And the Winners Are...

by Chris Fontecchio on Oct 30, 2009 9:04 PM EDT in Cafe Happy Hour!

For the Podium Cafe 2009 Rider of the Year, congratulations Mark Cavendish! The Manx Missile easily outdistanced the likes of Evans, Cancellara and Contador as if he were sprinting against them. Truly a remarkable year for the Columbia-HTC sprinter. Hope he enjoys his place in the sun while it lasts.

For the Podium Cafe 2009 Race Day of the Year, the award goes to the Elite Men's World Championship Road Race! What Evans lost in individual PdC accolades, he regains for putting on the single most memorable show of the year. Chapeau! Runners-up are the Paris-Roubaix drama-fest and Stage 17 of the Tour de France.

Thanks to all for your participation!

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Go Cav!!

meh, l’d still go with P-R.

by Bruce Suomi on Oct 30, 2009 9:24 PM EDT reply actions

Two deserving winners.

We have good taste.

by majope on Oct 30, 2009 9:31 PM EDT reply actions

I agree

But shocked at the lack of love (ie: votes) for Thor. He was ‘Mighty’ at the tour. Not to mention a huge player in many other races during the year.

No horn, watch for finger.

by sminer on Oct 30, 2009 11:11 PM EDT up reply actions

I know... only allowed one vote

There could have been more honorable mentions. In “the” race of the year Cav and Columbia subdued and humiliated everyone in the race for the sprint/stage wins and the Green jersey, except for Thor. He triumphed over the Rider of the Year.

No horn, watch for finger.

by sminer on Oct 30, 2009 11:23 PM EDT up reply actions

So, if you're feeling guilt ridden for not showing your love for Thor...

do so now. Otherwise you might anger the gods.

No horn, watch for finger.

by sminer on Oct 30, 2009 11:26 PM EDT up reply actions

Thor's hammer is boss

Now I can rest easy

by Douglas Ansel on Oct 31, 2009 12:53 AM EDT up reply actions

Maybe he was high on the list for many

but it’s a poll where you only pick no. 1.

by tedvdw on Oct 30, 2009 11:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Thor rider of the year?

Gimme a break

What do you fear most?
1. coup d’etat
2. putsch

by Frinking on Oct 31, 2009 5:15 AM EDT up reply actions

pretty sure he was talking about that stage.

by Davide Don of Rio on Oct 31, 2009 10:21 AM EDT up reply actions

Frinking, you must be a fellow non-believer

to take a chance at angering the gods like that.

No horn, watch for finger.

by sminer on Oct 31, 2009 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Cav's goona be around awhile Chris...

Sorry to break the news to you. :-)

"…I saw bloody Cavendish coming, really fast…"
HH

by ELVISGOAT on Oct 30, 2009 10:50 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah, he'll be around.

But evidently if you set the bar too high too soon then you have to clear it next year or you have failed.

Cancellara was robbed! There is none better.

by Mark Frank on Oct 30, 2009 11:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Eh I doubt he will be as good as he is now though...

Sprinters don’t remain top shelf and there is always another that comes along and dethrones them in a few years. He might be dominate but chinks will start to show in his armor. Still has like 470 victories to go to get to Merckx

by Vlaanderen90 on Oct 31, 2009 12:11 AM EDT up reply actions

His train

Took some big hits. The pendulum swings back a bit.

"Harder! Better! Faster! Stronger!" Philippe Gilbert

by Chris Fontecchio on Oct 31, 2009 1:16 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

the Uruguayan

may take a little pep out of his legs

Moo

by Willj on Oct 31, 2009 4:28 AM EDT up reply actions

Both very deserving winners

but unless Cav wins 30 times next year it will be tough for him to win it again, people expect more every year from such dominant riders. My pick for rider of the year next year….Gaspa!

Look, it's a bird...no, it's a plane....oh never mind it's just fucking balloon boy

by Phil H. on Oct 30, 2009 11:56 PM EDT reply actions

Speaking of Gaspa...

Maybe we should have a poll for most disappointing non-doping rider. Hmmm. Yeah I want to do this and so I’ll start a fan post like Chris did for the other nominations then throw a poll up when we’ve gotten enough.

by ursula on Oct 31, 2009 4:57 AM EDT up reply actions

I'm waiting..

What do you fear most?
1. coup d’etat
2. putsch

by Frinking on Oct 31, 2009 5:12 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree

He’ll be expected to start winning more one day races. Think I recall him saying in an interview last year that he wasn’t worried about not starting Paris-Tours, that he’ll have plenty of time to win 7 or 8 editions of it before he retires. He’d want to get his skates on! He still hasn’t started it yet!

http://www.irishpeloton.com/

by irishpeloton on Oct 31, 2009 8:57 AM EDT up reply actions