Professional Cycling For the Fans - Who was everyone's favorite rider from this past years Tour?

Excluding Lance, who was your favorite rider? I have to say mine was George Hincapie. The man can do anything; climb, sprint, TT. I think over-all he is one of the best domestiques out there.

Thomas Voeckler :D

Up until he had to withdraw, Jakob Piil of CSC. It seemed like he was in every break.

Thomas Voeckler :D


He was the real hero of the Tour. I've never seen a guy ride with so much heart and courage.

Thomas Voeckler :D

For me too!

I agree but i'm going with Floyd Landis. He showed some great climbing skills this year. (did a great job for lance) Who no's he might win TDF next year. I'm pulling for him.

As for Thomas Voeckler give him a few years he has the heart of a lion and is still just a cub. He could bring the golden jersey back to France in a few years.

Excluding Lance --- Thomas Voeckler
Including Lance --- Thomas Voeckler

Ekimov

at my age a true inspiration.

Excluding Lance - Thor Hushovd
Including Lance - Thor Hushovd

I enjoyed watching O'Grady ... it's a love/hate thing. Overall though, I'd follow the others who said Voeckler. This was based on relatively limited access to "moving pictures" (i.e. limited to Nam's vids).

Excluding Lance, who was your favorite rider? I have to say mine was George Hincapie. The man can do anything; climb, sprint, TT. I think over-all he is one of the best domestiques out there.


I have to agree. Hincapie is awesome. Of course, I'm from Greenville, SC too, so I'm sure I'm a "bit" biased. :)

Jose Azevedo. Everyone keeps talking about Floyd, but really... he wasn't to be seen leading Lance until stage 17. I thought Jose did a great job of taking Lance through the mountains, and besides that, he finished 5th despite being a domestique. He's awesome (Jose)!

Koffee

G'day,

can't limit it to one....forget lance, who was 'simply lance'

with no bias, you can't go by Thomas Voeckler

with bias....stuey O'grady., cos he's an aussie & i've met him a few times....after the year he's had with cofidis,thru no fault of his own, a stage win was fantastic!

with bias.....Thor husshovd...cos he's got the same bike as me!....(but mines a better colour!)

with bias....big maggie backstedt.....cos he's the only one out there heavier than me!,


cheers,

Hitchy

I would have voted for Magnus- but he dropped out, and that's a bad scene. :( I have a fetish for the big guys, and he was doing so well before that! I think I have a serious crush on him... :)

Koffee

I would have voted for Magnus- but he dropped out, and that's a bad scene. :( I have a fetish for the big guys, and he was doing so well before that! I think I have a serious crush on him... :)

Koffee


You're sharing your favours around a bit. koffee!, you cheating on Jan? :0

cheers,

hitchy

Another vote for Thomas Voeckler.

No cheating on Jan. He's still da man, but I think he could have given a bit more for this tour. :(

Koffee

Excluding Lance - Ivan Basso
(Including Lance - Lance, come on now. In my opinion the days of Merckx are over, riders can only focus on the big race. Just cause he's mainstream doesn't mean we can't like him. Same thing happened with Tony Hawk; he successfully markets himself, sells some video games and then when he pulls the first ever 900°, skaters say he sold out.)
Italy needs a new tour winner after what happened to their last one.

Jakob Piil and Michael Rasmussen must of smelled something the peloton they didn't like, because they didn't spend much time in it, did they? Loved their action this year.

Of course, it was great to see O'Grady get that stage win.

Voeckler made the tour worth watching while Lance waited for the mountains.

Watching Virenque climb is something to see. He's the one guy that if your life depended on him keeping a secret, despite wicked torture, he may be able to take it to his grave. Absolutely no pain on the man's face when he climbs. Like Phil said of Pantani, "He climbs like an angel."

Gotta love the Bianchi boys. Magnus rode well, but you can forgive him for abandoning since he won Paris-Roubaix. Watch out for Pietro Caucchioli next year!

Oh, you asked for only one?

My original podium prediction was:
1. Lance
2. Ullrich
3. Hamilton
I got one of three right. After LA I would say my favorite rider was Thomas Voeckler. The way he fought to keep that precious yellow jersey on his back was incredible. The pain and torture he was dealing with was out of his normal reach but that yellow jersey transforms a rider into a super rider. He was a brave, courageous, and valiant a HUGE inspiration to France and we shall watch for him in the 2005 cycling season :) :)

No cheating on Jan. He's still da man, but I think he could have given a bit more for this tour. :(

Koffee

He had heart that's for sure - he could have whined and whined or cry and hide or quit.

He didn't quit - and he didn't whine. He didn't ask Kloden to wait and told him to be free and ride.

