[JSR]

... by this sor t of trash, quoted in the Velonews wrapup http://www.velonews.com/article/76886/contador-weathers-mortirolo-storm :

"“Maybe Simoni was right when he said I don’t have a strong team here at this Giro,” said Riccò, who has a knack for angering just about everyone. “If I had the team that Contador does, I’d be in the pink jersey right now. The Giro isn’t over, but I have to wonder what could have been.”

His legs are good, but unfortunately his lip is strong, too. If only eveyone in the peleton was riding for him he'd do well...

edit. And this at the end of the quoted article:
“It seems everyone was racing against me again. Of course I dreamed of winning the sprint and taking the jersey, but Sella went, then Simoni,” Riccò said. “When Rodríguez went, I knew that if I chased him, someone else would attack and so on. I have to be happy with second. I made a great Giro and proved I can win this race. I will come back next year to win.”

IOW - I wasn't strong enough to win, but everyone is against me.


JSR

 

[The Human G-Nome]

He's good for the sport because he's the kind of rider that we love to hate. Cycling is all theatre anyway... why not have a villian? I hope he stays brash, keeps running his mouth, and keeps creating controversy. We need loons like Ricco.

 

[Einstruzende]

His comments are a bit annoying, but at least he tried throughout the race to take back time. He was in deficit from the get-go and only hurt himself more with the first ITT. DiLuca showed he has some brass balls too, just ran out of gas at the worst possible time.

 

[bas]

... by this sor t of trash, quoted in the Velonews wrapup http://www.velonews.com/article/76886/contador-weathers-mortirolo-storm :

"“Maybe Simoni was right when he said I don’t have a strong team here at this Giro,” said Riccò, who has a knack for angering just about everyone. “If I had the team that Contador does, I’d be in the pink jersey right now. The Giro isn’t over, but I have to wonder what could have been.”

His legs are good, but unfortunately his lip is strong, too. If only eveyone in the peleton was riding for him he'd do well...

edit. And this at the end of the quoted article:
“It seems everyone was racing against me again. Of course I dreamed of winning the sprint and taking the jersey, but Sella went, then Simoni,” Riccò said. “When Rodríguez went, I knew that if I chased him, someone else would attack and so on. I have to be happy with second. I made a great Giro and proved I can win this race. I will come back next year to win.”

IOW - I wasn't strong enough to win, but everyone is against me.


JSR

Well, he did lose the mountain goat piepoli a few days ago.. he could have used him today.

ANd ricco and piepoli did help simoni a couple years ago.

It was fun to hear the cycling.tv commentators talking about how ricco isn't going to get any friends chasing down all the attacks up that climb yesterday on stage 20.

 

[FondriestFan]

g-nome has a point. This sort of drama makes cycling even more interesting.

 

[Magsdad]

Forgive me if I am missing something, but the Italian nationalism shown by these riders to try their hardest to have an Italian at the top has made this a better race than what you generally see in France. Don't get me wrong, I like the TdF, but the fight shown by the Italians has made the GdT fun.

 

[uzziefly]

Forgive me if I am missing something, but the Italian nationalism shown by these riders to try their hardest to have an Italian at the top has made this a better race than what you generally see in France. Don't get me wrong, I like the TdF, but the fight shown by the Italians has made the GdT fun.

That's also coz there are hardly any French riders who can win their own tour. On the other hand, there are a host of Italians who can win the Giro should great climbers who can also TT well not take part (Kloden, Contador, Levi, Menchov etc)

 

[holdenJames]

I could care less what Ricco says, sure he sounds kind of like an a** hole but so what. At least he is trying. Whats up with Levi? He's supposed to be some powerhouse climber isn't he. I think there are many riders who see the Giro as practice for the "real" race in France which as others have said has become less and less interesting in my opinion.

 

[slowdave]

I could care less what Ricco says, sure he sounds kind of like an a** hole but so what. At least he is trying. Whats up with Levi? He's supposed to be some powerhouse climber isn't he. I think there are many riders who see the Giro as practice for the "real" race in France which as others have said has become less and less interesting in my opinion.

Is it less interesting because like many mainstream americans you only follow americans? Im no Levi fan boy look through my posts and you will see that but give the guy a break. Not trying. There is not one of us sitting here in our arm chairs who can have a go a pro cyclist for not trying. No Levi is not a powerhouse climber. Hes a bloody good climber but in different way. Ac, Ricco, Simeoni, Sella these are climbers Levi is in the Big Mig, Evans, Ullrich mould of climber ie the TT hold your form / pace and dont try and go with the constant accelerations type of climber. This why we rarely see these types attacking in the mountains. its because if they attack the blow up, they hold a constant hard pace and wait for the others to drop off or fade back to the group. Yes there are many riders who use the Giro as a training camp for the tour, but Levi has no shot at the tour. Hes just a guy who got a late call and worked hard for his team. Something each and every one of the top riders has done and some will continue to do.
Give Levi a Break. ready for the flame

 

[terzo rene]

Watching the interviews in Italian he doesn't seem that bad, certainly no worse than how the rest of the world views Americans, and the translations seem to emphasize a harder tone in word choice, beside leaving out half of what he said. He hasn't even called anyone an extraterrestrial yet.

 

[Dwayne Barry]

Watching the interviews in Italian he doesn't seem that bad, certainly no worse than how the rest of the world views Americans, and the translations seem to emphasize a harder tone in word choice, beside leaving out half of what he said. He hasn't even called anyone an extraterrestrial yet.

He's great for cycling, it's all about spectacle and he adds to it.

