Popovych to retire?

afx237vi
afx237vi Posts: 12,630
edited October 2008 in Pro race
Reported on cyclingnews that Popovych could call it quits at the end of the season. Would be a shame to see such a good rider retire at 28, but I guess it must be hard to motivate yourself when you haven't won a race for 2 years...

Comments

  • deal
    deal Posts: 857
    edit: nm im just being mean hehe
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,069
    Didn't his mate suddenly retire from Silence-Lotto this year? Bileka was it?

    I smell something fishy...
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Blimey, you've got a good memory. I remember reading that but had totally forgotten about it. They were both on Landbouwkrediet, Discovery and Lotto at exactly the same time (buy one get one free, obviously).

    http://www.silence-lotto.com/site2007/E ... php?id=689
    On Saturday 3 May, the rider Volodymyr Bileka has informed by fax the team management of his resignation from Belgian Cycling Company nv and the Silence-Lotto cycling team, and this, for personal reasons.

    Think that was the last anyone heard of him :shock:
  • Arkibal
    Arkibal Posts: 850
    He did win a stage in P-N last year.......
    But very surprising if he calls it quits so suddenly, maybe it has something to do with the Tour testing? (though looking his performance there that's hard to believe...)
  • Jez mon
    Jez mon Posts: 3,809
    Maybe he was clean and those were his true performances and that's why he's retiring.
    You live and learn. At any rate, you live
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Jez mon wrote:
    Maybe he was clean and those were his true performances and that's why he's retiring.

    That's something you're bound to think, isn't it? Although we will probably never really know...

    It is the most incredible anti-climax career possible though. Being so dominant at junior and U23 level, and a certain future Tour-winner going into the pros. And then this, unglamorous retirement at 28...
  • derby
    derby Posts: 114
    maybe he made enough money to retire.
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    FJS wrote:
    It is the most incredible anti-climax career possible though. Being so dominant at junior and U23 level, and a certain future Tour-winner going into the pros.
    Exactly, he was winning everything from the Baby Giro to Paris-Roubaix. If he turned up to a race, he'd be marked all day but still win in style, his dominance in the late 90s was outrageous.
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    Cadel probably had enough of Popos "support" and threw a "it's him or me" strop

    popo_poster_400x600.jpg
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • Kléber wrote:
    FJS wrote:
    It is the most incredible anti-climax career possible though. Being so dominant at junior and U23 level, and a certain future Tour-winner going into the pros.
    Exactly, he was winning everything from the Baby Giro to Paris-Roubaix. If he turned up to a race, he'd be marked all day but still win in style, his dominance in the late 90s was outrageous.

    Quite - he could well just be one of those people who peak physically very early and can't ever recaputure it. And if he came up through the Ukranian system he's probably been living as a pro away from his family since he was about 12 - perhaps he thinks it's about time he had a life.
  • derby
    derby Posts: 114
    Kléber wrote:
    Exactly, he was winning everything from the Baby Giro to Paris-Roubaix. If he turned up to a race, he'd be marked all day but still win in style, his dominance in the late 90s was outrageous.
    Are we talking about YAROSLAV Popovych or some other Popo? :wink:

    Here's his palmares:

    http://www.trap-friis.dk/cykling/ukraine.Popovych.htm

    Sure, he has some fine victories, but he was never a dominant figure. It was pretty clear he was overhyped when he couldn't win the Giro against less than stellar competition. Of course, many GT riders don't bloom until their thirties, so he may be leaving his cards on the table, so to speak.
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    Derby, I'm referring to his amateur career, hence the reference to the Baby Giro.
  • derby
    derby Posts: 114
    Kléber wrote:
    Derby, I'm referring to his amateur career, hence the reference to the Baby Giro.
    Ok. :D
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,069
    His wikipedia entry gives you some indication of his amateur career;

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaroslav_P ... arly_Years
  • ms_tree
    ms_tree Posts: 1,405
    I was off the opinion that going to USP/Discovery probably did for him, as it seems to for others.
    'Google can bring back a hundred thousand answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one.'
    Neil Gaiman