40 questions… and now 40 solutions from ex-pros locked up in castles to the case of 1 rider punished by the UCI however that includes on chocolate bars consequently.
1. Who’s the sturdy rider above able to pulling (a sleigh) all day?
It’s Elmar Reindeers, sorry Elmar Reinders of Jayco. In addition to jamming in some Christmassy wordplay, there’s a narrative right here as a result of he’s a robust rider who joined the World Tour aged 30, an exception however it reveals there are completely different routes to the highest of the game. Whereas rightly loads of effort goes into detecting the subsequent Tour de France champ, they want a rider who can toil all day too. Reinders didn’t simply make it to the World Tour, he was part of Jayco’s Tour de France staff.
2. Wearing purple and white he makes his method via the snow. Which professional bicycle owner is that this?
Felix Großschartner, by way of his Instagram. He’s one in every of a number of professionals to have been helpful at winter sports activities. Sure there’s Primož Roglič however there are a lot extra.
3. Identify a professional bicycle owner born on 25 December?
Luke Plapp got here to thoughts however take your decide from extra.
That Was The 12 months That Was
4. Cite two professional cyclists who had been married to one another in 2023?
Staff mates at Lidl-Trek Jacopo Mosca and Elisa Longo Borghini had been among the many proper solutions.
5. Who modified groups this yr after they’d shot and killed a authorities minister’s cat?
Antonio Tiberi, now with Bahrain. Sure it’s a bizarre and unhappy story however it was picked as effectively within the mild of Cian Uijtdebroeks’s switch. Tiberi moved groups mid-season, so how come he did this outdoors of the switch interval? As a result of he was sacked by his outdated staff, not just for executing a cat however apparently the staff solely realized of the case by way of the information. This meant there was no dispute between groups.
6. Who sowed the seeds of Discord and performed a component in a staff mate swapping squads mid-season?
David Gaudu and Arnaud Démare didn’t get alongside at Groupama-FDJ and when the staff lined up behind Gaudu for the Tour Démare was disillusioned and regarded for an exit. In actual fact L’Equipe reported he had been serious about methods out of his contract earlier than however ultimately the August swap to Arkéa-Samsic suited everybody. Gaudu went a bit far on-line right here however his use of Discord and Twitch is fascinating as he enjoys this and it reaches new followers.
7. Who received a dash with just one foot clipped into the pedals?
Arnaud De Lie, the Famenne Ardenne Traditional and notable due to the convenience of which he received the dash. That energy is profitable him races however at occasions costing him, he’s crashed earlier than as a result of his again wheel has spun.
8. Who was lanterne rouge within the Tour de France?
Michael Mørkøv.
9. Who was lanterne rouge within the Tour de France Femmes?
Marjolein van’t Geloof.
10. What occurred on the place above?
That was the nook the place Mathieu van der Poel slid out in Glasgow. Away solo he had time to rise up, get going and win the World Championships and the second in all probability brought on a wave of coronary heart palpitations within the Netherlands.
The Bleak (North Hemisphere) Winter
11. Is cyclo-cross eligible for the winter Olympics?
The winter video games need to be held on snow or ice, which is why they haven’t held different winter sports activities similar to cross-country operating… and even soccer or rugby which are typically sports activities performed over winter and with an low season at the least in summer season. You may have a CX race within the winter Olympics if it’s held on snow… however it’s unlikely ever to be picked given the viewers demographics.
12. Is there a set temperature for the UCI’s Excessive Climate Protocol to kick in if issues are chilly?
No. It’s not a foul factor as chilly however dry circumstances are manageable on the bike but when circumstances are moist then every little thing modifications, and even earlier than it will get icy. This does imply an enormous gray zone.
13. Many are driving indoors. What’s the world document for the longest single trip recorded on Zwift?
2,500km by Chris Hopkinson which is an extended flight or automobile journey. On a motorcycle it’s robust however many occasions extra so indoors as trip outdoors and the surroundings prompts you to maneuver positions right here and there, whether or not it’s unclipping at visitors lights, standing on the pedals or simply shifting your hips for a nook or descent. Indoors there’s much less of this.
Geography
14. What number of hairpins are there between the foot of Alpe d’Huez and the common Tour de France end line?
There are the well-known 21 hairpins, every named after a champion who has received there and now some have indicators with a couple of identify given the quantity of occasions the ski resort has hosted the race. However previous the twenty first there’s nonetheless over two kilometres to go to the Tour de France end line on the Avenue du Rif Nel and alongside the way in which there are two extra hairpin bends on the town, subsequently there are 23 hairpins… presumably the final one may very well be named after a pedant.
