"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - "Maggie" retires, effective immediately

Anyone see this coming? I would have reckoned him for another 3 years of Classics chasing, but...

I thought something was up when he started another team outside of the slipstream group..

always came off as a great guy, with a great attitude, cursed with bad luck (apart from one special day in april of '04).

:(

I thought something was up when he started another team outside of the slipstream group..

"...but my new fight will be to focus my energy on my own development team."

It'd be kind of cool to have him for a coach, though. (http://www.velonews.com/article/87355/)

It's a shame to see him go. He gave hope to Clydesdales everywhere that we're not too big for this sport. (Sorry, we're all still too fat for this sport though.)

He gave hope to Clydesdales

That's why I like racing in Florida.
195 lbs is still competitve in a 2' power climb.

Bummer. He was out pretty early in last years TDF, I wonder who takes his place this year there?

Too bad. But glad to see he is starting a development team.

1. Christian VdV
2. Wiggins
3. Millar
4. Zabriskie

and then about 9 great riders fighting for the rest of the 5 spots...

to sound overly negative and cynical but...um...bio passport info is about to come out isn't it....?

to sound overly negative and cynical but...um...bio passport info is about to come out isn't it....?

Yes, the UCI's biological passport program is going to out Magnus for who he really is. Nevermind all the internal testing that Garmin/Slipstream does.

to sound overly negative and cynical but...um...bio passport info is about to come out isn't it....?

Yeah, that might be taking 'overly cynical' view of things.

Surely, it's an odd time of year to retire, but 34 is just over the hill and unless you really love it, it's hard to find the proper motivation.

He also has the development team. Perhaps Garmin forced him to pick one or the other. Just a guess. I'll know more in two weeks.

Maybe he is still bummed about last years classics season

Yes, the UCI's biological passport program is going to out Magnus for who he really is.


http://www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/original/patterson_bigfoot.jpg


Either that or



http://redriverpak.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/csxt_southbound_freight_train.jpg

Maybe he is still bummed about last years classics season

so quit a month before this years? :( I wish he could of held out a couple more months... maybe his training wasnt showing the best results..

Maybe he is still bummed about last years classics season

i think he's bummed because russel the muscle langley skooled him at the csc invitational last year!!

In the current climate of pro cycling and with the high profile Maggie has, the timing of this announcement leaves me with the sinking feeling that some unflattering news is imminent. If this isn't the case, it would have made more sense to me for him to have had a "swan-song", season long, going-into-retirement party...

In the current climate of pro cycling and with the high profile Maggie has, the timing of this announcement leaves me with the sinking feeling that some unflattering news is imminent. If this isn't the case, it would have made more sense to me for him to have had a "swan-song", season long, going-into-retirement party...

Swans have swan songs. Ducks and geese just go away.

We're talking about Magnus, not Bettini or Zabel.

Backstedt is a great guy, but he's not a rockstar.

Career Highlights:

* 2008 Giro d'Italia, 1st stage 1 team time trial
* 2007 Swedish National Championships, 1st
* 2004 Paris Roubaix, 1st
* 2003 Swedish Time Trial Championships, 1st
* 2002 Swedish National Championships, 1st
* 1998 4 Days of Dunkirk, 1st, Sprint Competition
* 1998 Tour de France, 1st, Stage 19
* 1997 Grand Prix D'Isbergues, 1st

Compare this to Bettini or Zabel and, well, you get my point.

^^
Point taken. Nonetheless, Maggie's appeal transcends his palmares...

^^
Point taken. Nonetheless, Maggie's appeal transcends his palmares...

I'll bet keeping him on the payroll was less appealing in comparison.

But hey, we're all just speculating.

I'll bet keeping him on the payroll was less appealing in comparison.

But hey, we're all just speculating.

So you're speculating the timing of this retirement announcement was facilitated by Vaughters?

1. Christian VdV
2. Wiggins
3. Millar
4. Zabriskie

and then about 9 great riders fighting for the rest of the 5 spots...

Pulling for Friedman for obvious reasons, but that's not going to happen. He's having a hell of a Qatar though....:innocent:

So you're speculating the timing of this retirement announcement was facilitated by Vaughters?

I've heard Vaughters can be a real d******d.

so quit a month before this years? :( I wish he could of held out a couple more months... maybe his training wasnt showing the best results..

yeah i can imagine him not feeling better or even as good as last year and he is too proud to maybe have another bad performance.