As my compatriot I must vote for Lászlo Bodrogi.

But just the second is the Wunderkind (prodigy)- Jan Ullrich. Being second for so long is not so much less than winning. He reminds me of my former favourite: Joop Zoetemelk who was always second also, even behind Merckx and Hinault, and taking a few classics besides. And always passionful and kind aswell. Jan's win at Tour de Suissse was incredible an precisely counted. I really envy his time trial cycling style called "Paradedisziplin" by german press.

I think nowdays biggest is Gilberto Simoni for challenging the Giro every year beside showing something of him even at Tours.

The sprinter of the future is Petacchi, he just had a bed luck on Tour.

The coming generation: Voeckler, Sinkiewitz, Cunego, Karpets... I hope the best and a cleaner, more scandal-free cycling world for them.

Armstrong? I much appericeite his mental and physical powers, and the passion he was riding eg. for Casartelli before and against sceptics after, but I feel something missing about him... look at Armstrong vs Indurain topic.

1. Hincapie
2. Voeckler
2. Basso

I also like Hincapie for his performance, and as I have heard he is a kind of joke-man in the peloton, as Andrea Tafi was.

BUT: doesn't he look like a bit Riddler from the Batman (either the Val Klimer movie or the Adam West series)? That facial appear and those Oakley (Water Jackets I guess) reminds me always to that villain and can't stand laughing.

I hope Petacchi gets over the mountains one of these tours, because I'd like to see him challenge Hushovd, McEwen, and Boonen for a green jersey. Nine, NINE stage wins in this year's Giro!

He had heart that's for sure - he could have whined and whined or cry and hide or quit.

He didn't quit - and he didn't whine. He didn't ask Kloden to wait and told him to be free and ride.


I don't think he could have quit, and I just don't see the big guy as a whiner, although someone from Germany came on and said the media was claiming that Jan was constantly excusing away his lack of performance due to being sick, having a cold, etc. I was glad to see him stay and slug it out to the end.

I don't think he could have told Kloden anything else. When it's apparent someone else is stronger and has a chance of taking on Lance, it's clear who's going to be the leader and who's going to be the domestique. But I do think that Jan was very sportsmanlike in his support of Kloden. Others would have pouted and whined and complained to the media in the same situation.


Koffee

I'm going to have to go with my man Levi, he really pulled it together after that bad crash last year, he came so close to 8th to match his result from '02 but who can complain with two top tens in the Tour. Go LEVI!

I'm a USPS and Lance fan, but other than that I'd have to say Thomas Voeckler. He just rocked for those 10 days he had the malliot jaune!!

Watching Virenque climb is something to see. He's the one guy that if your life depended on him keeping a secret, despite wicked torture, he may be able to take it to his grave. Absolutely no pain on the man's face when he climbs. Like Phil said of Pantani, "He climbs like an angel."

Gotta love the Bianchi boys. Magnus rode well, but you can forgive him for abandoning since he won Paris-Roubaix. Watch out for Pietro Caucchioli next year!

Oh, you asked for only one?

Virenque was my hero until I learned he was an admitted drug abuser. Sigh.

Excluding Lance, who was your favorite rider? I have to say mine was George Hincapie. The man can do anything; climb, sprint, TT. I think over-all he is one of the best domestiques out there.

My vote goes to Ivan Basso...close second would be shared by Landis and Acevedo....

New to the sport, and I found two riders very impressive and inspirational. I'd probably stick with them even if you count LA.

Voekler - For gutting it out. I thought the commentary was interesting in this respect, because for the new fan I thought it was interesting how they pointed how how his form was not the greatest for climbing. Despite that limitation, he bussted his as* to put in his best performance. I think it is interesting how some athletes fail in the spotlight and others thrive no matter their skill level. He clearly thrived.

Basso - He is my choice. I am officially a Basso fan, and CSC follower now. He's young talented and I think he has the heart of a future Champion (TDF, since he is already a Giro Champ). Once he improves some of his weaker skills he could dominate. He was the only one to challenge the LA train and he came from "nowhere" to do it. No offense to any of the other great riders, but he was the only one to show up for the fight. The other's seemed content for second.

Major props to Ulrich for accepting that this was Kloden's tour within their team.

Maybe I'm wrong, since I don't know these people, but these are my impressions. I look forward to seeing more for them and all the others named. I'm becoming a fanatic.

He was the real hero of the Tour. I've never seen a guy ride with so much heart and courage.

And really looking like he was having fun doing it!

the voekler thing was really cool , but my favorite that was out there on a break everytime i tuned in has to be jens voigt.seems he never stopped attacking . theres a breakaway whos in it ? blah blah blah and jens voigt again. fascinating

theres a breakaway whos in it ? blah blah blah and jens voigt again.
You meant to type, "blah blah blah, Michael Rasmussen, and Jens Voigt." Rasmussen was every bit as nuts as Voigt, and I loved it. Loved both riders' action.

