THIS WEEK IN PRO CYCLING »

Get the VeloNews Email Newsletter FREE

  Learn More | Archive
Home » Top Stories » News and Features »

VeloNews Awards: The best quotes of 2002

Published: Nov. 27, 2002
The VeloNews Awards appear in the December 16 issue
The VeloNews Awards appear in the December 16 issue


“The Tour de France sucks.”
— headline of a Jonathan Vaughters Tour diary on VeloNews.com“They should say thank you.”
Marga Fullana responding to criticism from her competitors becauseshe didn't race all the World Cups. Fullana won all three that she didrace.“I’m definitely not stopping at the end of the year. I’ve already toldmy team I want to continue.”
— Laurent Jalabert (in January)“It’s a good moment to quit. If I cannot be at the top of the profession,I do not want to race.”
— Jalabert (in July)“Do I think they’re gonna outsprint Cipollini? No.”
— Chris Horner, on the chances of U.S. teammates Fred Rodriguezand Antonio Cruz at the world road championships.“I’ve never been afraid to have a cigarette or a beer.”
— Eddy Merckx (as quoted in the VeloNews 30th anniversaryissue)“Some NBA teams called but I thought I would stick with cycling fora while.”
— Five-foot-nuthin' Nicole Freedman’s answer to how many teams were involved in the off-season signing effort.“I’ll keep coming back until I win one of these things.”
— Thomas Frischknecht, who has raced in all but one of the 13mountain-bike world championships, but has never won.“Obviously Lance is a superstar and I’m a domestique, and he’s mademillions of dollars and I’ve made thousands of dollars.”
— USPRO champion Chann McRae.“Hello Mr. President.”
— Jimena Florit joking on a cell phone after winning the crosscountry at Mount Snow, Vermont“It really wasn’t as bad as I had heard. People weren’t, like, dyingand stuff.”
— Floyd Landis on his first Paris-Roubaix“I was never a pretty boy, so I didn’t have any qualms with it.”
— Saturn’s Mark McCormack on getting hit head-on by a car, whichresulted in several stitches to his face.“If you asked me 4 kilometers from the top of the Fedaia if I was goingto be on the podium, I would have asked what have you been smoking?”
— Tyler Hamilton at the Giro“That’s kind of stupid. There was nothing wrong with dual slalom.”
— All-time dual slalom wins leader Brian Lopes on NORBA’s decisionto replace dual slalom with mountain cross“We’re kindred spirits. He likes to lift weights and do push-ups. Ilike to lift weights and do push-ups.”
— U.S. track team member Mike Tillman on his temporary teammateBrian Lopes.“We hope to cause some pain for the American.”
— Oscar Sevilla before the mountain stages of the Tour de France“That's a f---ing stupid question. I crashed.”
— Missy Giove when asked what happened during her 19th-place downhillrun at Snow Summit.“I was a slave and enjoyed it.”
— Luna downhiller Marla Streb recalling her short stint at theRedlands Classic road race, where she dropped out near the end of the thirdstage.“I can’t sit still. I have to do something or I freak out.”
— Cédric Gracia on his inability to relax at the races.“I have a soda dynasty now.”
— Jeff Corbett, manager of 7UP and Diet Rite, after both teamswon at U.S. criterium nationals.“Hello? Are you there, George?”
— San Francisco Grand Prix winner Charles Dionne, trying toget a response out of George Hincapie at the post-race press conference“Winning isn’t boring. When it is, I’ll stop.”
— Anne-Caroline Chausson who had another banner year, winningtwo more rainbow jerseys and a slew of World Cup races.“I’ve never won a pro race before, and this is as good a one as any.”
— Todd Wells, after winning the national cyclo-cross championship.“F---. Nico again.”
— Steve Peat after Nicolas Vouilloz beat him to win the downhillworld championship in Kaprun, Austria.“It seemed like there was someone fixing a flat every 20 meters. WhenI stopped to fix mine there were quick fills all over the ground.”
— Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski after a flat-filled day at the cross-countryWorld Cup in Grouse Mountain, British Columbia.“It’s not who rides the fastest, it’s who goes the fastest.”
— Alison Dunlap, after winning the NORBA cross country on amud-slicked course in Wisconsin.“Dude, you can’t order this one.”
— 1997 junior world cross-country champion Cecilia Potts respondingto someone asking where she got her rainbow jersey“Right now, Canada’s UCI rating is in the toilet.”
— Eric Wohlberg “All these European guys have no idea how to go through a corner;it’s like they don’t have corners in Europe.”
— Jonas Carney, at the First Union Classic in Trenton, New Jersey

Have others? Care to Comment? Write Webletters@7Dogs.com