The Annual Tour de France Awards

milton50
milton50 Posts: 3,856
edited July 2014 in Pro race
With just the TT and the run-in to Paris to come it's time to look back on the best and worst of the 2014 Tour de France.

Basically this is where everyone can create their own categories and criteria for the moments which have given them inspiration, laughter, anger, confusion etc. over the last 3 weeks. So here are the Milton50 nominations:

Best individual performance: Tony Martin on stage 9 for time trialling away from the whole field from 60km out. Beast.

Worst individual performance: Cavendish for attempting to ride over Simon Gerrans and depriving us of the sprint contest we wanted to see.

Unsung hero award: Kevin Reza for absolutely bossing the breakaway-domestique duties

The "chapeau" award: Alberto Contador for attempting to continue cycling with a broken leg. Fair play.

Most stylish rider: Tony Gallopin for his yellow jersey and black shorts combination

Close but no cigar award: Peter Sagan for managing to be the nailed on favourite for about 8 stages but never coming up with a win

Breakaway killer: Cheng Ji. Apparently F1 teams are now studying Cheng in order to make the cars better at ripping through the air.

Most shocking moment of the Tour: This award is shared between Greg LeMond's waistline and Stefano's trousers.

And this year there is also a special lifetime achievement award. This goes to Haimar Zubeldia for chalking up yet another Grand Tour top 10 finish without anyone realising he is in the race. Well done Haimar (and yes I had to check how his name is spelt).

Comments

  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,718
    Bip - Gallopin's stage win
    Wip - Demare's whole Tour
    Uha - Geraint Thomas once again sacrificing chances of individual wins for nothing
    Ca - Nibali for constantly attacking
    Msr - ok not style but Sagan deserves simething for spending so much time on his hair given it's going to be wrecked asnsoon as he puts his helmet on
    Cbnc - whoever it was got caught just before the line after that long break
    Bk - what?
    Msm - cav crashing out on stage 1 was a shock
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    Deleted - Muppetry
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Actually I completely forgot about Hollenstein finishing the stage with a punctured lung. I'm taking the chapeau award off Contador and handing it to him.
  • RideOnTime
    RideOnTime Posts: 4,712
    Best individual performance: Nibali Sheffield.
    Worst individual performance: Any of Sky Team.
    Unsung hero award: OGE bus driver.
    The "chapeau" award: Micheal Rodgers Rafal Majak Yorkshire.
    Most stylish stage: 5
    Close but no cigar award: Sagan
    Breakaway killer: Ramunas Navardauskas
    Most shocking moment of the Tour: Froome / Contador going out.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,227
    Best individual performance: Tony Martin on stage 9

    Worst individual performance: Mollema TT

    Unsung hero award: Not sure if it was unsung, but Westra was mega on the cobbles.

    The "chapeau" award: Nibs on the cobbles.

    Most stylish rider: Tony Gallopin & his wife.

    Close but no cigar award: Jack Bauer on that stage.

    Most shocking moment of the Tour: French riders being interesting.
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    The Unsung hero award: Arnold Jeannesson
    The Hard as nails award: Hollenstein - ouch!
    The Best stage award: Stage 5, Ypres – Arenberg Porte du Hainaut over the cobbles
    The Haimar Zubeldia award for ghosting into the top ten: Haimar Zubeldia. Again.
    The Hasn't this been done already? award: All those Borat impersonators
    The There's hope for me yet aged rider does good award: Peraud
    The Frank Schleck bike handling award: Andy Schleck
    The Tony Martin caught on the line heartbreak award: Jack Bauer
    The What's the point of this team? award: Cofidis
    The He's a witch burn him award sponsored by Bikepure: Nibali for daring to be better than the competition
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • RideOnTime
    RideOnTime Posts: 4,712
    Is Cofidis like French Wonga..
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    RideOnTime wrote:
    Is Cofidis like French Wonga..
    No. They're a more legit lender offering proper long term loans. APR about 20% not 5000%
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • nevman
    nevman Posts: 1,611
    Best stage villain in a supporting role......Jose Serpa.
    Best piece of kit...a camper van.
    Best pedalleur....Nibali by a country mile.
    Whats the solution? Just pedal faster you baby.

    Summer B,man Team Carbon LE#222
    Winter Alan Top Cross
    All rounder Spec. Allez.
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,091
    Best individual performance: Stage 10 - Tony Martin's epic turn at the front in the service of Kwiatkowski. Didn't result in anything, but amply demonstrates why Martin is popular amongst his peers.

    Worst individual performance: Stage 10 - Tony Martin's apparent track stand after finally running out of energy - I don't think I've ever seen a rider as visibly 'cooked' as that.

    The Winter's Tale award for most visually arresting exit: Lars Bak, stage right, stage 5.