Professional Cycling For the Fans - Thor - What do you call him now?

Thor Hushovd attacked on a HC climb today.

Previously described as a "Strong rider who happens to sprint well", I'm pretty sure nobody knows where to classify this man.

He's not a sprinter anymore, he admits that himself.
He's not a climber, although he is getting better at climbing.
He doesn't dominate the classics (in fact he hasn't won one is a while that I know of, although with Gilbert and Cancellara winning them all its tough.)
He isn't a Grand Tour contender.

What the hell do you call him besides strong?

These days 'Strong man' gets used a lot. The same kind of rider who is associated with a specific GC contender used to be called his lieutenant.

I really don't feel a compelling need to categorize him.

I'd call him Mr. Hushovd.

Rouleur. Well, a real big rouleur.

I'd call him a world champion bike racer, although I do like the term "strongman" for guys with his build and abilities.

If you have to classify him as a cyclist based on body type, I'd call him a classics rider, but body type and abilities are just a correlation. Eddy Merckx was a stocky dude who won 11 grand tours, and Fausto Coppi was a stringbean who won classics and broke the hour record.

Thor Hushovd attacked on a HC climb today.

Previously described as a "Strong rider who happens to sprint well", I'm pretty sure nobody knows where to classify this man.

He's not a sprinter anymore, he admits that himself.
He's not a climber, although he is getting better at climbing.
He doesn't dominate the classics (in fact he hasn't won one is a while that I know of, although with Gilbert and Cancellara winning them all its tough.)
He isn't a Grand Tour contender.

What the hell do you call him besides strong?

Great bike rider! and smart racer!

He's a "power rider".

You call him the freaking God of Thunder

http://cdn3.media.cyclingnews.futurecdn.net/2011/06/30/2/bettiniphoto_0084432_1_full_600.jpg

I'll see your Spartacus, and raise you a rainbow road jersey. :lol: Thor gained a lot of respect from me today.

Not really just a Rouleur, not quite a Grimpeur............ a Coureur Complet:-)

Rouleur. Well, a real big rouleur.+1


Not really just a Rouleur, not quite a Grimpeur............ a Coureur Complet:-)There ya go.


You call him the freaking God of Thunder

http://cdn3.media.cyclingnews.futurecdn.net/2011/06/30/2/bettiniphoto_0084432_1_full_600.jpgI didn't realize they had done this. I thought the stage promoter stopped them before they did it. Hilarious.

These days 'Strong man' gets used a lot. The same kind of rider who is associated with a specific GC contender used to be called his lieutenant.

There are a bunch of strongmen in the peloton. These are usually big guys like Hincapie or Voigt or Cancellera or Hushovd who duke it out during the spring classics. In stage races, they protect their team captain or help to lead out a sprint, but they can also take off on these in between stages that are too hilly for the sprinters but have no summit finish for the climbers.

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/3861/cervelo.jpg

Well Today he was definately "THE MAN"!!

Super Domestic^2

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/3861/cervelo.jpg

This is awesome. Cervelo should use this.

lol i love that picture...the "Thor the god" photo, never saw that!

Road champion is all I need to know.

someone you wouldn't want to meet in a darkened velodrome. a bad man. a bad bad man.

World Champion. He represents the stripes well.

Amazing

When he attacked on the climb I said to myself, well he doesn't usually make mistakes but my lord that was a gutsy move.

Think I'll call him Sir.

I call him the don

That was pretty dern awesome, but I was really sad for Roy. To solo that long and not get the win...he's one to watch in the future, this Tour has proved that.

God of Thunder does the job just fine.

The Man? Mr Hushovd? GOT? Perhaps its just fitting enough that he's basically known on single name basis in the cycling world. Say Thor and everyone knows who you mean. Same applies for a few others too though. Whatever, he's a great bike rider.

but they can also take off on these in between stages that are too hilly for the sprinters but have no summit finish for the climbers.

Those are my favorite stages (or races) to watch. The kind of stage when an early break can survive or where a good time trialist can make a dash before it comes down to a sprint. I know he probably won't be a GC contender, but watching Peter Sagan in the Tour of Cali and Tour de Suisse made me a fan. His win in stage 3 of the TdS was similar to Thor's and it showed good strategy and effort for a bigger guy to stick with a climb led by AS knowing he could beat the group with his descent and sprint. That Boassen Hagen fellow seems to have similar potential.

Thor Hushovd attacked on a HC climb today.

Previously described as a "Strong rider who happens to sprint well", I'm pretty sure nobody knows where to classify this man.

What the hell do you call him besides strong?

He's The World Champion for the UCI this year, and is showing why he wears that jersey.

It's been a pretty blase' Tour so far this year. THe guys who have really made it come to life have been Hushovd and Voeckler, as well as this dude named Hoogerland ;-) If anybody wears yellow into Paris this Sunday, I'd a lot rather it be Hushovd or Voeckler. They've earned it.

He's still in the break! Could it be his time again today?

He's still in the break! Could it be his time again today?

And everyone was saying today would be an easy day before the real mountains start tomorrow. The big guy was going so fast that the stage finished a full half hour ahead of schedule.

Thor is the man. You have to respect a guy who understands his strengths and weaknesses so well. It should be interesting to see what team he rides for next year.

... If anybody wears yellow into Paris this Sunday, I'd a lot rather it be Hushovd or Voeckler. They've earned it.

Thor's been incredible. Very, very impressed. For some reason though, I think he'd be the first to say he has not earned the yellow jersey.

What do you call him? A BEASTTTTT

What do you call him? Whatever he damned well wants to be called! And you end it with, "sir."

Looks like Thor has won a Tour stage in eight of the last ten years now. He's going to finish in the top 10 in the points race for ten straight Tours now. What a rider...

Give the Canadian, Ryder, credit for blocking the other Norwegian to help Thor to the victory.

Give the Canadian, Ryder, credit for blocking the other Norwegian to help Thor to the victory.
Blocking? What exactly does this mean????? This is the second time I have seen somebody writing about this "blocking."
Are you talking about counter attacking from two riders from the same team against one other rider? Its called counter attacks, not "blocking."
Blocking MAY be referred to when somebody interups a pace-line by soft-pedaling. And even then, its just called interrupting the pace-line.

Looks like Thor has won a Tour stage in eight of the last ten years now. He's going to finish in the top 10 in the points race for ten straight Tours now. What a rider...
I noticed that earlier. That is an amazing feat.

Give the Canadian, Ryder, credit for blocking the other Norwegian to help Thor to the victory.

:lol: So, let me get this straight. Your competitor grabs your wheel when you start an early sprint, fails to get around you when your team-mate blasts by and then it is "blocking"? Sounds a little :cry: schlekish :twitchy: to me.

I call him AMAZING! I really respect the guy not just for being a sprinter or a climber but for being humble about his successes. That alone is a characteristic of a true champion.

I call him the World Champion and I'm going to start referring to this year's edition as the Thor de France

I think after this tour we can call him an escape artist.