Comments on Cycling Inquisition: The lost art of the nickname

Nick names are still big in pro cycling. Theres Jo...

2012-02-02T13:09:41.196-05:00

Nick names are still big in pro cycling. Theres Jonathan "El Gato" Vaughters, Thor "El Gato" Hushovd, Matt "El Gato" Goss... The list goes on.

I do give Kimmage full props. This one is my own: ...

2012-01-23T18:03:37.903-05:00

I do give Kimmage full props. This one is my own: Phil "Pedal-phile" Ligget. That seems mean.

ohhhhhhhhhhh snap! Paul Kimmage made that one up, ...

2012-01-22T14:00:32.797-05:00

ohhhhhhhhhhh snap! Paul Kimmage made that one up, but it never stuck.

Lance "The Cancer" Armstrong? Anyone?......

2012-01-22T12:18:44.772-05:00

Lance "The Cancer" Armstrong? Anyone?...Anyone?....

Aside from the Vuelta footage being super awesome,...

2012-01-19T17:56:15.296-05:00

Aside from the Vuelta footage being super awesome,
panties!

Humorous side note; spelchek wants to change Vuelta to Velveeta.

Anonymous, I think it was for real...but you make ...

2012-01-18T16:50:51.088-05:00

Anonymous,
I think it was for real...but you make a good point. Not only that, how big does a Colombian cyclist have to be to earn that nickname? my estimate:

5'6'
135 pounds

For Manuel "Jumbo" Cardenas, how big doe...

2012-01-18T16:23:57.761-05:00

For Manuel "Jumbo" Cardenas, how big does a a Colombian have to be to get this nickname 5'6" 140? or was it ironic?

Reggie, That Eddy Money character was amazing, he ...

2012-01-18T10:49:10.957-05:00

Reggie,
That Eddy Money character was amazing, he could ride a bike fast, and also managed to write some amazing songs. Such multi-talented riders are a thing of the past I'm afraid.

I think "Brother Frank" should get offic...

2012-01-18T09:44:54.032-05:00

I think "Brother Frank" should get official nickname status.

Johnny Hoogerland -- "The Flying Dutchman"

Best nickname ever: this obscure Belgian guy from the 60s and 70s was called "The Man-eater" or "The Flesh-devourer" -- something like that. I forget exactly, but I think his name was Eddy Money.

I unfortunately don't have any nicknames to ad...

2012-01-18T00:38:59.530-05:00

I unfortunately don't have any nicknames to add, but I wanted to say that this post and these comments are thoroughly enjoyable and totally awesome. Thanks everyone

Belda was bad ass. In the beginning of that video ...

2012-01-17T15:04:34.337-05:00

Belda was bad ass. In the beginning of that video he's riding with Henry Cardenas and then Herrera gets there. That's on the 1987 Vuelta on the stage to Lagos de Covadonga. That Vuelta was AWESOME!

I've been calling Gilbert "the Rat" ...

2012-01-17T12:39:34.903-05:00

I've been calling Gilbert "the Rat" for a couple of seasons now. It might not sound flattering but in Chinese astrology rats rule.

The nature of how Brazilian soccer/football player...

2012-01-17T10:36:00.688-05:00

The nature of how Brazilian soccer/football players get their names and their nicknames is interesting, but largely based on Brazilian customs and the Portuguese naming convention (thus you end up with players that have a single name: Zico, Pele, Ronaldinho)There's a good article about this here, since I admit I don't know a great deal about it:
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2006/06/why_ronaldinho_has_no_last_name.html

Rigoberto Uran is pretty much always known as "Rigo". When I saw him at the Clasico El Colombiano race, everyone who approached him said "Rigo". Sergio Henao (now with Sky) is referred to as "El Venao" (the deer) because of his last name. Not very inventive, and not as pervasive in its use to be honest.

