When David Beats Goliath
Ever since David gave Goliath a good seeing to people have loved an underdog. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing an expensive football team slum it on a bog of a pitch in the FA Cup and come a cropper to a bunch of plumbers and quantity surveyors. Whether through financial handicap or lovable ineptitude we enjoy seeing a sports team or person triumph over the favourites. The great winners are admired, revered and made into icons of sport — rightly written about for decades after they hang up their particular sports equipment. In cycling we’ve been blessed with a long line of Campionissmi; from Coppi to Anquetil, from Merckx to Hinault and Indurain to Contador. Their flair, personality and sometimes movie star good looks make for great a hero but we can’t help but be pleased when the ugly, plucky underdog shambles over the line first into the arms of the podium girls and a short term sponsorship contract.
we can’t help but be pleased when the ugly, plucky underdog shambles over the line first
We’ve decided to take a look back at cycling history to pick out just some of the names you might not have heard of. All winners, at least once, but certainly not among the greats of the sport. Since we’re in the midst of Classics season we’ve limited our choices to the early season one day races, starting way back in 1959.
Ireland has produced some wonderful bike riders, but if you had to list them not many of us would name Seamus Elliott. Perversely the man himself is possibly less famous than the annual race named in his honour. The Shay Elliott Memorial Road Race is still one of the most prestigious events on the Irish racing calendar.
Whilst a talented rider, Eilliott spent his career in the service of others including greats Anquetil and Stablinksi. He has the honour of being the first Irishman to wear the yellow jersey and recorded a magnificent 3rd in the 1963 Vuelta a España. These feats are made all the more impressive given he didn’t learn to ride a bike until he was 14.
A winner of a handful of stages in all three grand tours, Elliott’s big Classics win came in 1959 at the Omloop Het Volk — now known as Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. He was the first foreigner to take the title, breaking from the main group with Belgian Fred De Bruyne with 30km to go. In a career littered with self-sacrifice as a domestique, Elliot earned many plaudits from his team leaders but this day in Belgium granted him a moment in the spotlight with hands aloft.
Without being unkind, the fantastically named Dirk de Wolf is unlikely to be the first name on anyone’s lips when thinking of the great Flandrien cyclists. Despite his headline worthy moniker, Dirk recorded only one career win of note — the 1992 edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The year marked a significant point in the race’s history with a change to the customary finish in the centre of Liège to the now famous climb in Ans. This change to the parcours had a profound impact on the race, with riders often waiting until the finale to launch an attack. Now a favourite for riders with a strong uphill sprint finish such as Dan Martin, Alejandro Valverde and Philippe Gilbert.
Whilst we’re giving The Wolf some well deserved credit, we’d also like to point out some notable nearly-wins for the Flandrien underdog. Among his 2nd places, Dirk counts a very impressive 2nd in ’89’s Paris-Roubaix and 2nd to countryman Rudy Dhaenens in the 1990 World Championships. So close to being a true Belgian hero.
Durand is one of that rare breed of underdog that is far from unknown. In similar fashion to Jens Vogt and Thomas Voeckler, the French cyclist-turned-commentator was famed for his long, solo attacks. Often these attacks proved fruitless but, as Jacky himself puts it “Fortunately, in cycling, it's not always the best who wins, otherwise we wouldn't win so often”
Jacky earned fame and perhaps a little fortune for his Lanterne Rouge in the 1999 Tour de France — the first of Lance Armstrong’s 0 wins. Durand shared the podium with the King of the Dopers as winner of the Prix de la Combativité, the award given to the most combative rider — usually the one that attacks the most. “I’d rather finish shattered and last having attacked a hundred times than finish 25th without having tried” said the enigmatic Durand of his ‘win’.
It was another of his customary attacks that sealed Jacky’s victory in the 1992 Ronde Van Vlaanderen, breaking away from the field with Thomas Wegmüller with a massive 217km left to race. The style of win brought him much Belgian adoration at the time and in later life he even escaped a speeding ticket when recognised by a Belgian traffic cop.
At the recent Rouleur Classic, Juan Antonio Flecha could be seen with a sharpie in his hand modifying the list of winners of famous cobbled classics. The name he was erasing was that of our fourth underdog — another Belgian, Nico Mattan.
In 2005 the 67th edition of the famous classic was a controversial one with many crashes involving the favourites and one unfortunate collision with a motorcycle outrider. The greatest controversy was saved for the finale when local rider Mattan beat Flecha to the line when the Spaniard had seemed certain to win. Whilst cleared of any wrong doing, TV footage seemed to show Mattan using the caravan of vehicles to draft and close the gap on Flecha.
With around 30km remaining a small group battled it out with Flecha, Bennati and Mattan taking it in turns to attack. Mattan launched his attack inside 10km but it wouldn’t stick and he appeared to be cooked, leaving the way for Flecha to drop the group and gain a clear lead inside the Flamme Rouge. At this point Mattan weaved through the race vehicles, jumping between cars and motorcycles to gain solace from the wind and slowly reel Flecha in — sailing past him with 100m to go. Of the tactic Mattan claimed “It’s not my fault that there were vehicles where there shouldn’t have been” — not our most gallant of underdogs but a winner nonetheless. When you’re not a favourite you have to work the odds, Chapeau! Nico, Chapeau! Jacky, Dirk and Seamus. Vive le underdog.
In the coming weeks we will be revealing our fifth and final underdog, a champion of Paris-Roubaix and one of many Belgian winners. Come back to find out all about him.