Adam Bylthe - Cycling's Bad Boy ?

sportvan

Obviously a talented bike rider who could have great potential with the right team and motivation but is he really cycling's bad boy. Cannot say if any of the below is actually true but the following have been mentioned on this forum so best to take with a pinch of salt:

Car burn-ups in car parks
Dodgy tans
Sleeping with team mates girlfriends
OTT cycling shoes
Controversial behaviour at BMC thats resulted in him leaving but still getting paid by them whilst riding for NFTO
Living in Monaco yet racing in the UK

mfin

sportvan wrote:

Ditching or ditched by Lizzie Armistead for someone still at school.

Is this true though or is it just completely unconnected subsequent girlfriends?

Oh hang on, who gives a BLANK.

"So, Una Stubbs, what's your answer, what do you think, 'Who gives a BLANK?' "

"Terry, I'm going to say F**k"

"Good answer Una, 'Who gives a F**k' "




*I see that you edited out the quoted "Ditching or ditched by Lizzie Armistead for someone still at school." ...any reason?

ddraver

Who

Gives

a

Fuk

smithy21

Are the shoes not Adam Hansen?

jimmythecuckoo

There is a conversation to be had here, I think.

Blythe is clearly a big fish in the little pond of UK Domestic racing.

Would any other team in the world tour take him now? Difficult to say, he clearly has class as his performance on Sunday showed.

If its true that BMC are paying him whilst he rides for NFTO then that does pose questions about why and how such a situation could have arisen.

I have no idea if he was doing doughnuts in the car park at Circuit of the Fens or if that is indeed appropriate or befitting the image attached to a professional sportsman.

A number of those things listed in the OP were leveled at Mario Cipollini over the years but he remained at the top level.

Why not Adam?

lostboysaint

Because Cippollini could back it up with results?

iainf72

Hey, this is a sport where a fairly big name used to go out training with condoms in his jersey, just in case. And was withdrawn from a race "injured". Assuming the clap is an injury

:P

woody1545

iainf72 wrote:

Hey, this is a sport where a fairly big name used to go out training with condoms in his jersey, just in case. And was withdrawn from a race "injured". Assuming the clap is an injury

:P

Stop teasing!

Cippollini is surely more than a fairly big name, so who was it?

RichN95.

Tinkov has basically confirmed that Nico Roche is going to Sky.

Edit: Hang on, wrong thread.

hammerite

I'll see your Adam Blythe and raise you a party Tom.

Young girlfriend - been there done it.
Custom bike shoes - Nasty custom paint job on Ferrari.
Doughnuts in a car park - Smashes up aforementioned Ferrari
Monaco - been there, done that. Moved back home.
Ability to win "classics" - Won numerous real classics.
Former penchant for recreational substances.

markwb79

hammerite wrote:

I'll see your Adam Blythe and raise you a party Tom.

Young girlfriend - been there done it.
Custom bike shoes - Nasty custom paint job on Ferrari.
Doughnuts in a car park - Smashes up aforementioned Ferrari
Monaco - been there, done that. Moved back home.
Ability to win "classics" - Won numerous real classics.
Former penchant for recreational substances.

I guess the difference is that Tom can ride a bike.

iainf72

Classic winners are the guys more likely to behave like footballers.

Especially M-SR winners.

stagehopper

Some interesting bits on Blythe in the latest Telegraph Cycling Podcast - suggesting had problems with the Olympic Development programme and Tim Kerrison lost patience with him. Philippe Gilbert also seems to suggest that he may not want it enough.

RichN95.

stagehopper wrote:

Some interesting bits on Blythe in the latest Telegraph Cycling Podcast - suggesting had problems with the Olympic Development programme and Tim Kerrison lost patience with him.

You mean Ellingworth, not Kerrison

mm1

If you read Nicole Cooke's book, falling out with BC seems more like a reference than a failing.

eh

Nicole Cooke could fall out with a house brick. She had a terrible rep within the Welsh team. So anything she says about BC or whoever you have to take with a pinch of salt.

frenchfighter

stagehopper wrote:

Philippe Gilbert also seems to suggest that he may not want it enough.

Thanks. Another opinion of mine echoed by someone in the know.

DeVlaeminck

eh wrote:

Nicole Cooke could fall out with a house brick. She had a terrible rep within the Welsh team. So anything she says about BC or whoever you have to take with a pinch of salt.

