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.
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@frank
Yikes, we are getting a lot of awards around here! Going to have to start keeping better track of them.
@Anjin-san
+1
Yeah, that's right. It would be fun to get a pro's take on him. Ricco didn't miss a chance to mock his fellow riders because they couldn't follow him. Whot a dick.
@frank
@Rob
@xyxax
Thank you all, I'm glad I can still amuse someone.
Thanks Gianni, now I am going to have nightmares of the picture of that rusty chain tonight.
@Gianni, I like the pix and the piece. I always thought that snakes didn't commit suicide, yet it seems 'the Cobra' has bite himself in the arse.
@frahnk, have you built up your wheels yet? if not why not? if you have I'm innerested in what you think. I want you to relight the tub/clincher debate.
I think you missed the lowest point of 2011... once again by the one and only Riccardo Riccò.
Here you can read about him sneaking in a Granfondo making every rider angry.
Content of the article aside, this cover photo is a GREAT shot. =)
I will have to agree with your doling out of the award here. I'd also like to nominate the twatwaffle out of spite. Just because.
Great piece. My vote for the anti-V award has to go to the Schleckettes getting destroyed by Gilbert at LBL and then saying he was "unbeatable"!
@zalamanda
As it happens, I'll be chuckin' up the write-up tomorrow. I guess you'll just have to wait and see!
@Mikel Pearce
I understand the dislike of the Schlecks around here because they do tend to get on about things, but I simply can't understand this criticism (not just yours, this one in general as it seems very in vogue at the moment to hammer on them for their LBL ride).
The fact is, Gilbert won Amstel and La Fleche largely un-contested - no one tried anything at all to beat him. At LBL, the Schlecks were the only riders in a bunch of 200-some odd riders who actually took the fight to him.
Losing a race isn't Anti-V. Sitting in the bunch and rolling over is Anti-V. The Schlecks just got out-classed by a strong Gilbert. Personally, I admire them for being the only riders willing to try. In the finale, they were cooked and Gilbert did his thing. That's racing, not them being pussies.
On the other hand, knowing that you're weak in the TT's and then not even bothering to reconnoiter the final TT in the Tour? Idiotic. Saying things like "I'm a climber, I work at what I'm good at" - idiotic. You don't work at what you're good at. You work at what you're bad at, geniuses.
@Fradetti
Hahahahahaha! This thread is too fun! I have to say that I enjoy the back and forth inherent in subjective topics like "who wussed out during x race" or "who's the biggest douche on wheels" much better than objective discussions of, say the various qualities of different equipment, kit, etc. We're all getting a little starved for some bike racing I think! Can we get the MSR Countdown Timer on the banner?
@frank
I think that Mikel's point was their statement about him being unbeatable and not challenging in the last few k's. I think that he has a point to be considered there.
I still think they were pussies with all their whining about the descents during the TdF, though, and deserve some abuse.