is ricco the most unpopular rider in history ?

northernneil
northernneil Posts: 1,549
edited March 2010 in Pro race
onlyfan he ever sees in when he shaves in the morning

Comments

  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    He's unpopular with US right now.

    Most unpopular ever? No - don't think so.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    ........and all along I thought it was LA. Thanks for setting me straight. :roll: :roll:
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    It always seems to be that a rider needs to hav a lot of people genuinely love him before he "turns" to be truly unpopular...

    Witness the spectacular falls from grace of Messers Hamilton and Landis. I think Tyler generated plenty more hatred than Ricco. Plus, Ricco loves that stuff.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • northernneil
    northernneil Posts: 1,549
    Hamilton though does have redeeming points - he has his broken collarbone win which has written a place in cycling folklore for him
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    It always seems to be that a rider needs to hav a lot of people genuinely love him before he "turns" to be truly unpopular...

    Good point. Maybe a lot of it deals with people just getting sick and tired of hearing
    the name over and over again. Add to it rumors of this or that and a bit of SCANDAL.
    Next thing you know - hero to zero. Instead of being the honored guest on The Tonight Show you're Jay Leno's best source of joke material.
  • blackpanther
    blackpanther Posts: 221
    northernneil wrote:
    Hamilton though does have redeeming points - he has his broken collarbone win which has written a place in cycling folklore for him

    Even better than that, it wasnt really broken, so he must be truly evil and should be hated more. :)
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    Ricco is a bit of pantomime villain but he admits doping and grassed on his suppliers, we should at least credit him with this.

    It makes me wonder who the most hated rider of all time must be? Roche had a tough time in Italy during 1987, Virenque became a national joke in 1998 and Rasmussen's porky pies make him look very daft.

    But all the same, I don't know about you but I don't "hate" a rider, I just feel sorry for the bad cases. Even more serious cases like Jock Boyer - child abuser - seem to be able to find paths to redemption.
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Agree with Kleber here in that I just don't hate riders...

    Some of them I think get by on not very many results, a dull racing style and arrogance and STILL get talked up as contenders (Pozatto)

    Some who get busted for doping I find hilarious (Ricco, Chicken, Landis)

    Some who were busted I feel sorry for, as it later emerges that they just aren't well people (Hamilton, Pantani)

    Most of them I think would be utter pricks if I met them in a pub.

    But I don't hate any of them, they're just sportsmen.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,811
    Most hated rider of all time? Fillipo Simeoni.

    I donp;t hate him, but if you add up the number of powerful people who do, then you've got some serious hating going on.
  • oscarbudgie
    oscarbudgie Posts: 850
    Personally I find di Luca even more objectionable than Ricco.
    Cannondale Supersix / CAAD9 / Boardman 9.0 / Benotto 3000
  • wicked
    wicked Posts: 844
    Apart from the doping side of him (admittedly a big part of him) I like him! Nothing wrong with someone who is outspoken or arrogant. Probably why I like Cav.
    It’s the most beautiful sport in the world but it’s governed by ***ts who have turned it into a crock of ****.
  • finchy
    finchy Posts: 6,686
    Most hated in which country? I suspect he cares more about what the Italians think about him than what people on here think. That's where he needs to be popular to get a ride and sponsorship deals.

    Is he hated in Italy, does anybody know?
  • oscarbudgie
    oscarbudgie Posts: 850
    johnfinch wrote:
    Most hated in which country? I suspect he cares more about what the Italians think about him than what people on here think. That's where he needs to be popular to get a ride and sponsorship deals.

    Is he hated in Italy, does anybody know?

    Probably not given the Italian ambivalence towards dopers.
    Cannondale Supersix / CAAD9 / Boardman 9.0 / Benotto 3000

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