Congrats to Mr. Evans!!

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I did not know where to put this, as MANY on General and Off Topic (maybe here as well, sadly??) will respond with the usual, "who cares", or "it's NOT a sport", etc.
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But hopefully WE all know better.

Anyway, a BIG mazeltov out to Cadel on an extremely hard fought battle with the Brothers Schleck, and the elements/luck/danger/fatigue, etc.

I wonder if Shannow and Sir Doug Hillary are still partying!?

(I guess that Andy and Frank now must go to the Contador School Of Pure Climbers Time Trialing?
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When I first got into riding he was absolutely crushing the MTB scene, and I remember thinking "this guy will win the tour someday". But after a few years on the road, I just didn't think he had it between the ears. Include me in the long list of people who thought Cadel was too much of a headcase to ever win the tour--just like the guys running Lotto! (big 'oops' on there part, huh?). I was obviously wrong, so mad props to Cadel!
 
^^^ If you are not kidding, he is one VERY STRONG Aussie bike racer, who just won the biggest road stage race of the year (and of his WHOLE career!).
 
Originally Posted By: JOD
When I first got into riding he was absolutely crushing the MTB scene, and I remember thinking "this guy will win the tour someday". But after a few years on the road, I just didn't think he had it between the ears. Include me in the long list of people who thought Cadel was too much of a headcase to ever win the tour--just like the guys running Lotto! (big 'oops' on there part, huh?). I was obviously wrong, so mad props to Cadel!


YES!

What's with all of these former mountain bikers being able to time trial so durned well?!?!
 
Originally Posted By: dailydriver

What's with all of these former mountain bikers being able to time trial so durned well?!?!


It makes sense if you think about it. Even though you're racing against other guys, MTB racing is almost a TT; not much strategy, just go as hard as you can for the duration of the event. Granted, that's not always the case, but often that's how it goes. So I think the mentality is the same.

The Schleck sisters will never have a chance against Contador (nor will anyone else) should he be eligible to race, doesn't end up repeatedly on the pavement, and isn't coming off the Giro. Contador's been a great TT guy since his junior days. 40KM of TT's, and an off-form Contador were the perfect opportunity for those guys, and they couldn't take it. Cadel seized the moment!
 
Originally Posted By: dailydriver
^^^ If you are not kidding, he is one VERY STRONG Aussie bike racer, who just won the biggest road stage race of the year (and of his WHOLE career!).


eh I know you are probably talking about the TdF, but I find it difficult to care. I'd rather go ride my bike than watch people ride bikes on TV.
 
Originally Posted By: Brons2
Originally Posted By: dailydriver
^^^ If you are not kidding, he is one VERY STRONG Aussie bike racer, who just won the biggest road stage race of the year (and of his WHOLE career!).


eh I know you are probably talking about the TdF, but I find it difficult to care. I'd rather go ride my bike than watch people ride bikes on TV.


I understand that completely, but, I feel the same way (the "caring about" part) about the Super Bowl (and ANY other football, baseball, basketball game of the year), sans the going out and playing those games.
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Originally Posted By: JOD
Originally Posted By: dailydriver

What's with all of these former mountain bikers being able to time trial so durned well?!?!


It makes sense if you think about it. Even though you're racing against other guys, MTB racing is almost a TT; not much strategy, just go as hard as you can for the duration of the event. Granted, that's not always the case, but often that's how it goes. So I think the mentality is the same.


I kind of figured this as well, as there is almost never an organized peloton in MTB racing, I was just being facetious.
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Let's just hope (for the sake of the sport) that Cadel (and all of the rest), turn out to be squeaky clean after all of the fine-toothed comb testing and scrutiny.
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Hi,
dailydriver - Yes, a great result from a modest competitor

It has been a long hard road for us Kiwi and Ozzie cyclists

I spent two years on the Grand Prix circuit as a sprinter in the early 1960s. It was very hard - at the World Champs we lived in Camping Grounds, we cooked our meals and used second hand tyres (thanks Gaiardoni and Maspes). Our Competitors stayed in the best Hotels. We had no "Management" we did it all ourselves - we managed to equal World Records and win Olympic Gold etc. We were in combat with organised Teams in Road races - and they had money!! And drugs were rife - we were all clean!

In my case thanks to Reg Harris (English World Champ), the Catford Cycling Club in London and Guido Costa, Cinelli, and the Danske Bicycle Club (Ordrupbanen)

It all built character and resilience

Cadel you are an inspiration - thanks for continuing our ground work of 50 years or so ago! You follow a very pround group of riders from "down under"
 
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Thanks for the reply Doug.
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Did you compete on the track against the 2 French greats, Morelon, and Trentin as well??

