Tour de France 2007 thread (1 Viewer)

[rettucs]

shocking story. I remember them 2 getting married, obviously both very high-profile sportspeople at the top of their game. Dennis was always a bit of a rogue and lots of people on shitter are saying he murdered her. I was tending not to give him the benefit of the doubt myself, but need to wait until more details emerged.

The gist I got was that he drove his car into her, not that she was holding on.

Regardless, its tragic that Melissa lost her life whatever the circumstances. RIP.

 

[nuke terrorist]

Jan Bogaert (1957 - 23 January 2024)
Belgian sprinter who was a prolific winner of Kermesse criteriums.

Bogaert best wins included 1982 GP E3, 1983 Scheldeprijs and a Tour de Suisse stage.
He rode two Giri and two Tours.

Victories for Jan Bogaert

Jan Bogaert has 42 career victories. The biggest victories were Scheldeprijs in 1983 and E3-Prijs Harelbeke in 1982.

www.procyclingstats.com

Jan Bogaert - Wikipedia

nl.wikipedia.org

I used to confuse Jan Bogaert w/ Kurt Bogaerts (An Post-Sean Kelly manager and INEOS DS) and once said Kurt finished 2nd in the Amstel Gold.
It was actually Jan who was 1983 Amstel runner up.

 

[nuke terrorist]

Mountain stage 5 of Tour Colombia finished at about 9000 ft (2800+ metres) the guy who won is from a city at a similar altitude.
Loads of fans in the final kms. Lovely and green in Colombia even at that height. The wonderful RCN hombre and his amigos supply the commentary.

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[nuke terrorist]

Gordon Singleton (1956 - 24 March 2024).

Gordon Singleton - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Japanese track sprint legend Koichi Nakano dominated pro sprinting in the late 1970's and 80's. For a while a Canadian was his main rival.
The Nakano v Singleton rivalry came to a climax at the pro World Champs which were held at the old outdoor Leicester Velodrome in 1982. AFAIK this was held in conjunction with the road World Champs when Saronni beat LeMond and Kelly in Goodwood. This is a nerdy piece of UK cycling history I know about from reading old cycling magazines talking about even older cycling times:

Leicester Velodrome 1982:
Koichi Nakano v Gordon Singleton
Sprint Final (best of 3).
There are crashes in this @2:18 and @9:00.

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1982 UCI Track Cycling World Championships - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Leicester Velodrome 1967-1999 was demolished 2008.

Icons of cycling: Leicester Velodrome

We look back at a track that played a big part in British cycling history

www.cyclingweekly.com

Koichi Nakano - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[nuke terrorist]

Just after 3:30 pm GMT today there was serious crash in stage 4 at front of the Tour of the Basque Country on a dangerous corner on a fast descent.
Some of the riders inc. Roglic ended up in a drain and Vinegaard looks in a very bad way among others.
No one was left unconscious but multiple lads taken away in ambulances.
Race was neutralised a few km later.
Crash happened during an advert break on Eurosport.
Evenepoel was lucky he wasn't taken out as well due to his amazing bike handling.
Had to leave home about 4 pm not sure what developments there's been since

Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, Primoz Roglic among injured in serious crash during Itzulia Basque Country

Numerous riders down, all three abandon after crash rips through race

www.cyclingnews.com

 

[nuke terrorist]

Sorry a few bits of duff info in above post. There was of course a break up the road when crash happened and Remco did come off off road among trees and was lucky he didn't collide with a tree and has a broken collarbone as does Roglic and Vingegaard.
I saw race was neutralised and only had 5-10 mins to rewind TV and see what happened.

Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel break collarbones, Primoz Roglic among injured in horror Basque Country crash - Eurosport

Jonas Vingegaard, Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel were all involved in a horrific crash at Itzulia Basque Country on Thursday.

www.eurosport.com

 

[nuke terrorist]

Alexey Tsatevich (5 July 1989 - 8 April 2024)
Former Katusha and Gazprom rider has died aged 34. I don't remember Alexey to be honest.
Alexey was primarily a sprinter with three good pro wins - Le Samyn in 2013 and a stage of the 2016 Volta a Catalunya (final Barcelona stage) and a stage of Lombardy Week. He also rode the Giro twice. In debut Giro his own Katusha team ejected him from the race in strange circumstances for excessive slipstreaming.

Alexey Tsatevich

Alexey Tsatevich (born 1989-07-05 in Verkhnyaya Pyshma, passed away 2024-04-08) was a former professional road racing cyclist from Russia, active between 2006 and 2017. His best results are winning Le Samyn and winning a stage in Volta Ciclista a Catalunya.

www.procyclingstats.com

Alexey Tsatevich ejected from Giro d’Italia by his own Katusha team

One day after Alexey Tsatevich was handed a large time penalty for persistent slipstreaming during the ninth stage of the Giro d’Italia, his Katusha team

velo.outsideonline.com

 

[rettucs]

Alexey Tsatevich (5 July 1989 - 8 April 2024)
Former Katusha and Gazprom rider has died aged 34. I don't remember Alexey to be honest.
Alexey was primarily a sprinter with three good pro wins - Le Samyn in 2013 and a stage of the 2016 Volta a Catalunya (final Barcelona stage) and a stage of Lombardy Week. He also rode the Giro twice. In debut Giro his own Katusha team ejected him from the race in strange circumstances for excessive slipstreaming.

Alexey Tsatevich

Alexey Tsatevich (born 1989-07-05 in Verkhnyaya Pyshma, passed away 2024-04-08) was a former professional road racing cyclist from Russia, active between 2006 and 2017. His best results are winning Le Samyn and winning a stage in Volta Ciclista a Catalunya.

www.procyclingstats.com

Alexey Tsatevich ejected from Giro d’Italia by his own Katusha team

One day after Alexey Tsatevich was handed a large time penalty for persistent slipstreaming during the ninth stage of the Giro d’Italia, his Katusha team

velo.outsideonline.com

don't remember him either and I was fairly clued in back then. Seems like he was talented, but a bit of a handful to manage. 35 is no age.

 

[nuke terrorist]

don't remember him either and I was fairly clued in back then. Seems like he was talented, but a bit of a handful to manage. 35 is no age.

Podium in 2016 Catalunya when Alexey won stage was Quintana, 2nd Contador and Dan 3rd.
Shows my interest in cycling has been fading for a long time!

 

[rettucs]

@nuke terrorist are you aware of this story?

Tashkent City Women: How a little-known Uzbekistan team have secured themselves a spot at the Tour de France Femmes

Competition is the very essence of professional cycling. There’s the basic level of competition, which is being the one rider to beat everyone else and cross the finish line first. Below that, competition weaves through every single level of the sport. Riders face competition to be picked for...

www.rouleur.cc

crazy stuff.

Also, how about Lara Gillespie this week? Some achievement from her.

 

[nuke terrorist]

@nuke terrorist are you aware of this story?

Tashkent City Women: How a little-known Uzbekistan team have secured themselves a spot at the Tour de France Femmes

Competition is the very essence of professional cycling. There’s the basic level of competition, which is being the one rider to beat everyone else and cross the finish line first. Below that, competition weaves through every single level of the sport. Riders face competition to be picked for...

www.rouleur.cc

crazy stuff.

Also, how about Lara Gillespie this week? Some achievement from her.

I haven't even watched Romandie this week!
Saw Lara won two stages last week and 2nd in another but then didn't notice she won that race overall at weekend.
As you said before rettucs, Lara is set for big things.
Another interesting thing was - looking at procyclingstats just now an Afghan cyclist called Fariba Hashimi (b. 2003) finished in top ten of several of those stages.

