Liege-Bastogne-Liege 2020 SPOILERS

[matticus]

Yeah the early celebration.
(I've got a lot of sympathy for athletes making errors in the heat of the moment - but this flavour seems entirely self-inflicted when it happens. I'm now thinking JA is like the young Sagan - mad, occasionally stupid fool who lights up the sport. Hard to dislike!)

 

[rich p]

Here's Adam screwing it up in the Blackpool 10

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07ie0jnnj8k

 

[Adam4868]

Here's Adam screwing it up in the Blackpool 10

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07ie0jnnj8k

See my never say die attitude....where did it all go wrong

 

[Adam4868]

I seem to remember Simon Clarke in the Giro ? I think somebody had crossed the line allready.

 

[Aravis]

By that particular boo-boo you mean the early celebration? Other people will know better, I'm dredging my memory for instances. Nothing as high profile as LBL comes up.

Not quite the same magnitude as LBL, but the greatest of them all, reigning world champion in the yellow jersey comes quite close. Some excellent YouTube footage from the 1972 Tour, which deserves some more views. The critical moment is just after 20 minutes:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3GtV7uVLyg

 

[matticus]

Also the year of Boonen's cocaine conviction! Perhaps he was also ...er ... on the crest of a wave, of some sort!

Good find. Although as you say, Not LBL. No world champs jersey.

 

[rich p]

I seem to remember Pozzato celebrating, thinking he'd won, on that race that used to finish in Rome?

 

[Aravis]

Excellent memory ... or perhaps research. Stage 15 of the 1972 tour. Way before my time. I think it would be several years before I even heard of Eddy Merckx

In a sense it was memory, but of stuff I've read about. The video is one I found recently so it was fresh in my mind.

I have one live memory of Merckx, winning Milan - San Remo in 1976.

Another video I saw the other day featured someone celebrating wildly after winning a sprint for second place, which might be ever more embarrassing. When I remember what it was I'll post it.

 

[matticus]

.. and then there was "actually we ride a lap of this town centre first" guy. Vuelta maybe? Quite recently.
#cantbeArsedtoSearchYoutube

 

[Aravis]

May have been Simon Clarke in the Giro

One thing this discussion has shown is that over the years a lot of riders have committed finish-line gaffes, including some of the biggest names. JA is far from alone.

I've remembered the one I'd seen, and it was on one of the most celebrated days in GT history, the 1987 Giro stage to Sappada. The rider who thought he'd won was a neo-pro called Tony Rominger.

 

[Eziemnaik]

We can all agree though premature celebration is more embarrassing than premature ejaculation?
Eddy Planckaert went for the second option when riding to a victory in 1988 Tour of Flanders
https://crankpunk.com/2013/12/13/eddy-planckaert-his-greatest-victory/
Eddy is quite a character it seems

 

[mjr]

Is DanMcLay's 2017 win at Tour de l'Eurometropole the most recent example in Belgian pro races until yesterday?

View: https://twitter.com/BrainOnWheels/status/914507784099713025

 

[matticus]

Oh dear - poor Jimmy! That one is a lot funnier, cos of the body language :-)

Meanwhile, that TOP BLOKE Alaphilipe - and I won't hear a word said against him - made some nice post-race comments:

"Totally," was Alaphilippe’s response when asked if he felt the jury’s decision was fair. "Once again, I’m sorry for that involuntary deviation. I have no excuse. I’m sincerely sorry, because it’s not at all my way of doing things. It won’t happen again."
...
"In the sprint, with the return of Mohoric, it was perfect, up until that deviation and up until I raised my arms too early. These are things that happen in a career - it's just a shame it happened at La Doyenne. As I said, it was the first and last time. In any case, we have a great winner in Primoz Roglič."

 

[Foghat]

Meanwhile, that TOP BLOKE Alaphilipe - and I won't hear a word said against him - made some nice post-race comments:

Can't fault his response/attitude on this post-race, which indicate he seems a decent chap.

Now to address that constant twitching, and the jinking/weaving around repeatedly, that afflicts him, or rather that he afflicts and imperils others with, during the races......

 

[mjr]

.Also he had a load of issues early in the race and I think had to chase back on didn't he? Maybe fatigued and frustrated at not being the superman he wants to be.

Yep, punctures again, reportedly. Good old Spesh.