Fabian Cancellara- MSR 2008

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  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,091
    [url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19707584#p19707584]Vino'sGhost[/url] wrote:
    who was FF?

    [Sucks in air through clenched teeth hard] Not sure really, probably an android.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Epilogue

    For Fabian Cancellara, Milan-san Remo is one of the most beautiful races of the year, but also one of the most difficult to win. "It's a lottery. There are maybe 20 guys who have a chance at the start. The race itself is like a bottle of champagne: You have to give it a good shake. The tension and pressure increases constantly until the cork pops and the whole thing explodes. In 2008, I exploded at a good moment."

    Since then it's been seemingly impossible for the Swiss to win La Primavera again. Since that heroic victory, he's collected a lot of opposition to sit on his wheel. Take last year (DG: 2012), Spartacus took Simon Gerrans and Vincenzo Nibali in his slipstream at 2 kilometres. Nibali couldn't ride, Gerrans wouldn't. But the Australian came out of Cancellara's wheel in the last 50m to win the sprint by a couple of centimetres. Fabian doesn't like to remember it. "Lots of journalists asked me why I kept riding. Well, I'd rather try to win than come second, to take a chance and finish 20th. You know, with that second place I won more than the winner himself. I got respect and praise for the way I rode the race, Gerrans didn't. People mostly showed indifference to him. This gave me a certain satisfaction."

    The Bear from Bern is still a bit evil towards Gerrans. "Not because he beat me, or because he didn't pay any bonus, but because afterwards he never came and thanked me. A simple handshake would have been appreciated. Or a good bottle of wine. Because without me, he never would have won that race, and he knows that. Gerrans will never win another race of that calibre (DG; Hem hem hem hem because other riders won't work with him. You know, in the time of Merckx nobody would have dared to first sit on his wheel for Kilometres then nip past him, and I would still never do it. If I can't earn the win, then I would certainly never steal it"
    "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
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    And there we are, there's the Cancellara I know and love. And to think I enjoyed writing that up until the last bit.
    "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
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,660
    One suspects, however, that Merckx would have happily sat on another's wheel before "stealing" the win citing victory above all else above

    Great work as always DG!
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    What's curious isn't so much Gerran's behaviour, but that, it would appear, that buying Cancellara a bottle of wine after you've won a race isn't all that uncommon, if he's towed you to the line!
    _
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,310
    I'm sure Gerrans' LBL makes up for Fabian's opinion.
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    You have a choice for the next one. Hansen or Tim Krabbe... majority wins and I'll start tonight
    "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
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,941
    [url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19707951#p19707951]disgruntledgoat[/url] wrote:
    You have a choice for the next one. Hansen or Tim Krabbe... majority wins and I'll start tonight

    Because of his love of Czech I'll go for Hansen please :)
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    [url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19707952#p19707952]phreak[/url] wrote:
    [url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19707951#p19707951]disgruntledgoat[/url] wrote:
    You have a choice for the next one. Hansen or Tim Krabbe... majority wins and I'll start tonight

    Because of his love of Czech I'll go for Hansen please :)

    The Joy of Czechs eh?
    "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
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,941
    [url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19707960#p19707960]disgruntledgoat[/url] wrote:
    [url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19707952#p19707952]phreak[/url] wrote:
    [url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19707951#p19707951]disgruntledgoat[/url] wrote:
    You have a choice for the next one. Hansen or Tim Krabbe... majority wins and I'll start tonight

    Because of his love of Czech I'll go for Hansen please :)

    The Joy of Czechs eh?

    My in-laws are Czech so I can understand a bit where he's coming from :)
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,643
    [url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19707951#p19707951]disgruntledgoat[/url] wrote:
    You have a choice for the next one. Hansen or Tim Krabbe... majority wins and I'll start tonight

    Think I voted already above, but just to re-emphasise, Hansen please...
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Can you finish the Gilbert one please?
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    [url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19708051#p19708051]coriordan[/url] wrote:
    Can you finish the Gilbert one please?

    Did I never finish that off?! How remiss of me.

    I don't have that issue with me at the moment, but I can try to get it done in the next few days.

    Sorry all!
    "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
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    I think I posted last on it

    "did he crash at 1400m to the line?"
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Yes! I was waiting for this DG. Cheers for posting it.

    What an absolute legend. Loved watching him ride in that 2008 - 2010 period.

    I'm not usually someone who gets all hot and bothered about a rider sitting on another's wheel but the fact that Gerrans didn't even say anything to Cancellara afterwards is pretty poor.

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