Who's the unluckiest rider in pro cycling?

[phanatic]

Probably Chris Horner, from getting picked by a french team with which he didn't mesh, having to race in the States for years, not getting picked by Astana for 2009 TdF, having to chauffeur Lance in 2010 TdF, the injury in 2011 TdF, and all those injuries of late.

 

[RiccoDinko]

Probably Chris Horner, from getting picked by a french team with which he didn't mesh, having to race in the States for years, not getting picked by Astana for 2009 TdF, having to chauffeur Lance in 2010 TdF, the injury in 2011 TdF, and all those injuries of late.

I thinking winning a Grand Tour at 41, cancels all the bad luck out.

 

[Lequack]

We need to update this thread with recent riders. I think people that usually have bad luck are Richie Porte, Geraint Thomas or any random french GC rider.

 

[Bonimenier]

We need to update this thread with recent riders. I think people that usually have bad luck are Richie Porte, Geraint Thomas or any random french GC rider.

Sep Vanmarcke deserves a mention too.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Hard to look past Pozzovivo with all his freak injuries.
Gesink is also up there, when he was in his prime something bad happened to him more often than not when he looked great in a gt.

 

[RedheadDane]

How about this for a different sort of bad luck?

Larry Warbasse!
2016: Was on IAM, they folded.
Fast forward two years...
2018: Was on Aqua Blue, well... they folded.

 

[wheresmybrakes]

All the riders who are spoken about on this forum are unlucky because they can't compete with Remco for the number of posts in their thread. Unless they're one of the old goats who've been around since the second world war and even they are under threat.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Fausto Masnada and Mikel Landa

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

In a sport in which fatalities in competition and training are all too common, the notion that some others can be considered more unlucky seems rather tasteless.

 

[RedheadDane]

In a sport in which fatalities in competition and training are all too common, the notion that some others can be considered more unlucky seems rather tasteless.

I don't think anyone is saying that the people who survived are unluckier than those who didn't. Just that we're looking solely at current riders, while riders dying is a category all on its own.

Of course, an example of terrible bad luck involving a rider who died would be Lambrecht. First he was unfortunate enough to hit something in the road that caused him to crash, and then he hit his torso against that concrete culvert, which caused fatal injury...

 

[movingtarget]

I thinking winning a Grand Tour at 41, cancels all the bad luck out.
[/QUOTE)
I think not getting a contract in Europe after winning a Vuelta was breathtaking hypocrisy by the pro teams and very bad luck for Horner....................of course many would disagree.

 

[movingtarget]

Hard to look past Pozzovivo with all his freak injuries.
Gesink is also up there, when he was in his prime something bad happened to him more often than not when he looked great in a gt.

Gesink and Porte definitely and Evans had some bad luck pre his Tour win but not as much as a few others.

 

[Põhja Konn]

Gesink and Porte definitely and Evans had some bad luck pre his Tour win but not as much as a few others.

Gesink is mentioned in literally the second post after the OP in this thread, so he certainly belongs here. Also cannot escape mentioning Pinot in this topic.

 

[RedheadDane]

Also cannot escape mentioning Pinot in this topic.

I suppose he would be in the category of "Random French GC riders" mentioned earlier. Unfortunately, it seems to be yet another way in which Gaudu is following in his footsteps/wheeltracks.

Unless they're one of the old goats who've been around since the second world war and even they are under threat.

Yeah, not even having a bunch of goats helps.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

We need to update this thread with recent riders. I think people that usually have bad luck are Richie Porte, Geraint Thomas or any random french GC rider.

Geraint Thomas is a mediocre classics rider who can't stay upright, and will retire with a Tour de France victory to his name. That ain't unlucky. That's the precise opposite.

 

[Pinot's goat]

Geraint Thomas is a mediocre classics rider who can't stay upright, and will retire with a Tour de France victory to his name. That ain't unlucky. That's the precise opposite.

That's a rather harsh description of Geraint Thomas' career.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

That's a rather harsh description of Geraint Thomas' career.

