Riders' excuses

[Valv.Piti]

Its a very insightful post, thank you! I think everyone knew or had an idea about how stuff like that worked, you just put words on it. Its not only riders, but also fans.

 

[canarydan23]

That's probably true! It explains how so many people are blinded to the errors (clinic and non-clinic) or weaknesses of their favourite riders.

I'm a bit like it with table tennis at work. We have a table in the staff room and I like to think I'm the best, which means every time I lose a game I have to blame something else (I wasn't feeling well, my opponent had a few lucky clips of the net or his serve was questionable!).

As for excuses, I had a little chuckle at Kittel last year after Stage 14 of the Tour de France. Cav shot passed him and then perfectly legitimately closed the door and rather than compete, he threw his toys out of the pram and soft-pedaled home, saying "His move definitely influenced the result, it's not up to me to decide what should happen now" as if he felt Cavendish should have been punished. I'm not sure what punishment he had in mind? Take away his stage victory for having the temerity to be quicker than Kittel that day?

 

[Pennino]

You are perfectly right. Someone who performs on top level, with the task to be the best and thus needing to claim the top spot which has room for just one person, just cannot permit himself to not think he's the very best.

And that creates a load of funny excuses

 

[RedheadDane]

Re:

I thought the idea of renaming the thread was that it is no longer about one rider's excuses. There is a mod out there who needs to revise their understanding of apostrophes and plurals!

Well, them apostrophe's are tricky!


Err... is this for actual excuses, quoted by the riders, or made-up ones?

 

[Vroome.exe]

I didn't want to win so I decided who will win
Peter Sagan, Gent-Wevelgem 2017.

"What can I do? I am not his teammate. I'm going to work for what, for Terpstra to beat me in the sprint? I could decide today who can win."

 

[Netserk]

Stupid then that he didn't decide that he won himself.

 

[GuyIncognito]

I was going to post some classic Armitstead excuses, but I sensibly realized they would take up about 15 pages

 

[Martin]

Re:

Stupid then that he didn't decide that he won himself.

pyrrhic victory is still better then no victory.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Re: Rider's excuses

Degenkolb did not win today because Stuyven's chain fell off.

 

[tobydawq]

Greg didn't win today's Tour stage because Sagan (who instead won) unclipped, making it impossible for Greg to enter Sagan's slipstream.

"It was too far to keep sprinting flat out. In a straight duel, it was hard to beat him. I chose to get back on his wheel but I failed to hold onto it. It's a pity that he lost his pedal. Otherwise, I maybe could've gotten in his slipstream and - who knows - maybe even pass him. He was the strongest rider out there. Everything had to go perfectly. I'm pleased with how I did it," Van Avermaet said.

 

[hazaran]

This thread is lacking Matthews.

"For sure, if I would’ve been further up it probably would’ve been the victory,"

“It was chaotic and some of the crazier sprinters wanted to upset our train,” Matthews told radsport-news.com. “There was almost a crash and the guy pulling for me had to click out of the pedal. I had to go around him and then all the others came from behind.

"In the finale I saw a sign that said to turn left, panicked and from then it was game over. "

"Søren went to get me a bidon and just at that moment someone started pulling at the front and someone left the wheel go," Matthews told Cyclingnews

"I was about fifth or sixth wheel when he went and two guys in front of me and the three guys that got away dropped the wheel. I thought that some other guys would close it but obviously they didn't."

 

[Tonton]

Re:

Greg didn't win today's Tour stage because Sagan (who instead won) unclipped, making it impossible for Greg to enter Sagan's slipstream.

"It was too far to keep sprinting flat out. In a straight duel, it was hard to beat him. I chose to get back on his wheel but I failed to hold onto it. It's a pity that he lost his pedal. Otherwise, I maybe could've gotten in his slipstream and - who knows - maybe even pass him. He was the strongest rider out there. Everything had to go perfectly. I'm pleased with how I did it," Van Avermaet said.

Doesn't make sense .

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

This thread is lacking Matthews.

"For sure, if I would’ve been further up it probably would’ve been the victory,"

“It was chaotic and some of the crazier sprinters wanted to upset our train,” Matthews told radsport-news.com. “There was almost a crash and the guy pulling for me had to click out of the pedal. I had to go around him and then all the others came from behind.

