Tommy Voeckler Discussion thread

[ParfaitAmour]

He isn't very popular in the peloton. And despite his attacking style he neither seems to be a favourite of many of the posters here.
very gutsy rider though. Has balls most GC men would dream to have.

I love watching Tommy, at least he ensures the race isn't a snooze fast.

And this is his face after winning

 

[CobbleStoner]

Considering how he rode on yesterdays climbs, especially on the Colombier with 50k's to go, I can totally understand that he isn't popular and also that the other riders marked him in the final and clearly didn't want him to win. Those absolute useless accelerations of 20m from the back of the group, then again softpedalling before accelerating again. He clearly didn't have the intention to go solo but just to hurt the others. And all this at a point of the race when it wasn't a sure thing that the break will stay clear until the finish and working together was the premise there.

^this.
fans either love him or hate him, and he is good for the sport, but riders hate guys that ride like he does, soooo annoying, and then local cat IV racers will see him and try to ride that way, ridiculous. if you are that strong, take longer steady pulls, don't surge, if you are so strong you want to solo, just go already.

 

[cabbagetom]

What are the chances he will be able to hold on to Polka Dot jersey?

 

[Arnout]

Considering how he rode on yesterdays climbs, especially on the Colombier with 50k's to go, I can totally understand that he isn't popular and also that the other riders marked him in the final and clearly didn't want him to win. Those absolute useless accelerations of 20m from the back of the group, then again softpedalling before accelerating again. He clearly didn't have the intention to go solo but just to hurt the others. And all this at a point of the race when it wasn't a sure thing that the break will stay clear until the finish and working together was the premise there.

He did the most work in the break by far.

 

[JimPanzen]

He did the most work in the break by far.

Uhm...I don't think so.

 

[CobbleStoner]

He did the most work in the break by far.

you got your spelling a bit wrong there: He MADE the most work FOR the break by far

but he won, so who cares if your break away companions hate you

 

[Super Voeckler]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RYBln_Jnas

voeckler heckled haha

 

[pugdog]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RYBln_Jnas

voeckler heckled haha

Voeckler heckled and rattled.

 

[xanadu]

Voeckler dates back to the LA era and arrived at the Tour with a bang. Whilst other tour newbies are content to strut their stuff for a couole of days before fading into anonimity the man from Martinique became the envy of the pro peloton by grabbing the yellow bib and courageously holding it for the best part of ten days. He clearly loved the adulation and fame much to the annoyance of his peers. Seeasoned senior pros whose breakaway efforts and team duties went largely unheralded were not best pleased by this impudent little upstart in his first tour.
To make matters worse the lion hearted Voeckler grabbed the yellow bib in another tour and at one stage threatened to take it to Paris.That sanity prevailed and he finished off the podium was perhaps a blessing in disguise but his antics only stirred up old feeling of resentment. If Jens Voigt is the pelotons king of hearts then Voeckler is the joker in the pack.

 

[Arnout]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RYBln_Jnas

voeckler heckled haha

Good on him.

For some reason Dutch fans are really obnoxious about him. When the Tour started in Rotterdam he was the only rider who was booed, he always get booed in the (pathetic) "Dutch" corner on Alpe d'Huez too as only rider.

 

[veji11]

yeah some supporters are really dumb... It's like he pushed Hoogerland in the ditch himself on that day. I must say I will miss his character, it's nice to see athletes that aren't just polite corporate bores... Even in race I like the way he eggs on his fellow breakaway riders, etc.. always trying to gain some sort of psychological leverage, which is a part of the race I like.

 

[sir fly]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/thomas-voeckler-i-did-it-my-way/
Have you read the interview?
He's been a part of every plot this century.

 

[movingtarget]

Wasn't much of a fan but I admired his ride in the 2011 Tour. If he used his head more on the final mountain stage he probably would have made the podium.

 

[jmdirt]

"At the last minute, I said to Cofidis, 'Ok, but can we wait until 6pm this evening, because Jean-René has one last meeting today?' And at 2pm I had a phone call from Europcar, who said 'if you stay, we'll come on board as a sponsor.'"

Voeckler would have earned nearly twice as much at Cofidis, but friends and colleagues would have been out of work.

"I'm sure Cofidis would have been a good experience as well, but I think – no, I'm sure – I did what I did because the team would have ended if I'd have signed that contract."

A sense of responsibility, then? Guilt, even?

"I don't want to say 'ah, it's thanks to me that the team carried on, and all that'. Because a team is exactly that: a team. I waited so the team had a chance to survive, but I could afford to – I knew that in any case I'd have work. I didn't save the team – everyone did."

 

[Alexandre B.]

Penultimate race, penultimate ovation: https://streamable.com/seype

 

[Lupi33x]

Nice moment. One of my favourite riders.

 

[veji11]

Aye good bye Tommy Voeckler, I loved the ride, I loved the antics, I loved the old school attacking style and I love the bad character, the bickering in the breakaways to get into his opponents' head, old school racing, will miss him.

 

[offbyone]

Re:

Nice moment. One of my favourite riders.

Agreed. An animator of the race and a fun guy to cheer for. Definite crowd favorite, although I think he drove the peloton and sometimes his own team crazy at times with his antics. He left me riveted and absolutely glued to the race in the 2004 TDF and then again in the 2011 TDF. So I will always be a great fan.