Who had the Biggest sporting change in History?

[Escarabajo]

Apart from having a big smile, a Cancer Foundation, high cadence, big heart, etc.

We want to know who had the biggest jump from being a "Donkey" to a "Race Horse"

If you don't agree with the choices just vote other and explain.

Thanks.

Edit: I am undecided between Froome and Riis. I am waiting for people to give me a better case for any of the two.

 

[del1962]

What about Race Horse to Donkey, can we include that?

 

[EnacheV]

what is with this lately ****ty polls in the clinic

who made you lol
who had the biggest ...

i understand you are upset by Horner but you can release your anger in his thread

 

[DirtyWorks]

Santambrogio?

 

[the sceptic]

Froome
Wiggins
Riis

Horner and LA werent Donkeys before their transformations

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Froome
Wiggins
Riis

Horner and LA werent Donkeys before their transformations

Horner was, he had the same "no results" as Froome when 25 years old...

 

[Escarabajo]

what is with this lately ****ty polls in the clinic

who made you lol
who had the biggest ...

i understand you are upset by Horner but you can release your anger in his thread

Actually I am not voting for Horner. Horner is the last one in the list. I just upset that some people think that Froome had more talent than Horner to begin with.

I am undecided between Froome and Riis.

 

[hrotha]

Horner was, he had the same "no results" as Froome when 25 years old...

In a completely different era, when people had jelly running through their veins.

Anyway, at least Froome was the same kind of rider before and after his transformation (all-rounded climber and time-trialist), so I'd have to say Wiggins and Riis.

 

[Escarabajo]

I forgot about Wiggins. Well, he had some talent before his change anyway.

 

[oldcrank]

Contador. Zero wins his first two years as an amateur.
Not exactly a natural talent from the get-go. But when
he hooked up with Saiz, well that is a whole other story.

 

[ciranda]

FROOOOOOME

I also want to say Tafi. That he won Giro di Lombardia + Flanders is sad. I pretty much hate Riis but still he did win two Giro stages early.

 

[roundabout]

Jalabert.

He wasn't a Cipollini. More like Sagan, but a super dominant Vuelta and a TT world title are now just funny.

 

[roundabout]

In a completely different era, when people had jelly running through their veins.

Anyway, at least Froome was the same kind of rider before and after his transformation (all-rounded climber and time-trialist), so I'd have to say Wiggins and Riis.

Horner is still a bit hard to take, jelly or not. I have real doubts that a guy who climbed Pena Cabarga like he did would have been almost completely slaughtered during his first stint in Europe.

 

[hrotha]

Horner is still a bit hard to take, jelly or not. I have real doubts that a guy who climbed Pena Cabarga like he did would have been almost completely slaughtered during his first stint in Europe.

Personally I find his Vuelta more suspicious in light of his second stint. Sure, he had very good results, but he had little to show for it in GT GCs for 8 years.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

In a completely different era, when people had jelly running through their veins.

What different era? (besides that the colour of the infused/injected stuff might have changed...)

 

[hrotha]

What different era? (besides that the colour of the infused/injected stuff might have changed...)

Hmm, the era before there was even a test for EPO? The era when you could get as much of it in your system as you wanted, as long as you could get a saline drip in time?

 

[roundabout]

Personally I find his Vuelta more suspicious in light of his second stint. Sure, he had very good results, but he had little to show for it in GT GCs for 8 years.

Agree.

Then again he got injured in the 2009 Giro, crashed out in the 2009 Vuelta and 2011 Tour.

No guarantees how those races would have ended up, but that's 3 GT's he could have placed well in.

 

[happychappy]

Claudio Chapuchi

 

[DirtyWorks]

Horner and LA werent Donkeys before their transformations

Armstrong was doped as a teenager under Carmichael/Wenzel. There is literally no way to know what his natural fitness is/was. There are clues, the Tour of Gila he rode to very unspectacular results, some post-uci multisport events where he gets soundly beaten.

Horner had more talent at the wrong time. Is he doping? No clue. But, I choose the option where he is both is/is not doping at the same time. History will likely tell.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Claudio Chapuchi

Haha. So true. It reminded me of Francesco Moser. Mr. Moser's accomplishments demand a revision to the poll.

For the younger set, he was the first to break Merckx's hour record some 20 years(?) after Merckx set it, and broke it twice.... Using EPO.

 

[del1962]

Haha. So true. It reminded me of Francesco Moser. Mr. Moser's accomplishments demand a revision to the poll.

For the younger set, he was the first to break Merckx's hour record some 20 years(?) after Merckx set it, and broke it twice.... Using EPO.

Blood doping not EPO

 

[Stingray34]

Haha. So true. It reminded me of Francesco Moser. Mr. Moser's accomplishments demand a revision to the poll.

For the younger set, he was the first to break Merckx's hour record some 20 years(?) after Merckx set it, and broke it twice.... Using EPO.

It was reinfused blood courtesy of those fine men at the U of Ferrara. During the Giro he got a similar leg up from a helicopter.

As far as Horner goes, they're partying pretty hard in Appalacia right now. Not cause of Horner. That's just what hillbillies do.

Hellbilly Deluxe.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Hmm, the era before there was even a test for EPO? The era when you could get as much of it in your system as you wanted, as long as you could get a saline drip in time?

And now there are so many undectable things available, who knows what´s going on now. It seems the passport isn´t working anymore. I tought it would take 5+ years to get the same absurd results like back then. But no, it only took two years.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Agree.

Then again he got injured in the 2009 Giro, crashed out in the 2009 Vuelta and 2011 Tour.

No guarantees how those races would have ended up, but that's 3 GT's he could have placed well in.

Still all of them would have been after age 36. At this point all top cyclists declined heavily (even the mega dopers of the 90s like Rijs).
Everybody shall remember that Horner had nothing to show for until at least age 25, and he failed miserably his 1st time in europe.
Don´t get confused when "Moose" comes up with some obscure US palamares. Chad Haga has more to show at age 25, and i picked him randomly. There arte thousands like him. Horner was not even an average donkey turned into a race horse.
So my call goes for Horner.

 

[hrotha]

And now there are so many undectable things avaiable, who knows what´s going on now. It seems the passport isn´t working anymore. I toght it would take 5+ years to get the same absurd results like back then. But no, it only took two years.

You seem to be under the impression that I think he's clean now or something?

Chances are he was clean(ish) during his first stint though. That's the difference for me. That's why his FDJ results mean zilch to me.