Question Which professional cyclist has the biggest come back story?

[BlueRoads]

You very elegantly put him into a tapering half-sentence there.

 

[RedheadDane]

Surprised that noone has mentioned Armstrong yet. We know he didn't really play the game fair, but it's still impressive what he archieved after overcoming a severe cancer with little chance of surviving.

If he could've made it back without… you know what… then he was an idiot; after such an illness, simply making it back would've been an achievement. Even if he'd never won anything, even if he'd DNFed more often than he finished.
If he couldn't… well… not that impressive then.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

And as I discovered in the Guess Who thread earlier, today is the 31st birthday of the subject of a very special comeback: Happy Birthday to Stig Broeckx.

 

[RedheadDane]

And as I discovered in the Guess Who thread earlier, today is the 31st birthday of the subject of a very special comeback: Happy Birthday to Stig Broeckx.

30th. Unless you think what happened made him a full year older…

 

[Armchair cyclist]

You're right, sorry

 

[RedheadDane]

You're right, sorry

Well… I'm not the one you made a year older. Unless you're… trying to make it 2021 all of a sudden.

 

[oldcrank]

Froomey coming back from schistosomiasis to become the TopDawg, the greatest Grand Tour rider of his generation and one of the best of all-time.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Froomey coming back from schistosomiasis to become the TopDawg, the greatest Grand Tour rider of his generation and one of the best of all-time.

I don't think that classifies a comeback but he did do those things and if he wins post crash especially a GT that would be a high comeback with his injury, age, and present day events. The Giro was also a good comeback of his.
"a return by a well-known person, especially an entertainer or sports player, to the activity in which they have formerly been successful."

 

[Roku]

Lance Armstrong, regardless of any clinic issue.

 

[Escarabajo]

If by come back we mean that you had to perform at high level or reached some kind of success before the come back then we would have to discard Froome. Unless he does something especial after his accident in 2019.

 

[Extinction]

Lemond 1989 Tour for the memories. Too bad getting shot prevented him from disputing 87 and 88. The American's pioneer status in riding on French teams and his lack of rigor in the off-season (unthinkable in today's cycling or else you are out of a job), certainly contributed to a palmarès that did not match in my opinion his raw talent. He had the engine to be better than Hinault on paper, but fell far short of the latter's class. If Lemond were racing today, Pogacar seems like the type of talent he'd be. To win the Tour as a young gun, he'd have to be.

 

[Volderke]

1. This topic. Saved from (by?) exctinction.
2. Bananito coming back since 2014.
3. Frank VDB. In eternal comeback-mode since 1999.

 

[md1975]

If we're talking in-race, Froome in the Giro was pretty crazy.

Landis as well (it happened, like it or not).

If you can say Landis then you have to say with no question that the biggest is...

Lance winning 7 Tours after cancer. With no winner listed in 7 years. You kinda have to say that he is still the champion in all 7. Dope, sure but they all do and continue to do it. I think the UCI and ASO turn a blind eye to it unless a leak gets out of a top rider testing positive (Contador?). And he really didn't get a punishment so they still turned their heads.

 

[Leinster]

If you can say Landis then you have to say with no question that the biggest is...

Lance winning 7 Tours after cancer. With no winner listed in 7 years. You kinda have to say that he is still the champion in all 7. Dope, sure but they all do and continue to do it. I think the UCI and ASO turn a blind eye to it unless a leak gets out of a top rider testing positive (Contador?). And he really didn't get a punishment so they still turned their heads.

Contador? He had 2 GT wins scratched off. That's literally the harshest punishment the UCI had the power to give him.

 

[md1975]

Contador? He had 2 GT wins scratched off. That's literally the harshest punishment the UCI had the power to give him.

He didn't get a ban. 2yr is the standard. Then he came back and won a few more GTs in short order. He was not able to ride until a set amount of time passed. But it was not like what most get. I like him, just stating that he could have gotten worse. Other riders you hear talked about and then nothing happens. The difference is they are not well known or multiple race winners. Nobody misses them if they are gone or not. I saw an article about it. That's why Lance didn't get busted in 99 for the"saddle sore cream" on day 1. He only got busted when he refused to let Landis on his team and returned to race. Had he not returned... no way he would have been caught.

Past Lance, much as I dislike him...LeMonde is probably top story. You go from getting shot and near death to come back and win a TdF. That's big and amazing seeing it hit his lung.

 

[LaFlorecita]

He didn't get a ban. 2yr is the standard. Then he came back and won a few more GTs in short order. He was not able to ride until a set amount of time passed. But it was not like what most get. I like him, just stating that he could have gotten worse. Other riders you hear talked about and then nothing happens. The difference is they are not well known or multiple race winners. Nobody misses them if they are gone or not. I saw an article about it. That's why Lance didn't get busted in 99 for the"saddle sore cream" on day 1. He only got busted when he refused to let Landis on his team and returned to race. Had he not returned... no way he would have been caught.

Past Lance, much as I dislike him...LeMonde is probably top story. You go from getting shot and near death to come back and win a TdF. That's big and amazing seeing it hit his lung.

He did get a 2 yr ban from the time of his positive test. August 2010-August 2012. That is why his results in 2011 were voided. If he had gotten 2 years from the date of decision his results wouldn't have been voided. Cannot have it both ways.

 

[RedheadDane]

If he had gotten 2 years from the date of decision his results wouldn't have been voided.

And then, of course, he wouldn't have won the 2012 Vuelta.

 

[valentius borealis]

With Contador, you can't forget his 2014 Vuelta win coming back from the broken leg.