Rider nicknames

[ingsve]

What is Sastres nickname?

The swedish commentators often call him "El Chupete" (The Pacifier) ever since he put a pacifier in his mouth when he won a Tour stage in 2003.

 

[hrotha]

What is Sastres nickname?

One nickname I've heard is "Don Limpio" (Mr Clean), but it's not something you hear very often.

 

[profff]

This Giro I've started calling Nibali "Nibbles". Was hoping he'd be stronger than Basso so we could have had a "Nibbles Vs Cuddles" battle.

nibali is called the "squalo" (shark ) from messina
michele scarponi is called "aquila di filottrano " (eagle from filottrano, his hometown ). In italian forums he is called also zapatero , as stated before

 

[The Hitch]

Sastre clean? lol 😀

El chupete sounds good.

 

[Bumeington]

Sastre clean? lol 😀

El chupete sounds good.

It refers to his lifestyle

 

[Eric8-A]

Miguel Indurain: Miguelon

Mike Friedman: Meatball

Fabian Cancellara: Fabio (A name I use on him. Not sure if other people use it as well)

George Hincapie: Hincapie. I say it in Spanish which sounds like Inca-pee-eh

Floyd Landis: The Floyd (another one I sort of came up with)

Ivan Dominguez: The Cuban missile

Peter Sagan: The Slovakian speedster

Jeremy Powers: J-Pow

Yaroslav Popovych: Popo

Ezequiel Mosquera: Cheque. (a shortened name for Ezequiel used in Spanish. Not sure if they use it in Spain)

Cadel Evans: Caddy or Caddy Evans
I know, some of these I have made up.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't think Philippe Gilbert has a nickname yet. Unless you coun't Phil as a nickname.

Perhaps Big Phil =D

GiRlbert after his moaning about people wheel sucking.

 

[El Pistolero]

GiRlbert after his moaning about people wheel sucking.

The entire peleton moans about Pozatto from time to time.

 

[Chuffy]

As far as I understand it started during the 2008 where Evans was a little... angry... sometimes. As in anything but cuddley! Some commentator thought that was funny and decided to name him Cuddles! 😀

I remember calling him that at the time, on another forum. I'd like to claim credit, but it's probably just coincidence!


Thor SMASH! for Hushovd is probably my favourite.

 

[The Hitch]

Miguel Indurain: Miguelon

Mike Friedman: Meatball

Fabian Cancellara: Fabio (A name I use on him. Not sure if other people use it as well)

George Hincapie: Hincapie. I say it in Spanish which sounds like Inca-pee-eh

Floyd Landis: The Floyd (another one I sort of came up with)

Ivan Dominguez: The Cuban missile

Peter Sagan: The Slovakian speedster

Jeremy Powers: J-Pow

Yaroslav Popovych: Popo

Ezequiel Mosquera: Cheque. (a shortened name for Ezequiel used in Spanish. Not sure if they use it in Spain)

Cadel Evans: Caddy or Caddy Evans
I know, some of these I have made up.

You can use what you want, but imo nicknames should be as they always have been, 1 word, with the option of a definate article.

It gets a bit crap when you theres an adjective
eg "the Slovakian..., the Cuban....".
Thats why i dont like "the silent assasin" or the green bullet.

Since its cycling, i also think its weak to use nicknames relating to speed, like missile or speedster or bullet. because all cyclists have great speed.

No one calls cancellara "the Swiss speedster".
Hes a cyclist, everyone knows hes fast.

But nicknames should be deeper, preferably not related to speed. = Spartacus.

Look at the great nicknames

Eddy - The Cannibal...
Laurent - The Proffessor...
Bernard - The Badger


Its all one word, and when its cycling related its subverted.
Badger because of his style. Proffessor because of his look. For Rodriguez, Purito because of his childhood story.

Its no Cadel, "the Australian climber" Evans, but Cadel "Cuddles" Evans, because he likes teddy bears.

Alberto - El Pistolero
Lance - The Boss
Ricardo - The Cobra
Jose - El Chava
Marco - Il Pirata
Dennis - The Pope

 

[Jukebox]

You can use what you want, but imo nicknames should be as they always have been, 1 word, with the option of a definate article.

It gets a bit crap when you theres an adjective
eg "the Slovakian..., the Cuban....".
Thats why i dont like "the silent assasin" or the green bullet.