15. Listing three professionals who share their identify with a regional capital metropolis.
Jonathan Milan, evergreen Oscar Sevilla and Pello Bilbao got here to thoughts… however the latter’s surname isn’t a regional capital so there are different decisions… at random why not Filippo Colombo of Q36.5 as his identify is shared with the capital of Sri Lanka and of its Western Province however in contrast to town, he’s received an Olympic medal within the mountain bike.
16. Identify a race known as off in 2023 due to snow or ice.
The O Gran Camino race got here to thoughts. The highway biking season begins very quickly… arguably too quickly Europe?
Chief Commissaire
17. Can a rider on one staff assist a rider from one other staff throughout a race, similar to giving them a drink or a spare wheel?
Sure to sharing a drink, no to a spare wheel. Richie Porte obtained completed for this within the 2015 Giro d’Italia when Simon Clarke patriotically lent a spare wheel. Porte obtained a two minute penalty and arguably his Giro GC bid fell aside right here… Clarke although was celebrated in Australia and the second immortalised on a chocolate wrapper.
18. What determines the order of staff vehicles within the race convoy in a Monument?
The startlist is sorted by the lads’s or girls’s particular person UCI rankings. This issues as getting a spare wheel from the primary automobile within the convoy is a problem, getting it from the twenty fourth automobile may be ruinous. Utilizing the rankings is sensible however you might argue for staff managers to attract straws and so on.
19. What’s the penalty for a “sticky bottle” throughout a grand tour?
200 Swiss Francs, a proverbial slap on the wrist and possibly much less pressure on the wrist than the tow from the automobile.
20. A rider is main the mountains competitors in a stage race and reveals up with polka dot shorts, is that this allowed?
It’s typically against the law in opposition to vogue however a type of “for those who’ve obtained it, flaunt it” moments, particularly in a sport reliant on publicity. Now there’s a little bit of ambiguity within the guidelines right here, it appears rule 1.3.054 hasn’t been up to date this century. It says “The wearer of the chief’s jersey shall be entitled to match the color of his shorts to that of the jersey”, utilizing each “the” as in definitive and likewise “his”. However the earlier paragraph says leaders are of classifications somewhat than simply the GC so it’s okay.
Away from the bike
21. Which World Tour staff supervisor has a big stamp assortment?
Aleksandr Vinokourov, in all probability not everybody’s first decide as a philatelist. Hopefully the household assortment consists of stamps along with his picture on it issued to commemorate his Olympic win in 2012.
22. Identify a race the place two certified medical doctors stood on the rostrum this yr?
The World Championships staff relay occasion, the place the Swiss staff had medics Marlen Reusser and Elise Chabbey. Many ladies have began different careers earlier than opting to show professional however as a full-time professional profession turns into an increasing number of profitable this could be rarer.
23. Which Paris-Roubaix winner entered politics this yr?
Sonny Colbrelli was on the Forza Italia ticket, in all probability extra for celeb than conviction and proved to be an electoral DNF.
Historical past
24. Which of the final two editions of the Tour de France have seen the general chief change on the ultimate day?
Badly phrased query, apologies. However the concept was the 1989 and 1968 editions of the Tour de France. Curiously each had a time trial on the ultimate day, and 2024 sees the identical characteristic. Will we see the identical situation?
25. The Col de la Couillole is the ultimate climb of the 2024 Tour de France, when did it first characteristic within the Tour?
The 1974 1975 Tour de France. Hyping up the 2024 Tour additional, the Couillole performed a component in sapping pre-race decide Eddy Merckx as Bernard Thévenet took the race lead that day and dethroned Merckx for good. Will it show decisive once more?
26. Which of the 5 Monuments didn’t begin as a newspaper publicity stunt?
Paris-Roubaix as a result of it was a advertising stunt for a brand new velodrome.
27. Lotto have been sponsoring a Belgian professional biking squad because the Nineteen Eighties. However which sponsor has the longest unbroken run within the World Tour?
This meant staff title sponsors and Cofidis goes again to 1997, pipping Ag2r by one yr.
Retirement
28. No it’s not an AI picture. Are you able to identify the 2 ex-pros on the entrance?
Mauri Gianetto and Emmanuel Hubert, respectively the staff bosses at UAE and Arkéa-Samsic, make time for a relaxation day trip on the Tour de France. It’s not unusual to see employees in staff equipment on relaxation day rides, typically amusingly signing autographs and posing for photographs with followers who’ve in all probability mistaken them for riders within the race.
29. Which retired rider – trace: a World Tour stage race winner – not too long ago spent a month jailed inside a fortress?
