A Christmas quiz with 40 questions. Some are obvious, some odd, most can’t be Googled and a few are fiendish. By all means have a go and there’s a token prize for the winner but most will probably find fun in the answers that will appear here next week.
Santa Claus
1. Dressed in red and white, who is the rider pictured above?
2. Red: Which grand tour has had a red jersey for the race leader?
3. White: Which World Tour race awards a white jersey to the overall leader?
4. Reindeer: Name a cycling team which shares a name with one of Santa’s reindeers.
5. In Britain and other places the second day of Christmas is called “Boxing day“. Which cyclist has recently retired and started boxing?
That Was The Year That Was
6. Who won the UCI World Rankings?
7. Which pro raced the most in 2019?
8. Name the climb pictured above?
9. Name a new race on the pro calendar this year?
10. Name a race than vanished from the calendar?
11. How many times did a rider from a Pro Conti team win a World Tour race?
Funny old sport
12. That’s Igor Astarloa winning the Flèche Wallonne in 2003. Name something remarkable about his win that day?
13. Apart from being men’s pro races, what do the Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali, the Quatre Jours de Dunkerque and the Driedaagse Brugge-De Panne have in common?
14. What have Paris-Tours, Gent-Wevelgem and Paris-Roubaix got in common?
15. The spring classics in Flanders are often grey, wet and windy. When was the last wet Paris-Roubaix?
16. What was the last race Chris Froome won?
17. Who was the lanterne rouge in the Tour de France?
Geography Lessons
18. How many countries do the Alps span?
19. What is Spain’s highest mountain?
20. Name a spring classic which takes place in more than one country.
Business Section
21. Name three active pro cyclists who own bike shops.
22. What was Team Sky’s budget for 2018?
23. Shimano makes bike parts and fishing tackle. Which division sells the most?
Chief Commissaire
24. What is the longest the neutralised start of a race can last?
25. Why are fines always levied in Swiss Francs?
26. Are stagiaires (trainee riders hired from 1 August onwards) salaried?
Lost in translation
27. Thomas of Ghent, Jacob Birdsong and Henry Moore are possible literal translations into English of three World Tour rider names. What’s their real name?
28. The maillot jaune is famous in cycling, what is the ruban jaune?
29. The decisive climb of the men’s road race in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is Mikuni Pass (三国峠), what does its name mean?
30. What does campagnolo mean?
When They Were Young
31. Who is this astride a Kynast Cross 2000 BMX?
32. Look at the red circle on the left, who is that cheering the win?
33. Remco Evenepoel famously played football for Belgium before moving to cycling. Name another pro cyclist who has represented their country at international level in another sport.
Where Are They Now?
34. Jarlinson Pantano tried to get elected but it didn’t work. Can you name anyone from pro cycling who has gone into government, local or national?
35. Which ex-US Postal rider now runs a dry cleaners?
36. Name an ex-pro who now owns a supermarket?
Picture round
37. Name the rider suggested above
38. Name the rider suggested above
39. Name the race suggested above
40. Name the team suggested above.
The Prize
This is a genuine quiz rather an email harvesting exercise. I don’t expect many to try and answer all 40 questions. Still if you want to have a go or maybe readers collectively crowdsource their way together, feel free to leave your answers in the comments below and the deadline is midday Euro Time on Friday 27 December. As an incentive the winner gets a now ultra rare INRNG supporter’s cap. The most correct answers wins and if there’s a tie then a name gets picked at random. Obviously people can copy off each other which spoils the point of it all but if you want to wheelsuck your way to victory by copying someone else’s answers and then sprinting past them with a final correct answer… …well that’s cycling.
As loyal readers will know the quiz has some hard questions which can’t be googled in one go, half the point of the quiz is to take a look at the sport in the answers which will appear here later this week. Happy holidays…
I lack the knowledge to answer alot of these but looking forward to next week.
Thanks for a great 2019. This is pretty much the only cycling blog worth reading.
Merry Christmas Mr. INRNG!
Still laughing at Case Bowl . . .
Final paragraph: “As loyal readers will ‘Know’…”
13. Their names are misleading as the races run for a different time period than their name suggests. The first is 5 days not 7. The “4 days” are now 5 and the three days are now four.