Since its cycling, i also think its weak to use nicknames relating to speed, like missile or speedster or bullet. because all cyclists have great speed.

No one calls cancellara "the Swiss speedster".
Hes a cyclist, everyone knows hes fast.

But nicknames should be deeper, preferably not related to speed. = Spartacus.

Look at the great nicknames

Eddy - The Cannibal...
Laurent - The Proffessor...
Bernard - The Badger


Its all one word, and when its cycling related its subverted.
Badger because of his style. Proffessor because of his look. For Rodriguez, Purito because of his childhood story.

Its no Cadel, "the Australian climber" Evans, but Cadel "Cuddles" Evans, because he likes teddy bears.

Alberto - El Pistolero
Lance - The Boss
Ricardo - The Cobra
Jose - El Chava
Marco - Il Pirata
Dennis - The Pope

The Hitch talks good sense, ya hear.

 

[El Pistolero]

You can use what you want, but imo nicknames should be as they always have been, 1 word, with the option of a definate article.

It gets a bit crap when you theres an adjective
eg "the Slovakian..., the Cuban....".
Thats why i dont like "the silent assasin" or the green bullet.

Since its cycling, i also think its weak to use nicknames relating to speed, like missile or speedster or bullet. because all cyclists have great speed.

No one calls cancellara "the Swiss speedster".
Hes a cyclist, everyone knows hes fast.

But nicknames should be deeper, preferably not related to speed. = Spartacus.

Look at the great nicknames

Eddy - The Cannibal...
Laurent - The Proffessor...
Bernard - The Badger


Its all one word, and when its cycling related its subverted.
Badger because of his style. Proffessor because of his look. For Rodriguez, Purito because of his childhood story.

Its no Cadel, "the Australian climber" Evans, but Cadel "Cuddles" Evans, because he likes teddy bears.

Alberto - El Pistolero
Lance - The Boss
Ricardo - The Cobra
Jose - El Chava
Marco - Il Pirata
Dennis - The Pope

Il cobra è morto.

Pantani was also called Il Elefantino. Well, by someone no one likes here at least.

Valverde - El Imbatido. The unbeatable.

Lance - The Texan. That's how I call him. The boss is kind of a lame nickname

Spartacus is also not really a flattering nickname if you know your history. Beaten by an incompetent general. Killed in battle. Most of his followers crucified. xD

 

[kurtinsc]

I think as a board we should come up with a nickname for a relatively unknown rider and see if we can get it into common usage by the cycling media. Something like the fanclub for that french rider in the TDU... Vichot?

 

[The Hitch]

The Hitch talks good sense, ya hear.

Thanks.

Spartacus is also not really a flattering nickname if you know your history. Beaten by an incompetent general. Killed in battle. Most of his followers crucified. xD

Are you for real😎?????

So i suppose comparing someone to Julius Ceasar would be offensive? I mean he was betrayed. Ha! Foooool. No respect in that😎

And Hannibal. Forget the alps, the elephants and cannae. He got suckered by his own city. SSSSSUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKEEEEEERRRRRR!!!!!

And why are we calling Basso "Ivan the terrible". I mean the real Ivan the terrible DIED!. Psss. Mortality. Thats for the weak. 🙄


Spartacus is a symbol of strenght. You think its a sign of weakness that the ROMAN ARMY, the great empire of history, managed to suppress and kill a handful of slaves in their against the odds attempt at freedom.

You CAN NOT be serious.

Ps. If Spartacus isnt all that, why was he admired and seen as a hero by everyone from Toussaint Lovretur (leader of the great anti imperialist rebellion in the new world) to Kant, to Karl Marx.

I guess Marx just didnt know his history 🙄

 

[profff]

the first , true and only pistolero was mariano piccoli, the italian rider winning stages in vuelta, giro and kom and point competition winner of the giro.

so as pistolero, alberto contador comes second😀

 

[auscyclefan94]

As far as I understand it started during the 2008 where Evans was a little... angry... sometimes. As in anything but cuddley! Some commentator thought that was funny and decided to name him Cuddles! 😀

that maggot dan friebe named him that. If I ever see that guy I will cut his head off!

 

[El Pistolero]

Thanks.