 

[uzziefly]

Is it less interesting because like many mainstream americans you only follow americans? Im no Levi fan boy look through my posts and you will see that but give the guy a break. Not trying. There is not one of us sitting here in our arm chairs who can have a go a pro cyclist for not trying. No Levi is not a powerhouse climber. Hes a bloody good climber but in different way. Ac, Ricco, Simeoni, Sella these are climbers Levi is in the Big Mig, Evans, Ullrich mould of climber ie the TT hold your form / pace and dont try and go with the constant accelerations type of climber. This why we rarely see these types attacking in the mountains. its because if they attack the blow up, they hold a constant hard pace and wait for the others to drop off or fade back to the group. Yes there are many riders who use the Giro as a training camp for the tour, but Levi has no shot at the tour. Hes just a guy who got a late call and worked hard for his team. Something each and every one of the top riders has done and some will continue to do.
Give Levi a Break. ready for the flame

Indeed.

Levi was not in good form (if you call ToC and Tour de Georgia good, then clearly, you are mistaken coz he was jut good enough to win but not Tour de France good like last year for sure) coming into this race too.

He was preparing for the Dauphine and Vuelta.

He got called up late like Alberto. Alberto had more form than Levi anyway.

Levi worked hard in the first ITT. He lost time. He started to struggle when Di Luca and co attacked.

He lost more time.

Contador had the best shot. Levi abandoned all hopes for himself and worked as best he could for Contador but was just not as strong as Colom or Kloden were unfortunately.

Not trying? Hell no.

Disappointing? Maybe coz he was expected or rather, 'should have' rode better but he clearly was not ready enough.

He doesn't attack coz like Menchov, he rides hard and drops people off the climbs. If others attack, he tries to stick with them and take over the pacing.

Sheesh.

 

[Gnarly 928]

Dunno about the contention that "Rico is good for cycling" because he creates 'controversy' . He seems, and of course I only speak as a long distance internet fan, like a whiner and kinda full of himself in some of the 'trash-talk' he spouted recently. What, he studied Public Relations under Greg LeMond? If Rico is good for cycling, then Leona Helmsley(that nasty mean older lady) is good for hotels..He's about as attractive as old Leona in his excuses, his blaming other's for not winning. Wonder if Leona Helmsley rides a bike? Maybe Rock Racing will sign her...that would certainly boost interest in cycling..sheesh!
Don Hanson

 

[mohair_chair]

I get really tired of the riders who whine and complain about how no one would help them. Hincapie used to do it a lot. Evans was a big time whiner during the last Tour. Lots of guys do it, and now Ricco. As if another rider on another team has some kind of obligation to help Ricco win or conserve time. Ricco would sound like less of an ass if he said, "no one would help me, <i>and I couldn't do it alone</i>," instead of implying "I could have won the race, if everyone else hadn't held me back." When will these guys learn that to be a real champion means that you have to seize the moment and do it alone if necessary.

 

[uzziefly]

I get really tired of the riders who whine and complain about how no one would help them. Hincapie used to do it a lot. Evans was a big time whiner during the last Tour. Lots of guys do it, and now Ricco. As if another rider on another team has some kind of obligation to help Ricco win or conserve time. Ricco would sound like less of an ass if he said, "no one would help me, <i>and I couldn't do it alone</i>," instead of implying "I could have won the race, if everyone else hadn't held me back." When will these guys learn that to be a real champion means that you have to seize the moment and do it alone if necessary.

Well Evans now just sucks and pops over for the win as we saw a few months back.

I mean, I see it as making excuses for not being able to win (Ricco, Evans etc) and really, why can't they say they were not strong enough or that others were better?

Ain't having people work for you = having a better team so to speak and hence, the rider with the better team was able to take advantage and good enough to get the win?

 

[justinb]

Forgive me if I am missing something, but the Italian nationalism shown by these riders to try their hardest to have an Italian at the top has made this a better race than what you generally see in France. Don't get me wrong, I like the TdF, but the fight shown by the Italians has made the GdT fun.

On top of that, it certainly seemed there was a little bit of Spanish nationalism in stage 20... Rodriguez attacking on the last descent, just to ensure there were no time bonuses available?

Or maybe Ricco just pisses everyone off, and they can't wait to screw him over.

 

[The Human G-Nome]

Dunno about the contention that "Rico is good for cycling" because he creates 'controversy' . He seems, and of course I only speak as a long distance internet fan, like a whiner and kinda full of himself in some of the 'trash-talk' he spouted recently. What, he studied Public Relations under Greg LeMond? If Rico is good for cycling, then Leona Helmsley(that nasty mean older lady) is good for hotels..He's about as attractive as old Leona in his excuses, his blaming other's for not winning. Wonder if Leona Helmsley rides a bike? Maybe Rock Racing will sign her...that would certainly boost interest in cycling..sheesh!
Don Hanson

He's "bad for cycling", and yet you're willing to dedicate your time to create a post all about him. Where is your Christian Vandevelde post? It doesn't and won't exist. "All publicity is good publicity." When it comes to cycling, unless it's another drug scandal, it's true. People love to boo a bad guy, and it's the same in every sport. In basketball, we had the Pistons of the 90s. In baseball, we hate the Yankees if we're not from NY because they "buy championships".

There is no question whatsoever that Ricco is good for the sport. Again, pro cycling is about drama and intrigue, and if are able to narrate our story with the aid of a villian then that story becomes a page turner. Do you really think that American Idol would be so popular minus Simon? He's actually encouraged by the show producers to be an *******. That's what pays the bills.

 

[jd3]

We all love to hate the villans & bad boys. We just hate the cry babys.

 

[justinb]

Agreed that any good story needs a villain. Ricco's doing a fine job.

 

[parity]

Ricco better be hoping that next year Contador gets to ride the TDF. Cause thats the only way he's gonna be able to win it.