Who is/are your favorite rider(s)

[boomcie]

Please post your favorite active riders in this thread. I'm interested to see who likes who.

I've included a non-exhaustive poll (although technically it is exhaustive because I added the "Someone else" option) to get a better overview. I realize the options are imperfect and that some people will not find their favorite rider.

Don't complain about Tony Martin not being included please Bayerische Reiter.
In hindsight, I probably should have included Vino

 

[boomcie]

I personally like most Belgian riders (although I'm not really fond of Nick Nuyens and to a lesser extent Jurgen Van den Broeck). Still, I'm mostly happy when a Belgian rider wins. Gilbert rocks of course and I like Boonen as well. Bjorn Leukemans has a great mentality. A special mention goes to Sep Vanmarcke.

I also like: Igor Anton, Francisco Ventoso, Geraint Thomas...
I kind of have some sympathy for good old Cadel Evans.
I used to like Xavier Tondo a lot.

EDIT: a few I picked up: Yoann Offredo, Pavel Brutt, Michal Kwiatkowski.

 

[hrotha]

Jurgen Van den Broeck
Ángel Madrazo
Grega Bole
Blel Kadri
Yoann Offredo
Greg Van Avermaet
Robert Gesink
Tom Danielson o)

 

[spalco]

Cavendish, Vino, Ricco, Hushovd I'd say spontaneously, but there are others I'm rooting for as well.

 

[niidirull]

Thomas Voeckler
Samuel Dumoulin
Rein Taaramae
Johan Van Summeren

 

[King Of The Wolds]

I follow the Brits, and hope to see them do well.

Elsewhere, I'm a huge Spartacus fan.

 

[boomcie]

I follow the Brits, and hope to see them do well.

Elsewhere, I'm a huge Spartacus fan.

Then why did you not check him in the poll?

 

[DenisMenchov]

Denis Menchov, obviously, and Jurgen van den Broeck.

EDIT: I forgot that the rider who made me a cycling fan is back - RASMUSSEN.

 

[Mambo95]

I voted for Cavendish, even though the answer is really 'other' (Thomas)

I tend to favour the Brits, but my favourite (non-Sky) foreigners would be Boonen, Nibali, Evans, McEwen, Friere and Moncoutie. Edit: And Eisel - he's definitely a favourite.

 

[The Hitch]

JJ Haedo
Vasily Kiriyenka.
Samuel Sanchez

Scarponi
Rinaldo Nocentini.
Gadret
Henao.
Valverde.
Stefano Garzeli.
Nieve
Visconti.
Daniel Martin
The Cobra.

(Probably have forgoten a few as its of the top of my head so list will probably be updated)

Also

Anyone the Dutchies hate.
Anyone on my cq team.

Please post your favorite active riders in this thread.

I would love to see Ryaguas attempt to answer this question, seeing as he struggles to contain his excitement just about anytime anyone wins a race, or comes second in a race, or comes top 10 in a race, or is shown on camera in a race.

Great guy.

 

[Boardslide]

Cav as I'm a sprint fan but I also follow Swfty. G Thomas & most of HTC. I also follow Philippe Gilbert

 

[mr. tibbs]

This year, I've been inspired by Offredo and Scarponi in Feb, March, and April, and Nibali in May.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

A great many, too many to mention all.

My absolute top 3 of active riders would be Amets Txurruka, David Moncoutié, Igor Antón, but until recently Xavier Tondó was in there

There are many other riders I like; Carlos Sastre, Beñat Intxausti, Hernâni Broco, Claudia Häusler, Eneritz Iturriagaetxebarría, Domenico Pozzovivo, Juan Mauricio Soler, Mikel Nieve, Vasil Kiryienka, Rubén Plaza, J-Rod, José João Mendes, Przemysław Niemiec, Marta Bastianelli, Anna Sanchis, Emma Pooley, Samuel Sánchez, Fabian Wegmann, Emanuele Sella.

There are a few riders I like who are notably inactive: Valverde, Mosquera, Guerra, Sinkewitz.

 

[DenisMenchov]

JJ Haedo
Vasily Kiriyenka.
Samuel Sanchez

Scarponi
Rinaldo Nocentini.
Gadret
Henao.
Valverde.
Stefano Garzeli.
Nieve
Visconti.
Daniel Martin
The Cobra.


Anyone the Dutchies hate.
Anyone on my cq team.

How about just saying peloton

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Oh, and I always root for Matteo Pelucchi in sprint stages. Even against Rojas and Ventoso.

 

[maltiv]

EBH, Anton, Txurruka, Rujano, Hushovd, Uran, Geraint Thomas, Nordhaug...++

 

[trompe le monde]

Igor Anton
Amets Txurruka
Samuel Sanchez
Thomas Voeckler
Alejandro Valverde

 

[theyoungest]

 

[Parrulo]

tiago machado, rui costa, tommeke, contador and nibles are some of my favourites

but i pretty much like every rider who lights up a race.

 

[The Hitch]

Funny. You told me Niemiec was your favorite rider.

 

[El Pistolero]

Filippo Pozzato, Thor Hushovd, Andy Schleck and Nicolas Roche.

 

[theyoungest]

Funny. You told me Niemiec was your favorite rider.

I was just kidding, obviously. I do like him BTW, just don't know too much about him.

 

[mortand]

Pierrick Fédrigo is probably my favorite current rider. He's got a huge amount of class when he hits the right day, and boy, does he know how to pick his races. Sure, almost all his results occur on French soil, and he may never turn in to a world beater in the Ardennes races or similar, but I don't care.
His stage win in Briancon in Le Dauphine 2009 was wonderful and a great argument for why everyone should love Fédrigo: a demonstration of coolness and that renowned, lethal powerful sprint of his.

I do have a soft spot for the French riders in general, though, and at the moment I have a minor crush on Alexandre Geniez. Could he be the real deal?

Other, non-Frenchies for more or less obvious reasons:

Sylwester Szmyd (what a joy when he finally won that Ventoux stage)
Matti Breschel (class act on the bike)
Oscar Freire (how can you not love Freire?)
Cadel Evans (I grew a bizarre sympathy for him back in the 2008 Tour, when he was at his most grumpy and stressed out.)
Denis Menchov (I have a peculiar love for these silent Eastern European guys, probably harks back to the good ol' days of Pavel Tonkov)

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Then why did you not check him in the poll?

Cos I follow the Brits first and foremost, and there was only 1 up there.

 

[boomcie]

Pierrick Fédrigo is probably my favorite current rider. He's got a huge amount of class when he hits the right day, and boy, does he know how to pick his races. Sure, almost all his results occur on French soil, and he may never turn in to a world beater in the Ardennes races or similar, but I don't care.

I'm not so fond of him but I would probably invite him to my wedding...
















... to cut the cake with his nose.