Are you for real

So i suppose comparing someone to Julius Ceasar would be offensive? I mean he was betrayed. Ha! Foooool. No respect in that😎

And Hannibal. Forget the alps, the elephants and cannae. He got suckered by his own city. SSSSSUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKEEEEEERRRRRR!!!!!

And why are we calling Basso "Ivan the terrible". I mean the real Ivan the terrible DIED!. Psss. Mortality. Thats for the weak.


Spartacus is a symbol of strenght. You think its a sign of weakness that the ROMAN ARMY, the great empire of history, managed to suppress and kill a handful of slaves in their against the odds attempt at freedom.

You CAN NOT be serious.

Ps. If Spartacus isnt all that, why was he admired and seen as a hero by everyone from Toussaint Lovretur (leader of the great anti imperialist rebellion in the new world) to Kant, to Karl Marx.

I guess Marx just didnt know his history 🙄

All decent Roman generals were gone fighting somewhere else during most of the revolt of Spartacus. Roman empire? Not really, a weak Roman republic divided between 2 big sides with a lot of civil wars(Populares vs. the Optimates). With armies loyal to their generals instead of the republic. Yeah, smart move senate.

Comparing someone to Gaius Iulius Caesar would be pretty offensive yes. The guy is a brutal mass murderer after all? 😕
And to be fair his premature death could have been prevented by a little more common sense on his side. I actually rode a paper about this subject about why Caesar was so reckless during the last years of his life. If I were in Caesar's shoes I'd have killed all my enemies in the Equites and senator ranks. Hey revenge was a good thing in the Roman world. I wouldn't be doing anything bad ;p. I'd even do them a favor by forcing them to kill them self. Another honorable thing in the Roman world. Sono Pazzi Questi Romani indeed.

Comparing a cyclist to Hannibal wouldn't be a compliment either. He knew how to get a victory for sure, but not how to use it. Perhaps a fitting nickname for Poulidor yes. 🙄 But most people wouldn't understand the link between the two. But Hannibal really does fit Poulidor in the overal picture. Sure as hell beats his the eternal second nickname he has now. Too bad the average human being thinks of a cannibal first when they hear the name Hannibal nowadays.

Ps: History can even make Hitler look like a hero xD Spartacus a hero? He wasn't fighting against slavery. Spartacus was for slavery. He just wanted to reverse the roles lol. Sure to a normal person Spartacus will be a compliment, but I wouldn't like to be called like that. He wasn't ethical, he wasn't a brilliant tactician(though a lot better than the average Roman commanders he faced in the beginning), he wasn't all that great at logistics, he wasn't a brilliant strategist. He probably was a very charismatic person in real life, but so was Hitler... He died a painful dead and so did his followers. They didn't just die a normal death, but the most shameful way to die in the Roman world. Hence why I also think it's not a fitting name for Fabio, I just call him Canc. Or Fabio. I don't see a leader figure in Cancellara anyway(with that I mean leading people and making his own decisions. He is of course leading his team during the classics.). The historical Spartacus was probably just scum, kinda like the historical Jesus(I'm just kidding here lol, although neither of them are heroes to me xD) .

Marx supported bloody and brutal revolutions. Like I care who he sees as a hero. His historical materialism might be a great theory that is still supported to this day, but that doesn't make his opinion of historical figures better than well... The most probable truth. A large part of his philosophy has been proven wrong anyway(certainly not all).

--

Now Tony Martin has a cool nickname. Der Panzerwagen. But everything in German sounds cooler and stronger to me. We need more German cyclists on top level. Jan Ullrich: Ulle(my favorite), Der Kaiser, Der Jan, Der Junge. Der Kaiser, now that's also a good nickname. What's Ciolek's nickname? Big boy for the future I hope.

Some other favorites of mine:
Paolo Savoldelli: Il Falco/De Valk/The Falcon.
Johan Museew: De leeuw van Vlaanderen/Il Leone delle Fiandre/The lion of Flanders
Van Petegem: De Zwarte van Brakel. I'm not going to translate this one as it sounds less cool in other languages.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Anyone named Robert "The Condor" Gesink yet? 😀

 

[El Pistolero]

Anyone named Robert "The Condor" Gesink yet? 😀

He has been named, but as an example of why nicknames with a location in it sucks.

