Ninja of the Tour

[rote_laterne]

Sepúlveda

 

[Kwibus]

Re:

We all like to joke, but the story of Haimar Zubeldia is actually a sad and dark one.

Once, long ago, there was a young and talented rider named Haimar Zubeldia. In 2000, he showed his promise by finishing second in the Dauphine, joining Hamilton and Armstrong on the podium. Later that year, he rode his first GT, finishing tenth in the Vuelta.

He was an exciting, aggressive, attacking rider. In the 2003 Tour de France, Zubeldia was his usual aggressive self. In stage 8, on the Alpe d'Huez, he led the chase after Vinokourov attacked: https://youtu.be/1-y38WZAtgc?t=368

Then came the fateful stage 13 to Ax-3 Domaines. Sastre is up the road; behind him is a very select group of Armstrong, Ullrich, Vinokourov, Basso, and...Zubeldia. Then Zubeldia attacks: https://youtu.be/SJyZ7X_b7Ww?t=2013. Basso is dropped and Armstrong struggles to respond. A couple of minutes later, Zubeldia attacks again: https://youtu.be/SJyZ7X_b7Ww?t=2123. After this, the attacks keep coming, and eventually Armstrong is dropped. This is the stage where Armstrong almost lost the Tour to Ullrich.

After the Tour, Armstrong, furious with Zubeldia, asks some friends to "talk with" the young rider. Rumour has it that things escalated and Armstrong's friends soon had a dead body on their hands. Even with Armstrong's connections, this was too much. He quickly reached an agreement with Zubeldia's family: the death would be kept secret, but in exchange, Armstrong and the UCI agreed that Zubeldia's name would continue to appear in the results of UCI-sanctioned races, and that Zubeldia's family would receive the prize money earned by the "ghost" rider.

Thus is explained the sad truth behind Zubeldia's frequent top-10 finishes without ever being seen on camera.

Well done shalgo! well done!

 

[Dazed and Confused]

A Dutch placement rider will take this prize.
(I wrote off Zubeldia long ago)

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Serge Pauwels

 

[Alexandre B.]

Is that Zubeldia's face hidden by the selfie ?

Guy is a legend.

 

[jens_attacks]

loooooooollll

 

[Sasquatch]

Re:

Sepúlveda

Yeah

I see him coming top 15. Maybe top 10 if he gets lucky.

Romain Sicard is my selection.

 

[the-big-bad-wolf]

Simon Yates

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re: Re:

We all like to joke, but the story of Haimar Zubeldia is actually a sad and dark one.

Once, long ago, there was a young and talented rider named Haimar Zubeldia. In 2000, he showed his promise by finishing second in the Dauphine, joining Hamilton and Armstrong on the podium. Later that year, he rode his first GT, finishing tenth in the Vuelta.

He was an exciting, aggressive, attacking rider. In the 2003 Tour de France, Zubeldia was his usual aggressive self. In stage 8, on the Alpe d'Huez, he led the chase after Vinokourov attacked: https://youtu.be/1-y38WZAtgc?t=368

Then came the fateful stage 13 to Ax-3 Domaines. Sastre is up the road; behind him is a very select group of Armstrong, Ullrich, Vinokourov, Basso, and...Zubeldia. Then Zubeldia attacks: https://youtu.be/SJyZ7X_b7Ww?t=2013. Basso is dropped and Armstrong struggles to respond. A couple of minutes later, Zubeldia attacks again: https://youtu.be/SJyZ7X_b7Ww?t=2123. After this, the attacks keep coming, and eventually Armstrong is dropped. This is the stage where Armstrong almost lost the Tour to Ullrich.

After the Tour, Armstrong, furious with Zubeldia, asks some friends to "talk with" the young rider. Rumour has it that things escalated and Armstrong's friends soon had a dead body on their hands. Even with Armstrong's connections, this was too much. He quickly reached an agreement with Zubeldia's family: the death would be kept secret, but in exchange, Armstrong and the UCI agreed that Zubeldia's name would continue to appear in the results of UCI-sanctioned races, and that Zubeldia's family would receive the prize money earned by the "ghost" rider.

Thus is explained the sad truth behind Zubeldia's frequent top-10 finishes without ever being seen on camera.

Am I the only one who first thought that this comment is actually serious

No you were not! Great story!!

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Eduardo Sepultura

I agree.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

So the nominees are:
CONTADOR VELASCO Alberto
DEVOLDER Stijn
FEILLU Brice
FRANK Mathias
FUGLSANG Jakob
GENIEZ Alexandre
GESINK Robert
KELDERMAN Wilco
KÖNIG Leopold
KRUIJSWIJK Steven
MOLLEMA Bauke
NAVARRO GARCIA Daniel
NERZ Dominik
PAUWELS Serge
PERAUD Jean-Christophe
SEPULVEDA Eduardo
SICARD Romain
TALANSKY Andrew
TEN DAM Laurens
VALLS FERRI Rafael
VUILLERMOZ Alexis
YATES Simon
ZUBELDIA AGIRRE Haimar

Easy enough to track this on the spreadsheet I have for the Tour CQ game.

Does being a multiple nominee for the ninja award deprive a rider of ninja status?

 

[murali]

Re:

So the nominees are:
CONTADOR VELASCO Alberto
DEVOLDER Stijn
FEILLU Brice
FRANK Mathias
FUGLSANG Jakob
GENIEZ Alexandre
GESINK Robert
KELDERMAN Wilco
KÖNIG Leopold
KRUIJSWIJK Steven
MOLLEMA Bauke
NAVARRO GARCIA Daniel
NERZ Dominik
PAUWELS Serge
PERAUD Jean-Christophe
SEPULVEDA Eduardo
SICARD Romain
TALANSKY Andrew
TEN DAM Laurens
VALLS FERRI Rafael
VUILLERMOZ Alexis
YATES Simon
ZUBELDIA AGIRRE Haimar

Easy enough to track this on the spreadsheet I have for the Tour CQ game.

