My trainer is fine with me but I wish we could ride outside again soon . Heck last week, Just to keep up on the hills, I had to remove the power tap wheel last week to give me back the 5 pounds I gained over the winter. .... ...eh, it's probably muscle, right? haha.
I was looking for some motivation and I found it. I hope this does the same for you. Hank gave me a list of 'Best Women Cyclists in the World" which he rattled off the top of his head like it was common knowledge. If I want to say I am a fan of women's racing, I better know all these top athletes!!! Here is just one of many. I"ll try to do more sometime.
If anyone ever asked me who the greatest cyclist is in the world. I would not hesitate the answer.
This name would definitely be acceptable as a response: Jeannie Longo. She has won more races than any other cyclist in the world. More than Lance, more than Merckx..... yup.
Jeannie Longo: The Greatest Cyclist In History
Best hour performance women
48.159 km/h Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (FRA) Oct 1996
47.411 km/h Yvonne McGregor (GBR) Jun 1995
47.112 km/h Cathérine Marsal (FRA)Apr 1995
46.352 km/h Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (FRA) Oct 1989
44.933 km/h Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (FRA) Sep 1987
44.770 km/h Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (FRA) Sep 1986
43.082 km/h Keetie Van Oosten-Hage (NED)Sep 1978
41.471 km/h Maria Cressari (ITA) Nov 1972
41.347 km/h Elsy Jacobs (LUX) Nov 1958
Jeannie Longo has more than 900 career victories, the most of any cyclist in history.
I hijacked the pic from Cervelo's site...that is one mighty fine machine!!http://www.cervelo.com/content.aspx?m=Athletes&i=Road
This picture was taken just last year.
Her list of titles include: an Olympic gold medal, three Tour de France titles, 38 world records, 52 national titles and 13 world titles.
Longo was born Oct. 31, 1958 in Annecy, France. She's competed throughout the world in her more than two-decade career, including many victories in the United States. I read that Longo often trains during off-season months near a home she and her husband own in New Mexico. She also has distinguished herself academically. She has degrees in Mathematics (B.S.), an MBA, and a doctorate in Sports Management.
She's competed in every Olympics since 1984 .
......and by the way...that was the FIRST time ANY woman competed in a raod racing event in the Olympics. Bike racing was one of the original events in the first Olympics, but up until 1984 there were no women cycle racing events allowed. (Hank said 'who cares') Smack Hank in the head when you see him . ha! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Well... OK he is just being cranky at me because I need to get off the computer and on my bike. He does too care.
Kinda.
I think.
OK ..hurry hurry ....let me finish my tribute...
Will we see her again in 2008 for a seventh appearance? Here she is highlighted on the 2008 Beijing website! http://en.beijing2008.cn/spirit/pastgames/halloffame/l/n214046069.shtml
However as I investigated more articles about her past, I discovered that she has a reputation of being a bit of a snot. In her past she has been labled as being haughty and arrogant, rude to the reporters even after winning a gold medal...Generally her attitude has given her a reputation of being a poor sport.
I think she is just being French. :)
An article written by Dana Thomas about her in Outdoor magazine in 1997 highlights her and we discover she has a unique and ultra-infamous temperment that goes along with her ultra -incredible palmeras. This article is very interesting and well written about Jeannie. http://outside.away.com/outside/magazine/0597/9705longo.html
here is an excerpt:
Running parallel to Longo's string of successes is a string of prima donna antics, tantrums, and scandals that have alienated most of her cycling peers. Even Samuel Abt, the International Herald Tribune's venerated cycling correspondent, abandons objectivity when it comes to Longo. "She's selfish and arrogant," he recently told me. "She has antagonized officials and cost some of them their jobs. She has said nasty things about coaches and teammates. When she competed for the French team at the world championships in 1989, the other women on the team were so fed up with her behavior that they came up with a rule: Anytime someone mentioned her name, that person had to pay a fine. Jeannie Longo is an extremely turbulent person who happens to be a very good cyclist."
But I pressed her once again: "Why do people say you're difficult?"
Glaring, she said curtly, "Because I don't like hypocrisy and I don't like superficiality. To me it makes no sense to say 'Hi!' and be friendly to everyone when there are some you don't like. It doesn't interest me at all."
JEANNIE LONGO'S RECENT HIGHLIGHTS (wikipedia)
2007
World Time Trial Championship - 7th
2006
* French Road Race Championships - 1st place
* French Time Trial Championships - 1st place
2005
* Chrono Champenois - 2nd place
2004
* Olympic Games Road Race - 10th place
* French Road Race Championships - 1st place
2003
* World Time Trial Championships - 6th place
* World Road Race Championships - 6th place
2002
* World Time Trial Championships - 7th place
* Chrono Champenois-Trophee European (cat. 2) - 3rd place
2001
* UCI Points List - 11th place
* World Championships
* Time Trial - 1st place
* Road Race - 3rd place
* Grande Boucle Féminine (cat. 1) - 9th place GC
* Women's Challenge - 5th place GC, Mtn. jersey, stage victory
* Montréal (Can) World Cup - 6th place
* Grand prix de Haute-Garonne - 6th place
1998
* UCI Points list - 10th place
* World Championships
* Time Trial - 5th place
* Road Race - 9th place
* French Road CCT - 3rd Place
* Trophee d'Or - 3rd place GC, stage victory
* French Track Pursuit Championships - 1st place
* French Road Race Championship - 1st place
* Women's Challenge (cat. 1) - 4th place GC
* Montreal (Can) World Cup - 2nd place
* Trois Jours de Vendee - stage victory
* Canberra Classic (Tour de Snowy) - 3rd place GC, stage victory
* Tour of Aquitaine - 3rd place GC, stage victory
1997
* UCI Points list - 7th place
* World Time Trial Championships - 1st place
* GP des Nations Time Trial - 1st place
* Trophee d'Or - 1st place GC, 2 stage victories
* Interreg-Dreilaender Damen Tour - 3rd place GC
* Tour du Canton de Conques - 1st place GC, 2 stage victories
* Vuelta a Majorca - 2nd place GC, stage victory
* Trois Jours de Vendee - 3rd place GC
Never underestimate a thin fit woman with an elementally-weathered face. http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos.php?id=/photos/2007/mar07/gpbrissago07/longo1
video interview: last year. (in french) she looks great!!!!! She doesnt seem haughty to me! Here she is laughing and being amiable. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x33b5y_jeannie-longo
1 comment:
Thx for posting about Longo. I admire her focus, but in the end I think you have to be in it all for the people. It's unfortunate she's developed the reputation she has.
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