Basso and Acevedo...toss up for me

You meant to type, "blah blah blah, Michael Rasmussen, and Jens Voigt." Rasmussen was every bit as nuts as Voigt, and I loved it. Loved both riders' action.
yup you got it .those two were great to watch. and rasmussen coming from a mountainbiking background, at least thats what i thought i heard ,really had my attention . but still liked jens tho.

Jan Ullrich, because he's a very humble guy without an ounce of quit in him.

Also Jens Voigt because he was CONSTANTLY on the attack, same with his teammate Jakob Piil.

Rasmussen had a great Tour as well.

Jose Azevedo

1) The German fans on Alpe d' Huez- Brave enough to spit, cowardly enough to know 300,000 Americans would have stomped them into the ground if they had touched "The Man"

2) Mayo- Big motor, bad computer. Pantani at least destroyed a few mountain stages before he quit.

3) Heras- His placings in the TDF were like playing "Where's Waldo?"

Hahaha, thats hilarious :lol:

Basso.
Partial to Italians.

I think Discovery will sign him.

Basso. I think Discovery will sign him.
I may well be wrong, but I thought significant contract problems were standing in the way. But yes, I know Lance wants him very badly.

Yeah, I think Lance gets what Lance wants...and for more reasons than just his cycling ability, Lance wants Basso on the team bad.

Robbie McKeown

Gilberto Simoni

Voekler was pretty awesome, but when Richard Virenque won on Bastille Day and the crowd just went out of their dang minds it (almost) made me want to be French!

But I do think that Jan was very sportsmanlike in his support of Kloden. Others would have pouted and whined and complained to the media in the same situation.
Koffee

On a slight tangent, Koffee's comment reminds me of the fued between Simoni and Cunego at last year's Giro. Actually, it was more like Simoni having a temper tantrum when Cunego proved to be superior while still playing the role of a perfect teammate time and time again. I lost a lot of respect for Simoni last year.

As far as the Tour de France is concerned, I'd have to give two big thumbs up to Voeckler also. Score one for the underdog, and letting the rest of us dream about what could be if everything just happened to fall in to line... I don't know if he is a future Tour winner though. There's a big difference between getting in a first-week breakaway that gains a lot of time, compared to being on top after three weeks. However, Voeckler proved that he has a huge heart and a lot of courage, and those things go a long, long way. I'd love to see him get a stage win in the Tour this year.

The way that Hincapie decimated the peloton at the bottom of LaMongie was unbelievable

Voeckler was an inspiration to any rider, the French were sooooo happy

Ullrich started the TDF sick..rode through the early poor weather and suffered like a dog even after LA had dominated. He may not be the best at preparing...may not be as mentally tough as LA, but I still think hes a stud.

I pick all that finished because I'd never be able to do it. Favorite moments though is another story. I think watching Basso go up with The Man while they destroyed the field was best because it was the first real dramatic moment of the tour.

I've only been watching for 2 years but can it ever get anymore dramatic than 2003? I don't think I ever cursed at the TV like that in my life.

Damn, just reading this thread has me pumped. I'm heading out in the rain for a ride. Can't resist.

Lance never is my favorite anyways. Jan usually is, but this year it was so tough for him- he was apparently a lot sicker than he let on and then there was that miserable weather. He never complains or makes excuses, even when he did stupid things like drugs. He never blames anyone else for his mistakes or trash talks anyone.

I always like moxie; for that I say Voekler, who was obviously determined to do his French champ colors justice. And Simoni who says he will never do the tour again and always manages to win a big stage in the mountains. And Virenque, determined to add one more big win to his palmares in his last tour. I remembered how he won the Ventoux a couple of years ago, and I was just cheering him on. He was obviously suffering like a dog. Even Lance later said that anyone who suffers like that for two hours deserves to win. And Cipo, who had to make a big splash in his final tour with that TRON skinsuit. I always admire real moxie. I remembered a couple of years ago, I think it may have been 2001 actually- Daniele Nardello, who was italian champ that year, crashed in a huge pileup in the first or second stage. He was really badly injured and bleeding like crazy, lost a lot of time, and hung on to the end of the stage. Then he was all bandaged like a mummy and obviously suffering, but he hung on through the alps and the pyrenees and finished. HE was probably figuring that he had to do his Tricolore some justice. ANd i also remember that Mapei totally self-destructed in that year's tour- I think maybe 2 of them finished.There's always one team like that in every tour, where they all get injured or sick and maybe two of them finish.