Perfect Last Race/Stage

[RedheadDane]

Re:

Vino, considering he broke his femur in 2011 and retired, only to come back due to the power struggle in Astana with Makhemetov signing Kashechkin as a leader a few days before the Vuelta. He grinds away the entire end of 2011 and 2012 just to get some form to get a good showing in the Tour de France, close to a stage victory a few times, says that he will ride the Olympics as his last race with Bazayev, and then he wins the damn thing.

Considering i have been a fan since 03, it was the happiest day i had viewing cycling.

Oh... the way I understood it was that he'd been planning to retire at the end of 2011, then broke his femur, and decided that that was not how he wanted to end his career.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

If the thread were "Perfect Ante-penultimate Race", Vino would indeed be in with a shout, but 35th in San Sebastian doesn't count as a perfect last race.

 

[markene2]

Re: Re:

Vino, considering he broke his femur in 2011 and retired, only to come back due to the power struggle in Astana with Makhmetov signing Kashechkin as a leader a few days before the Vuelta. He grinds away the entire end of 2011 and 2012 just to get some form to get a good showing in the Tour de France, close to a stage victory a few times, says that he will ride the Olympics as his last race with Bazayev, and then he wins the damn thing.

Considering i have been a fan since 03, it was the happiest day i had viewing cycling.

Oh... the way I understood it was that he'd been planning to retire at the end of 2011, then broke his femur, and decided that that was not how he wanted to end his career.

He had been planing to retire after 2011, he retired right after surgery, eurosport showed it. But one of the main factors for comming back was Makhmetov telling the UCI that Vino had "left" the team, bringing the total riders down to 27 enabeling Kashechkin to take the last slot of 28 and enabeling Makhmetov to retain his position.

The press conference was hilarious, Kash talking about how he would restore morale after Vinos retierment, and that he was targeting a top 5 in the vuelta (he ended up 3h behind Cobo). considering this was so to speak Vinos team and Makhmetov and Kash was hijacking it he was pissed, gets Kireyev to retire and takes the last spot, and Makhmetov is gone the next year. it was a interesting time to say the least.

 

[Squire]

Though you can argue that the end of his career was as un-perfect as it gets, Jan Ullrich actually won two victories on his last ever race day.

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

If the thread were "Perfect Ante-penultimate Race", Vino would indeed be in with a shout, but 35th in San Sebastian doesn't count as a perfect last race.

Then why is Contador allowed to be mentioned. I don't recall him winning the bunch sprint in Madrid.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Re:

Though you can argue that the end of his career was as un-perfect as it gets, Jan Ullrich actually won two victories on his last ever race day.

True though it was Tour de Suisse and then they got removed.

 

[ecw445]

Technically he did ride again, though never at World Tour level, Michael Rasmussen winning the Aubisque stage before getting kicked out has to be it. Decemating everyone in the biggest race of the season is as big as it gets.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

If we're counting negative ways of going out, by including people like Heras and Ullrich, then Xavier Tondó won the GC of Castilla y León in his final race.

 

[Singer01]

Didn't Wiggins finish his career something like Olympic gold, 2nd in 6 days of London, 1st in 6 days of Ghent?

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

If the thread were "Perfect Ante-penultimate Race", Vino would indeed be in with a shout, but 35th in San Sebastian doesn't count as a perfect last race.

Then why is Contador allowed to be mentioned. I don't recall him winning the bunch sprint in Madrid.

Semantics.