Brought back to life by reader demand, the Broken Chain Award is considered for any person or thing that protrudes above the surface of cycling’s bad behavior and bad ideas.
Yours in Cycling, Gianni
The obvious first choice, the easy choice, was the French TV driver who put Juan Antonio Flecha down on the road and Johnny Hoogerland into the barbed wire on Stage 9 of the Tour de France. The driver, rumored to be an ex-pro, was trying to get ahead of the break, passing them where there wasn’t room. Hit a tree or hit some riders, he went right and now might be in the witness protection program in Latvia. But can this guy be the biggest idiot of the year in cycling? Passing a group of racers who are already using both lanes, driving fast to get around them, keeping eyes on the cyclists and a tree runs out into the road. This is inexcusable driving but there is an even bigger tool in the bin.
The vitriol I distill in my heart for the cheaters in cycling has somehow decreased this year. Less doping or better cheaters – I’m not sure. The lack of busted, denying dumb-asses has had a good effect on my health. The two-time loser brigade which should, by all reasonable calculations still be paying the price, seems to have found teams corrupt enough to pay them to ride. OK, Di Luca is riding but not getting paid. Tchmil should break him like a twig and toss him in a Russian potato field. Stefan Schumacher is back riding for Christina Watches, the Rock Racing of Europe.
Having a high VO2 max has no correlation with intelligence. Some riders even have the perfect amount of dumb. But Ricardo Ricco has much more than his fair share. He had already served a ban for his CERA-EPO busting during the 2008 Tour. In February of this year he ended up in the emergency room with kidney failure. He told the ER staff he gave himself a blood transfusion from blood stored in his own refrigerator. Giving oneself an IV can’t be easy but rummaging around your refrigerator for some stored blood, looking in the lettuce drawer, where did I put that old blood? Oh, here it is, is that mayo on there? Shouldn’t this be colder? It boggles the mind.
This award is not exclusively for cheaters but I tend to see them as most deserving. Ricco has earned mention in the past for cheating and being a prick but for this prank I have to nominate him for the 2011 Broken Chain Award.
I don’t really know what to say about Ricco, he is looking at a lifetime ban and possible prison time. The Italians won’t drag this out like the Spanish. Everyone must dislike him and feel sorry for him in nearly equal amounts. I would be insane to think we have seen the last of him but at least we won’t see him racing unless Tchmil steps in.
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
@Buck Rogers
I woulda thought that award would go to Thor for complaining about his teams tactics when his own team mate won P-R.
@ wiscot: agree on Pat McQuaid
qoute of the week last week 'He's a dick'
do committees that Re-route Flanders fit in anywhere on the broken chain? I'm for that one too
@RedRanger
Good call. Also the Schleckettes and their bitchin about descents during the TdF.
Good choice Gianni. The bloke is just plain dumb.
@wiscot
A close second with Mcquaid though. To quote Chloe Hosking, after winning the opening Women's criterium in the Jayco Bay series in Geelong, summed up most peoples feelings re: the UCI boss - "What can be said? Pat McQuaid's a dick." The girl has spirit plus a lovely turn of phrase.
@Buck Rogers, @RedRanger
And so we begin to get a sense of the difficulties the Keepers faced in making these awards. Although, hurt feelings? Rule V, gents.
Herk! I'd forgotten about Ricco. Honorary mention has to go to masters age dopers who get busted and feature in Velonews, that seemed to be an entertaining theme this year.
Rusty chain to Tyler Hamilton for squealing like dusty links past a bent derailleur.
Good choice @Gianni. Tho the UCI and USA Cycling have to come a close second in my book.
Gianni your turn of phrase always slays me. To wit - "and a tree runs out into the road" - and - "The vitriol I distill in my heart for the cheaters".
Nice one and ++1 on the choice.
An understandable choice, Gianni, but my vote goes to the Hoogerland driver, on the grounds that Ricco shouldn't be considered for any awards, at all, ever. In fact, he shouldn't even be considered. He is like the whining, snotty, temper-tantrum-throwing toddler who is just so butt ugly in every respect that the only way he can get any attention at all is to continually ratchet up his offensive behaviour in a vicious circle of psycopathy and antipathy that can only end one way - a long and glorious career in politics. As if Bunga-Bunga-Berlo wasn't bad enough, I fear that those poor Italians will one day have to deal with the prospect of Ricco providing belly dancers special access to his refrigerator. No need to give him any more attention than he's already going to get. DQ the prick.
@Gianni
Rule 5 Bring 'em back!