Blijlevens quits

Ewoud Dronkert said:

From Dutch teletext, my translation:

Jeroen Blijlevens will put his bike aside as of now. Blijlevens,
multiple stagewinner in the Tour (4), Giro (2) and Vuelta (5), doesn't
feel fit and does not see any opportunities to return to his top level.

It's a pity to see him go. But it happens to them all sooner or later unfortunately.

But cycling is going to the dogs. There just aren't any classy sprinters around any more. I mean like Kelly duking it out with Vanderaerden in, I think, Avignon, or Abdu trying to cheat by going airborne 100 meters out.

What we need is a sprinter to pull in the tifosi. Shoot; every race has a winner, but we need someone we can love like we loved Kelly, or someone we can hate like we hated Abdu.

--
le Vent a Dos
Davey Crockett
Six-Day site: http://members.rogers.com/sixday/sixday.html

nice guy, but he did run out of the "JUICE". without it he wasn't the same.

"Ewoud Dronkert" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

From Dutch teletext, my translation:

Jeroen Blijlevens will put his bike aside as of now. Blijlevens,
multiple stagewinner in the Tour (4), Giro (2) and Vuelta (5), doesn't
feel fit and does not see any opportunities to return to his top level.

Blijlevens was a world-renowned sprinter in his TVM days (1994-1999).
Ever since he left for the Italian Polti he went to seed. Good results
never returned with Lotto, Domo or BangiroLoterij, where he rides now.

"In the Scheldeprijs I just got blown off the back. Then it's no use
riding on anymore. I can look back on a nice career and now want to
leave it at that", says Blijlevens.

Original:

649 Teletekst do 22 apr
******************** WIELRENNEN
*****************
***************************************
**Jeroen Blijlevens zet per direct zijn
fiets aan de kant.Blijlevens,meervoudig
etappewinnaar in de Tour de France (4),
Giro (2) en Vuelta (5) voelt zich niet
fit en ziet geen mogelijkheden meer om
op zijn oude topniveau terug te keren.

Blijlevens was in zijn TVM-tijd (1994-
1999) een sprinter van wereldfaam.Sinds
zijn vertrek naar het Italiaanse Polti
raakte hij in de versukkeling.Ook bij
Lotto,Domo en Bankgiro,waar hij nu voor
rijdt,bleven goede resultaten uit.

"In de Scheldeprijs werd ik er gewoon
vanaf gereden.Dan heeft het geen zin om
door te blijven rijden.Ik kan terugzien
op een mooie carrière en wens de eer
aan mezelf te houden",aldus Blijlevens.

Davey Crockett <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

It's a pity to see him go. But it happens to them all sooner or later unfortunately.

But cycling is going to the dogs. There just aren't any classy sprinters around any more. I mean like Kelly duking it out with Vanderaerden in, I think, Avignon, or Abdu trying to cheat by going airborne 100 meters out.

What we need is a sprinter to pull in the tifosi. Shoot; every race has a winner, but we need someone we can love like we loved Kelly, or someone we can hate like we hated Abdu.

while we'll most likely be speaking about him in the past tense soon
enough, wouldn't 'super mario' count as someone you'd love or hate?

Davey Crockett said:

It's a pity to see him go. But it happens to them all sooner or later unfortunately.

But cycling is going to the dogs. There just aren't any classy sprinters around any more. I mean like Kelly duking it out with Vanderaerden in, I think, Avignon, or Abdu trying to cheat by going airborne 100 meters out.

What we need is a sprinter to pull in the tifosi. Shoot; every race has a winner, but we need someone we can love like we loved Kelly, or someone we can hate like we hated Abdu.

??????
Just last year Petacchi won 15 (fifteen) stages in the 3 Grand Tours and
you say that nowadays every sprint has a different winner?
Do you live on Mars?

Quoted message said:

From: [email hidden] (Davide Tosi)

Quoted message said:

Just last year Petacchi won 15 (fifteen) stages in the 3 Grand Tours and
you say that nowadays every sprint has a different winner?
Do you live on Mars?

Petacchi excites who? Mario has more charisma and appeal finishing 10th than
he does winning. Zabel isn't real exciting, but over the years he has made
himself a name by ALWAYS being there.
Petacchi might be able to do that but it's way to early to crown him.
Udo is what a racer should be if you're not THE man.
Bill C

in article
[email hidden],
Davey Crockett at [email hidden] wrote on 4/22/04 5:09 AM:

Quoted message said:

Ewoud Dronkert said:

From Dutch teletext, my translation:

Jeroen Blijlevens will put his bike aside as of now. Blijlevens,
multiple stagewinner in the Tour (4), Giro (2) and Vuelta (5), doesn't
feel fit and does not see any opportunities to return to his top level.

It's a pity to see him go. But it happens to them all sooner or later
unfortunately.

But cycling is going to the dogs. There just aren't any classy sprinters
around any more. I mean like Kelly duking it out with Vanderaerden in, I
think, Avignon, or Abdu trying to cheat by going airborne 100 meters out.

