Anyone more disliked than Rasmussen?

[tonepad]

Don't post much here but I'm scratching my head trying to remember in the Tour history if anyone was more disliked than this guy Rasmussen. I visited the tour in '04 and many of the French locals really hated LA and he was ragged on a lot. Even so he was and still is considered the "Patron" in his days and earned at least an obliging respect of the Peloton at least. I believe they were all getting away with PEDs so maybe that is the biggest diff here, but you can just sense that there are not many fans of "El Pollo" on and off le route, so I think he gets to wear the Jersey for least liked/most dispised TDF ever. BTW this forum definitely takes the prize for the wildest of the "internets". The Dr.H experience is priceless and hard to explain to the un-initiated

Thanks for listening

 

[thebluetrain]

BTW this forum definitely takes the prize for the wildest of the "internets". The Dr.H experience is priceless and hard to explain to the un-initiated

Thanks for listening

Stick around it only gets better on here. Very amuzing.

BTW, Doctor.House has been right on more than one occasion.

 

[helmutRoole2]

I kinda hate to admit this, but I haven't been watching the race on tv since I decided against the full-monte cable package required on Miami Beach to get the Versus.

So tell, please, are the fans being pretty obnoxious?

 

[thoughtforfood]

I kinda hate to admit this, but I haven't been watching the race on tv since I decided against the full-monte cable package required on Miami Beach to get the Versus.

So tell, please, are the fans being pretty obnoxious?

You wouldn't know it from the coverage, but from what I read, yes, there is some hatred being dished out. Also today, when the riders entered Castelsarrasin, there were very few people behind the barriers until you very close to the finish. If the French are not showing up, then whether there is vitrol or not, that speaks volumes.

 

[tonepad]

I kinda hate to admit this, but I haven't been watching the race on tv since I decided against the full-monte cable package required on Miami Beach to get the Versus.

So tell, please, are the fans being pretty obnoxious?

Well the French feed that VS gets doesn't show too much, I think on purpous, but the press reported him being booed at the start of yesterday's stage and I have seen some pics on CN, I think that showed some fans waving a huge homemade syringe. As a historical annecdote, in '04 when I was there I rode my bike up Col de Tamie outside Albertville and along the climb some fan/s had painted syringes and the letters EPO, BELG POT, and TOUS DROUG etc. so at least in that area even then the fans let their feelings be known. Indeed it was there that I had at least two conversations with the locals re. "tous droug" and their dislike of LA et al.

 

[IH8LANCE]

Well, at least Rasmussen didn't get gobs of spittle directed at him on the big ascents. I think it's fair to say that there aren't a lot of people who would count themselves as Rasmussen fans these days, but I don't recall anyone more polarizing than Armstrong. You either hated to love him, or loved to hate him.

 

[tonepad]

Well, at least Rasmussen didn't get gobs of spittle directed at him on the big ascents. I think it's fair to say that there aren't a lot of people who would count themselves as Rasmussen fans these days, but I don't recall anyone more polarizing than Armstrong. You either hated to love him, or loved to hate him.

Though I think even haters might agree that he brought a great deal of attention to the sport, at least with the public at large, that had been lacking for years, except for us diehard fans. Hence some begrudging respect that is implicit with being "Le Patron".

 

[tonepad]

From PezCycling:

The mood in the press room was subdued, except for during Rasmussen's televised press conference when journalists guffawed at his stuttering answers. Earlier in the afternoon we had listened to Rasmussen being 'boo-ed' up the climb by as many fans as were cheering him, so his stock was already low.

This must've been a truly weird Tour to witness in person, hope someone will post some real eyewitness dirt.

 

[NJK]

Don't post much here but I'm scratching my head trying to remember in the Tour history if anyone was more disliked than this guy Rasmussen. I visited the tour in '04 and many of the French locals really hated LA and he was ragged on a lot. Even so he was and still is considered the "Patron" in his days and earned at least an obliging respect of the Peloton at least. I believe they were all getting away with PEDs so maybe that is the biggest diff here, but you can just sense that there are not many fans of "El Pollo" on and off le route, so I think he gets to wear the Jersey for least liked/most dispised TDF ever. BTW this forum definitely takes the prize for the wildest of the "internets". The Dr.H experience is priceless and hard to explain to the un-initiated

Thanks for listening

Vino. I dislike that guy, all through his dope ridden career.

 

[tonepad]

But Vino had a decent fan base...other than you...and by all accounts was liked by the Peloton. Except for his "Yo-Yo" style/career and without the PEDs he could've been a "Patron". Alas I always suspected him but kinda liked him anyway, for at least the appearance of grit.