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TDF; allegiance to rider nationality or bike brand??

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  • July 4, 2015 at 8:56 am #24359
    Lee170

    I’ve just bought a cannondale road bike yesterday, which I’m smitten with, had a few dale mountain bikes and loved them to.
    So what’s the general consensus on who to support at TDF?

    Obviously I’ll be routing for Chris froome, but I would also like cannondale to do well,
    Is it wrong to want a cannondale bike to win? Even if the rider isn’t British!
    I wish froome was on a dale!

    What do people generally do in terms of support?

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  • July 13, 2015 at 8:30 pm #852283
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    alotronic

    The interesting riders, the
    The interesting riders, the nutters and the passionate ones, the stylists. The one’s who seem to be…. real people just more so, and on a bike. Recently that includes Wiggo but not Cav. Can’t get exited about Contador. Euro-smooth is boring.

    I do have a soft spot for proper hard men like Stannard and Spartacus, the classics men. Liked Cadel a lot cause he was kinda odd and brave and always fought to the death. Liked Floyd! Never really liked Armstrong, too dominating – give me Pantani any day.

    Nationalities – Colonials for obvious reasons, Aussies and Kiwis.

    Bikes? Not these days. Used to be the italian and american bikes but I can’t find it in my heart to really care about carbon bikes even though I know they are faster.

    July 13, 2015 at 6:29 pm #852281
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    Super Domestique

    Ok, swimming against the tide
    Ok, swimming against the tide here.

    Yes there are loads of riders I like but I also have a massive bias for Pinarello.

    July 13, 2015 at 11:49 am #852279
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    Anonymous

    While I might mock the
    While I might mock the French’s fixation with panache I am coming to think that it’s the way forward. My description of ‘panache’ obviously includes the ‘have a go’ aggressive, attacking riding you’d expect, but also being so crushingly competent it looks nonchalant (Tony Martin, Cav ‘when it works’, Froome when on form).

    By this ‘panache’ judgment I also “enjoy watching” riders that I don’t “like” – Contador is simply beautiful on a bike and while I might only give grudging respect to his tainted palmares, he’s a hell of a rider.

    I’m a big fan of Zdenek Stybar. He’s a sort of cult hero among my friends, at least partly because he sounds like he should be leading some sort of cult.

    And then there are riders who just put it all out there, all the time. Stannard, G, Voeckler, Cancellara, Gerro, ten Dam.

    July 13, 2015 at 9:21 am #852277
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    Chuck

    I like some individual riders
    I like some individual riders more than others on a fairly arbitrary, non-national basis- e.g. Thomas, Degenkolb, Tony Martin. Like a lot of others it seems I like Froome well enough, but at the same time I can’t really muster up much real enthusiasm for him.
    Generally that doesn’t extend to teams, although if pushed I like Orica (for no particular reason I could put my finger on) and it’s always nice to see teams that I consider to be perpetual-triers-but-never-quite-up-there (e.g. FDJ, AG2R) get a result. That’s about as far as it goes, certainly doesn’t extend to which bikes they ride or helmets they wear.

    July 12, 2015 at 9:14 am #852275
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    Chasseur Patate

    Danger Dicko wrote:I like Cav

    Danger Dicko wrote:
    I like Cav so much I bruised my elbow celebrating his stage win yesterday.

    I hate him so much I bruised my foot kicking the dog.

    July 11, 2015 at 7:19 pm #852273
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    Danger Dicko

    I like Cav so much I bruised
    I like Cav so much I bruised my elbow celebrating his stage win yesterday.

    July 11, 2015 at 3:44 am #852271
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    Anonymous

    I love to watch cycle racing,
    I love to watch cycle racing, especially riders who take a chance on a break or late attack, but it’s hard to be a fan of any specific team or rider. That has ended in disappointment a few times.

    July 10, 2015 at 10:17 pm #852269
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    badback

    On the continent (esp in the
    On the continent (esp in the Benelux countries) some of the top riders and teams have huge supporters clubs with organised meat ups and ride-outs.

    Doesn’t seem to be the done thing in the UK though.

    Myself I enjoy the spectacle and don’t particularly ‘support’ one particular rider or team.

    July 10, 2015 at 11:19 am #852267
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    vonhelmet

    Jimbomitch wrote:And I take

    Jimbomitch wrote:
    And I take it that it is a given we all love MTN Qhubeka and Teklehaimanot?

    Yep, very impressive ride for him yesterday to take the polka dot jersey. All being well he can keep the jersey today and then he should have it for a few days more.

    July 10, 2015 at 10:04 am #852265
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    Jimbomitch

    And I take it that it is a
    And I take it that it is a given we all love MTN Qhubeka and Teklehaimanot?

    July 10, 2015 at 9:46 am #852263
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    the little onion

    Tommy Voeckler – the attacks
    Tommy Voeckler – the attacks which are in 95% of instances suicidal and futile but in 5% are things of tactical wonder. Plus the so-ugly-it-is-beautiful gurning.

    I also like to see Cavendish do well in sprints – when his leadout is missing, he can be brilliant at bike handling and timing (e.g. Copenhagen world champs), and he does a good interview.

    As for teams, I do have a soft spot for French teams who have realised that the most important thing in road cycling is not to win, but to look good and be stylish (e.g. FdJ).

    July 10, 2015 at 9:45 am #852261
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    Anonymous

    The rider I have the most
    The rider I have the most issues with in terms of liking him, is Valverde. He is an amazing, tenacious, attacking rider with a real style and will to win, just the sort of rider I really want to support, but I just cannot believe in him. I’m sorry to say Nibali falls into that category too.

    Cancellara, Stannard, Gee, Martin and Voeckler will always have me besides myself when they look like winning a stage or race, I love the hard riding, go for broke type of riders that are prepared to race on heart alone.

    What type of bike they are on never really enters in to it for me, they are all just riding whatever they are given, and all of them could do just as well on any of the bikes in the peleton. Just look at Tony Martin winning the stage on his mates bike, just goes to show all this fancy bike fit stuff is no replacement for a man who really wants to win.

    July 10, 2015 at 9:43 am #852259
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    teaboy

    It’s a sport of
    It’s a sport of contradiction, quite often. I hate Contador, but love the way he climbs 8> . I like Nibali, but Astana. Sky leave me cold, but G. Like others have said, don’t get too attached to any particular riders or teams as things can change very quickly!! Just enjoy the racing. There’s no need or expectation of “loyalty” in a sport that is continually changing. I will always be baffled when I see anyone out riding in Lampre kit though…

    July 10, 2015 at 9:32 am #852257
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    Chris James

    Most professional sports
    Most professional sports people are quite dull (only interested in training, resting and saying uncontroversial stuff). I don’t care about bike brands either.

    I don’t ‘support’ any cyclists or teams – certainly not like I support my football team – a lifelong commitment and a cause of joy and pain to me.

    I do like some riders though. I was pleased to see Stybar win yesterday as I like racing cyclocross. Generally I like classics type riders, so I am glad to see people like Thomas, Gallopin, van Avermaet (blood treatments aside), Boasson Hagen go well.

    It is nice that Greipel is doing well as he, and his team, are often overlooked.

    I don’t like dull, effective, riders like van Garderen, Uran and Gesink. people who finish near the top of GC but just play safe most of the time.

    July 10, 2015 at 8:41 am #852255
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    farrell

    Jimbomitch wrote:just don’t

    Jimbomitch wrote:
    just don’t pick a team with a bad kit. đŸ˜€ :D

    Or pick a team with a really, really bad kit. :))

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