Christmas Quiz (the answers)

Having set 10 questions the other day, here are the answers and click on the links to find more explanation and detail if you want it.

1. Name the two riders in the cartoon above. Tom Boonen and Philippe Gilbert, the dunce-donkeys of Kuurne.

2. and 3. Name the team that won the most prize money in this year’s Tour de France / the least prize money: BMC and Radioshack.

4. Which directeur sportif has modelled underware in the past? Team Sky’s Nicolas Portal.

5. Joaquim Rodriguez is nicknamed “purito“. What does this mean? A small cigar, and the story behind the nickname is here.

6. Name the rider who wore the wrong national champion’s jersey for several days during the Tour de France. New Slovenian champion Grega Bole was wearing the Dutch national colours for a few days.

7. Which two riders scored 10 and topped the UCI’s leaked “suspicion index”? Carlos Barredo and Yaroslav Popovych. An inquiry into the leak was announced, I’ve not heard the results.

8. What is the name of the cartoon mascot of the Giro d’Italia? Girbecco, a mix of Giro and Stambecco.

9. Which Astana rider suddenly developed career-ending back pain after Andrey Kashechkin joined the team mid-season? Roman Kireyev

10. A tie breaker: name the Belgian company I called to ask for an interview but they declined, stating they “didn’t want the publicity“.

….It was Dirk Hofman, the Belgian mobile home company infamous for its ambush marketing. Yes.

5 thoughts on “Christmas Quiz (the answers)”

  2. Glad for the explanation of the ears!

    I recall for one of the spring races in Belgium, I was watching a literal English translation which was on the subtitles when this line came across: “I am for the ears.”

    It meant he supported using race radio earpieces, but I still like to assert that I, too, am for the ears.

  3. We’re friends with the Santini family and I’m sure they were upset at the mistake with the jersey. Can you imagine what it must be like for team clothing suppliers in the days just before LeTour? In addition to all the last-minute stuff a team wants especially for the big show, you’ve gotta come up with national champion stuff for the various road and TT champions on the teams you sponsor – and those events are just before LeTour in most cases. I know getting new team kits is a busy time (which is why we ordered our 2012 stuff long ago, it’s already been produced and delivered) with last-minute sponsor changes (imagine doing Gianni Savio’s team) and pressure to get stuff out there for early-season photo shoots, but I’d bet the “just-before-LeTour” period could be the most time-sensitive, busy period for the clothing suppliers. Next time I’m emailing Santini I’ll try to find out.

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