My "atta boy" picks 2009 TDF



jhuskey

Well-Known Member
Oct 6, 2003
10,607
686
113
Of course Contador was great and Armstrong's comback historic blah, blah, blah.
I was impressed by others also, the Schleck's attacks were ineffective but relentless and worth noting. Wiggins the most improved this year.
Atta boy to Hushovd for hanging in the mountains to secure the green jersey.
Atta boy to Cancellara for pulling his team and still maintaining second in the ITT.
Atta boy to Kloden for being a tireless workhorse for Astana and still getting 6th place.

My biggest disappointment was Sastre, second Evans.
Congratulations to Menchov for his Keystone Cop routine and Hincapie for consistency in crashing at least once and winning the ugliest sunglasses award each year.
 
jhuskey said:
Of course Contador was great and Armstrong's comback historic blah, blah, blah.
I was impressed by others also, the Schleck's attacks were ineffective but relentless and worth noting. Wiggins the most improved this year.
Atta boy to Hushovd for hanging in the mountains to secure the green jersey.
Atta boy to Cancellara for pulling his team and still maintaining second in the ITT.
Atta boy to Kloden for being a tireless workhorse for Astana and still getting 6th place.

My biggest disappointment was Sastre, second Evans.
Congratulations to Menchov for his Keystone Cop routine and Hincapie for consistency in crashing at least once and winning the ugliest sunglasses award each year.

First things first.
The fashion police will be out to get Andy Schleck - just where did he get those white rimmed shades that he wore climbing Ventoux?
He looked like something out of a 1960's holiday brochure.
Maybe Johnny handed them down to him with the words "they didn't work for me in the peloton, son".

Atta boy award - and I make no bones about being paraochial - has to go to Nicholas Roche, son of you know who.
First TDF and he finished 23rd on GC,
Atta boy.

Next award, must go to Kloden ; after following and working for Ully round 6 TDF routes, this time round he got to follow and work for Contador and Armstrong and still finished top10.

Atta boy award three, goes to Franco Pelizzotti.
First, he wins the KOM's.
Second, he wins the combativity award.
Third, and more importantly, he would get the fashion award for the best looking bike on the Champs Elyssee.
That polkadot frame looked really cool yesterday.
(Incidentally Franco, have a word with Andy Sch. about his sartorial elegance issues : a bit of Italian, je ne sais quoi, is badly needed there).
 
limerickman said:
First things first.
The fashion police will be out to get Andy Schleck - just where did he get those white rimmed shades that he wore climbing Ventoux?
He looked like something out of a 1960's holiday brochure.
Maybe Johnny handed them down to him with the words "they didn't work for me in the peloton, son".

Atta boy award - and I make no bones about being paraochial - has to go to Nicholas Roche, son of you know who.
First TDF and he finished 23rd on GC,
Atta boy.

Next award, must go to Kloden ; after following and working for Ully round 6 TDF routes, this time round he got to follow and work for Contador and Armstrong and still finished top10.

Atta boy award three, goes to Franco Pelizzotti.
First, he wins the KOM's.
Second, he wins the combativity award.
Third, and more importantly, he would get the fashion award for the best looking bike on the Champs Elyssee.
That polkadot frame looked really cool yesterday.
(Incidentally Franco, have a word with Andy Sch. about his sartorial elegance issues : a bit of Italian, je ne sais quoi, is badly needed there).


Agree with most of your sediments. Except for Pelizotti's polka dot bike. Polka Dot may be a very prestigious symbol in the Tour. But from an esthetic point of view, it's also a ridiculous combination of colours and shapes. Accepted on a jersey through tradition, but ugly and joker-like when extended to the entire ensemble, bike and all. Outside of the Tour, guys who ride around in Polka Dot jerseys and on polka dot themed bikes are targets for bashings.

Also, what's the deal with that Starsky and Hutch 70's curls on Franco? It's like a more aerodynamic or "lite" version of what Cipo was sporting in the mid 90's during his "Lion King" phase.
 
Tech72 said:
Also, what's the deal with that Starsky and Hutch 70's curls on Franco? It's like a more aerodynamic or "lite" version of what Cipo was sporting in the mid 90's during his "Lion King" phase.

You've got me there.

I don't know what is going on with Franco's hair.
And I would wager that neither does Franco know what's going on with his hair!

Personally I thought Franco was going for the Eric Vanderaarden look of the mid-1980's.
Except Eric never won the KOM!
 
Atta boy has to go to LiquiGas. They have some talent on that team and can make some noise in the future.
Atta boy goes to Manuel Garate for saving Rabobanks tour.
 
sticking to my guns and tipping the cap to milram. best assemblage of young talent taken as a whole. gerdemann, ciolek and especially peter velits kept sticking their noses in the mix on several stages. also have to give good marks to roman kreuziger.
 
jhuskey said:
Of course Contador was great and Armstrong's comback historic blah, blah, blah.
I was impressed by others also, the Schleck's attacks were ineffective but relentless and worth noting. Wiggins the most improved this year.
Atta boy to Hushovd for hanging in the mountains to secure the green jersey.
Atta boy to Cancellara for pulling his team and still maintaining second in the ITT.
Atta boy to Kloden for being a tireless workhorse for Astana and still getting 6th place.

My biggest disappointment was Sastre, second Evans.
Congratulations to Menchov for his Keystone Cop routine and Hincapie for consistency in crashing at least once and winning the ugliest sunglasses award each year.

I have to say hat's off to Klodin. What a constant reliable teammate! Bravo. And to the French for winning some stages this year! Very nice. Cav is just insane. Yes his team was nearly perfect on his stage wins, but the guy is just plain fast!
 
limerickman said:
First things first.
The fashion police will be out to get Andy Schleck - just where did he get those white rimmed shades that he wore climbing Ventoux?
He looked like something out of a 1960's holiday brochure.
Maybe Johnny handed them down to him with the words "they didn't work for me in the peloton, son".

Atta boy award - and I make no bones about being paraochial - has to go to Nicholas Roche, son of you know who.
First TDF and he finished 23rd on GC,
Atta boy.

Next award, must go to Kloden ; after following and working for Ully round 6 TDF routes, this time round he got to follow and work for Contador and Armstrong and still finished top10.

Atta boy award three, goes to Franco Pelizzotti.
First, he wins the KOM's.
Second, he wins the combativity award.
Third, and more importantly, he would get the fashion award for the best looking bike on the Champs Elyssee.
That polkadot frame looked really cool yesterday.
(Incidentally Franco, have a word with Andy Sch. about his sartorial elegance issues : a bit of Italian, je ne sais quoi, is badly needed there).


I have to say Lim, other than the bike Lance road for most of the middle stages the artist that did the TT bike and that hideous thing he road on the final stage should be flogged and never allowed near a bike again. I agree on Franco's bike. cool.
 
azdroptop said:
I have to say Lim, other than the bike Lance road for most of the middle stages the artist that did the TT bike and that hideous thing he road on the final stage should be flogged and never allowed near a bike again. I agree on Franco's bike. cool.

I agree with you.
That TT bike looked dreadful.