The Alphabet Game

   Too many times when I go out on rides I get some song stuck in my head. I find that the most effective way to block it is to do some sort of mind puzzle, and one I often do is the “alphabet game”, where I make a list of some subject from A to Z. On one ride I named hockey players, and another time it was movie titles.

   I was driving myself crazy on a recent long ride with three different songs from a recently purchased CD by The Alarm that kept popping into my brain. The funny thing is, this will sometimes affect my breathing if I’m humming or even singing to myself. Well, in order to clear my mind, I chose to list favorite cyclists from my era. Just to prove that indeed I am, as my family refers to me, a “Font of Useless, Senseless Information”, I came up with 23 of the 26, and you could probably guess which letters I stumbled upon.

   I thought it would be interesting to put my list out there, in the hope that some of you might share a list of your own. I know not all of my “regulars” are pro cycling fans, but I encourage you to read through the list, because there are plenty of interesting stories behind these athletes. There are some cyclists you will recognize just from references I’ve made to them in this blog, and those names have hyperlinks.

   Keep in mind, that these are cyclists that I had to see ride in person, or at least on TV - so you’ll know why obvious greats like Eddie Merckx and Jacques Anquetil aren’t on this list. Also note that I’ve generally chosen to ignore the doping issue because, until recently, the use of performance-enhancing drugs was so rampant, it is sometimes ridiculous to single out individuals during the years I really became a fan of pro cycling!

Phil Anderson (photo left)   In 1981, the Melbourne native became the first non-European cyclist to wear the yellow jersey at the Tour de France, really paving the way for current Aussie stars Cadel Evans and Simon Gerrans. He wore the yellow jersey for nine days during the 1982 Tour and claimed the best young rider’s jersey.

Franco Ballerini   He may be best known in his racing career for the 1993 Paris-Roubaix race he should‘ve won, when he mistimed his sprint and lost by a tire width, but Ballerini went on to win the race twice, in 1995 and 1998. Upon his retirement in 2002, the classy Italian became coach of the national team, and under his direction, his cyclists won four world championships and an Olympic gold medal. He tragically died in 2010 at the age of 45 from serious injuries sustained in an accident while serving as co-driver/navigator in a professional rally car race.

*I tried hard, but the letter C was an honest tie:

*Mario Cipollini   The flamboyant Italian dominated sprints during his career, winning 42 Giro d’Italia, 12 Tour de France and  3 Vuelta a España stages. His Saeco team is said to be the first to perfect the leadout train - with their red jerseys constantly seen near the front as the finish line approached, they set “Super Mario” up to launch his explosive speed. He now owns a bicycle manufacturing company, and his Cipollini branded machines are currently supplied to a couple of professional teams.

*Fabian Cancellara   Three-time winner of both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, the Swiss star excels in the time trial as well, having won several world championships and an Olympic gold medal in the event in 2008. “Spartacus” has won the opening stage of the Tour de France five times and has worn the yellow jersey during the race for 28 days throughout his career, the most of any non-winner of the event. He also climbs well enough to have won prestigious stage races such as the Tour de Suisse and Tirreno-Adriatico

Pedro Delgado (photo right)   The dominant climber of his time, the Spaniard won the Tour de France once and the Vuelta a España twice. Delgado may be better known for two dubious incidents. 1) He took a steroid-masking drug which at that point was not on the UCI banned list, allowing him to win the 1988 Tour. 2) The following year he showed up two minutes and forty seconds late for the opening time trial, which effectively cost him the title (he finished third), a fact overshadowed by the famous nine second Greg LeMond victory over Laurent Fignon in the final stage time trial in Paris.

Malcolm Elliott   Admittedly there isn’t a deep pool of “E” cyclists to choose from, but Malcolm was a decent sprinter, and the Englishman claimed the points classification at the 1989 Vuelta a España. He retired in 1997, but made a comeback in 2003 at the age of 41 in the British domestic professional scene and proved a useful teammate for eight more years!

Maurizio Fondriest    He was twice winner of the World Cup, a now defunct season-long points competition, and delighted his home crowds with victories at the 1993 Milan-San Remo and a couple of stages of the Giro d’Italia. Fondriest was perhaps best known for the World Championship he won in 1988, partly because of the collision between his two breakaway companions in the final sprint. Check it out here.

Philippe Gilbert (photo left)   In 2012, the Belgian star became only the second rider to win all three Ardennes classics (Amstel Gold, La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège) in the same year. In addition to a Tour de France stage victory, he also had prestigious wins at Strade Bianche, San Sebastian and the Giro di Lombardia. That magical season was one in which people joked, “Gilbert won everything he entered!” Since then, Philippe has struggled to return to that level of dominance (who wouldn’t?), but there have been flashes of brilliance with wins at the World Championship in 2012 and at Amstel Gold this season.

