Why people give other people nicknames? I guess if your name was Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, Caligula (which means “little boots” in Latin) would be a much handier name to be known by. Especially if you’re a psychopath. But if you’re not a famous psychopath and just race your bike to make a living, why would anybody call you The God of Thunder, The Killer, Spartacus or, wait … [Read more...]
How dark is the dark side of cycling?
Saturday, 10 December, 2011 By 2 Comments
The big news the last few days (and we all thought it was an off season) are the allegations made against Alexander Vinokourov about his 2010 win in Liege – Bastogne – Liege. The Swiss magazine L’Illustre claims Vinokourov (Team Astana) paid €100,000 to Kolobnev (Katusha) to not contest the Belgian classic. They know this because Vinokourov’s email account was hacked and they got hold of … [Read more...]
Will the Real Winner of the Tour de France Please Stand Up?
Imagine this with me for a second – Andy Schleck never wins Tour de France during his career. Many years from now, having a party at his place with family and friends, one of his kids comes up to him and says, “Dad, did you really win Tour de France when you were young?” What is he going to say? “Yes I did but, you see…” I wonder what Bjarne Riis has told his kids about his win in … [Read more...]