It's not just Cooke though is it, Armitstead has been described as "difficult", Pendleton was also seen as difficult - perhaps they just can't handle women with opinions.

mfin

DeVlaeminck wrote:

eh wrote:

Nicole Cooke could fall out with a house brick. She had a terrible rep within the Welsh team. So anything she says about BC or whoever you have to take with a pinch of salt.

It's not just Cooke though is it, Armitstead has been described as "difficult", Pendleton was also seen as difficult - perhaps they just can't handle women with opinions.

If success makes someone a bit righteous and they are also naturally a little paranoid by nature, plus if they are they often have developed traits in life to continually cover insecurities, then these combinations can make people be a right handful.

I am NOT saying Cooke, Armitstead or Pendleton are examples like that, but you do see it in management. So I am sure you could see it when the rider feels they are the star or product not the management they are being managed by. (...and when I say manage, I mean 'work with' not 'control').

DeVlaeminck

I think it's a bit like Sinead O'Connor was talking about on the news the other day - when a woman is assertive she is seen as difficult - when a man does it he's seen as a leader. British Cycling is a very controlling environment at the best of times - they don't like individuals that don't conform - it does seem that when it comes to women that goes doubly so. http://banbossy.com/

eh

When you won't follow what the team is asking and deliberately ignore orders, then quite frankly your opinions are going to get ignored. If you want the management to value your opinions you have to work with them, not fight them and slag them off.

RichN95.

DeVlaeminck wrote:

I think it's a bit like Sinead O'Connor was talking about on the news the other day - when a woman is assertive she is seen as difficult - when a man does it he's seen as a leader. British Cycling is a very controlling environment at the best of times - they don't like individuals that don't conform - it does seem that when it comes to women that goes doubly so. http://banbossy.com/

Some women are genuinely complete pains in the arse though (as are men).

DeVlaeminck

Must be a coincidence that all the most successful GB female cyclists are a complete pain in the arse then.

When a succession of female athletes are running into the same issues then the simplest explanation is they have a valid point.

RichN95.

DeVlaeminck wrote:

Must be a coincidence that all the most successful GB female cyclists are a complete pain in the ars* then.

When a succession of female athletes are running into the same issues then the simplest explanation is they have a valid point.

No, it's just Cooke. Pendleton and Armitstead may have their moments, but then so do Wiggins, Cavendish and Blythe - it's pretty standard in sport, it's a pressured environment.

r0bh

DeVlaeminck wrote:

Must be a coincidence that all the most successful GB female cyclists are a complete pain in the ars* then.

And two of the most successful GB male cyclists - Wiggo and Cav - aren't a complete pain in the ars* at all are they :roll:

graeme_s-2

r0bh wrote:

And two of the most successful GB male cyclists - Wiggo and Cav - aren't a complete pain in the ars* at all are they :roll:

Funny thing with Cav is we might perceive some of his petulant displays to make him a pain in the arse to work with, but I've never heard team mates or team management say a bad word about him. Don't know if it's just because he wins so much he can get away with anything, or if he genuinely is a good team player who just mouths off in the press occasionally when he loses.

jimmythecuckoo

I think its a prerequisite that to be a top level sports person you have to have that selfish opinionated streak.

As a quiet, selfless type myself, that would explain why I am not in the pro tour.

mike6

Cav is borderline OCD, he admits that. Never heard a bad word about him from a team mate or a trade team so he is not a pain in the a**e. He hates losing, he is a winner why not?

RichN95.

Most great sportsmen are a little difficult and demanding. They get to be the best by expecting the best. I remember a friend of mine who played Olympic hockey slagging off his team at half time when they were winning 7-0 because they had started pissing about (they qualified for the final by one goal on goal difference)

But going back to 'bossy' women. Over the years I've spoken to several 'players' in Welsh sport (if such people exist) and two high profile women are often described as 'bossy' - Nicole Cooke and Tanni Grey-Thompson. And almost across the board one is seen as an iconic crusader who everyone says good things about and the other any praise for her is followed by the word 'but'. I'll let you decide which is which.

DeVlaeminck

Can you imagine high profile sportsmen being described as "bossy" ?

RichN95.

DeVlaeminck wrote:

Can you imagine high profile sportsmen being described as "bossy" ?

Jam Stam called Gary Neville 'a bossy little c*nt'. Does that help?