I remember John Nicholson winning multiple World Sprint titles, and knew that there were going to be some great performances/athletes coming out of the Antipodes way back when.

He was also an innovator, as he was the first (I believe??) to actually BOLT his shoes directly to the pedals (I guess he got fed up with pulling his feet out when he jumped, despite 2 toe straps on the toe clips?!).

Didn't Cinelli make a very limited run of locking sprinters' pedals based on his idea, which were the great grand-daddy/forerunner of modern clipless setups?

Anyway, yes, I am SURE that the modern day Antipodes, (and even more so British, given the multi-millions of pounds/Euros they pour into their track programs) do NOT have to endure the hardships you and your fellow countrymen did back in the day.
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Hi,
dailydriver - Yes I rode agaist Daniel Morelon and Pierre Trentin. Trentin was in Tokyo and I met him in the Sprints. Morelon I rode agaist at the Worlds in Leige in 1963. I predicted that he would become a real star. He was an effortless Sprinter

Jackie Simes was the US "man" - not too popular in those days however!

The best however were the East Germans who could not compete outside the Eastern Bloc. I met their star - Simon - in the Semis in the German Grand Priix in Berlin in 1963 along with another East German. They had "set up" Simon to win hwever I beat him but you couldn't argue there! Some of the others (the Dutch and Italians) refused to ride after that as a protest as they knew I had won and would have won the Finals

I can assure you that we were clean but most other track riders were drug tainted - includeing the stars!

Nicco was great - before him came Sid Paterson (Patto)(multi World & Olymoic Champ)- Sid was great friend to me in Melbourne in 1963.
Ron Baensch, Ian Brown and such won World or Olympic Medals too - these were my main friends on the World stage - all amateurs in the true sense. NZ had my old friend and combatant Warwick Dalton (amateur Tour - Tour de l'Avenir - in 1960) and has Greg Henderson - track - now (from my home town Dunedin) but not a lot of Roadies except Julian Dean in the Tour de France. His father broke my NZ Sprint record (set in 1962) around 1969

Cinelli (Campagnolo) was/is a great Organisation. They along with a Belgian and a Frenchman controlled World cycling in those days. These people made or broke you. I was on the right side! Yes I believe that Cinelli held/holds a Patent for the click-in pedals

Guido Costa was the Italian Coach of the overwhelming Italian Track Team in the 1960 Rome Olympics. He was based in Denmark in 1963 - and hated it, he was an Algerian born Italian! He was a great Mentor of mine and was present when I equalled the World Sprint record in Copenhagen in 1963

The money around today truely astounds me, as does the very fast tracks that we only dreamed about. The idea of a "World Cup" series on the road and track is what I promoted for many years. It is great to see the reality of it all - and the money!

Sorry to revisit the past a little - one could go on............and I've probably gone too far already
 
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Originally Posted By: Doug Hillary
Sorry to revisit the past a little - one could go on............and I've probably gone too far already


NO SIR, NOT at all!! (I could listen for DAYS!!
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I just saw Jackie (his son is now a pretty decent trackie), as well as some of the better Kiwi riders, at the Sprint and Keirin Cups at T-Town (Valley Preferred Cycling Center) in Breinigsville, Pennsylvania (an outdoor, cement, but smooth, 333m bowl).

Just curious, but what exactly were those said riders doping with way back then??
Blood packing would only benefit the pursuiters, points race riders & motor paced riders (same with EPO, which was at least 30+ years away).
That which did Tommy Simpson in??
HGH did not exist.
Early, crude steroids?
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Hi,
dailydriver - The drugs used were amphetimines (Maxiton was one), central nervous system concoctions and those with an ability to increase oxygen uptake in the blood - and others! The Eastern Bloc were the worst offenders and were really "professionals" supported by the State in Uni's etc

They were using very advanced drugs (including steroids) that have left a long term tragedy amongst their star and other athletes, cyclists, gymnists and etc

Of course for Sprinters and 1km Time Trialists you need strength in the upper body - the Eastern Bloc riders had it all - drug assisted - and well into the 1980s! Teams Pursuiters were really "modified" Sprinters

My great friends Pursuiters and Roadies - Hughie Porter (England) and Mogens Frey (Denmark) were clean players too
Together we had a lot of fun "playing" with the French and Italian Roadies of the era in various events - I only rode in Road races under contract

Hughie was World Pursuit Champion a number of times, Mogens won a Stage in the Tour and Olympic gold in Mexico and much more. I had a great battle in two road races in Japan (Lake Biwa and Tokyo) with Lucien Aimar who later won the Tour de France. The French later rewarded me with an offer I refused as I did with Cinelli - [censored] it.
 
