Best Quote of 2012

alwaystoohot

Gotta be Frankie Schleck 'I was poisoned'.

Why didn't Lance think of that one....

ddraver

evening Susan

greasedscotsman

ddraver wrote:

evening Susan

Who said that? Wiggins?

Daz555

"I've won more Tours than Lance Armstrong now, which is brilliant."

Richmond Racer

'gonna draw the raffle numbers now'

unbeatable

Tho the man himself does come close to beating that with his comment when following Robert Millar by winning at Crans Montana in Tour of Romandie
'It's great, but I'm not going to start dressing as a woman'



(thanks to the Comic for that one)

dave_1

"dope tests are IQ tests" and "I`m done fighting" are two that I will remember

pb21

Richmond Racer wrote:

'gonna draw the raffle numbers now'

unbeatable

+1

mroli

Richmond Racer wrote:

Tho the man himself does come close to beating that with his comment when following Robert Millar by winning at Crans Montana in Tour of Romandie

That's a sh&t quote and I think less of Wiggins for saying it.

Richmond Racer

Millar is one of Wiggins' heroes and they're in contact with each other. He wrote very complimentary articles about Wiggins during the Tour, and also wrote the foreword to My Time. Therefore I doubt very much that Wiggins was insulting Millar and it certainly seems that Millar himself didnt take it the wrong way. He certainly isnt po-faced.

mroli

Yeah - I don't know the context and how it was said so may well be over-reacting - I just think that Robert Millar should be allowed to live his life how he wants to live it and it is nothing to do with me or anyone else. Good, I can go back to being a Wiggins fan-boi then!

Richmond Racer

I'm a big Millar fan too. No, it was just Wiggo with one of his throwaway one-liners. He thinks the world of Millar - did you see the scene in Year in Yellow where he talks about him?

Have you read his foreword in Wiggo's book? Such a talented writer, wish he would write more for publication. It'd be brilliant if the Cycling Anthology guys could persuade him to contribute an essay in their next book next year.

frenchfighter

'The Quoteable Cyclist' - Bill Strickland

May well have trouble finding this but keep an eye out on ebay. It's on kindle for a few quid.

Worth a read - 300 pages of quotes (sadly involving MTB and US people also, but small). Hnadful of quotes per page.

"One by one each man ran out of energy and collapsed under Bartali's relentless pressure. He became once again the dazzling magician of the summits, flying on the mountains, reducing to nothing all those who, moments before, were his adversaries. On this execrable planet his gracious pedaling couldn't help but exhort admiration."
-Jacques Goddett

And more from Goddett:
"From snowstorm, water, ice, Bartali arose majestically like an angel covered with mud, wearing under his soaked tunic the precious soul of an exceptional champion."
(on Bartali's 1948 TdF victory).

"In Coppi's veins gas flows, but in Bartali only blood flows."
-Dino Buzzati

"Coppi? Is that the one we followed in the Giro del Piemonte? The guy who is as skinny as an asparagus? He doesn't lack courage, I'll give him that, but I think he's kind of fragile."
-Bartali's first impression of Coppi

And yes, I'm a Bartali admirer.

"Raymond Poulidor wore his malediction like a virtual coat of shining armour."
-Antoine Blondin

"They should not have too many Romingers. That kind of guy gives the impression that he is just out there doing his job. For me, it is a passion. When I stop, I will be proud to have served and glorified the sport of bicycle racing."
-Chiappucci on Rominger (or Contador on many Sky riders)

"As long as I breathe I attack."
-Hinault

For Dave!:
"Fignon showed me the path to follow, the discipline of respect, the art of consent."
-Riis

And one of my favourites:
"My biggest fear is that they will confuse me with another racer."
-Chiappucci

Richmond Racer

sounds brilliant, FF, I'll look out for it.

But one thing: you really need to get over your 'Sky riders have no passion' thing. I'm sure that if you ever had the chance to sit down with a few of them, you'd find more than enough passion for this sport to satisfy even you. Its just expressed in a different way from your hero Contador. Doesnt mean to say that you have to like any of them but you should at least understand that passion comes in different forms.

Doobz

"He couldn't pull the foreskin off a Rice pudding!"

mroli

Richmond Racer wrote:

Have you read his foreword in Wiggo's book? Such a talented writer, wish he would write more for publication.

The book is literally at my left elbow, waiting for me to stop d!cking around on the internet and go to bed. Didn't realise the foreword was by Millar (not 300 pages long is it by any chance?!) - am going to bed now.

Richmond Racer

mroli wrote:

Richmond Racer wrote:

Have you read his foreword in Wiggo's book? Such a talented writer, wish he would write more for publication.

The book is literally at my left elbow, waiting for me to stop d!cking around on the internet and go to bed. Didn't realise the foreword was by Millar (not 300 pages long is it by any chance?!) - am going to bed now.

Read the foreword - you'll love it

ocdupalais

Didnt know Jacques Goddett went to Oxford (to study; not on a day-trip).

ocdupalais

In my experience, self-aggrandising quotes = monumental tossers.

Paul 8v

pb21 wrote:

Richmond Racer wrote:

'gonna draw the raffle numbers now'

unbeatable

+1

+2

dave_1

frenchfighter wrote:

'The Quoteable Cyclist' - Bill Strickland

May well have trouble finding this but keep an eye out on ebay. It's on kindle for a few quid.

Worth a read - 300 pages of quotes (sadly involving MTB and US people also, but small). Hnadful of quotes per page.

"One by one each man ran out of energy and collapsed under Bartali's relentless pressure. He became once again the dazzling magician of the summits, flying on the mountains, reducing to nothing all those who, moments before, were his adversaries. On this execrable planet his gracious pedaling couldn't help but exhort admiration."
-Jacques Goddett

And more from Goddett:
"From snowstorm, water, ice, Bartali arose majestically like an angel covered with mud, wearing under his soaked tunic the precious soul of an exceptional champion."
(on Bartali's 1948 TdF victory).