25. Because the UCI are based in Aigle, CH.
27. Thomas de Gendt, Jakob Fuglsang and Enric Mas
32. Roman Bardet
33. Primoz Roglic
40. Katusha
I did most of the work, now I just need a couple of sprinters to finish it off. Have no idea for the two questions. However I guess that Armstrong could be doing some money laundering and also need dry-cleaners. And ex-pro who owns a supermarket: all I can think of is Jumbo van Vismann 🙂
1. Fausto Masnada
2. Vuelta a España
3. Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
4. Utsunomiya Blitzen (Continental team from Japan)
5. Zico Waeytens
6. Primož Roglič
7. Luis León Sánchez
8. San Boldo Pass (Passo San Boldo)
9. Three Days of Bruges–De Panne
10. Amgen Tour of California
11. 7, 2 one day races and 5 stages
12. First time that a rider from Spain has won this Belgian classic
13. Inconsistency of number of days in a name and actual duration of race
14. Another inconsistency, none of this races actually start in town suggest by race name. On the other hand finish places are correct.
15. 2002
16. Giro d’Italia 2018 – General classification
17. Sebastian Langeveld
18. 8
19. Teide (Canary Islands) or Mulhacén if we look only at the continental part of Spain
20. Gent-Wevelgem and if we are very meticulous then also Amstel Gold Race
21. Greg Van Avermaet, Philippe Gilbert, Rigoberto Uran
22. £38 million
23. Bike parts (well they make 4 times more revenue in this division, but i don’t know if they sell more)
24. 10 km
25. Because UCI is based in Switzerland.
26. Yes
27. Thomas Degand, Jakob Fuglsang, Enric Mas
28. Yellow ribbon
29. It means “three countries mountain” and refers to the mountain whose peak forms the point between three prefectures.
30. “Countryman”
31. Steven Kruijswijk
32. Romain Bardet
33. Michael Woods (running), Primož Roglič (ski jumping)
34. Andrei Tchmil, Edwin Van Hooydonck, Hubert Opperman
35.
36.
37. Cees Bol
38. Christophe Laporte
39. Gran Piemonte
40. Mitchelton Scott
I remembered that the ex-pro who now owns a supermarket could be a good friend of WvA. So addition to my answers:
36. Nick Nuyens
Now last unanswered question really bother me. At least it can be narrowed down to ~70 riders who have ever riden for US Postal.
My attempt at a finish line sprint finishing effort: Still at least one empty answer.
1. Fausto Masnada
2. Vuelta a España
3. Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
4. Utsunomiya Blitzen (Continental team from Japan)
5. Zico Waeytens
6. Primož Roglič
7. Luis León Sánchez
8. San Boldo Pass (Passo San Boldo)
9. Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge (ME), Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa (WE),
10. Hammer Hong Kong, Great War Remembrance Race
11. 7, 2 one day races and 5 stages
12. First time that a rider from Spain has won this Belgian classic
13. Inconsistency of number of days in a name and actual duration of race
14. Another inconsistency, none of this races actually start in town suggest by race name. On the other hand finish places are correct.
15. 2002
16. Giro d’Italia 2018 – General classification
17. Sebastian Langeveld
18. 8
19. Teide (Canary Islands) or Mulhacén if we look only at the continental part of Spain
20. Gent-Wevelgem and if we are very meticulous then also Amstel Gold Race
21. Greg Van Avermaet, Philippe Gilbert, Rigoberto Uran, Warren Barguil
22. £38 million
23. Bike parts (well they make 4 times more revenue in this division, but i don’t know if they sell more)
24. 10 km
25. Because UCI is incorporated in Switzerland (mostly for favorable regulations ie taxes).
26. Yes
27. Thomas Degand/Thomas De Gendt, Jakob Fuglsang, Enric Mas
28. Trophy for highest average speed in a pro cycling race or stage longer than 200 km. Claimed by QuickStep for Matteo Trentin (Paris-Tours), and this year for DQS’ Philippe Gilbert at Vuelta a Espana stage 17.
29. It means “three countries mountain” and refers to the mountain whose peak forms the point between three prefectures.
30. “Countryman”
31. Steven Kruijswijk
32. Romain Bardet
33. Michael Woods (running), Primož Roglič (ski jumping)
34. Andrei Tchmil, Edwin Van Hooydonck, Hubert Opperman
35.