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Yes, I remember Hugh, and ALWAYS thought that he was a VERY unsung champion.
He was built more like one of those said latter day East German "Grey Ghost" (for their skinsuit colors, obviously) sprinters and kilo riders, than a pursuiter.

I've always admired pursuiters who could also ride hilly to mountainous road races well, as this was what I longed to be.
But alas, I did not have the pure speed to ride at a 1:10 to 1:07 (or better!) kilo pace for 4-5 kilometers.
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THIS is why (to me) it was such a tradgedy when Brad W. crashed out of this year's tour, as I eventually want someone/ANYONE who was mainly a PURE pursuiter to WIN the TdF OVERALL, not just a TT stage win here or there!!
(This has NEVER happened as far as I know, but maybe you know better given your encyclopedic knowlwedge of the sport???)

As it is, I still don't understand HOW Mr. Wiggins got 4th place last year, in so short a time from when he was winning/setting pursuit records/medals in the Worlds and Olympics, despite radical training/diet/weight loss/hypoxic training method changes, etc.
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Hi,
dailydriver - So you raced too? Please tell us all some more!!!

No, I can't recall any pure pursuiter winning the TdF

There has been some "suspect" winners however - those that were inglorious in the process. Lucien Aimar was but one - he was an instrument of the French system and the Jacques Anquetil dramas as they unfolded

My TdF hero was Fausto Coppi and his climbs up the old gravelled Col du Tourmalet and etc. I've been over the Tourmalet in its old form - what a task Coppi and the others had with punctures etc!! Coppi (and others of course) used an old Simplex gear system that required a back pedal to shift gears - imagine that when climbing a mountain pass. They also carried their own spare tyres...........and changed them and pumped them up of course

My nickname in Europe was Coppi but only because I rode Coppi bikes under sponsorship - not modelled on his talent!!

Yes Wiggins - well we will see now, into the future......
 
Originally Posted By: Doug Hillary
Hi,
dailydriver - So you raced too? Please tell us all some more!!!

No, I can't recall any pure pursuiter winning the TdF

There has been some "suspect" winners however - those that were inglorious in the process. Lucien Aimar was but one - he was an instrument of the French system and the Jacques Anquetil dramas as they unfolded

My TdF hero was Fausto Coppi and his climbs up the old gravelled Col du Tourmalet and etc. I've been over the Tourmalet in its old form - what a task Coppi and the others had with punctures etc!! Coppi (and others of course) used an old Simplex gear system that required a back pedal to shift gears - imagine that when climbing a mountain pass. They also carried their own spare tyres...........and changed them and pumped them up of course

My nickname in Europe was Coppi but only because I rode Coppi bikes under sponsorship - not modelled on his talent!!

Yes Wiggins - well we will see now, into the future......


Yes, I remember those old pics of Coppi, Bartali, et al grinding up those gravelled climbs with their spare sew-ups slung over their shoulders and across their chests 'bandolero' style, bar mounted water bottles, and wool jersies (replete with front buttoned pockets and all!) and wool shorts.
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I was nothing great, but decent locally in my intermediate age group (13-14 years old) when I first started in 1970, as I was almost always in the top 3 in local crits and road races.

That same year I was 7th in the road national championships in NYC's Central Park, and qualified for all of the track omnium events (massed-start scratch races at various distances) at Kissena Park Velodrome in Flushing, N.Y. (probably the BUMPIEST tarmac track on the planet!).

'Gibby' Hatton was the odds-on favorite in those age group track races, and won most everything as the omnium champion.
You may know him as the first U.S. (or ANY non-Japanese???) citizen to be invited to go to Japan and compete in the Kierin events there. He also later got a bronze at the '83 Worlds (in Zurich) in that event behind Urs Freuler, and your own Danny Clark.
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It's funny how even though they invented the event (as an alterative to parimutuel equine betting), the Japanese have only won ONE gold medal in it since it's been a World Championship event.
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Hi,
dailydriver - Thanks for the info. You were well up the US rankings then

Yes, there was betting in Denmark too - at the Ordrupbane. As always some "fiddling" took place too. Mogens and I know all about that as we always did the "right thing" for us!!!

Keirins are great ruff 'n tumble events
 
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Don't even get me started on the Hour Record, and the RELUCTANCE and/or abject fear of even attempting it, by the current crop of pro 'champions'.
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A few (Cancellara comes immediately to mind
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) would seem absolute 'shoo-ins' to achieve such.

But then again, it HAS lost most of it's former glory and status once the UCI could not decide on which era's technology is to be allowed, and/or recognised.
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Hi,
read on Google about Anquetil's first attempt at Coppi's Hour record at the Vigorelli. And then his next - Oh the power of drugs etc.....

The Vigorelli was a great track - I loved it!

The UCI has always been "a bit of a worry" - just like the IOC
 
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