The Retro Thread: where are they now?

[L'arriviste]

Ronan Pensec

For many years, Ronan had the coolest haircut in cycling but he kept well under the radar until getting into that famous long breakaway that shaped the whole of the 1990 Tour de France until the very last stages. He wore yellow for two days.

Today, he occasionally appears on French TV and radio but his main business is tourism. His company is the Tour de France's official tour operator, bussing tourists around the race and doing all sorts of hotel deals.

And he's still the epitome of post-punk cool.

 

[sienna]

Roberto Heras.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/heras-heads-to-mongolia

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Roberto rode in Central America last year in MB races too. I'd love it if he came to the US. I wonder how well he'd do at Leadville? As it's hilly, and mostly on dirt and gravel roads, I'd think he'd fare well.

I like the idea of posting "here they are now" photos, but making others guess the names. For example: Who is this happy dad?

Hints: He is American, rode in the Tour, was KOM at the Tour of the Americas, won a mountain stage at the Tour du Pont, and several other races. That should be enough, but more hints if you guys get stuck.

 

[craig1985]

I would of said Andy Hampsten, but I think I'm way off.

 

[Mambo95]

It looks like Andy Bishop to me.

 

[TomasC]

EDIT: Jan Svorada appears to have gone down the usual "cycling grandee" route - store openings, public appearances and so on. He's also still an active MTB racer. Fascinatingly, he was a trainee electrician before turning to pro cycling, though he shows no sign of taking up that particular career again.

He also has a son who's a national junior MTB relay champion (In Czech lang.).

 

[Gcraenen]

Who's this? I've got no idea. A friend took the pic at the Tour, because everyone was making a fuss of him.

Looks like Roberto Benigni to me.

 

[stephens]

I'm glad to see a lot of these guys still look fit. Meanwhile a certain American who was supposedly the most naturally talented cyclist of his generation has revealed his real natural shape to be "round".

 

[Race Radio]

I'm glad to see a lot of these guys still look fit. Meanwhile a certain American who was supposedly the most naturally talented cyclist of his generation has revealed his real natural shape to be "round".

Chris Horner is not round

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

It looks like Andy Bishop to me.

We have a winner!

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Here's another one. Who is this guy?

 

[craig1985]

Jean-Paul van Poppel?

 

[sienna]

I can't find much on Tony Rominger or Alex Zulle.

 

[Denkoff]

Thankey! so funny

 

[Escarabajo]

Does anybody know who this is? He is the bald one without the cycling shirt:

Very simple: A popular Escarabajo from the 80's.


He was going to school and riding his bike at the same time. But he had so much talent that he decided to dedicate more time to cycling. After he retired he went back to school and finish Business Adm. And now he is into politics. Something related to being elected into congress to represent the sports in the Country.

http://www.google.com.co/imgres?img...TOS+DE+FABIO+PARRA&um=1&hl=es&sa=X&tbs=isch:1

http://www.google.com.co/imgres?img...TOS+DE+FABIO+PARRA&um=1&hl=es&sa=X&tbs=isch:1

It took him 13 years to finish school. It was like 1 semester per year. Very interesting stuff:

http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-338387

This guy was the closest we got to winning the Tour.

 

[L'arriviste]

It's Fabio Parra, isn't it? We did have him on this thread earlier.

 

[Escarabajo]

It's Fabio Parra, isn't it? We did have him on this thread earlier.

Duh! Now I see him.

Well I have more details.

 

[redtreviso]

So where is Lucho Herrera?? I read he was kidnapped but released due to public outcry...

How about Raul Alcala??

 

[The_Z_man]

Raul Alcala rode in the Vuelta Chihuahua in 2008.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Holy moly, Parra looks like he's 60.

Meanwhile, the guy I posted that no one got was Greg Oravetz:

Rode for many teams, but while on Coors' Light, won the 1989 USPRO National Championships:

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Can anyone identify this former Worlds' silver medalist?

 

[Escarabajo]

So where is Lucho Herrera?? I read he was kidnapped but released due to public outcry...

...

He was never kidnapped. It was another cyclist that I don't remember right now.

Interview a year ago:

http://www.caracoltv.com/deportes/c...a-de-victorias-mas-importantes-al-ciclismo-co

Basically he is a business man. There are little details in the interview but I know he owns some motels around Fusagasuga. (I think they are motels not hotels, because with some of my friends we joke about that. Motels are a big business in Colombia because they are use per hour and they can be very exotic).

picture from 21-Apr-2009:

This is today's interview with Lucho Herrera. He talks from his ranch:

http://www.google.com.co/imgres?img...s+de+Lucho+herrera&um=1&hl=es&sa=X&tbs=isch:1

He talks about his relation with Fignon. He says that he does not write his autobiography because he does not have any secrets.

 

[Race Radio]

Can anyone identify this former Worlds' silver medalist?

Dirk De Wolf

 

[md2020]

We have a winner!

What a great flashback! Andy and the rest of the Ten Speed Drive team stayed at my house one year during the Tour of Texas, must've been '85 pr '86. I was a junior racer at the time and I think I still have a signed poster of the team at my parents' place. I think they won the TTT that year with Gogulski and one huge guy that I can't remember now.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

That is a flashback! I remember when Andy got signed to PDM to help mostly in the mountains. We fans all thought he could climb great and pictured him winning a mountain stage. Well, the US wasn't the same as the Tour! He did pretty well though. Still remember watching the TV and his stage win in the Tour DuPont over some tough terrain.

Dirk De Wolf

Good job!

1990 Worlds Flashback.

He and Rudy got a little lucky that day, but sometimes that's what it takes. God knows Rudy had enough bad luck in his career, and life.