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#1
02-25-2005, 09:48 AM
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Nicknames
I bet everyone is ready for something light after all that serious discussion on new builders, paint jobs and mechanics...
Here is a list of nicknames given to pro cyclists both past and present: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/veloarc.../nicknames.htm A little section quoted from the article: Mario Cipollini Undisputed leader of the pack when it comes to nicknames - only Pantani comes close. "Super Mario", "The fastest man in the world" (he denies all knowledge of having started this nickname, but doesn't deny its content). "Il bello". "The Florentine Mouth" (to his detractors). "The Florentine Mousse" (after a particularly disasterous hairstyle - not so much a hair-do as a hair-don't). "The Lion King" of late. Can "The Sun King" and ultimately "God" be far behind? Marco Pantani "Diabolino" ("Little devil", after Chiappucci); "Nosferatu", "Elefantino" and "Dumbo" (after his somewhat prominent ears), "The pirate" (only Pantani seems to call himself this). The only other rider in the same league as Cipollini when it comes to nicknames. Oh yeah, and he's the best climber in the world and he has the stage wins to prove it - OK, Richard? Richard Virenque Amazingly enough, the world's most popular man (Source: French housewives' survey) doesn't appear to have too many nicknames (apart from the diminutives "Rico" and "Ricardo"), though a fair number of rather colourful epithets have been thrown his way by his disgruntled fellow riders, mainly complaining of the size of his ego. "Blondie" is apparently used in the newsgroup rec.bicycles.racing. William Fotheringham writes to say that "Spotted ****" was used by journalists during the 1999 Tour de France. (For the uninitiated, spotted **** is an English pudding, made from suet and currants and drenched in a treacly - buttery sauce. It's either delicious or revolting, depending on your point of view. At least, this is what I think WF meant when he said, "sums him up perfectly...") Still, no-one knows how to pronounce his name either - Virenk, Vironk and Virank are all common. Virenque himself says "Virank", which fits with his southern birth. Oh yeah, and he's the best climber in the world and he has the jersies to prove it - OK, Marco? Last edited by weisan; 02-25-2005 at 09:59 AM. 
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#2
02-25-2005, 11:48 AM
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"Fat Greggy" . . .
. . . Lemond? OUCH!
 I wonder what would happen if you got an autograph and said, "Thanks, Fat Greggy"??? . . . BBDave
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--- __0 __0 __0 ----_-\<,_ -\<, _(_)(_)/_(_)/ (_) A thing of beauty is a joy forever--Keats
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#3
02-25-2005, 12:16 PM
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Roger Hassenforder
"The Clown" to the public, "the bandit" to fellow riders. Is it true he once enjoyed carnal relations on a Tour de France stage, while the bunch slowed down to let him regain contact afterwards. Stangely, the official Tour encyclopędia mentions nothing of the incident... (RG) Dang! The peloton never slowed down for me after the "incident" behind the TCBY stand at the Crit Championships.  William 
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#6
02-25-2005, 01:15 PM
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How about Hemo Hamilton? It has kind of a nice ring to it. Speaking of which, wasn't his appeal supposed to be about now?
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#7
02-25-2005, 01:16 PM
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How about "doper"?
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#8
02-25-2005, 01:16 PM
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Or maybe, "The Alien"...for the, how will we say, unusual properties of his blood?
William 
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