Pro encounters of the first kind!

[Eldron]

Over the weekend I went shopping in France (took the channel tunnel train - how cool is that). And I sound so posh to boot!

On the way to a shopping centre in Calais I see a truck with Alessio Alumino on the side - don't they sponsor a cycling I ask myself? On closer inspection I also see Coppi signs.....IT'S THEM!!! I put 2 and 2 together and realise they're doing the Four Days of Dunkirk!

On the way out of the shopping centre I see the truck open with about 10 bikes and 3 mechanics cleaning and prepping the bikes for the next stage.

I didn't see any riders or even get near the truck but it get the old ticker thumping and made me feel like part of something HUGE! I love being a cyclist.

 

[dimboy2]

lol lucky you!

 

[crankin]

One of the benefits of living in Arizona is that it is spring training for many cool teams. Postal, Rona, Prime Alliance, Saturn just to name a few. It's funny, but when I used to race (7 yrs ago) in New York, it was usually just the local (and a few nearby towns) crew. HERE, I get to rubs handlebar tape with some of the best! I raced with Jeannie Longo in April, and I constantly (to my dismay) compare my TT times to the amazing Genevieve Jensen (Rona). As soon as I upgrade, I will actually be racing with her...or behind her as most ladies do!...I am going to sandbag just a bit longer.

Ciao!

 

[Eldron]

What big name droppers we are! ;D

In South Africa we get squat! Ullrich and Cipo train in Cape Town (about 1200km from my home) in December but we only ever get second string team racing in SA (or the odd first string guy that's seriously out of shape).

Living in the UK and mingling with people like Chris Boardman and Sean Yates still blows my mind.

 

[Guest]

My Australian friend told me stories of riding with Zabel, Armstrong, and even of Bernard Hinault running across their pack. I'm sure our Aussie friends over here have a lot fo stories to tell. From what I hear, most of the Euro pros go there during winter?

 

[Guest]

I've spoken to or raced with some of our top riders ;D btw i cant drop any real big names like some of the above :

Had a chat with Marcel Wust for 10 or 15 minutes here in ballarat a couple of years ago, this guy is a total legend.

Raced in cadel evens' age group when i was 17-18

Ummmmm Phill Anderson at Bright 3 or 4 years ago ;D

Scott McGrory and Jason Phillips on the sun tour in ummm 98 i think it was....my father was the team cook (or something like that) ;D

Jacques Jolidon in 1996........he's from Switzerland and no-one here has probably heard of him, he's a bloody good rider IMO.

We often see guys like o'grady, McEwan, vogels, mcgee, jonker etc etc etc at race's when they're in OZ

 

[Eldron]

Perhaps we should start a gratuitous name dropping thread ;D

Wait until I'm back from France in July - one of two things is going to happen - either I'll come back with a pack of autographs or I'll be jailed for stalking. Reckon I'm going to give the Armstrong brigade a miss - apparently he's up to 5 security personnel for TdF 2002....

 

[dimboy2]

My dad was put training and he met Dave Millar and he got on his wheel & started chatting giood thingn about cyclists they don't turn you away wen u ask for autograph or a photo like most footballers etc

 

[Guest]

Perhaps we should start a gratuitous name dropping thread  ;D

Wait until I'm back from France in July - one of two things is going to happen - either I'll come back with a pack of autographs or I'll be jailed for stalking. Reckon I'm going to give the Armstrong brigade a miss - apparently he's up to 5 security personnel for TdF 2002....

Lucky *****  ;D you probably wont get near lance tho, I read somewhere he gets a chopper to and from the mountain stages LOL.....the things you can do when you have money.

 

[dimboy2]

lmao

 

[Guest]

Well, nothing big here...

I haven't seen Lance Armstrong, yet. Although, I have had plenty of opportunities. Austin is just a 2 hour drive from here and he does a lot of public events.

I did get to see some tri pros that you have never heard of. Here are the pics:
http://community.webshots.com/user/agoodwin78

Look under the Florida Gulf Tri picture album.

 

[Guest]

I've never met any cyclists, can I name drop some other sportsmen :

 

[Guest]

I've never met any cyclists, can I name drop some other sportsmen  :

yeah why not ;D

 

[Guest]

I've never met any cyclists, can I name drop some other sportsmen  :

You mean there are no other cyclists in your part of the world? Where do you live???

 

[Guest]

Mmm, years ago I shared the podium with Robert Hunter. He won the main race for the day and I busy recovering from flu winning the shorter race. It was about 2 years before he became a Pro for Lampre though.

Came across the Mapei team cars in Holland once while out training. But the riders were nowhere in sight.

 

[dimboy2]

In the national track champs 2000 (i think) i sat next to jason quelly! and giot his autograph

 

[Guest]

I got dropped by Dougie Ryder and his training bunch on Jan Smuts hill the other day ;D

It was a case of Hi . . . Bye

(Sorry, haven't met or seen any pro 's of any real significance in the global arena)

 

[maarten]

Well I live in belgium its much better there when you want to meet real top cyclists. <br />I helped with the opening ceremony of the track championships and there were also the boss of the tour the france and lance armstrong, who made the da of a lot of the children who where in the ceremony. <br />I spent the rest off the day in the infield between the various national teams(always nice when you know security).<br />Some of my training partners have become pro with teams like Vlaanderen 2002 and Rabobank. Most of the top cyclist of 20-22 years old I raced with. I met when training Mario Aerts next year Telekom, Both Wauters and Boogerd from Rabobank, once crashed with Adri van Der Poel, and many others. <br />One of my occasional training mates rode the Vuelta once and the father of one of the young cyclists i coach rode tour the France.<br />I also have a team mate who's World Champion Cyclo-cross.<br />

 

[Vo2]

Sheez, maarten, you know some big names! Any chance of getting some of them to come and say "hi" to us on this site?

 

[maarten]

Vo2 I can try, but the really big names like boogerd Aerts are just encounters(which was the base topic) like I said . <br />And the others were I come from whe speak dutch and I know I make a lots of mistakes and I am afraid most of my friends dont master enough english to come here and chat. <br /><br />I am also on a dutch (holland) based forum where regulary come real pro's, one even game evening comments to his performance in the tour but you will have to master Dutch To understand