Does being a multiple nominee for the ninja award deprive a rider of ninja status?

the names missing for this year's tour:

BOOM Lars
KREUZIGER Roman or MAJKA Rafal (depending on role)

SANCHEZ Samuel (no idea how anyone forgot this name.... perhaps thats why ppl forgot )

jrod, like piti and kwiato, will miss the cut by landing top-10 in one stage and ruining chances

my most serious pick, though: COSTA Rui

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Nah, Rui will do something memorable and get disqualified from the competition, and if he doesn't, as a former World Champion and current national champion he'll be easy to pick out in the bunch and the TV cameras will give him too much attention. We're looking for the likes of Stéphane Goubert, Tadej Valjavec or Francis de Greef.

Hence naming people like Brice Feillu, Steve Morabito, Laurens Ten Dam - they're able to get half decent GC places, but not be up there enough to pick up TV time, but don't need to and are less likely to pick up the time in a breakaway. I'd also suggest Louis Meintjes but I think the cameras will pick up on him if he starts doing well. Too many potential riders for this are placed on GC riders' teams so may well be seen on the front of the bunch if their guy gets into yellow.

 

[murali]

From TV perspective, it will be someone like a Brice Feillu or Ruben Plaza.

 

[Vino's Mum]

 

[Scarponi]

Bruce feillu spotted. A long way to go to become the next zubeldia

 

[PremierAndrew]

Would have gone for Talansky, but I'll go for Steven Cummings out of those not already mentioned

 

[nelsonsmen71]

Re:

So the nominees are:
CONTADOR VELASCO Alberto
DEVOLDER Stijn
FEILLU Brice
FRANK Mathias
FUGLSANG Jakob
GENIEZ Alexandre
GESINK Robert
KELDERMAN Wilco
KÖNIG Leopold
KRUIJSWIJK Steven
MOLLEMA Bauke
NAVARRO GARCIA Daniel
NERZ Dominik
PAUWELS Serge
PERAUD Jean-Christophe
SEPULVEDA Eduardo
SICARD Romain
TALANSKY Andrew
TEN DAM Laurens
VALLS FERRI Rafael
VUILLERMOZ Alexis
YATES Simon
ZUBELDIA AGIRRE Haimar

Easy enough to track this on the spreadsheet I have for the Tour CQ game.

Does being a multiple nominee for the ninja award deprive a rider of ninja status?

My choice is Richie Porte has someone mentioned him?

 

[MikeTichondrius]

Re:

Would have gone for Talansky, but I'll go for Steven Cummings out of those not already mentioned

That was quick. Cummings is already out of the running with 10th stage 1. Kelderman out too with 9th!

First leader of the Tour de France Invisible Jersey, predictably, is a Dutchie, Mr. Robert Gesink with 11th place. Any bets on him taking this one to Paris?

 

[Bushman]

A bit too clumsy to be a Ninja, Gesink.

 

[nelsonsmen71]

Re: Re:

So the nominees are:
CONTADOR VELASCO Alberto
DEVOLDER Stijn
FEILLU Brice
FRANK Mathias
FUGLSANG Jakob
GENIEZ Alexandre
GESINK Robert
KELDERMAN Wilco
KÖNIG Leopold
KRUIJSWIJK Steven
MOLLEMA Bauke
NAVARRO GARCIA Daniel
NERZ Dominik
PAUWELS Serge
PERAUD Jean-Christophe
SEPULVEDA Eduardo
SICARD Romain
TALANSKY Andrew
TEN DAM Laurens
VALLS FERRI Rafael
VUILLERMOZ Alexis
YATES Simon
ZUBELDIA AGIRRE Haimar

Easy enough to track this on the spreadsheet I have for the Tour CQ game.

Does being a multiple nominee for the ninja award deprive a rider of ninja status?

My choice is Richie Porte has someone mentioned him?

or what about Leopold Konig or is he not in TDF this year????

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Re: Re:

So the nominees are:
CONTADOR VELASCO Alberto
DEVOLDER Stijn
FEILLU Brice
FRANK Mathias
FUGLSANG Jakob
GENIEZ Alexandre
GESINK Robert
KELDERMAN Wilco
KÖNIG Leopold
KRUIJSWIJK Steven
MOLLEMA Bauke
NAVARRO GARCIA Daniel
NERZ Dominik
PAUWELS Serge
PERAUD Jean-Christophe
SEPULVEDA Eduardo
SICARD Romain
TALANSKY Andrew
TEN DAM Laurens
VALLS FERRI Rafael
VUILLERMOZ Alexis
YATES Simon
ZUBELDIA AGIRRE Haimar

Easy enough to track this on the spreadsheet I have for the Tour CQ game.

Does being a multiple nominee for the ninja award deprive a rider of ninja status?

My choice is Richie Porte has someone mentioned him?

or what about Leopold Konig or is he not in TDF this year????

Not only in the Tour, but also in the list you quoted!

 

[IlGrillo]

So Kelderman is already out of the competition!

 

[Squirbos_19]

To those that may be interest this was my attemp at photographing the ninja, Haimar Zubeldia on course today.

 

[cellardoor]

^-- Great post But I think Zubeldia did decently today. Think his was about a minute down, same time as Quintana.