2012 love
rick_chasey
Posts: 75,660
A thread for you to put down who you've started to like / love in 2012 and why, or even just riders who your opinion on has grown through their 2012 exploits.
For me it's 2 riders - Thomas de Gendt and Nikki Terpstra.
I always thought de Gendt was alright in a kind of Voeckler do-or-die mega break style, but this year's Giro was outstanding. Like him quite a bit. Especially since he's so honest about being terrible and riding the peloton.
Terpstra: was always a fan, but mainly because he was a nice bloke who was fun in interviews but was otherwise pretty average amongst pro-tour riders. Turns out he's actually quite good. Who'd have thought?
For me it's 2 riders - Thomas de Gendt and Nikki Terpstra.
I always thought de Gendt was alright in a kind of Voeckler do-or-die mega break style, but this year's Giro was outstanding. Like him quite a bit. Especially since he's so honest about being terrible and riding the peloton.
Terpstra: was always a fan, but mainly because he was a nice bloke who was fun in interviews but was otherwise pretty average amongst pro-tour riders. Turns out he's actually quite good. Who'd have thought?
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Terpstra was absolutely brilliant in the Dutch Pro road race. The race was held in appauling rain and strong winds. Many retired including most of the so-called favourites.but Terpstra was brilliant. An excellent performance.Just for the record 113 riders started the race and only 16 finished. The weather really was appauling for a road race.
Ademortademort
Chinarello, record and Mavic Cosmic Sl
Gazelle Vuelta , veloce
Giant Defy 4
Mirage Columbus SL
Batavus Ventura0 -
Ryder Hesjedal and Brad Wiggins. Always thought of both of them as top ten GT finishers, maybe a podium, but that was about it. Like both of them anyway, so happy to be wrong.0
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Nice thread, Rick
Thomas De G good shout. Have really enjoyed Wiggo smashing it. I've also discovered big love for the Colombians esp Uran-Uran, Henao and Quintana.0 -
Rui Costa and Moreno Moser.
Costa came of age in Switzerland and anybody who can turn Valverde into his personal water boy for a week deserves a apt on the back.
Moser had a simply stellar neo-pro season. Looks to be a huge talent, able to ITT, climb and finish off races with a scintillating kick."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
RichN95 wrote:Peter Sagan - I had him pegged as another stoney faced, emotionless, taciturn East European. It turns out he's nothing like that.
Got to love Sagan, need more characters in the peloton, last time I watched the tour before this year you had people like Cipolini, Pantani. Sagan with his forest gump celebration helps to fill the void! Not to say there's no characters at all though, he just stands out.0 -
Got to be Boonen for his heroics in the spring and Cancellara for still going for it at the end of Milan-San Remo even when he knew Gerrans was probably going to sprint past him.0
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Sagan- great rider and a personality too. Loved his tdf celebrations
JTL- looking forward to seeing him ride for Sky
Heneo and Uran
Thibault Pinout- great coming of age ride0 -
Slightly unimaginative list here:
Thibault Pinout
JTL
Uran-Uran
Heneo
Stanard0 -
J-rod for changing his game and not being afraid to mix it up in the big races, and not moaning when his plans didnt work.....is he really that tiny though.
aaaaaaannd
Boy Van Poppel - whats not to like.
and liz armistead - it was great to see such delight even for getting 'just' a silver.The dissenter is every human being at those moments of his life when he resigns
momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself.0 -
Cleat Eastwood wrote:J-rod for changing his game and not being afraid to mix it up in the big races, and not moaning when his plans didnt work.....is he really that tiny though.
aaaaaaannd
Boy Van Poppel - whats not to like.
and liz armistead - it was great to see such delight even for getting 'just' a silver.
Damn, forgot about Purito when I posted my list - he's a definite addition to the riders who surprised and impressed me.0 -
Hesjdal winning the Giro and not just grinding it out... Really enjoyed watching Garmin win a GT, especially VDVs ride on the last mountain stage."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'"
@gietvangent0 -
Steve Cummings, a top bloke and after some uber poo luck, nice to see him grab some decent winsHelmand Province is such a nice place.....0
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Was it the Vuelta where he solo'd the last bit? Great bit of riding0
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Paul 8v wrote:Was it the Vuelta where he solo'd the last bit? Great bit of riding
"Certainly" as Kelly would say!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8wgJV3et000 -
Kittel, Pinot, Phinney, HejsedalWarning No formatter is installed for the format0
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That was it, loved that!greasedscotsman wrote:Paul 8v wrote:Was it the Vuelta where he solo'd the last bit? Great bit of riding
"Certainly" as Kelly would say!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8wgJV3et000 -
Larry getting busted.... turned the universe upside down
sagan
wiggins leading cav out on the Champs elysees was a bit of a moment as was the raffle speech
the vuelta was a laugh and giro was decent too, agree TdG needs a mention. The Ryder surprised me
the tour wasn't all that as a race but will be historic in context with everything else that went down this year"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0 -
Good to see Sagan having fun at the tour, enjoyed Gilbert's win at the worlds.
Enjoyed seeing tony Martin have a bit of luck after his ruined tdf.0 -
Terpstra came good, Ryder - never really thought that was coming, Wiggins - So happy to see him do it. The two Sky bandits Henao & Uran get a mention for their impressive consistency, as for me does Christian Knees. What a diesel! (no i'm not a Sky Fan Boy)
Moser looks like he's gonna be good and Phinney shone, especially through his behaviour off the bike.