Backstedt has been having physiological problems.

Something about not processing lactic acid as efficiently as he used to.

There was an interview with JV not too long ago and he mentioned it. I think it was an ESPN article.

"Sniff...I've just had my heart broken too many times Maggie..."

As bad as this sounds, he might have produced an irregular test result, and in an effort to keep their clean image, Slipstream may have offered him the chance to retire.
I hope it's not true, because I've always liked Maggie, but it might be true.

Swans have swan songs. Ducks and geese just go away.

We're talking about Magnus, not Bettini or Zabel.

Backstedt is a great guy, but he's not a rockstar.

Career Highlights:

* 2008 Giro d'Italia, 1st stage 1 team time trial
* 2007 Swedish National Championships, 1st
* 2004 Paris Roubaix, 1st
* 2003 Swedish Time Trial Championships, 1st
* 2002 Swedish National Championships, 1st
* 1998 4 Days of Dunkirk, 1st, Sprint Competition
* 1998 Tour de France, 1st, Stage 19
* 1997 Grand Prix D'Isbergues, 1st

Compare this to Bettini or Zabel and, well, you get my point.

wait what?

not good, zabel is the current cycling god so you can't compare anyone to him. They are in a differnet league.

but 2 stage wins in 2 majour tours, national road and tt titles

Paris-roubaix and I think he was a good junior track rider.

nothing to scoff at by any means.

I'm sure if george handicappy was pulling out there would be a song and dance. Backstead's on another higher level to him.

I'm sure if george handicappy was pulling out there would be a song and dance. Backstead's on another higher level to him. What? George Hincapie is and always will be much better than Maggie. I like them both, but George has both more results and is a much more powerful figure.

George has won (in reverse chronological order, not complete):
- 1st, stage 2, dauphine
- 1st, stage 7, ToC
- 1st, GC, Tour of Missouri
- 3rd, RVV
- 2nd, GC, Eneco Tour
- US national road race champ
- 1st, KBK
- 4 stages of the TdF
- 1st, Three Days de Panne
- 1st, Gent-Wevelgem

I've heard Vaughters can be a real d******d.

not a great surprise, but then again, it's pretty much a requirement for what he wants to do.

Ah, a sad day indeed.

But I must admit, I didn't see how his role at Slipstream was developing. He wasn't winning sprints, and he wasn't getting over the mountains to be an effective lead-out guy either. It was just depressing to think of his just fading away off the back...

I'm sure if george handicappy was pulling out there would be a song and dance. Backstead's on another higher level to him.

Really?

Really?

George Hincapie > Magnus Backstedt

Magnus Backstedt + PR Win= A God of cycling forever. George Hincapie with no PR Win or classics win= He was a pretty good rider. Semi-classics don't cut it.

One has cried about Paris-Roubaix, one has won it, nothing against squeaky george but maggie he ain't nor ever will be.

One has cried about Paris-Roubaix, one has won it, nothing against squeaky george but maggie he ain't nor ever will be.

winning P-R requires as much good luck as it does good legs.

winning P-R requires as much good luck as it does good legs.

yeah, i want to agree with you, but it's a little more complicated than that.

yeah, i want to agree with you, but it's a little more complicated than that.

ok, then let's amend my statement to say:

"Winning P-R requires good luck in addition to good legs"

winning P-R requires as much good luck as it does good legs.

Rubbish. It's nearly always the case that the favourites and the strongest wins in Roubaix. The strong riders make their own luck because they can ride at the front. Milan-San Remo and Flanders are bigger crap shoots than Roubaix.



George Hincapie > Magnus Backstedt In theory yes, but Backstedt has won a monument. Hincapie hasn't.

I bet you a spare tube Tough Tuft wins a classic before Handsome Hincapie ever does.

Rubbish. It's nearly always the case that the favourites and the strongest wins in Roubaix. The strong riders make their own luck because they can ride at the front. Milan-San Remo and Flanders are bigger crap shoots than Roubaix.

In theory yes, but Backstedt has won a monument. Hincapie hasn't.


I agree totally, except I would only say Milan- San Remo is only a crap shoot if it comes down to a sprint.

My post was just a wind up, really.

But a Paris-Roubaix win would trump pretty much all else IMO. (road wc and tdf win would be on the same level for me)