What we need is a sprinter to pull in the tifosi. Shoot; every race has a
winner, but we need someone we can love like we loved Kelly, or someone we can
hate like we hated Abdu.

Petacchi is a bit like an obnoxious kid in a candy store right now.

Count me as someone who would love Hincapie if he won more often, and will
certainly come to love him if he figures out how in the future.

Danilo Hondo is great fun. Even his name is fun. He just hasn't been able
to do much as a lead-out man for Zabel; that should change now that he's on
Gerolsteiner.

Alejandro Valverde is incredible. He's already had 10 wins, and it's only
April. In fact, he accounts for all but one of Kelme's 11 victories so far
this season.

And what's wrong with Erik Zabel? If you have to ride alongside another
Poulidor-style eternal second place (Ullrich), then at least you can do it
graciously and with style.

Fabian Cancellara shows promise to do some great things, maybe in the near
future, maybe a couple of years off. But he's already a grade-A rider.

-Sonarrat.

In article <[email hidden]>,

(TritonRider) said:

Quoted message said:

From: [email hidden] (Davide Tosi)

Quoted message said:

Just last year Petacchi won 15 (fifteen) stages in the 3 Grand Tours and
you say that nowadays every sprint has a different winner?
Do you live on Mars?

Petacchi excites who? Mario has more charisma and appeal finishing 10th than
he does winning.

Petacchi does seem to be somewhat charisma challenged until the last few
hundred meters in a race - he'll never be known as a "showman". But he will
be known as a "winner", and, in the long run, that's probably better. He
does seem to have a fairly unassuming and slightly unconfident personality.

Quoted message said:

Zabel isn't real exciting, but over the years he has made himself a name by
ALWAYS being there.

I think he's the closest we have to Sean Kelley (or Jalabert) right now.
Always tries for the win and is pretty regularly in the top three or four.

--
tanx,
Howard

Q: Can we call it a quagmire yet?

remove YOUR SHOES to reply, ok?

"JTN" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

nice guy, but he did run out of the "JUICE". without it he wasn't the same.

why would he have to go off the juice ?

Amit said:

why would he have to go off the juice ?

Changed teams.

"Davide Tosi" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Davey Crockett said:

It's a pity to see him go. But it happens to them all sooner or later

unfortunately.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

But cycling is going to the dogs. There just aren't any classy sprinters

around any more. I mean like Kelly duking it out with Vanderaerden in, I
think, Avignon, or Abdu trying to cheat by going airborne 100 meters out.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What we need is a sprinter to pull in the tifosi. Shoot; every race has a

winner, but we need someone we can love like we loved Kelly, or someone we
can hate like we hated Abdu.

Quoted message said:

Just last year Petacchi won 15 (fifteen) stages in the 3 Grand Tours and
you say that nowadays every sprint has a different winner?

I've been wondering where this group is getting people so stupid. I've come
to the conclusion that they are a bunch of footballers putting us on.

"TritonRider" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

From: [email hidden] (Davide Tosi)

Quoted message said:

Just last year Petacchi won 15 (fifteen) stages in the 3 Grand Tours and
you say that nowadays every sprint has a different winner?
Do you live on Mars?

Petacchi excites who? Mario has more charisma and appeal finishing 10th

than

Quoted message said:

he does winning. Zabel isn't real exciting, but over the years he has made
himself a name by ALWAYS being there.
Petacchi might be able to do that but it's way to early to crown him.
Udo is what a racer should be if you're not THE man.

Maybe you didn't watch the Green Jersey competition for the Tour last year.
There seemed to be a pretty good sprint contested there on several
occassions.

If Petacchi doesn't excite you how could Cipolini do so while coming in
nowhere?

"Tom Kunich" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"TritonRider" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

From: [email hidden] (Davide Tosi)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Just last year Petacchi won 15 (fifteen) stages in the 3 Grand Tours and
you say that nowadays every sprint has a different winner?
Do you live on Mars?

Petacchi excites who? Mario has more charisma and appeal finishing 10th

than

Quoted message said:

he does winning. Zabel isn't real exciting, but over the years he has made
himself a name by ALWAYS being there.
Petacchi might be able to do that but it's way to early to crown him.
Udo is what a racer should be if you're not THE man.

Maybe you didn't watch the Green Jersey competition for the Tour last year.
There seemed to be a pretty good sprint contested there on several
occassions.

Wow -- i agree

Quoted message said:

If Petacchi doesn't excite you how could Cipolini do so while coming in
nowhere?

maybe petacchi doesn't have enough crazy outfits, blond streaks and 5
o'clock shadow to excite everyone

"Amit" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Tom Kunich" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

If Petacchi doesn't excite you how could Cipolini do so while coming in
nowhere?

maybe petacchi doesn't have enough crazy outfits, blond streaks and 5
o'clock shadow to excite everyone

Not to mention that jaw worthy of a Bugg's Bunny cartoon villain.