Imo most nicknames with birds and town locations in it are pretty unoriginal. Besides Il Falco of course. 😎

 

[daniguti]

Jens Voigt: El señor de la carretera / The Lord of the Road
Gesink: Ganso
Cunego: Il Piccolo Principe
Juanjo Cobo: Bisonte

 

[The Hitch]

Anyone named Robert "The Condor" Gesink yet? 😀

I called him the condor here. http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=11039

All those nicknames are oficial btw 😉

Ps: History can even make Hitler look like a hero xD Spartacus a hero? He wasn't fighting against slavery. Spartacus was for slavery. He just wanted to reverse the roles lol. Sure to a normal person Spartacus will be a compliment, but I wouldn't like to be called like that. He wasn't ethical, he wasn't a brilliant tactician(though a lot better than the average Roman commanders he faced in the beginning), he wasn't all that great at logistics, he wasn't a brilliant strategist. He probably was a very charismatic person in real life, but so was Hitler... He died a painful dead and so did his followers. They didn't just die a normal death, but the most shameful way to die in the Roman world. Hence why I also think it's not a fitting name for Fabio, I just call him Canc. Or Fabio. I don't see a leader figure in Cancellara anyway(with that I mean leading people and making his own decisions. He is of course leading his team during the classics.). The historical Spartacus was probably just scum, kinda like the historical Jesus(I'm just kidding here lol, although neither of them are heroes to me xD) .

--

It doesnt matter if Spartacus would have enslaved the Romans, or killed a lot of people, or if he made any mistakes.

What matters is that he REPRESENTS the struggle for freedom. A icon of strenght.

Its why its seen as honorable to give someone that title.

History can even make Hitler look like a hero

You mean by fictionalising it?

Under no circumstances can Hitler be made a hero. I assume you are talking about the early 30's when jobs went up in Nazi Germany, but he had already disgraced himself by writing Mein Kampf, with the Putz, and by claiming to have been a WW1 hero (later proved false). And the antisemitism was already there.

Never a hero. Never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever.

As Contador says "Jamas, NUNCA!"

All decent Roman generals were gone fighting somewhere else during most of the revolt of Spartacus. Roman empire? Not really, a weak Roman republic divided between 2 big sides with a lot of civil wars(Populares vs. the Optimates). With armies loyal to their generals instead of the republic. Yeah, smart move senate.

Still against the odds. Still an impossible task, hence a legend.

If I were in Caesar's shoes I'd have killed all my enemies in the Equites and senator ranks. Hey revenge was a good thing in the Roman world.

But then we would be deprived of Shakespears great play.

Comparing someone to Gaius Iulius Caesar would be pretty offensive yes. The guy is a brutal mass murderer after all?

lol. Lighten up. Before the age of enlightenment everybody was a mass murderer. These things happened 2000 years ago. All these guys killed people. Alexander macedon, Hannibal, Ceasar, Attila, Ginghis, timur the lame.

It happened so long ago that their characters come to embody other meanings.

Ivan the terrible wasnt exactly a nice guy. I dont see Basso objecting.

Under this logic, dont Lions kill? Are we ofending Musseew by calling him a lion?

Marx supported bloody and brutal revolutions. Like I care who he sees as a hero. His historical materialism might be a great theory that is still supported to this day, but that doesn't make his opinion of historical figures better than well... The most probable truth. A large part of his philosophy has been proven wrong anyway(certainly not all).

I was just pointing out that loads of philosophers see Spartacus as a icon. He is an icon, which is why we call Cancellara spartacus.

Comparing a cyclist to Hannibal wouldn't be a compliment either. He knew how to get a victory for sure, but not how to use it. Perhaps a fitting nickname for Poulidor yes. 🙄 But most people wouldn't understand the link between the two. But Hannibal really does fit Poulidor in the overal picture. Sure as hell beats his the eternal second nickname he has now. Too bad the average human being thinks of a cannibal first when they hear the name Hannibal nowadays.

Hannibal didnt know how to use a victory? What should he have done? For siege warfare, the usual ratio needs to be 1: 3 to even attempt a seige. He had nowhere near enough numbers to take Rome. And the corrupt leaders back in Carthage didnt want to give him any help. He had no chance.

But he will always be remembered for those 2 great feats. 1 going through the alps just to shock Rome. and most importantly, probably the greatest act of genius in the history of war, with that Canae manouver when totaly outnumbered.

