Bye Bye Bertie

bigmat

Doesn't seem to be a thread for this - how times have changed! If I have missed it,mods please merge / delete this one.

Anyway, Bertie to bow out after La Vuelta. The right decision IMO, love him or hate him he has animated the race whenever he has lined up. His performance at the Tour was sad to watch though (I know some think it was a ride of great panache and attacking genius....)

Flâneur

I've enjoyed watching him race. I can get past the * for that. Probably for the best to go now after the TDF performance. I can't say I enjoy watching riders who could once change a race plod along.

I'll go have a steak for him anyway

ddraver

meh, he's been a sad tribute act for years...

who's up for one last round of steak puns?

smokey_bacon

Not surprised. Some great memories, some not so great. Did like his style alot.

salsiccia1

I'm going to miss him in races. He's obviously not the rider he once was but he's been great value over the years.

Richmond Racer 2

for the best, and what BigMat says

he's given us some moments over the years

DeVlaeminck

Shame, I was hoping he'd do another year, I know some prefer riders to bow out at their peak but I would always prefer them to try and defy the aging process and eek out that one last big win and Contador is still good enough to have an outside shot at a grand tour.

ocdupalais

Great rider, dodgy past, will miss him etc etc... But it'll be good to not have him distracting me during PTP picking time like he has done for the past 2 seasons.

lloyd_bower

I'm sure we'll be well done without him, he was a rare talent pre the doping ban, and pretty much winning all tours he entered (strange that, reminder of someone else from Bruyneel camp maybe?), but form since has been more medium since, though still with some highlights.

I'm no fan Lance PhArmstrong, but it's puzzling how only his titles are removed, yet Riis, Ullrich, Pantani & Contadope are admitted/proven dopers with their titles still in the Tour record books. The riders (the protests in 98' against tests) and authorities (UCI) are to blame for that inglorious past, which leaves us questioning most things. It's amazing with all the evidence against Armstrong that he was able to come back for those two years, though they pretty much sealed his fate.

jimmythecuckoo

He's retiring again?

Didn't he announce it once and then ride on.

Meh.

Will believe it when it happens.

kingstongraham

lloyd bower wrote:

I'm no fan Lance PhArmstrong, but it's puzzling how only his titles are removed, yet Riis, Ullrich, Pantani & Contadope are admitted/proven dopers with their titles still in the Tour record books. The riders (the protests in 98' against tests) and authorities (UCI) are to blame for that inglorious past, which leaves us questioning most things. It's amazing with all the evidence against Armstrong that he was able to come back for those two years, though they pretty much sealed his fate.

Contador's 2010 title was stripped when he ate bad meat. The rest was all rumour or thrown out by the Spanish courts, nothing to see here, honest.

specialgueststar

That is definitely the end of some sort of era like when the boy Bassp went

Say what you want I just loved watching him ride but just not at Astana

RichN95.

Has a Helpline been set up for his fans?

blazing_saddles

I hope, should he do well at La Vuelta, that this decision will be reconsidered.
On the other hand, it is the obvious race from which to ride off into the sunset.
Presumably contract negotiations with Trek, much like his recent performances, have failed to reach his expectations.
There are not many, if any, left that are prepared to ride "old school", just for the hell of it.
In fact, he may well be the last. The sport will be poorer upon his departure.

rick_chasey

Blazing Saddles wrote:

I hope, should he do well at La Vuelta, that this decision will be reconsidered.
On the other hand, it is the obvious race from which to ride off into the sunset.
Presumably contract negotiations with Trek, much like his recent performances, have failed to reach his expectations.
There are not many, if any, left that are prepared to ride "old school", just for the hell of it.
In fact, he may well be the last. The sport will be poorer upon his departure.

I did keep saying it in the Tour; Stephen de Jong was being quite explicit that this would be his last TdF.

TheBigBean

I think people were hoping he would ride the Giro next year.

Dorset_Boy

Too many associations with dirty DS's, and an unrepentent cheat. Also too many miracle recoveries from what he claimed were serious injuries - bye Bertie, good riddance.
Sure he did some entertaining rides, attacking from a long, long way out, but post his half hearted ban he was never the same - did he clean up his act?
He should have retired a year ago.

How long will Frenchie be in mourning for I wonder!

rick_chasey

I'll try and muster some grey matter to go through some highlights of his career.

Are a lot to chose from, though I suspect snatching the Vuelta with an audacious long range attack is probably #1.

specialgueststar

Whatever the deal was on the Alpe with Sanchez that let Rolland win wasn't one of them

That Sanchez descent though off the Galibier. One of the best I've seen

m.r.m.

Hope he has a good Vuelta. Hope he doesn't crash. He was definitely one of cycling's true greats. Regardless of doping.

mfin

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/40848355

mfin

Good riddance to an unrepentant blatant cheat.

Right click, empty trash, bye byeeee idiot.

prawny

KingstonGraham wrote:

Contador's 2010 title was stripped when he ate bad meat.

Poor/Lucky Davide

lucan2

mfin wrote:

Good riddance to an unrepentant blatant cheat.

Right click, empty trash, bye byeeee idiot.

^^^ This

tim000

Lucan2 wrote:

mfin wrote:

Good riddance to an unrepentant blatant cheat.

Right click, empty trash, bye byeeee idiot.

^^^ This

+1

Lanterne_Rogue

I only really enjoyed him once it was clear he no longer had the legs, although at the back of the mind was always one possible reason for that. He also seemed to attract some really, really annoying fans for some reason, in a way other riders haven't.

tailwindhome

Rick Chasey wrote:

I'll try and muster some grey matter to go through some highlights of his career.

Are a lot to chose from, though I suspect snatching the Vuelta with an audacious long range attack is probably #1.

Not being bullied by Bruyneel and Armstrong in 2009 is up there.

dish_dash

underlayunderlay wrote:

I only really enjoyed him once it was clear he no longer had the legs, although at the back of the mind was always one possible reason for that. He also seemed to attract some really, really annoying fans for some reason, in a way other riders haven't.

^ this...

He's also supported a junior/U23 development team for the past five years, which alongside his riding shows his passion for the sport...

milton50

Can't deny some of the amazing rides he has put in over the years. His ride on the Mortirolo a couple of years ago and his long range attack in the Vuelta spring to mind.

I also wish more riders had his mindset as well. The 'I'd rather die trying' attitude he seems to have.

I'm guessing most people on the forum know that it's extremely unlikely that he was riding completely clean back in his prime, but he will be missed from a viewing perspective.

mididoctors

I was hoping he was going to go super domestique al la basso

gsk82

Milton50 wrote:

I also wish more riders had his mindset as well. The 'I'd rather die trying' attitude he seems to have.

He did add to races in recent years with his long attacks. He was able to do them because he had nothing to lose, having won everything already. But for most riders a top 5 in a big race is a big result so they won't risk it. His attaching streak was possibly more a result of circumstance than a real natural instinct i always thought.