Lets make a thread where we share fantastic memories, if its okay ?
Just watched some of my favourite clips from 2003. I know a lot of danes are on this forum, enjoy the commentary in the first 2 minutes its epic
I did really hate Armstrong because of his dominance but hats of for him.
Mayo and Ullrich where my favourite riders.
Look at how many big superstars we had. For me this was the best tour under the armstrong era, mainly because ullrich came so close, and because of mayos amazing attacks
Edited by Ybodonk on 21-07-2012 10:48
cio93 wrote:[b] Am I the only one who understands "Anton" instead of "Armstrong"?
Guess its just the language which sounds like that. But we definately have the two most legendary Tour commentators. Notice when Armstrong crashes his voice cracks totally
[b]Wilier wrote:
Does it have to be Tour de France memories? Because I don't have any. But I do have this fantastic memory of the Giro d'Italia.
No ofc not. Lets just call it fantastic cycling memories
I did really hate Armstrong because of his dominance but hats of for him.
Mayo and Ullrich where my favourite riders.
Look at how many big superstars we had. For me this was the best tour under the armstrong era, mainly because ullrich came so close, and because of mayos amazing attacks
Always fun to listen to danes, for us norwegians it sounds like you got something in your mouth the entire time you're talking.
I was not that interested in cycling back then, but amazing video. First seeing the sportsmanship by Ullrich, then seeing how attacks looked back in the days (I think we can all admit that attacks aint like that anymore, if poeple want to take a discussion on why I will leave this thread) Those 10 min beats everything I've seen of the tour this year...
@ Lukaas it was a nice stage and legendary win by A. Schleck that one.
@ baseballlover no no , just post your best cycling memories. Its always fantastic to see these amazing memories. The hair always rise on the my arms and i get this fantastic feeling.
@ Heine haha funny explanation of how we sound ! I do like your commentators to, since they always are so passionate and yells all the time during a stage
Interesting view from you. I can guarantee you that attacks at that time was in a whole other league. Everytime i see that video my heart starts to beat fast, its so action packed.
Personally for me, the closest we came to that kind of action and mythical scenarios, was when Contador (my favourite rider today) attacked from the 17th kilometer at the Alpe D'Huez stage. But no matter what i see from the riders today, it can never match the 2003 Tour, for me atleast. Im always striving and hoping for the upcoming Tour to be like that. All the riders you see in that video was super stars. Not like today .
This stage for me, was the most beautifull, aggressive, stylish and powerfull mountain win by my favourite Mayo. Look at his style and attack, never seen anyone since him driving like that. Contadors way of attacking and style is very similar to Armstrong.
So sick Hamilton was riding with a punctured loungue and a broken collarbone. And this was belokis year, first time he ever had the power in the legs to attack the TDF's favourites in the mountains.
God its good to see these clips. If anyone can ride and look like mayo when they attack then they will become my new favourite rider Edited by Ybodonk on 20-07-2012 22:02
My first cycling memory must be my late grand-parents pissed at that damn American beating our classy national rider for 8 seconds. I barely understood what it was all about.
I think I've watched the following year's Tour de France, though a 7 years old boy couldn't get all subtilities, I enjoyed it. The rainbow jersey dude was a nice guy after all, we liked his team mate, our almost neighbour Pensec, and in the end LeMond won again.
A couple of weeks later (the day following the world championships), I attended a local criterium, with all the Tour de France stars. It was said to be the biggest French criteriums, it usually had the World Champion (worlds were held the day prior), and most TDF heroes. The criterium would later become the Boucle de l'Aulne.
So, there, the 20 laps race had a four guys break forming with four laps to go. LeMond in his Z yellow jersey, his team mate Ronan Pensec, plus Erik Breuking and Raul Alcala. All the finest riders. Then Pensec attacked again whilst the speaker told us about the gaps. LeMond protected him, and Pensec did 1,5 laps with 20 seconds or so, and won it that way, whilst the very popular Greg LeMond outsprinted the other two for second position.
Years later I'd understand what a criterium was really about, and that they were all just pretending.
Still, from that moment, I always knew my thing would be cycling, not really football, though I like it and played it.
Yes, I've seen races pre-EPO era, with my own eyes, on television and IRL.
The next year, an infamous TDF stage would end in Quimper, and all the PDM team had abandoned before the start. EPO-poisoning, they blamed the cook in Rennes. Poor cook.
I discovered the joy of waiting for hours, getting the caravan throwing stuff at spectators, and got a peloton riding full steam next to me, I could barely recognise anyone or any distinctive jersey. Though it's happened to me again, it's definitely not my thing to wait for a pro peloton.
I signed my first cycling licence in September 1996. I hadn't been able to watch the TDF 1996 past the fourth stage or something (Summer camp against my will, thanks Dad & Mum), so, as an actual cyclist, 1997 was the first TDF I watched. It was royal, in a way. I now understand how unreal it was, with the massive doping around, but I could tell about almost any stage, and still have the magazines from back then. Ullrich was and would remain for a while, my favourite G.C. rider, though I think I liked Jalabert better overall.