So i think maybe a thinking cyclist should be compared to Hannibal. Im too tired to think of anyone now, but Sean Kelly back before our time.

 

[rxgqgxnyfz]

Cancellara is not named after Spartacus, slave rebel.

He is named after Sportacus:

________
ZX14 VS HAYABUSA

 

[simo1733]

I've heard Cavendish called "Teen Wolf." I like that.

Personally I always thought "the Badger" was the best cycling nickname ever. The first time you hear it, it takes you completely by surprise; then, the more you think about it, the more sense it makes. He's not very big but you mess with him at your own peril. He's hairy. He badgers people. He even looks like a badger (with that silver he got in his eyebrows late-career).

It surprises me that Armstrong never acquired a good nickname during his glory years. I always pictured him as some sort of reptile, with those beady eyes and leathery cheeks, but I never could invent a good phrase. "The Lizard King"?

he looks like Eddy Munster in that photo

 

[simo1733]

I always loved Peter Van Petegem's "De Zwarte van Brakel". (Translates to: The black one from Brakel.)

I heard him called mascara man

 

[El Pistolero]

I called him the condor here. http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=11039

All those nicknames are oficial btw 😉



It doesnt matter if Spartacus would have enslaved the Romans, or killed a lot of people, or if he made any mistakes.

What matters is that he REPRESENTS the struggle for freedom. A icon of strenght.

Its why its seen as honorable to give someone that title.



You mean by fictionalising it?

Under no circumstances can Hitler be made a hero. I assume you are talking about the early 30's when jobs went up in Nazi Germany, but he had already disgraced himself by writing Mein Kampf, with the Putz, and by claiming to have been a WW1 hero (later proved false). And the antisemitism was already there.

Never a hero. Never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever.

As Contador says "Jamas, NUNCA!"


Still against the odds. Still an impossible task, hence a legend.



But then we would be deprived of Shakespears great play.


lol. Lighten up. Before the age of enlightenment everybody was a mass murderer. These things happened 2000 years ago. All these guys killed people. Alexander macedon, Hannibal, Ceasar, Attila, Ginghis, timur the lame.

It happened so long ago that their characters come to embody other meanings.

Ivan the terrible wasnt exactly a nice guy. I dont see Basso objecting.

Under this logic, dont Lions kill? Are we ofending Musseew by calling him a lion?



I was just pointing out that loads of philosophers see Spartacus as a icon. He is an icon, which is why we call Cancellara spartacus.



Hannibal didnt know how to use a victory? What should he have done? For siege warfare, the usual ratio needs to be 1: 3 to even attempt a seige. He had nowhere near enough numbers to take Rome. And the corrupt leaders back in Carthage didnt want to give him any help. He had no chance.

But he will always be remembered for those 2 great feats. 1 going through the alps just to shock Rome. and most importantly, probably the greatest act of genius in the history of war, with that Canae manouver when totaly outnumbered.

So i think maybe a thinking cyclist should be compared to Hannibal. Im too tired to think of anyone now, but Sean Kelly back before our time.

So Hitler will be a hero in 2000 years 😛

Caesar was a pretty cruel guy, even for his time. History just decided to write in his favor mostly. Ghengis Khan wouldn't be a compliment, but he's a military genius as well. History just decided to not write in favor of him. And his entire ethnic "race". Is there really that much difference between Caesar and Hitler in terms of cruelty? Not really. But Caesar became a hero and if Hitler won the war he would be a hero right now as well 😛

Spartacus is not an icon of freedom. That's fiction history. It's just the only part of history most people know. The historical Spartacus can't be an icon of freedom. It's fiction.

And Hannibal didn't know how to use a victory. Hence why he lost the war, even after Cannae. Like I said, he knew how to get a victory, but not how to use it. Rome wasn't build for a siege during that time(or any time). It could easily have been attacked. Especially if you're being called the biggest military genius since Alexander the Great(or Pyrrhus). Even with his senate not supporting him, Hannibal could have won the war if he knew how to use a victory. He was chanceless after the Romans changed tactics yes(not going into a direct fight with him, attacking his food supplies, maintaining the support of their allies, opening up a second front in Spain and later in Africa).

And Museeuw is called lion because of the Flemish weapon shield. Not because he has to do something with a lion lol. It's the symbol of Flanders.