well there is a catagorie for worlds at memoires du cyclism for derby.
Oh wait, I have to think of a question. . . . doh.
back in a few. . .

Marty

Ok, Easy one.

1980 La Doyenne was notable for one thing.
what was it? and who won?

Marty

freezing snow and Hinault's massive win

His fingers are still farked.

Right you are. you're turn and I'm outta here till the wee hours for
you blokes.
(see, there was method to my madness. . . )
Still admire the badger for that one, and similiarly Hampsten for the
Gavia pass.

Marty

A very young Erik Breukink was good on the Gavia in '88 too...


Question coming soon....need to think

OK....question. Another easy one.....

Stage 1 of the 1992 Tour de France went over a very famous climb that also features in a Classic. Sprinters weren't happy.

Name the climb.

Well, I think it started with a prologue in San Sebastian. That would make the climb the Jaizkabel from the San Sebastian Classic.

Spot on....record time.

Gun cyclcocrosser Dominque Arnould held off the charging field in the final 2000m for a great win.


(note to self: make questions harder....:))

Next question:

Only one rider rider has won all of the Classics. Who is the rider and what are the NINE original Classics??

Eddy ?

Rik Van Looy

Paris-Roubaix
Milan-San Remo
Tour of Flanders
Liege-Bastogne-Liege
Tour of Lombardy
Paris-Brussels
Gent-Wevelgem
Fleche Wallone
Paris-Tours

Fleche Wallone was the last piece of the puzzle for Van Looy. He won it in 1968.

Didn't EZ name his kid after Rik?

gcasillo is up next!

a.k.a. 'The Emperor'. Speaking about an impressive career... :eek:

Cool. :) Yeah, Leiden is okay. Only downside is that there are only 'polders' around here, no vertical cycling whatsoever. Hilversum is much closer to our 'hills' (Utrechtse Heuvelrug and thereabout).

What was this man's nickname, how did he earn that nickname, and what did he do that's important?

The moustache reminds me of Maurice Garin, the first ever Tour de France winner. His nickname was Le petit ramoneur ('chimney sweep'), because that's what he did for a living.

The photo is definitely Garin. But was winning the first tour an important event? The lads in the first tour were probably out for a bit of a lark on a new long distance event! The Tour de France started as nothing more than a publicity stunt to sell some newspapers after all...

Bruco's up.

Okay. In the 1948 edition of the Tour de France, sports met politics. Can you tell to which remarkable incident I am referring?

uhm the Italian Secretary of Communist party was shot, and a call was
made to Gino Bartali (from another politico?) asking him to win the next
stage to calm the country. Bartali said he would do better than that he
would win the Tour, He did.

Good morning, everbody!

lotek, you got it. :beer:

The Italian Prime Minister De Gasperi called 'Il Vecchio', back in Le Tour after a ten-year (!) break, when riots had broken out following the assassination of Communist Party leader Togliatti. My version says the PM phoned asked Gino whether he could win the Tour, to calm the country indeed. Bartali did win that Tour, starting with the next day's--heroic--stage, Cannes-Briancon (274 km, a lot of climbing).

Bruco,

I had always thought that the PM asked if he could win the next
day's stage, to interst the Italian public and turn them away
from the rioting, and Coppi stated "I'll do better, I'll win the tour" or
something like that.

Oh well.
Next question:

In the Tour the "Circle of the dead Men" refers to what?

Marty

Circle of Dead Men, or Circle of Death refers to any tour stage that passes through the dreaded climbs of the Col d'Aubisque and the Col du Tourmalet in the Pyrenees.

The first inclusion of these climbs in 1910 was criticised by the French Press who dubbed it the Circle of Death/Circle of Dead Men.

I should edit...

...any tour stage that passes OVER the dreaded climbs...

Any stage that passes through these climbs is known as the Tunnel of Dead Men. ;)