Worst sprinter ever?

[Nick C.]

Greame Brown

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Michael Boogerd in his later years. He used to be pretty fast, but always ended up second, wether it was a bunch sprint of 20/25 men (amstel 2000,among others), a group sprint (lombardia 2004) or a sprint-a-deux (Amstel 2004, LBL 2004 etcetera) he always seemed to finish 2nd or 3rd in important classics. And at times he did win a sprint, it was for 2nd or 3rd place (many times in the Amstel Gold Race again.)
In his latter years he even became one of the slowest. (the sprint in tour 2007 when casar won was classically bad)

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Rigoberto Urán managed to nearly beach himself just by going side to side in a two-up sprint in the Tour de Suisse.

Ezequiel Mosquera must be one of the worst - he was outsprinted by Soler and Contador in Castilla y León - although I may have to chalk that up to common sense, since who the hell wants to be there when such a notoriously poor bike handler as Soler opens up the taps?

 

[skidmark]

(the sprint in tour 2007 when casar won was classically bad)

Oh yeah, wasn't that the break he was in with Axel Merckx as well (and who else? Voigt?)... I just remember it being comical watching all these old guys (and Casar, who had been around) who were primarily climbers trying to figure out who would win the sprint at the end...

 

[indurain666]

D

I hope he races the tour next year as Garmin's number 1 sprinter. He is the only guy who can really challenge Cavendish consistently I think.)

Are you high on drugs?

Only guy who can challenge Cavendish is Farrar...and even him...

 

[Vonn Brinkman]

Are you high on drugs?

Only guy who can challenge Cavendish is Farrar...and even him...

And challenging Cavendish is not the greatest idea, even if your name is Tyler Farrar...

 

[Angliru]

Levi Leipheimer. It's much too difficult and uncharacteristic of him/for him to detach himself from whatever wheel he's following to actually win a sprint.

 

[Guidokcd]

George Hincape

Yes, Hincapie. Never lived up to the sprinter tag.

 

[Credive]

Igor Anton at Romandie

Ironically he won the stage. In theory anyway.

How is that a bad sprint? He attacks early and holds everyone, but Valverde behind him. They even got his slipstream

 

[maltiv]

How is that a bad sprint? He attacks early and holds everyone, but Valverde behind him. They even got his slipstream

Technically it's quite horrible.

 

[Mellow Velo]

How about this long forgotten gem, that took place on a day of racing infamy.
Yes, stage 18 of the 2004 Tour de France, when Lance chased down and zipped up Filippo Simeoni.
We had a two man breakaway sprint which ended.............

1 Juan Miguel Mercado (Spa) Quick Step-Davitamon
2 José V. Garcia Acosta (Spa) Illes Balears - Banesto

So, old Garcia Acosta got out jumped by a peloton sprinting snail!

 

[Arnout]

How about this long forgotten gem, that took place on a day of racing infamy.
Yes, stage 18 of the 2004 Tour de France, when Lance chased down and zipped up Filippo Simeoni.
We had a two man breakaway sprint which ended.............

1 Juan Miguel Mercado (Spa) Quick Step-Davitamon
2 José V. Garcia Acosta (Spa) Illes Balears - Banesto

So, old Garcia Acosta got out jumped by a peloton sprinting snail!

Didn't Mercado win a sprint against Dessel a few years back? He's not fast, but a snail is an exaggeration.

 

[roundabout]

Didn't Mercado win a sprint against Dessel a few years back? He's not fast, but a snail is an exaggeration.

I thought Dessel didn't really contest that sprint as he was going to get the yellow jersey

Ok, i've read the report and Dessel did contest the sprint but Mercado only sucked his wheel in the last kilometers

 

[Choocher]

Allan Davis

Yeah, but what about 2nd at M-SR a few years back?

 

[mulletCobra]

Yeah, but what about 2nd at M-SR a few years back?

Exactly. 2nd.. He is a very good placer, just not good at winning. (No, I don't count the Tour Down Under. Why should I?)

 

[abbaskip]

You guys are crazy. In a heads up mass sprint, Farrar takes Haussler. I realize xenophobia drives opinion, and this is clear evidence. Farrar actually beat Cav this year. Haussler...not this year or last in a true heads up sprint. Sorry.

Are you referring to the time Cavendish's back wheel was buckled?

What about the time when Haussler and Cavendish crashed, as Haussler was coming around Cav?

 

[Martin318is]

Greame Brown

If the question was: "Worst sprinter relative to their own ego/claims of ability"

I'd happily agree

 

[royalpig180]

Worst sprinter might be Lance Armstrong, judging by that Tour stage this year. That was an awful sprint, they were all going so slow, Horner was barely any better than Armstrong...Fedrigo was chuckling to himself the entire time.

In fact that'd make sense, as Armstrong once said he never sprinted because it sapped too much energy from the muscles. So if he never practiced it and never did it in races, it'd be no wonder that he was lousy at it.

i'm not sure that its fair to make that generalization based simply on one stage at the tour this year at the age of 38.

He was obviously never a great sprinter, but he was better than earlier in his career.

 

[skidmark]

Okay, how about this: what were some great breakaways where none of the guys were good sprinters and you expected a ridiculous, winded, puffing last-across-the-line-loses deal at the finish?

The first one that would come to my mind was the TdF stage mentioned earlier from 2007 with Boogerd, Merckx and Voigt giving it up to the god of sprint Sandy Casar. From this year, I can remember the tour stage with Paulinho and Kiriyenka being pretty good, plus the interesting scenario of Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, where none of the 3 men that survived the breakaway had won anything of note, so none of the commentators or (at least casually informed) fans on the forum could really have any idea who might win.

That's just off the top of my head.

 

[spanky wanderlust]

My vote for a pure sprinter who has spectacularly failed to live up to his early promise, goes to..................................................Ivan Quaranta.

this.

he was like graeme brown, only less fit and without the motivation.

why anyone would pay this guy to be their sprinter was beyond comprehension. he should not have even been a pro.

 

[Anonymous]

Are you referring to the time Cavendish's back wheel was buckled?

What about the time when Haussler and Cavendish crashed, as Haussler was coming around Cav?

I'm sorry, did Haussler win that sprint?

The idea that he is a faster sprinter than Farrar is stupid. Period. Just freaking dumb. But hey, if that is your point, run with it.