"In the finale I saw a sign that said to turn left, panicked and from then it was game over. "

"Søren went to get me a bidon and just at that moment someone started pulling at the front and someone left the wheel go," Matthews told Cyclingnews

"I was about fifth or sixth wheel when he went and two guys in front of me and the three guys that got away dropped the wheel. I thought that some other guys would close it but obviously they didn't."

Is there some context for the turn left one? Or did he genuinely try to turn left just before a sprint and then almost hit a barrier?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

'I was a bit sick'

Lars Boom after every big race ever

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

This thread is lacking Matthews.

"For sure, if I would’ve been further up it probably would’ve been the victory,"

“It was chaotic and some of the crazier sprinters wanted to upset our train,” Matthews told radsport-news.com. “There was almost a crash and the guy pulling for me had to click out of the pedal. I had to go around him and then all the others came from behind.

"In the finale I saw a sign that said to turn left, panicked and from then it was game over. "

"Søren went to get me a bidon and just at that moment someone started pulling at the front and someone left the wheel go," Matthews told Cyclingnews

"I was about fifth or sixth wheel when he went and two guys in front of me and the three guys that got away dropped the wheel. I thought that some other guys would close it but obviously they didn't."

Is there some context for the turn left one? Or did he genuinely try to turn left just before a sprint and then almost hit a barrier?

I think it was the stage of Itzulia this year, which was won by Albasini. It finished on a twisting, down-hill road and with side roads that apparently confused him.

 

[RedheadDane]

Well, now we know what excuse Sagan can't ever use: "I clicked out of my pedal."

 

[Martin]

Oh. Get Sagan out of the way, we wont need excuses.
https://streamable.com/j7gqb

 

[toolittle]

Re:

Oh. Get Sagan out of the way, we wont need excuses.
https://streamable.com/j7gqb

The way that demare turn to Bouhanni front wheel looks dangerous.

 

[Tonton]

Re: Re:

Oh. Get Sagan out of the way, we wont need excuses.
https://streamable.com/j7gqb

The way that demare turn to Bouhanni front wheel looks dangerous.

Demare was giving Bouhanni his excuse: "I lost to Demare due to foul play, not because he smoked me."

 

[Valv.Piti]

Its totally NOT representative of the whole situation. You actually need to look at what happened prior to that.

 

[Tonton]

Re:

Its totally NOT representative of the whole situation. You actually need to look at what happened prior to that.

Is it a response to my post? If so can you elaborate?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Its totally NOT representative of the whole situation. You actually need to look at what happened prior to that.

Is it a response to my post? If so can you elaborate?

Nope, to see Sagan link above. It doesn't really work like that, you can make every rider look innocent that way.

 

[Martin]

Re: Re:

Its totally NOT representative of the whole situation. You actually need to look at what happened prior to that.

Is it a response to my post? If so can you elaborate?

Nope, to see Sagan link above. It doesn't really work like that, you can make every rider look innocent that way.

Oh really? Andre just made an excuse
https://twitter.com/AndreGreipel/status/882320977719427074

 

[Tonton]

Re: Re:

Its totally NOT representative of the whole situation. You actually need to look at what happened prior to that.

Is it a response to my post? If so can you elaborate?

Nope, to see Sagan link above. It doesn't really work like that, you can make every rider look innocent that way.

Oh really? Andre just made an excuse
https://twitter.com/AndreGreipel/status/882320977719427074

In French, excuse means both "excuse" and "apology"...so Le Gorille is changing his tune...wait, he's going to blame Demare next ...Greipel talks a lot these days, not with his legs though...

 

[Samamba]

Re: Re:

Its totally NOT representative of the whole situation. You actually need to look at what happened prior to that.

Is it a response to my post? If so can you elaborate?

Nope, to see Sagan link above. It doesn't really work like that, you can make every rider look innocent that way.

Oh really? Andre just made an excuse
https://twitter.com/AndreGreipel/status/882320977719427074

In French, excuse means both "excuse" and "apology"...so Le Gorille is changing his tune...wait, he's going to blame Demare next ...Greipel talks a lot these days, not with his legs though...

He literally said it was his own fault today, so I don't know what you're getting at?