rider leaving Quickstep turns into a shadow of their former selves.
Honorable mention to Tommy D at the 2015 Vuelta. Time triallist suddenly beats Rodriguez and a doped alien (Froome) up a wall.
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Tommy D in 2018 was also good fun.
Gilbert looks like crap on the bike now at Lotto and a bit overweight. Maybe he doesn't have access to the cortisones he was using in 2009-11. Certainly the difference since leaving quickstep is notable.
We could also talk about:
-tony martin
-marcel kittel
-fernando gaviria
-niki terpstra
-rigo uran
-gianluca brambilla
-max richeze
-julien vermote
-stijn vandenbergh
-elia viviani
surely jungels is going the same way
So awesome I thought I heard my late dad
- who was having the stroke and did not speak at that time - muttering the word "filthy" when Fabian didn't stop after reaching the front group, that's why I used it.
For me this will always be the most laughable moment of the era (28:15):
A lot that I was thinking of have already been mentioned. But I haven't seen this one:
Rohan Dennis at the Stelvio & Sestriere in 2020
Rohan Dennis at the Stelvio & Sestriere in 2020
Rodrigo Beenkens on Belgian TV had some pretty epic & hilarious commentary on this stage:
"let the Watts out!"
"Lance, get out of this body!"
And Froome fans act surprised when people don't like this guy, i.e. the same guy who all those years ago cheated on the Mortirolo climb & was kicked out of the Giro (held onto a police motorbike in the 2010 Giro & unfortunately for him, one of the commissaires spotted him) & since then had a litany of highly dubious B.S. with unnatural moments on a bike (i.e. he also looked like he couldn't even ride a bike properly).
Even his 2019 crash is so weird (official version is he was blown off his bike by a gust of wind on a descent when he was blowing his nose).
Just curious, why would that not be true? Or in other words - why should they lie about the crash?
Generally Sky in 2012 is my most memorable moment of the decade. US Postal flashbacks but even stronger and with more burte force. Wiggins won every race he entered, Rogers and Porte had probably their strongest domestique years, Froome showed in the TdF that he is the man to beat from now on.
Also, their whole style and their dominance changed racing as we knew it.
I have no idea whether they lied or not, but the official version just reinforces the somewhat farcical nature of the rider himself. I mean just how stupid can a crash get? Blowing his nose & a sudden gust of wind sending him into a wall has to be right up there with the strangest for sure.
And the part about the Mortirolo cheating isn't evidence about other wrongdoing later in his career, but it does help create a character profile of a man without particular morals.
Stephen Cummings deserve to be mentioned. That stage in the TDF gliding up steep mountains away from Vincenzo Nibali and other top riders as if it was track cycling. The stage in Dauphine Libere where he had four minutes with 50 km to go and it was a super tough stage but he had the same advantage at the finish. His first big win in the TDF easily beating the best french riders on the stage to Mende. It was a super crazy performance every time he won something.
If QS riders know this, why do they leave knowing that they will do worse? If other teams know this, why do they sign riders knowing that they will do worse?
And 2013 Ventoux. There's plenty of other performances as well, but these three take the cake.
Most of them have already been mentioned:
- Raul Alarcón for a couple of years in Portugal & Spain (including beating Nairo Quintana in his prime in Vuelta a Asturias)
- Gonzalo Najar on that infamous Colorado climb. I recall some BS explaination from his director saying the particular meteo in that climb made that once you attacked it was impossible someone caught you. You can work the translation with Google Translate, it's pure gold: https://www.marca.com/ciclismo/2018/01/28/5a6d1338e5fdeaa74b8b462c.html
- Mauro Santambrogio, transitioning for a mid-tier passista veloce into the most fearful opponent of Vincenzo Nibali in the first half of 2013 (until third week of the Giro when he collapsed)
- Raul Alarcón for a couple of years in Portugal & Spain (including beating Nairo Quintana in his prime in Vuelta a Asturias)
- Gonzalo Najar on that infamous Colorado climb. I recall some BS explaination from his director saying the particular meteo in that climb made that once you attacked it was impossible someone caught you. You can work the translation with Google Translate, it's pure gold: https://www.marca.com/ciclismo/2018/01/28/5a6d1338e5fdeaa74b8b462c.html
- Mauro Santambrogio, transitioning for a mid-tier passista veloce into the most fearful opponent of Vincenzo Nibali in the first half of 2013 (until third week of the Giro when he collapsed)
Absolutely! It's hard I think for some people to believe how truly bathsh*t crazy that stage was! Beyond alien
Well yes, Carlton, the spectators who have been waiting a long time for the race to pass do not realize the riders are are approaching in the big ring. They have very little time to avoid obstructing the race route.
It is truly astonishing, isn't it, Sean?
Well yes, it is.
Although I teach some creative writing I often don't get your posts. Well, I'll just blame that on the language barrier.
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