This week’s Tweets … oh Lord. You just have to wonder sometimes, don’t you? We wrap up the toxic Keisse case and then we go straight into a lot of cyclists who actually were lovely to their fans this week. Plus some Mallorcan challenges and a gruppetto of old and new …
Pithy subtitle (there are none)
Unless you’ve been living under the equivalent of a cycling rock, you’ll have heard about Quickstep’s Iljo Keisse making his ‘joke’ pose for a team picture with a female fan while in Argentina for the Vuelta a San Juan. You’ll have heard that she brought an official complaint with the police. You’ll have heard that he apologised profusely.
And then you’ll have heard about the meltdown when the organisers asked for him to be taken out of the race: Patrick Lefevere (‘How dare she not think that a simulated sex act by a man she never met wasn’t a funny prank! She must want money!’); Keisse’s father (‘How dare that woman bend over and not realise that my son would see it as a target!!!’). And then the sponsors’ response: ‘We’re giving you money to lose all sense of decency and drag our name through the mud all week long? Think again, bozo …’
There are a lot of responses to a lot of these responses on Twitter – I’ll pick out a few, but I want to start with Keisse’s apology and CyclingTips recap of the whole thing and how it’s a wider problem than just one day in San Juan. (Personally, I’m more astounded that stuff like this doesn’t come out more often than that this happened now.)
But a few people have pointed out Alvaro Hodeg’s response …
There was a way that Quickstep could have handled this properly … they just didn’t.
In another Dimension …
Cav seems more relaxed and, dare I say, almost effervescent this season.
Speedy exit from the race track back to the hotel.
: @MarkCavendish wraps up the day for us.#BicycleChangeLives pic.twitter.com/hZd60Y1IoX
— Team Dimension Data (@TeamDiData) February 2, 2019
: You haven't heard Bernie in our new podcast: 'UnClipped'?
You can see the disbelief in @EiselBernhard's face.
Check it out here: https://t.co/yzbAjBdRRU pic.twitter.com/VgAXW7IFyR
— Team Dimension Data (@TeamDiData) February 1, 2019
Doing what so many cyclists in the pro peloton do – treating fans with friendliness and respect.
It's a rest day @vueltasanjuanok so that means we can spend some time with our friends @Ride_BMC & fans in downtown San Juan.
Thanks for having us!#BicyclesChangesLives pic.twitter.com/7Hpds9GtLW
— Team Dimension Data (@TeamDiData) January 31, 2019
Meanwhile, over in Porte-land … they race with cake!
This is how to slow down @richie_porte – make him race with a birthday cake!!
#SunTour
Happy Birthday Richie! pic.twitter.com/57mDYiXNhB— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) January 30, 2019
Challenge Mallorca!
And Mallorca accepts! I think they might have gone a little over the top with their first response, however. Ha!
The race giveth and the race taketh away … Mallorcan style
When @Tomashuuns is in the breakaway and you feel like everyone should know that #ChallengeMallorca pic.twitter.com/Ey7KAZTCTn
— Fidel
(@EyalFidel) February 1, 2019
(@EyalFidel) Always great to see that smile @johndegenkolb @TrekSegafredo
Especially heading into the weekendpic.twitter.com/vWoDTNEDSf
— Velon CC (@VelonCC) February 1, 2019
The Gruppetto
Cofidis confoundment!
I think the big news today is… Cofidis won something!
I know, right?
— Fabrizio
(@fabrizioviani) January 31, 2019
(@fabrizioviani) When you’re too tall for the selfie.
When Carlos Tevez is staying at your hotel and you try to get a fan boy selfie, but mess it up coz you're too tall….
#awkwardturtle pic.twitter.com/d8QusDJno9
— Conor Dunne (@conordunnealot) January 31, 2019
Break out the motion sickness pills! (you can feel the cold, really, can’t you …?)
Here is a lap with me at #bogense2019. Rock solid ground with some punchy up hills to break things up. The grass is getting a little slick ontop. We will see how it rides tomorrow!
![🇩🇰]()
(full video link https://t.co/Qre4CV82Or)#CxM #CameronMasonCX #rideforcharlie #cyclocrosss pic.twitter.com/1WGFtklTrZ
— Cameron Mason (@camerooney_) February 1, 2019
(full video link Look! Another cyclist being really lovely to a fan! I’m really interested in seeing what Egan Bernal is going to do this season – such an amazing talent. I hope Sky let him off the leash – I have a feeling he could be one of those riders whose very presence in a race will bring a frisson of excitement and expectation.
@Eganbernal’s season starts here, with the Colombian time trial championships. Under an hour until Egan hits the course in Villavicencio
pic.twitter.com/cB42CXpaFq
— Team Sky (@TeamSky) February 1, 2019
Does that dinosaur remind you of anyone, LouLou? Your team’s manager, perhaps? (Please please please be a better man than some of those around you, Julian … please!)
Forget about the champagne, the dinosaur is the real deal
#VueltaSJ2019
Photo: Sigfrid Eggers pic.twitter.com/WT0M3fp3LJ— Deceuninck-QuickStep (@deceuninck_qst) January 29, 2019
When Elvis was a cyclist