No love for Pereiro?

[Fourier]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/future-looks-bleak-for-caisse-depargne

Didn't Caisse also produce TDF Champion Oscar Pereiro?

 

[hrotha]

Not really. Delgado and Indurain became pros with them. Pereiro didn't.

 

[Fourier]

OK I get it, he was not a product of the team's development but just won the TDF while riding for them.
I still think he gets overlooked as a TDF winner. I would like to know the opinion of the forum members on this issue. Should he get more recognition or should we consider his win merely a product of circumstances?

 

[Greg Johnson]

I still think he gets overlooked as a TDF winner.

I think you're right. I think to dismiss it as a by-product of circumstance is perhaps not entirely correct – after all he was the highest ranked rider to finish the race within the rules governing the race. However, I do think this is a burden that will forever be carried unfortunately.

Cheers
Greg Johnson

 

[ergmonkey]

I think you're right. I think to dismiss it as a by-product of circumstance is perhaps not entirely correct – after all he was the highest ranked rider to finish the race within the rules governing the race. However, I do think this is a burden that will forever be carried unfortunately.

Cheers
Greg Johnson

I have to disagree, guys. Pereiro gets exactly the sort of treatment you'd expect for a classic anonymous Top-10 Tour finisher--which, at heart, is what he is. Another supremely talented and accomplished rider like Haimar Zubeldia who, nonetheless, has clearly never been as good as the sport's biggest stars. He has also never pretended to be as good as them, and I respect that.

Given his performances pre- and post-Tour 'victory,' it shouldn't come as a surprise that, for most fans, Pereiro just doesn't feel like a Tour winner. In some ways, it's even been unfortunate that he's had to ride under that tag since 2006. He's a great rider, and simply continuing his pre-2006 performances might have gotten a lot more respect if he hadn't fallen ***-backwards into the weirdest Tour victory in recent memory.

 

[Escarabajo]

I have to disagree, guys. Pereiro gets exactly the sort of treatment you'd expect for a classic anonymous Top-10 Tour finisher--which, at heart, is what he is. Another supremely talented and accomplished rider like Haimar Zubeldia who, nonetheless, has clearly never been as good as the sport's biggest stars. He has also never pretended to be as good as them, and I respect that.

Given his performances pre- and post-Tour 'victory,' it shouldn't come as a surprise that, for most fans, Pereiro just doesn't feel like a Tour winner. In some ways, it's even been unfortunate that he's had to ride under that tag since 2006. He's a great rider, and simply continuing his pre-2006 performances might have gotten a lot more respect if he hadn't fallen ***-backwards into the weirdest Tour victory in recent memory.

Bottom line. he still won the Tour.

 

[forty four]

flandis won the tour pereiro beat the ped tests. non the less he won under odd circumstances gaining much time under no pressure in 1 stage.

 

[alberto.legstrong]

flandis won the tour pereiro beat the ped tests. non the less he won under odd circumstances gaining much time under no pressure in 1 stage.

can't really argue with it, fastest 'un-caught' doper wins!

 

[Zoncolan]

can't really argue with it, fastest 'un-caught' doper wins!

Except he DID get caught!

 

[Angliru]

flandis won the tour pereiro beat the ped tests. non the less he won under odd circumstances gaining much time under no pressure in 1 stage.

You fail to mention that the "real" contenders tried as hard as they could to drop him but could not. Pereiro defended his position as if he were one of the pre-race favorites. He earned his Tour win by virtue of how he fought to keep the position that he had earned.

As stated he has never failed to state that he is not a Tour contender. He knows what his attributes are and he admits that he is at best a top 10 finisher in the gc, a stage chaser and team domestique in the mountains.

 

[Escarabajo]

So now if you play to your weaknesses and strengths a rider can never be recognized as a GT Champion? That's pure BS.

So Arroyo knew he did not have a chance of beating the Giro favorites going head to head, so he takes advantage of the in-field battle and gains time, and defends the Jersey like a Lion, places second in the podium and now he is looser. Same goes with Pereiro. Only that this time Landis was disqualified.

In fact I can make a strong argument that Landis medical program was better than Pereiro and that’s why he won. Who can refute that theory?

How many battles is history have been won by the weaker opponent? Many. I say that is being smart and that's part of the game.

 

[Squares]

I think he is dismissed because everyone in the cycling world recognized that the year he took second, was also the year that Basso, Ullrich, and the rest of the OP boys didn't start and Landis was busted for doping with Testosterone (which he still denies taking).

The other reason is that if CSC had simply decided call the Phonak bluff and ride on front to stop him from gaining 35 minutes on the single stage, he wouldn't have been even top-5 and Sastre would have won that year.

The same could be said for T-mobile, Kloden would be a Tour Champion had they helped drive the chase.

Cadel Evans could have been there too, if Lotto had helped out.

But, instead, all the big names left in the race didn't call the Phonak bluff and lost the chance to have their guy take the top spot instead of Oscar.

That is why I believe he doesn't get respected as tour champion.

 

[Elverde]

I think a lot of your lack of recognition is because Ocsar is Spanish.

 

[hrotha]

I think a lot of your lack of recognition is because Ocsar is Spanish.

Not really. I'd say he gets about the same recognition in Spain. He's not seen on the same plane as other Spanish Tour winners.

(Of course, he shouldn't be, if we compare his palmares to those of the others; but still)