Never ever heard of Tashkent team - that is crazy. I feel so sorry for kids now that the sponsors are so horrible.
I remember Olga Zablinskaya (from Russia really) but she's 43 now.
Much prefer watching women nowadays.
Actually still need to go back women's Liege - much better than men's race.
EDIT:
Megan Armitage down to start Vuelta on Sunday - any other Irish starting?

Classics especially men were a bit of a disappointment this year.

Anyone ever hear from IFF in recent times? He and rettucs were the cycling Hall of Famers around here.

 

[nuke terrorist]

Imerio Massignan (2 January 1937 - 4 May 2024).
Veneto born rider was pro from 1959-1970. His best days (1959-63) were at Gino Bartali's old team Legnano.
Climber Massignan is best remembered for winning the Mountains prize in his first two Tours in 1960-61.
Despite some stellar results in the first half of his career he only won two races: a 1961 Tour stage in a Pyrenean snowstorm to Superbagneres and a stage of the Volta a Catalunya.
Massignan's bad luck was legendary - particularly punctures.
Famously in a 1960 Giro stage, the first time the Passo Gavia was used, a fourth puncture finally finished Massignan off and he was second to Charly Gaul.
But his palmares is impressive: 10th (1960 (team mate Battistini was Tour runner up)), 4th (1961) and 7th (1962) at the Tour de France and in the top 11 in the Giro six times between 1959-65 including runner up to Franco Balmamion in 1962.
A serious illness cost Massignan the entire 1964 season and his career faded out from 1966.
Imerio's younger brother Enrico was also a pro.

If you have any interest in the history of pro cycling please read Massignan's Italian language wiki - their cycling and Calcio bios never let me down.

Imerio Massignan

Imerio Massignan (born 1937-01-02 in Altavilla Vicentina, passed away 2024-05-03) was a former professional road racing cyclist from Italy, active between 1959 and 1970. His best results are 2 wins in KOM Tour de France and winning a stage in Tour de France.

www.procyclingstats.com

Imerio Massignan - Wikipedia

it.wikipedia.org

Gazzetta dello Sport obituary in Italian is paywalled (12ft ladder bypasses this - but it's still in Italian)

Addio Massignan, "Angelo del Gavia": uno dei più grandi scalatori nella storia del Giro

Il vicentino aveva 87 anni: professionista dal 1959 al 1970, è stato maglia a pois al Tour nel 1960 e 1961. Fu secondo alla Corsa Rosa del 1962

www.gazzetta.it

12ft

1960 Giro first stage ever over the Gavia to Bromio and you think the Gavia is bad now?!!!
The surface was horrific - Massignan (2nd) got 4 punctures, stage winner Charly Gaul got 'only' two.
Rik Van Looy (Faema) is in pink. Massignan (Legnano) leads race over Gavia but Charly Gaul (EMI) takes the stage. Anquetil won the Giro.

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Even better footage of Gavia 1960 in colour, Lots of pushing going on!! Also a groovy 1970's Italo Disco soundtrack for some reason.

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From (dodgy) memory: I read that in another of four GT stages that Massignan finished second in, he led all day but after a series of mechanicals / punctures he was caught in last km in the streets of the finish town.

 

[nuke terrorist]

Actually the 1960 Gavia stage to Bormio must the same one as I mentioned above where Massignan got caught near the finish.

 

[nuke terrorist]

Louis Bergaud (30 November 1928 - 21 May 2024) has died aged 95, some 70 years after he finished 7th on his Tour debut.

Bergaud turned pro with Peugeot in 1953 and joined St. Raphael in 1954 were he spent the rest of his career (1953-63). Bergaud was also a team mate of Jacques Anquetil on the French national team when Anquetil won the 1957 Tour.
Bergaud rode 7 Tours and won two stages in 1958 (+9th on GC) and 1961 (riding for Centre-Midi region team).

