Who is El Patron?

[topcat]

In 2023, cycling without consent is no longer acceptable. The peloton needs a spokesperson to voice concerns to the organisers (and to bully and humiliate the minions in the peloton). Who’s the boss?

 

[Valanga]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1695751134466511317

View: https://twitter.com/Laura_Meseguer/status/1695751134466511317


This guy, how introvert he may be.

 

[Tim Cahill]

You need 10+ years of being on or near the front I think, Declercq, Kristoff, Rowe, Whoever the elder statesman for Movistar is nowadays (Erviti?).

You also need to have ridden a lot of bruising and attritional races like some stormy northern classics or some chaotic Giro's

Roglic/Thomas don't seem bothered enough to impose themselves.

Pogacar/Evenepoel too boyish, maybe if they went skinhead and grew a beard, like Edward Norton in American History X but without the whole neo-nazi thing.

Vingegaard too physically frail, got that Gran Camino stage shortened when there was a bit of snow on the side of the road.

Ayuso might be in the future if he gets a few GT wins under his belt, the guy looks ultra-focused, like a proper serial killer, he's got a few bodies to his name, I wouldn't mess.

 

[Rackham]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1695751134466511317

View: https://twitter.com/Laura_Meseguer/status/1695751134466511317


This guy, how introvert he may be.

He has definitely grown up.

A few more dominant GT wins & he'll be Le Boss, for sure. People can downplay his patron credentials but I seriously doubt we'd ever see Roglič (for example) go & suggest a general strike to the Movistar guys on their own bus.

 

[rallybanana]

You need 10+ years of being on or near the front I think, Declercq, Kristoff, Rowe, Whoever the elder statesman for Movistar is nowadays (Erviti?).

You also need to have ridden a lot of bruising and attritional races like some stormy northern classics or some chaotic Giro's

Roglic/Thomas don't seem bothered enough to impose themselves.

Pogacar/Evenepoel too boyish, maybe if they went skinhead and grew a beard, like Edward Norton in American History X but without the whole neo-nazi thing.

Vingegaard too physically frail, got that Gran Camino stage shortened when there was a bit of snow on the side of the road.

Ayuso might be in the future if he gets a few GT wins under his belt, the guy looks ultra-focused, like a proper serial killer, he's got a few bodies to his name, I wouldn't mess.

Alaphilippe satisfies all of those requirements (apart from the serial killer bit)

10 years in the world tour - check
Edward Norton beard - check
Bruising northern classics - the crash into the back of the motorbike in Flanders looked painful
Chaotic storms - the avalanche in 2019 Tour

 

[Vino's Mum]

I was wondering about this after the weekend’s shenanigans; and it’s not an age / experience thing for me.

Hinault’s first Tour…

I guess you either have it…

… or you don’t.

 

[Berniece]

Remco will always speak up if need be, he's been a captain in his football career most of the time too. If people will actually listen, that's something else, but when it's about rider's safety, I guess they will.

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

Trentin did a good job getting Wellens off the hook in the Renewi Tour yesterday.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Remco is El Patron, if he‘s coming towards you, you get out of the way, he won‘t stop for you.

 

[Scarponi]

If you get bullied by Remco you should question your life decisions

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Seems like patron is being sorted out still. I don't think there is one. I would add Pogacar, MvDP, and Wout in the mix, too, for consideration.

Remco and Wout act the most like the patron in my opinion. Vingegaard is trying out the role right now, but seems more of a Froome style patron than a Hinault patron.

If Remco keeps winning GTs, he will be patron, but not sure he is there yet.

Roglic doesn't seem to try to be patron, too quiet. You need to be speak more directly to be patron.

 

[Elos Anjos]

The time for Patrons is over, besides an over individualist peloton/society, now teenage years last until you are 40.

 

[Potomac]

Where is the choice for "mythic outdated concept"

 

[houtdffan]

Remco. He is the first since Armstrong

What makes Remco unique is he will speak up after he had a good day. It is not whining about a poor performance. That makes his complains far more legit

 

[Netserk]

Remco. He is the first since Armstrong

The similarities are striking.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Nobody is El Patron which is why they need consensus of the Dons.

 

[Pantani_lives]

You need 10+ years of being on or near the front I think, Declercq, Kristoff, Rowe,

Hinault became Le Patron by leading a protest in his first Tour, so you don't need ten years.

Evenepoel could be nicknamed "Le Petit Patron" nowadays. Or "El Patrón Pequeño".

 

[Axel Hangleck]

There was a need for a 'Patron', but in 2023 the sport shouldn't need one. What other sport would have one person deciding what happens?
If there is an issue in a race, team leaders/ road captains should get together and inform the Race Director....who also needs to be more pro-active. Too many are reactive.....it's not the 1980s/90s anymore.

 

[Berniece]

Dutch newspaper said Remco is El Patron on and off the bike.

Personally I don't think there is one leader in the peloton, because the current guys in the peloton are too nice to claim such a thing for themselves. They talk to each other, and listen to each other.

 

[iBanesto]

I was wondering about this after the weekend’s shenanigans; and it’s not an age / experience thing for me.

Hinault’s first Tour…

I guess you either have it…

… or you don’t.

 

[proffate]

I feel like WVA is almost there, just lacks a little je ne sais quoi --- perhaps the same je ne sais quoi he'd need to win monuments. A certain gravity, magnetism. The Cancellara factor.

Remco may get there when his tone changes. Speaking out is fine, you should just do it with a cool head and an air of authority instead of sounding like a whiny kid.

 

[wheresmybrakes]

Is this just another thread made to get folk talking about him again. FFS. Laughable sometimes.

 

[perico]

I was wondering about this after the weekend’s shenanigans; and it’s not an age / experience thing for me.

Hinault’s first Tour…

I guess you either have it…

… or you don’t.

I started following the sport when Hinault was still in his prime. There is no one like him in the current peloton. Pogacar probably is the only rider with that stature right now, but he doesn’t have Hinault’s personality. Although he hadn’t won the TDF yet when he became the patron, everybody knew he was going to win. Today you have at least 5 guys under the age of 27 who could legitimately start next year as the favorite.

Right now, it’s still Chris Froome. I never liked the guy, but he is the only rider who has come close to that level of power today. Problem is that he’s riding like he has caught Herpes or whatever the Hell disease he had early in his career again.

Nobody else comes close today. Armstrong came close, but he never had the amount of control over the race Hinault did. Big Mig might’ve had that power, but if he ever used it, we didn’t know about it.

Cipollini and Cancellara were leaders, but didn’t command the peloton the way Hinault, or even Armstrong, did since they weren’t GC riders.

Hinault was already the patron when he won the TDF for the first time, but he was completely different. He was also French, which was completely different to what it means today.

With the globalization of the sport, the center of the cycling universe is no longer based in one country. If a French rider comes along and starts showing TdF winning potential, then maybe. There won’t ever be another patron like that where the majority of pro riders hail from one country.


Froome is probably the patron right now. Problem is that he can’t seem to find the form to be anything besides a running joke. If he rides two more years and miracles happen and he actually starts the TDF,

 

[RedheadDane]

Froome is probably the patron right now. Problem is that he can’t seem to find the form to be anything besides a running joke. If he rides two more years and miracles happen and he actually starts the TDF,

He might be the Gruppetto Patron...

 

[zlev11]

Remco too much of a whiny brat to be the Patron, not respected enough yet. maybe one day. right now there is nobody. maybe Geraint Thomas but only when there's a chance of rain.