Least favourite rider?



Which 2003 Tour Riders least impressed?

  • Alessandro Petacchi

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Robbie McEwen

    Votes: 40 28.8%
  • Lance Armstrong

    Votes: 38 27.3%
  • Rene Hasselbacher

    Votes: 43 30.9%
  • Jaun Antonio Fleche

    Votes: 15 10.8%
  • Someone else

    Votes: 3 2.2%

  • Total voters
    139
Originally posted by mjolnir2k
Although I am not sure if you can still classify him as a "racer"...clearly the most despised rider should be Marco Pantani

If there was ever a true "ASS" of the sport, he would be it

Many riders have disgraced themselves and the sport, but Marco takes it to a new level and just continues to do so every year! I wish he would just drop into oblivion and spare us his meaningless chatter!

I used to dislike Pantani. But it is hard to kick a man when he is down. I even was hoping he would show something in last years Giro. I think though that he will never win a race again as I get the feeling that he isn't well liked in the peleton. ANy break he is in will be chased down. Although it looks like he is finally getting the hint that he is washed up and can't do it without EPO.
I am begining to think he really is crazy after all the things he has said.
 
Cipo is Cipo - he is a sprinter and as such will always act as he does. You have to be nuts to ride like that at the end of a stage, thats why riders like him throw bottles occasionally (steels, petacchi etc).

Lance can't be pulled down either because he is doing what suits him. It is no different to sprinters or classic riders.

But the ones I hate are the riders that throw accusations around the peloton. All pro's use drugs, so they should all get off their high horses and get on with riding. Leave the drug penalties to the UCI.

The article by Jonathan Vaughters in Cyclesport at little while ago about the Kelme rider who failed a EPO test ( i can't remember his name) showed us that there is more to a rider than a positive result. The rider had supported not just Jonathan and his own family but gave the better part of his life to the sport. The rider copped it on the chin and got on with it. He didn't blame others!
 
Originally posted by BugMan
Erik Zabel??? I know a lot of sprinters seem to be @$$holes, but Erik is a stand up guy. He doesn't talk trash, never throws a shoulder or takes a blocking line, and always finishes. Diss the other sprinters, but Zabel is a class act all the way.

I totally agree. Zabel has class that isn't seen much anymore. Even when he seems to be off his game he isn't complaining to the press or blaming someone else. He just keeps chugging away. I'd love to learn from the man.

Now, a fella to thumb one's nose at is Marco Pantani (aka Elefantino). What a freak! He's not only a crybaby but he's got a strange mix of low-self esteem and arogance. I kinda feel sorry for the little guy. (I just hope he dosen't end up director of some team someday.)
 
Cyclists that you dislike ?
Virenque - because he's a cheat and sobbed like a baby when he was arrested.

Cipo because he never lives up to his promises to finish Le Tour.

Those two Eusaketel boys at Luz 2003 for robbing vital seconds from Jan when he was trying to close down Lazarus Armstrong.
 
Richard Virenque- Since Festina affair there is just something about this guy that pisses me off.
 
David Millar annoys me. Makes all sorts of weird and wonderful excuses for failing. Such a shame because he's a very talented rider but lacks humbleness. To be fair he's had more than his share of bad luck. Sometimes though you've just got to hold your hands up and take defeat like a man.
 
Why should any one mention David Millar as one of the most disliked rider?

After the series of sad events happening to pro cyclists, we should appreciate the wisdom of David Millar, his wisdom and courage of saying no when things are not going the right way, when pro cyclists are not treated the way they should be treated.

Afterall he comes from HongKong, a small place but with a lot of people, people with the highest average IQ in the world according to a recent study from Europe.

It would be difficult to expect a wise man to accept everything unfair or inappropriate without whining.
 
Originally posted by BugMan
Other [dis]honorable mentions:

The Euskatel boys (Mayo & Zubeldia) really pulled a cheesy move on Luz Ardiden when Ullrich was chasing Lance - they leeched off Jan all the way up and refused to do any work, then just at the finish line tried to sprint ahead and take away the 2nd (worked) & 3rd (didn't work) place time bonuses. Both of them were far enough down in the GC by that point to make the bonuses useless for them, yet it could've had a big impact on Jan's GC standing in the end. Totally classless!

"Cheesy" might be one word for it. "Tactics" is another.

:D
 
Originally posted by limerickman
Cyclists that you dislike ?
Virenque - because he's a cheat and sobbed like a baby when he was arrested.

Cipo because he never lives up to his promises to finish Le Tour.

Those two Eusaketel boys at Luz 2003 for robbing vital seconds from Jan when he was trying to close down Lazarus Armstrong.

I'll agree with you regarding Cipollini and I feel a bit the same way toward Petacchi. Having said that, I doubt I could even start to climb with either of them so I shouldn't judge.

As far as Zubeldia and Mayo, I suppose it would have been better if they'd noticed that Jan wanted those third place points and simply pulled off to the side to allow him to go first. Shameful that they grabbed the points for themselves instead of offering them to the guy who couldn't keep up with them.

:p
 
Originally posted by BugMan
Other [dis]honorable mentions:

The Euskatel boys (Mayo & Zubeldia) really pulled a cheesy move on Luz Ardiden when Ullrich was chasing Lance - they leeched off Jan all the way up and refused to do any work, then just at the finish line tried to sprint ahead and take away the 2nd (worked) & 3rd (didn't work) place time bonuses. Both of them were far enough down in the GC by that point to make the bonuses useless for them, yet it could've had a big impact on Jan's GC standing in the end. Totally classless!

Wow a professional cyclist being competitive and trying to get the highest place they can in a race, how rude of them. ;)
 
Originally posted by Nicko71
Cycling is a sport of impressive winners, unimpressive winners, and just plain losers, which riders in this years tour impressed you the least?

Alessandro Petacchi - Clearly no intention of finishing the race, and had to be carried back to the peleton a few times only to win the sprint??

Robbie McEwen - Excuses man!!!!

Lance Armstrong - carries the glory, while USPS Team carries him along??

Rene Hasselbacher - most dangerous sprint finish!!

Juan Antonio Fleche - wins a stage courtesy of a breakaway bunch of soft no hopers?

Someone else?

Actually, I'd have to say Jan Ullrich for blowing his chance in the mountains while Lance was suffering. He attacked way too soon one day on a climb. And he also failed to enlist the help of his teammates to avoid crashing in the last time trial. All they had to do was radio the message back to him to beware. Tactically, Jan was a real loser last year in the Tour even though physically, he was at the top of his game. Maybe he'll be wiser (and more informed) this year. We'll see.
 
Originally posted by gntlmn
Actually, I'd have to say Jan Ullrich for blowing his chance in the mountains while Lance was suffering. He attacked way too soon one day on a climb. And he also failed to enlist the help of his teammates to avoid crashing in the last time trial. All they had to do was radio the message back to him to beware. Tactically, Jan was a real loser last year in the Tour even though physically, he was at the top of his game. Maybe he'll be wiser (and more informed) this year. We'll see.

Maybe that is why he went back to Telekom (T-mobile)?:cool:
 
Originally posted by donhix1
Maybe that is why he went back to Telekom (T-mobile)?:cool:

Might well have had something to do with it as would the fact that Team Bianchi's sponsorship dissolved.

:cool:
 
Seems Robbie is the most disliked man in the pelaton , that many pros can´t be wrong , can they ?
 
Originally posted by Beastt
Might well have had something to do with it as would the fact that Team Bianchi's sponsorship dissolved.

:cool:

The team dissolved several months after Ulrich left.:D
 

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