Why is Pantani revered and Armstrong hated ?

RichN95.

Bo Duke wrote:

The pre-Tour references to LA have started early this season....

I think it may have been more due to the misty eyed tributes to Pantani when they went up Oropa.

vinnymarsden

I think Pantani was, as we all know a very gifted cyclist, but we also all know he was a chronic drug user, and speaking from professional experience, drug users with that level of habit do NOT make good company..so I think I would say he is not revered so much as pitied..there is a difference..LA on the other hand was a very strong character, too strong in some ways, hence people simply did not like him, and were childishly glad when he was toppled.i am not condoning his behaviour in the slightest, however, when he fell, he brought the entire sport into complete disrepute, and despite anything that has followed it will never truly recover.
So, as to who I would have a drink with....I think Sagan if I'm honest.

RichN95.

VinnyMarsden wrote:

So, as to who I would have a drink with....I think Sagan if I'm honest.

Really? I reckon he'd have a good half hour in him at best.

I'd pick Geraint Thomas and Luke Rowe, largely because I do have beers with people just like them. Otherwise I think Cavendish would be the best.

Others for intelligent conversation (language barriers aside): Landa (architecture), Froome (economics), Benoot (economics), Hansen (engineering), Tankink (investments), Quinziato (law) and Roy (engineering) have a certain level of education

wombly_knees

Pozzovivo is fairly well educated as well AFAIK.

Then again, despite being a post graduate, nobody would suggest that I am likely to start, or engage in, an intelligent conversation. So it's not a given they'll be good at conversing.

Richmond Racer 2

wombly knees wrote:

Pozzovivo is fairly well educated as well AFAIK.

Then again, despite being a post graduate, nobody would suggest that I am likely to start, or engage in, an intelligent conversation. So it's not a given they'll be good at conversing.

Quite

My conversational companion needs would be more basic - Italian wine and food, so an Italian rider pls

rick_chasey

Tankink is great 4 the bantz.

kingstongraham

RichN95 wrote:

VinnyMarsden wrote:

So, as to who I would have a drink with....I think Sagan if I'm honest.

Really? I reckon he'd have a good half hour in him at best.

He could be pottering around in the kitchen while chatting away. Lovely scene.

salsiccia1

Richmond Racer 2 wrote:

wombly knees wrote:

Pozzovivo is fairly well educated as well AFAIK.

Then again, despite being a post graduate, nobody would suggest that I am likely to start, or engage in, an intelligent conversation. So it's not a given they'll be good at conversing.

Quite

My conversational companion needs would be more basic - Italian wine and food, so an Italian rider pls

Cipollini?

rick_chasey

Haha RR's darkest fantasy.

Wouldn't venture there salsiccia.

Richmond Racer 2

Salsiccia1 wrote:

Richmond Racer 2 wrote:

wombly knees wrote:

Pozzovivo is fairly well educated as well AFAIK.

Then again, despite being a post graduate, nobody would suggest that I am likely to start, or engage in, an intelligent conversation. So it's not a given they'll be good at conversing.

Quite

My conversational companion needs would be more basic - Italian wine and food, so an Italian rider pls

Cipollini?

oh lordy, I wouldnt be able to cope with his aftershave. He whizzed by me on a descent of a mountain a couple of Giros ago before a TT, and I swear the aftershave hung around long after he'd gone by

prawny

I went to the theater at the weekend to watch a play about the Armstrong v Pantani battles.

It was quite good, a lot more sympathetic to the troubled kid who got caught and was vilified than the brash American who made a fortune getting away with it and smearing anyone who questioned him.

http://www.2magpiestheatre.co.uk/ventoux.php - worth a look if the tour is in your area, even if it's just for the frankly incredible cadence the actors manage on flat pedals during the show.

takethehighroad

With his candidness about the sport on the Cycling Podcast, I think I'd like to have a BBQ with Laurens Ten Dam

rick_chasey

He's quite shy is LTD.

dolan_driver

Watching Pantani in the 1994 Tour de France was amazing. His arrival on the big stage breathed new life into the sport in some ways.

His style on the climbs in the classy Carrera kit, on a beautiful Italian steel bike (or was it titanium), was a joy to behold at a time when many believed we would never see a "true climber" in the sport again. He was compared to the likes of Coppi, Ocana, Bahamontes and Van Impe. The Tour had been pummelled into submission by Indurain's early time trial on each occasion since 1991 and along comes the cheeky little Italian who climbed like an angel.

And on top of all that, he went and did this!
http://images2.gazzettaobjects.it/metho ... 169_xl.jpg

DD.

RichN95.

Dolan Driver wrote:

And on top of all that, he went and did this!
http://images2.gazzettaobjects.it/metho ... 169_xl.jpg

He also did this

KnightOfTheLongTights

DeVlaeminck wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

Is LA the sort of guy you would want to have a pint with?

I'd happily share a glass of vino rosso with Pantani.

Really? None of us knew him but in the Rendell biography and the one by his manager Pantani comes across as a immature personality who is indulged because of his talent and when the bubble bursts is unable to cope with reality and slipped into drug addiction. I get the attraction to him as a cyclist but one of my cycling heroes is Robert Millar but by all accounts he wouldn't have been great on a night out.

exactly what I was thinking - and also v shy, not that there's anything wrong with that, but if we're talking nights out... I'd expect LA to be very good company...

FocusZing

^^Ha

mugensi

Pantani was human and like all humans was flawed. He was likeable and a pleasure to watch.

LA was seriously flawed, lied about being flawed and tried to convince the world he wasn't, He was arrogant (and still is) and created a hero persona for himself. He is and still is a prick who I severely dislike.

Matthewfalle

MugenSi wrote:

Pantani was human and like all humans was flawed. He was likeable and a pleasure to watch.

LA was seriously flawed, lied about being flawed and tried to convince the world he wasn't, He was arrogant (and still is) and created a hero persona for himself. He is and still is a prick who I severely dislike.

This times a hundred. Hat.

tomb2100

Answers below and personally I like both of them!

a)Pantani the flamboyant Italian, an individual with an attacking style and fragile mentality

b)Armstrong - American, single minded, methodical, strong team, crushed opponents - think 'the Dark Side' or Team Sky!!

c)The press

d)Pantani died

yorkshireraw

Agree with Rich - Thomas & Rowe would be the boys for a night out, along with some of the Belgies & Dutch after the end of the spring classics.
Cav doesn't drink.
Armstrong would probably be great for a couple of beers, then the snarl and the bitterness would like emerge.
An evening with Pantani would have been hanging round a grubby nightclub toilet in Rimini, waiting for his 'man'. No thanks.

RichN95.

YorkshireRaw wrote:

Agree with Rich - Thomas & Rowe would be the boys for a night out, along with some of the Belgies & Dutch after the end of the spring classics.

I've come to the conclusion that Chris Juul-Jensen would be the best