The Sparrow Has Landed

Last year’s Tour Down Under saw some fans pick an obscure rider and give him the support normally reserved for a star, chanting his name and daubing paint all over the roads. It was FDJ’s Arthur Vichot, a neo-pro who went on to have a half-decent season. The campaign started on the internet and quickly spread amongst Aussie fans. Before no time the Outback chorus of kookaburras and magpies was drowned out by cries of “Allez Arthur” as the race travelled through South Australia.

Now there’s a move to pick another rider for star treatment and it looks like Angel Madrazo could be the rider in question. Who? Exactly.

He’s a Movistar rider with one win to his name in 2008 but little since. A slim palmares doesn’t stop him from possessing a nickname, albeit a modest one: El Gorrión de Cazoña (The Sparrow of Cazon-ya). He’s also not publicity shy, he’s got his own website complete with personalised graphic design. It remains to be seen if Madrazo receives the same treatment as Vichot but that’s up to the Australian cycling community.

¡ Venga Angel !