Hampsten was known as "Le Petit Lapin" (french for little rabbit) due to his climbing ability but also (I think) because of his front teeth, which he eventually got fixed. If I were him, I wouldn't have particularly loved that nickname.

On the subject of sensitive nicknames, Pantani certainly wasn't fond of "Il Elefantino", for obvious reasons. It's worth noting that is what Armstrong chose to call him, surely knowing he hated it. During the end of his downward spiral, he actually got his ears pinned back through surgery.

Lastly, if anyone is wondering just how short Vicente Belda was, look at these pictures:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/156/416582858_0ff7ee1398_o.jpg

http://estaticos.archivo.marca.com/ciclismo/josu_garai/kelme.jpg

and if you want to see him in motion, watch the video below. Keep in mind that the rider with him is Herrera, who was himself pretty short

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2PYXjBRr4Q

"Purito" could well be the only nickname...

2012-01-17T06:04:38.666-05:00

"Purito" could well be the only nickname (among the current riders) that is actually used instead of or much more often than the rider's real name.

Igor Antón is known as "Fuji". The nickname stems from the make of the bike he had as a junior, but journalists and commentators appear to use it merely to avoid repetition, you would never see it in a news headline, for instance. But it is another genuine nickname, coined and actually used by teammates.

Vincenzo Nibali is called "Lo squalo dello Stretto", "The shark of the (Messina) strait", because of the attacking style the Sicilian rider had as an amateur, but to me this is another example of sports writers inventing a nickname just because riders are supposed to have nickname. That is not to say that such a nickname couldn't gain popularity and become widely used.

It also occurred to me that it is a little bit odd that is that nicknames or "artist names" are not popular in Colombian football. Personalities, yes, but no nicknames (AFAIK, I could be quite wrong here) even though Brazilian and also Spanish players have them.

Other than "Rigo," I don't think I&#...

2012-01-17T00:03:34.738-05:00

Other than "Rigo," I don't think I've ever heard anyone refer to him as anything else...

About Bohorquez' nickname "El Polaco"...

2012-01-16T23:59:44.905-05:00

About Bohorquez' nickname "El Polaco", I think I remember once hearing he was actually, in fact, part polish? He raced for Fagor in the 80s.

Spaniards used to, and still have, great nicknames. Valverde "La Bala Verde", is one of my all time faves. Indurain "Miguelon", Angel "El Salvaje" Arroyo (The Savage), "El Aguila de Toledo" Bahamontes, "Perico" Delgado (I don't think I even knew his real name as a kid). Probably my favorite Spanish rider of all times Vicente Belda was referred to as "The Midget," by the Colombian press! These where guys who were 5'3" and were calling Belda a "midget!" Well, Belda is just under 5'.

Other good ones, "The Lion of Flanders" Museeuw, The Cricket Bettini, El Diablo Chiapucci, "Tintin" Rebellin. I dunno if it's just cuz it rhymes, but he kinda looks like Tintin, no?

Did the call Phil Anderson, the Kangaroo in English? They did call him "El Canguro" in Spanish. Also, they used to call Hampsten "El Conejo," The Rabbit, did they call him that here?

whats uran's?

2012-01-16T21:19:24.747-05:00

whats uran's?

"Purito" is indeed a good one, particula...

2012-01-16T14:10:58.137-05:00

"Purito" is indeed a good one, particularly because of its source. If anyone is unaware of the nickname's root, read this:
http://inrng.com/2011/04/joaquin-purito-rodriguez/

Il Pirata, naturalmente!

2012-01-16T14:01:44.902-05:00

Il Pirata, naturalmente!

Too true, there's a terrible decline. "Fa...

2012-01-16T11:08:15.474-05:00

Too true, there's a terrible decline. "Fast Phil" just doesn't cut it for Gilbert no matter what his bike sponsor thinks, and surely nobody seriously calls Contador "Pistolero"?

"Purito" Rodriguez is carrying the flame almost alone among Europeans, no matter how many times Phil Liggett calls Menchov "the Silent Assassin".