Louis Bergaud — Wikipédia

fr.wikipedia.org

Louis Bergaud

Louis Bergaud (born 1928-11-30 in Jaleyrac) is a former professional road racing cyclist from France, active between 1952 and 1962. His best results are 2 stage wins in Tour de France and 2 wins in Polymultipliée.

www.procyclingstats.com

 

[nuke terrorist]

Dag Erik Pedersen (6 June1959 - 3 June 2024)
Like Knut Knudsen and Swede Tommy Prim, Pedersen turned pro with Bianchi. He won three Giro stages (inc. 2 plus 10th on GC in 1984 on his Giro debut).
In the late 80's he was a teammate of Kelly at PDM and retired in 1992.

Pedersen later became far better known in Norway as a television presenter, sports and news anchor.

Pedersen failed a dope test in the 1981 Milk race (see English wiki link).

Dag Erik Pedersen - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Dag Erik Pedersen er død

Den populære programlederen og tidligere syklist Dag Erik Pedersen (64) ble funnet død i sitt hjem i Helgeroa i går.

www.nrk.no

Dag Erik Pedersen – Wikipedia

no.wikipedia.org

Dag Erik Pedersen

Dag Erik Pedersen (born 1959-06-06 in Skien, passed away 2024-06-03) was a former professional road racing cyclist from Norway, active between 1976 and 1992. His best results are winning Giro del Lazio and 3 stage wins in Giro d'Italia.

www.procyclingstats.com

 

[nuke terrorist]

30 years ago this Tuesday (4-6-1994), Marco Pantani won his first pro race at the Giro.

The next day, 5-6-1994, Pantani won his second stage - one of the most famous grand tour stages of the 1990's
10 minute synopsis of stage 15 Giro d'Italia 1994 to Aprica.

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At 2:36:20 below, Franco Vona is leading on the Mortirolo with Chiappucci in a 2nd group. Riis is riding tempo for Gewiss in the small peloton from which Pantani attacks @ 2:38:42 and blows the race to bits. Then it's blinding racing for the last two hours.

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1994 Giro d'Italia - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Giro d'Italia 1994 Stage 15 results

Marco Pantani is the winner of Giro d'Italia 1994 Stage 15, before Claudio Chiappucci and Wladimir Belli. Evgeni Berzin was leader in GC.

www.procyclingstats.com

Evgeni Berzin was in pink (Google Berzin - the state of him now) had Bjarne Riis riding for him on the infamous Gewiss team which won or podiumed on nearly every big race in 1994 under guidance of Dr. Michele Ferrari. A lot of 'em never remotely reached this level again.

Berzin's career ended in 2000 aged 30.
A pre Giro health check turned up a high haematocrit level. Berzin's team manager exclaimed: "He told me he had diarrhoea but now I'm the one who's in the shit!"
What crap set of 2000 results:

Evgeni Berzin

Evgeni Berzin (born 1970-06-03 in Vyborg) is a former professional road racing cyclist from Russia, active between 1992 and 2001. His best results are winning GC Giro d'Italia and winning Liège - Bastogne - Liège.

www.procyclingstats.com

On the Mortirolo Indurain was expected to attack the 24 y.o. Russian and had Berzin, who tried to stay Pantani (as did De las Cuevas) in big trouble.
But Pantani dominated another stage with Chiappucci joining in the fun on maybe the last really memorable day of Claudio's career. Bugno rode well when generally by then he legs had gone in the mountains.
Nearly man and 1992 Ras rider Wladimir Belli also did a fine ride while Armand De las Cuevas (RIP) blew up completely after starting the day 2nd on GC.
Breakaway Franco Vona was a super climber but spent a lot of his career riding for Bugno. Colombiano Nelson Rodriguez was the cult climber of the year.

As sad as this era is this must have been mind-blowing to watch at the time. Extrovert Chiappucci hogs the post race TV interviews while Marco can't disguise he isn't bothered being there.
Marco would probably still be here if he hadn't been a pro cyclist.

Mean to post this yesterday but was too just too busy and never finished typing this up.