You're right. He was a very good classics rider when it didn't matter. He'd just usually crash out of, or before, the races that he was targeting.

 

[movingtarget]

Gesink is mentioned in literally the second post after the OP in this thread, so he certainly belongs here. Also cannot escape mentioning Pinot in this topic.

Yes Pinot for sure.

 

[Big Doopie]

greg lemond.

sick for two weeks with bronchitis in his first TDF in 1984 (still finished 3rd).
lied to by his coach when he could have won the TDF in 1985.
lied to and attacked by the rider (and most of his own team) who had promised to help him in 1986.
shot in 1987.
overtaken by a peloton on "speed" from 1991-94.

possibly the most naturally talented rider of all time.

never had the career he should have.

but he will always have 1989.

 

[Duitama]

Mikel Landa:

Giro 2015 - Unfreed by his own team in order to give Aru the 2nd place.
Giro 2016 - DNF with gastroenteritis after making the TT of his life.
Giro 2017 - Taken down by a motorbike, still takes stage + blue jersey.
Tour 2017 - Unfreed & chasen down by his own team when he was on the attack. Misses podium by 1 second.
Tour 2018 - Falls because of a sewer while drinking after coming out the pavé in the first group. Suffers from back pain the rest of the race.
Giro 2019 - Yates crashes him/ his own teammate is the strongest/misses podium by 8 seconds
Tour 2019 - Barguil sends him to the grass, loses 2 minutes.
Giro 2021 - Dombrowski causes him to crash.
.......

 

[Mayomaniac]

Geraint Thomas is a mediocre classics rider who can't stay upright, and will retire with a Tour de France victory to his name. That ain't unlucky. That's the precise opposite.

He got another Tour podium, so at least you can say that it's less of a case of winning the jackpot than Wiggins...

Medicre classics rider is a bit harsh, mediocre riders usually don't win E3, if you look at the names of the winners over the years, and he's got another podium to back that one up. He never delivered in the Monuments, I have to admit that one.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Mikel Landa:

Giro 2015 - Unfreed by his own team in order to give Aru the 2nd place.
Giro 2016 - DNF with gastroenteritis after making the TT of his life.
Giro 2017 - Taken down by a motorbike, still takes stage + blue jersey.
Tour 2017 - Unfreed & chasen down by his own team when he was on the attack. Misses podium by 1 second.
Tour 2018 - Falls because of a sewer while drinking after coming out the pavé in the first group. Suffers from back pain the rest of the race.
Giro 2019 - Yates crashes him/ his own teammate is the strongest/misses podium by 8 seconds
Tour 2019 - Barguil sends him to the grass, loses 2 minutes.
Giro 2021 - Dombrowski causes him to crash.
.......

By far the unluckiest. #freelanda

 

[thiscocks]

Alaphilippe surely. 3 big crashes in 3 races he would have been in contention for, none of his own making. Always seems to be in the wrong place when people go down (or when idiot team drivers decide to accelerate through non existent gaps).

 

[SHAD0W93]

Andreas Klöden was the original Landa.
Worked for and against Ullrich, Vino, Contador, Levi, and Armstrong like Landa with Aru, Froome, Quintana, and Valverde, while potentially having to to with Caruso, Haig, and Mäder.
Sick and crashes from 2001-2003 meaning he can’t capitalize on his 2000 form.
Close to winning in 2004 and 2005 Tour stages.
Injury in 2005 Tour.
2006 with less teammates and someone said he crashed before the race but I don’t remember. Had the high potential to win that year.
2007 crash and injury again plus Vino causing team to be withdrawn when he was sitting in a good position to finish top 5 and maybe podium ahead of Levi with how it ended.
2008 could have top 5 the Giro before he got sick and lost his placing when 6th.
2009 getting 6th while having to work for Armstrong when he was stronger.
2011 crashing out when he had a good chance to top 5 in the form he was showing.
2012 being hampered by the 2011 crash as he never really recovered climbing wise.

 

[KenFiamingo]

I'd say Tony Gallopin, for both sports and non-sports related reasons.