Gutted JRod didn't get one of the GT's.
Really excited to see what Geraint Thomas can do with a new committed road season. Hope some of the big names who've kept their sponsors happy at the dull Tour Of California opt to get back to the Giro and interested to see if a switch to Astana will help Nibali?
Oh and mischievously, it have to admit to some pleasure at seeing the demise of the Schleck's this year...
Can we just skip to the Classics now please?
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Stannard - he won't wear too many jerseys so the national jersey will get a nice trot out. Seemed to really grow as a rider and his performance in the Worlds was magnificent. I REALLY hope he meets expectations in the Classics.
Enjoyed seeing Kittel and Degenkolb continuing progress and Sagan too. Really hoping for some dead exciting sprinting with those, Cav and Griepel in the mix with Goss/Renshaw/Farrar adding to the chaos.
De Gendt got the love a year or two ago, same with JTL. Domestically, Kristian House because he just looks peerless on a bicycle sometimes.
Belgian team in the Worlds, thought it was more impressive than the GB efforts the year before.http://www.georgesfoundation.org
http://100hillsforgeorge.blogspot.com/
http://www.12on12in12.blogspot.co.uk/0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:A thread for you to put down who you've started to like / love in 2012 and why, or even just riders who your opinion on has grown through their 2012 exploits.
For me it's 2 riders - Thomas de Gendt and Nikki Terpstra.
Lovely shot of De Gendt in Pro Cycling this month with him facing away from the camera in the foreground and The Stelvio in the background.
Great shot!!Little boy to Obama: "My Dad says that you read all our emails"
Obama to little boy: "He's not your real Dad"
Kona Honky Tonk for sale: http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40090&t=130008070 -
mididoctors wrote:wiggins leading cav out on the Champs elysees was a bit of a moment as was the raffle speech
+1
The raffle comment was a true homage to local british club TT's and a fitting recognition of Wiggins' debt to those events.
Leading out Cav was more insightfull than all the retoric sorounding Cav the bottle carrier. Yes, he felt agrieved that he was not supported more but does he really think ANY other yellow jumper would commit to a lead out on the last lap?Coach H. (Dont ask me for training advice - 'It's not about the bike')0 -
Coach H wrote:mididoctors wrote:wiggins leading cav out on the Champs elysees was a bit of a moment as was the raffle speech
+1
The raffle comment was a true homage to local british club TT's and a fitting recognition of Wiggins' debt to those events.
Leading out Cav was more insightfull than all the retoric sorounding Cav the bottle carrier. Yes, he felt agrieved that he was not supported more but does he really think ANY other yellow jumper would commit to a lead out on the last lap?
Pfftt... Hinault won the final stage of the Tour in 1982 on the Champs Elysees in the yellow jumper! Wonder what Cavendish would have made of that! :shock:0 -
greasedscotsman wrote:Coach H wrote:mididoctors wrote:wiggins leading cav out on the Champs elysees was a bit of a moment as was the raffle speech
+1
The raffle comment was a true homage to local british club TT's and a fitting recognition of Wiggins' debt to those events.
Leading out Cav was more insightfull than all the retoric sorounding Cav the bottle carrier. Yes, he felt agrieved that he was not supported more but does he really think ANY other yellow jumper would commit to a lead out on the last lap?
Pfftt... Hinault won the final stage of the Tour in 1982 on the Champs Elysees in the yellow jumper! Wonder what Cavendish would have made of that! :shock:
Ah, the days before the Champs provided a sprint on the final stage and it was just a regular stage. No winding up Cav that way, Greased 0 -
Richmond Racer wrote:Ah, the days before the Champs provided a sprint on the final stage and it was just a regular stage. No winding up Cav that way, Greased
Thought that it was always pretty much a bunch sprint on the Champs Elysees, even back in the day. I fact, there is a Tuesday morning triva question. Since the Tour has finished on the Champs Elysees, can you name the riders who have won the final stage either from a break or a lone attack?0 -
Oh and before anyone moans at me, I don't know what the answer is... :shock:0
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greasedscotsman wrote:Richmond Racer wrote:Ah, the days before the Champs provided a sprint on the final stage and it was just a regular stage. No winding up Cav that way, Greased
Thought that it was always pretty much a bunch sprint on the Champs Elysees, even back in the day. I fact, there is a Tuesday morning triva question. Since the Tour has finished on the Champs Elysees, can you name the riders who have won the final stage either from a break or a lone attack?
Shoot, you're right, they started the trad of finishing on the Champs in 75. Mea culpa.
re your question....can I phone a friend?0 -
Richmond Racer wrote:re your question....can I phone a friend?
You have friends? :shock:0 -
Hinault (break with Zoetemelk), Vinokourov (following McGee's attack) and Cavendish (in 2009 him and Renshaw were so far ahead it could count as a break).greasedscotsman wrote:Richmond Racer wrote:Ah, the days before the Champs provided a sprint on the final stage and it was just a regular stage. No winding up Cav that way, Greased
Thought that it was always pretty much a bunch sprint on the Champs Elysees, even back in the day. I fact, there is a Tuesday morning triva question. Since the Tour has finished on the Champs Elysees, can you name the riders who have won the final stage either from a break or a lone attack?
There may be othersTwitter: @RichN950