  

Bernard Hinault   His battles with Laurent Fignon and teammate Greg LeMond in the Tours de France of the mid-1980s are my earliest pro cycling memories. The French great is one of only a handful of riders to have won all three Grand Tours. In fact he won the Vuelta a España twice, the Giro d’Italia three times and the Tour de France five times, not to mention numerous victories in cycling’s Classics and a World Championship in 1980. Nicknamed “The Badger”, Hinault’s feisty demeanor sometimes showed up off of the bike - witness his reaction to a protest blocking a stage of the 1984 Paris-Nice here. In retirement Hinault has worked as a Tour de France ambassador on the awards podium, but he apparently doesn’t realize he is not the bouncer! There are numerous photos and videos on the internet of Hinault handling podium trespassers over the years, but here is a favorite of mine from the 2008 Tour.

Miguel Indurain   In stage races “Big Mig” employed a strategy of crushing the field in the time trials and hanging in near the front on the climbs. The Spaniard’s plan was employed to perfection in five Tour de France and two Giro d’Italia victories, including 1992 and 1993 when he won each of the two events consecutively. Indurain used his incredible physical engine to win a 1995 World Championship and 1996 Olympic gold medal in the individual time trial and won the prestigious Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré and Paris-Nice each twice.

†Back-to-back are two of the most gifted all-around talents in the history of cycling:

†Laurent Jalabert   Three results among Jalabert’s LONG list of palmarès best show his versatility, two sprinters green jerseys at the Tour de France (1992 and 1995), two climbers polka dot jerseys at the Tour (2001 and 2002) and a 1997 World Championship in the time trial. The Frenchman also won difficult stage races, such as the Vuelta a España in 1995 and Paris-Nice three times (’95-97), as well as many one-day classics. Look at the photo on the right of “Jaja” putting the hurt on a certain American rival in the 1995 Tour!

†Sean Kelly   Many of you know that the Irish legend’s hometown of Carrick on Suir (pronounced like “sure”) is the inspiration for my younger son’s name. Sean was simply dominant during the years I first got into riding my bicycle and followed the pro sport in magazines and on television (rarely in those days). By winning the Tour de France green jersey four times, Sean showed the incredible ability to sprint at the top level, and yet he could climb well enough to place highly in stage races. He finished in the top ten at the Tour several times, won the 1988 Vuelta a España and Paris-Nice a record seven consecutive times from 1982-88. In pro cycling’s monument one-day races, he was simply outstanding, with victories at Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix and Liège-Bastogne-Liège twice EACH and the Giro di Lombardia three times! These days I enjoy listening to Sean’s commentary during British Eurosport pro cycling coverage. Check out this excellent “King Kelly” photo/video montage here.

Greg LeMond   His three Tour de France victories reach far beyond a simple racing accomplishment. As attention to cycling increased in the States, LeMond became an icon for generations of aspiring American racers. Bicycle and sportswear manufacturing saw a huge upswing in sales in the late 1980s. Because of personal conflicts with LeMond, Lance Armstrong may not want to admit it, but he would not have been the “success” that he became in France were it not for Greg’s groundbreaking influence on European cycling. Right now, there are three World Tour professional teams based in the U.S. and three of the most popular cycling companies in the world are American manufacturers Cannondale, Specialized and Trek – I don’t think it is a stretch to say this wouldn’t be possible without Greg LeMond!

Johann Museeuw (photo left)   It's pronounced moo-SAY-oo, by the way. My personal all-time favorite started his career as a member of Greg LeMond’s 1989 Tour de France-winning team. He switched teams the following season, and as a sprinter he won two stages of the Tour. The Belgian great eventually traded his speedy finish for more endurance that allowed him to win classics such as Paris-Tours and Amstel Gold, as well as a World Championship in 1996.  Although he was never able to win the “Flemish Double” of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in one season, he does hold the record for most combined podium finishes, including three wins in each race. A crash on the cobbles during the 1998 Paris-Roubaix shattered his kneecap, and a subsequent infection nearly caused him to lose the injured leg. Nicknamed the Lion of Flanders, Johann showed his determination to return to his former glory. While crossing the finish line to victory in the 2000 Paris-Roubaix, he lifted his left foot and pointed to his knee as a reminder of the incident that almost ended his career. Upon retirement in 2004, he took up a non-riding position with the Quick Step team and served as mentor for rising star Tom Boonen, who has gone on to win Flanders and Roubaix a combined 7 times! These days Museeuw markets his own brand of bicycle frame, manufactured from a blend of carbon fiber and flax.

This entry is getting a bit lengthy, so I'll continue my list next time.