Christophe Moreau in a home abuse case, it made the information virtually a yr in the past and he was subsequently jailed throughout 2023, a tragic story however with a curious twist as he served time inside Porrentruy fortress.
30. Identify a professional bicycle owner who turned extra well-known for his or her non-cycling achievements somewhat than their sporting profession.
An open-ended query and among the many reader picks Hubert Opperman was a very good instance. The professional vs beginner distinction is a little more blurred however Albert Champion based the eponymous spark plug firm and Ludwig Opel began in stitching machines earlier than venturing into automobiles. However the query was posed with Jacques Marinelli in thoughts, the oldest residing wearer of the yellow jersey who celebrated his 98th birthday two weeks in the past. He had a short however first rate profession as a professional, two phases within the Dauphiné and third total within the 1949 Tour de France together with a spell en jaune. He opened a motorcycle store, began promoting different gadgets like family items from it and one factor led to a different throughout France’s increase years. He a retail millionaire by way of Conforama, a big chain of retail outlets which he didn’t discovered however he turned a director and helped the corporate’s enlargement. He additionally turned mayor of Melun, a big city outdoors of Paris.
Enterprise
31. What’s the highest price of revenue tax in Andorra?
10% so you possibly can see the inducement for some riders to maneuver. However it’s additionally advantageous in different methods, there’s the altitude – an inconvenience as effectively given the snow and ice, don’t be shocked for a lot of to have second houses in Girona – and for non-Europeans, a devoted visa regime to draw athletes which provides them a base contained in the EU.
32. Which World Tour staff sponsor makes components to show farmed salmon pink?
DSM-Firmenich, the corporate makes all types of “life science” chemical compounds. Except you’re a buying supervisor trying to purchase bulk it’s arduous to truly purchase DSM-Firmenich merchandise so it’s a sponsorship deal designed to make the general public conscious of the corporate’s existence and used for managers and company hospitality. However even for those who haven’t gone and acquired their merchandise likelihood is your property and office has a few of its merchandise from meals components to flavourings and for those who use cleaning soap or deodorant, regardless of the model there’s a robust selection the scent is from the corporate.
33. Guimeng is a producer that has provided groups through the years with what?
It makes KMC chains below its personal identify however has provided Shimano. It’s an enormous OEM producer. Generally known as Guimeng within the western alphabet, the KM stands for Kuei Meng.
34. Maria-Elizabeth Schaeffler-Thumann controls which staff tools provider and Tour de France and Giro sponsor?
Continental, the Germany tire firm has simply completed a cope with the Giro and appears to be on the way in which to changing into as seen within the sport as Skoda, owned by VW Group, is. The Schaeffler-Thumann household had been huge within the ball bearing enterprise – supplying vehicles but in addition bikes – and have grown their industrial holdings and now management Continental.
Pets
35. Whose cat is that this?
The French champ jersey is an enormous clue however with hindsight is the giveaway the laminated flooring? It’s Rémi Cavagna, French TT champ, cat proprietor… and Fast-Stepper.
36. Which nationwide highway race champion retains a horse?
Filippo Zana, we touched on Reinders above, however Zana is one other good signing by Jayco.
37. Who has a husky known as Houna?
David Gaudu. Him once more. He says he doesn’t like the warmth, very like his pet. Gaudu not too long ago took half in an enormous path race in France, doing a relay with a former French operating champ as they ran in a single day and amid snow within the hills behind Lyon… circumstances to please a husky canine.
Image spherical
38. Identify the rider prompt above
Jack Haig. He did the Giro-Tour double, after which some, with the Dauphiné in between and the Tour of the Alps previous to the Giro.
39. Identify the rider prompt above.
Julius Caesar and Madonna Louise Ciccone, Guilio Ciccone, this yr’s Tour de France mountains competitors winner. He beat Roglič and Evenepoel for a stage in Catalunya, missed out on the Giro due to Covid, obtained married and rode the Dauphiné in June profitable a stage after which had an awesome Tour de France.
40. Identify the rider prompt above.
Matt. Tao. Jaw. The Chinese language character for root, “gen”. Solar. Matteo Jorgenson, and sure, it’s Jaw-genson more often than not, he’s not Danish. Perhaps not the revelation of 2023 but when we did a listing of top-10 improvers he’d be there, no? He had an awesome season and landed a job at Jumbo-Visma and talked about through the summer season how he’d personally spent cash on his personal coaching camps and efficiency enhancements. Movistar don’t have an infinite funds, nor do different groups, however it reveals how riders can put money into themselves.
The submit The Christmas Quiz Solutions first appeared on The Inside Ring.