"In Coppi's veins gas flows, but in Bartali only blood flows."
-Dino Buzzati

"Coppi? Is that the one we followed in the Giro del Piemonte? The guy who is as skinny as an asparagus? He doesn't lack courage, I'll give him that, but I think he's kind of fragile."
-Bartali's first impression of Coppi

And yes, I'm a Bartali admirer.

"Raymond Poulidor wore his malediction like a virtual coat of shining armour."
-Antoine Blondin

"They should not have too many Romingers. That kind of guy gives the impression that he is just out there doing his job. For me, it is a passion. When I stop, I will be proud to have served and glorified the sport of bicycle racing."
-Chiappucci on Rominger (or Contador on many Sky riders)

"As long as I breathe I attack."
-Hinault

For Dave!:
"Fignon showed me the path to follow, the discipline of respect, the art of consent."
-Riis

And one of my favourites:
"My biggest fear is that they will confuse me with another racer."
-Chiappucci

Cheers Frenchie. My favourite Fignon quote, which I still agree with, despite riders wishing very much to finish career on a high, was, at GP Plouay 1993..Fignon DNFd and retired mid race and said of his DNF "nobody remembers how you finish your career, they remember what you won!"
I agree!

ddraver

So they were all from 2012 were they..?

Richmond Racer

ddraver wrote:

So they were all from 2012 were they..?

Apart from FF's...so come on then, wot you got?

tailwindhome

Dave_1 wrote:

My favourite Fignon quote, which I still agree with, despite riders wishing very much to finish career on a high, was, at GP Plouay 1993..Fignon DNFd and retired mid race and said of his DNF "nobody remembers how you finish your career, they remember what you won!"
I agree!

Or the one you lost by 8 seconds.....

shinyhelmut

“Ah. I remember you. You’re the guy who lost the Tour de France by eight seconds.”

“No, monsieur, I’m the guy who won the Tour twice.”

Laurent Fignon. Sadly not in '12 though.

ddraver

Richmond Racer wrote:

ddraver wrote:

So they were all from 2012 were they..?

Apart from FF's...so come on then, wot you got?

I went with Evening Susan...

mike6

frenchfighter wrote:

'The Quoteable Cyclist' - Bill Strickland

May well have trouble finding this but keep an eye out on ebay. It's on kindle for a few quid.

Worth a read - 300 pages of quotes (sadly involving MTB and US people also, but small). Hnadful of quotes per page.

"One by one each man ran out of energy and collapsed under Bartali's relentless pressure. He became once again the dazzling magician of the summits, flying on the mountains, reducing to nothing all those who, moments before, were his adversaries. On this execrable planet his gracious pedaling couldn't help but exhort admiration."
-Jacques Goddett

And more from Goddett:
"From snowstorm, water, ice, Bartali arose majestically like an angel covered with mud, wearing under his soaked tunic the precious soul of an exceptional champion."
(on Bartali's 1948 TdF victory).

"In Coppi's veins gas flows, but in Bartali only blood flows."
-Dino Buzzati

"Coppi? Is that the one we followed in the Giro del Piemonte? The guy who is as skinny as an asparagus? He doesn't lack courage, I'll give him that, but I think he's kind of fragile."
-Bartali's first impression of Coppi

And yes, I'm a Bartali admirer.

"Raymond Poulidor wore his malediction like a virtual coat of shining armour."
-Antoine Blondin

"They should not have too many Romingers. That kind of guy gives the impression that he is just out there doing his job. For me, it is a passion. When I stop, I will be proud to have served and glorified the sport of bicycle racing."
-Chiappucci on Rominger (or Contador on many Sky riders)

"As long as I breathe I attack."
-Hinault

For Dave!:
"Fignon showed me the path to follow, the discipline of respect, the art of consent."
-Riis

And one of my favourites:
"My biggest fear is that they will confuse me with another racer."
-Chiappucci

Oh for goodness sake!!!!!! Do we have to go through all this Contador rubbish again?

The fact remains, there was a good reason why Clentador was not at the 2012 Tour.

mroli

Richmond Racer wrote:

Read the foreword - you'll love it

He writes so well.

Rest of the book - bit meh - thought he was being very complimentary about Froome, but dug a couple of barbs in later on, a lot of the stuff is a rehash of what I've read in the media before, but I think Moore has done a good job at making it readable, but keeping an "authentic" voice. What is really interesting is reading Pendleton's book back to back and seeing the different takes on DB and SS. Oh - and how much BW is going to miss having Yates in the car...

simon_e

mroli wrote:

Richmond Racer wrote:

Read the foreword - you'll love it

He writes so well.

Rest of the book - bit meh - thought he was being very complimentary about Froome, but dug a couple of barbs in later on, a lot of the stuff is a rehash of what I've read in the media before, but I think Moore has done a good job at making it readable, but keeping an "authentic" voice. What is really interesting is reading Pendleton's book back to back and seeing the different takes on DB and SS. Oh - and how much BW is going to miss having Yates in the car...

I read My Time last week, the foreword was the most interesting of the book.

To be fair, I could hear Wiggins saying the words so it felt like it was his story, but it just seemed a bit... predictable. Having followed Bradley's recent years closely I'd heard/read most of it already so yes, it was a bit familiar.

Pendleton's book is waiting on the shelf, Owen Slot's piece on VP v Meares in the Bernie's Cycling Anthology Vol 1 whet my appetite (have enjoyed it, each piece is adequately revealing but not overly long. A thread on it here). Really hoping Robert will write something for vol. 2, and 3 and....