Thor - Retires.....with a story to tell?

tailwindhome
tailwindhome Posts: 18,878
edited July 2014 in Pro race
the Inner Ring ‏@inrng · 10m
Thor Hushovd set to announce retirement today according to @TV2MatsW http://www.tv2.no/2014/06/27/sport/hushovd/5751216 … (Norwegian)
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Comments

  • Key
    Key Posts: 464
    He retires after the World Championships in autumn...
  • Key
    Key Posts: 464
    He says he has had mononucleosis virus in the body for three years.
  • twotyred
    twotyred Posts: 822
    Sad if true. Always liked the big man especially after has marvellous stage win in the 2011 TdF
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    Sad.

    I have always liked Thor, apart from when he cried like a girl and cost Cav a stage. I remember the TdF stage he won as WC - he was on fire that day.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    Same :(

    I ve always admired him as a big lad that could ride with all the skinny boys. He gave me hope that being a fat cyclist was possible!
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  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Probably the best descender in the peloton.

    Not a massive fan of his but he was an awesome rider up until 2011 when he just seemed to disappear.
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    I never really warmed to him the way some did. Terrific rider though, and his green jersey battles with McEwen were fun.

    Awesome sprinter in his youth, classics hardman, and monster descender; that's not a bad list of things for a cyclist to be.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,069
    He's been immense. His record in the Tour is astounding, almost guaranteed to win a stage for the best part of ten years.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,878
    Key wrote:
    He says he has had mononucleosis virus in the body for three years.

    My wife had Glandular fever - it's taken a full year to regain anything approaching full health.
    I can see how it would end a career.
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    Is he riding the Tour this year for BMC?

    My favourite memories of Hushovd are:

    1. Him hunting down Jeremy Roy on stage 13 in the 2011 TdF with a predatory grin on his face that made it look he like he didn't intend to just catch Roy, but to catch him and eat him.

    Moncoutie-Hushovd_1947960i.jpg

    2. Him winning the sprint from an elite group on the cobbled stage 3 in the 2010 TdF and beating his chest as he crossed the line

    Thor-Hushovd-wins-ahead-o-006.jpg
    andyp wrote:
    He's been immense. His record in the Tour is astounding, almost guaranteed to win a stage for the best part of ten years.

    In 11 starts in 11 years, he won 9 stages, a prologue, 2 TTTs, 2 green jerseys and wore yellow for 7 days. 2003 seems to be the only year he didn't win anything at the Tour.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    edited September 2015
    I am glad there is a reason explaining his awful form. Maybe he could have mentioned it sooner...or maybe he kept it under wraps so as to continue to get paid over the odds from BMC?

    Has provided some good excitement for the fans over the years.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • sy1975
    sy1975 Posts: 95
    sad news - must admit that the 2011 TDF was the first year taht i really got into the sport and my only memory was Thor's great stage win (as someone else has also mentioned).

    I had wondered why I had not seen more of him winning since then, but now makes sense. Must be gutting for him but at least he had a memorable career.
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  • Crozza
    Crozza Posts: 991
    Graeme_S wrote:
    Is he riding the Tour this year for BMC?

    My favourite memories of Hushovd are:

    1. Him hunting down Jeremy Roy on stage 13 in the 2011 TdF with a predatory grin on his face that made it look he like he didn't intend to just catch Roy, but to catch him and eat him.

    Moncoutie-Hushovd_1947960i.jpg

    2. Him winning the sprint from an elite group on the cobbled stage 3 in the 2010 TdF and beating his chest as he crossed the line

    Thor-Hushovd-wins-ahead-o-006.jpg
    andyp wrote:
    He's been immense. His record in the Tour is astounding, almost guaranteed to win a stage for the best part of ten years.

    In 11 starts in 11 years, he won 9 stages, a prologue, 2 TTTs, 2 green jerseys and wore yellow for 7 days. 2003 seems to be the only year he didn't win anything at the Tour.

    add to that the manner in which he won his green jersey in 2009, when he went on a solo break over two hefty climbs to gain the intermediate sprint points. I think even Cav was impressed with that one
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    I mean I am 100% certain BMC knew and he was only hiding it from the fans (tm)
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    Another vote for the stage win in 2011 where he lost about two minutes to Roy on the way up the final climb then took it all back with interest on the way back down. Heartbreaking for Roy who went in the break 6(?) times that Tour, but an utterly mesmerising win.

    Also the solo break to secure the Green jersey in 2009.
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  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    Graeme_S wrote:
    Is he riding the Tour this year for BMC?

    My favourite memories of Hushovd are:

    1. Him hunting down Jeremy Roy on stage 13 in the 2011 TdF with a predatory grin on his face that made it look he like he didn't intend to just catch Roy, but to catch him and eat him.

    Moncoutie-Hushovd_1947960i.jpg

    That's the stage I mentioned earlier.
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Yeh, that stage of the 2011 Tour is where he gave everyone a masterclass in descending. There's two types of 'good' descenders. There are people like Nibali who just give a balls out effort, flinging the bike into the corners and braking as late and as hard as they can. Then there are people like Hushovd and Cancellara who judge every apex perfectly, hit every braking point dead-on and let their body weight and gravity do all the work.

    That descent in 2011 was beautiful. In fact I think I'll watch it again now.
  • type:epyt
    type:epyt Posts: 766
    Him going out of his way to negate his 'whinge points' just to prove his point when winning the Green jersey was a bit special.
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  • Bo Duke
    Bo Duke Posts: 1,058
    Great lad, sorry to see him go. Will forever be the 'Mighty Thor' stay with us for that long after some of today's flash b'strads have slipped into the mist of time.
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  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,878
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,892

    Whilst obviously it's good to get things in the open, it does seem sad that riders only seem to come out with this stuff when they can cash in via a book, and generally only when they've retired so don't mind flinging some mud about.
  • PBo
    PBo Posts: 2,493
    Crozza wrote:

    add to that the manner in which he won his green jersey in 2009, when he went on a solo break over two hefty climbs to gain the intermediate sprint points. I think even Cav was impressed with that one

    +1000
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    phreak wrote:

    Whilst obviously it's good to get things in the open, it does seem sad that riders only seem to come out with this stuff when they can cash in via a book, and generally only when they've retired so don't mind flinging some mud about.

    Totally agree with this although I guess the thought of them not getting a contract or making their life super hard due to issues with other riders whilst they are in the prime of their career is an understandably tough one.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    phreak wrote:

    Whilst obviously it's good to get things in the open, it does seem sad that riders only seem to come out with this stuff when they can cash in via a book, and generally only when they've retired so don't mind flinging some mud about.
    I bet he'll actually say very little damning about anyone that we don't already know. He's just drumming up interest with publishers.
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  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,099
    Milton50 wrote:
    Yeh, that stage of the 2011 Tour is where he gave everyone a masterclass in descending. There's two types of 'good' descenders. There are people like Nibali who just give a balls out effort, flinging the bike into the corners and braking as late and as hard as they can. Then there are people like Hushovd and Cancellara who judge every apex perfectly, hit every braking point dead-on and let their body weight and gravity do all the work.

    That descent in 2011 was beautiful. In fact I think I'll watch it again now.
    I was on the mountain that day and cycled the descent after the race had passed through. I found it absolutely terrifying, with sheer drops to the side and could only gawp in wonder at the speed he went down it when I watched the highlights later that evening.
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