36. Nick Nuyens, a Carrefour-affiliated supermarket in Belgium.
37. Cees Bol
38. Christophe Laporte
39. Gran Piemonte
40. Mitchelton Scott
4. CCC – either Comet or Cupid
5. Nacer Bouhanni
31. Steven Kruisjwijk
38. Christophe Laporte
1. Fausto Masnada
2. Vuelta a España
4. VeloVixen, Polartec–Kometa
6. Primoz Roglic
18. France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein
19. Teide (Canary Islands)
23. Bike parts: 277 billion Yen, fishing tackle: 70 billion Yen
30. Peasant, country dweller
34. http://inrng.com/2012/04/cycling-politics/
38. Christophe Laporte
Happy Winter Solstice to all and best wishes for a great 2020 + many thanks to the author and commenters for what is still by far the best English-language pro cycling site! 🙂
Santa Claus
1. Dressed in red and white, who is the rider pictured above? Fausto Masnada
2. Red: Which grand tour has had a red jersey for the race leader? Vuelta
3. White: Which World Tour race awards a white jersey to the overall leader? BinckBank Tour
4. Reindeer: Name a cycling team which shares a name with one of Santa’s reindeers.
5. In Britain and other places the second day of Christmas is called “Boxing day“. Which cyclist has recently retired and started boxing?
That Was The Year That Was
6. Who won the UCI World Rankings? Alaphillipe
7. Which pro raced the most in 2019? Luis Leon Sanchez
8. Name the climb pictured above? The one in the Giro that was built quickly in WW2
9. Name a new race on the pro calendar this year?
10. Name a race than vanished from the calendar?
11. How many times did a rider from a Pro Conti team win a World Tour race? 3
Funny old sport
12. That’s Igor Astarloa winning the Flèche Wallonne in 2003. Name something remarkable about his win that day? It’s the last time a breakaway won Fleche
13. Apart from being men’s pro races, what do the Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali, the Quatre Jours de Dunkerque and the Driedaagse Brugge-De Panne have in common? The names don’t match up to the number of race days
14. What have Paris-Tours, Gent-Wevelgem and Paris-Roubaix got in common? They don’t start in the city they’re named after
15. The spring classics in Flanders are often grey, wet and windy. When was the last wet Paris-Roubaix? 2002
16. What was the last race Chris Froome won? Giro d’Italia 2018
17. Who was the lanterne rouge in the Tour de France? Sebastien Langeveld
Geography Lessons
18. How many countries do the Alps span?4. Switzerland, Austria, France & Italy
19. What is Spain’s highest mountain? Sierra Nevada
20. Name a spring classic which takes place in more than one country. Gent-Wevelgem (France and Belgium)
Business Section
21. Name three active pro cyclists who own bike shops.
22. What was Team Sky’s budget for 2018? €35 million
23. Shimano makes bike parts and fishing tackle. Which division sells the most? Bike parts
Chief Commissaire
24. What is the longest the neutralised start of a race can last? 15 kilometres
25. Why are fines always levied in Swiss Francs? UCI based in Switzerland
26. Are stagiaires (trainee riders hired from 1 August onwards) salaried? No
Lost in translation
27. Thomas of Ghent, Jacob Birdsong and Henry Moore are possible literal translations into English of three World Tour rider names. What’s their real name? Thomas de Gendt, Jakob Fuglsang, Laurens de Plus
28. The maillot jaune is famous in cycling, what is the ruban jaune? The prize for the winner of the fastest race over 200km
29. The decisive climb of the men’s road race in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is Mikuni Pass (三国峠), what does its name mean? Salmon skin roll
30. What does campagnolo mean? Field worker
When They Were Young
31. Who is this astride a Kynast Cross 2000 BMX?
32. Look at the red circle on the left, who is that cheering the win? Romain Bardet
33. Remco Evenepoel famously played football for Belgium before moving to cycling. Name another pro cyclist who has represented their country at international level in another sport. Michael Woods, running. Greg van Avermaet, football
Where Are They Now?
34. Jarlinson Pantano tried to get elected but it didn’t work. Can you name anyone from pro cycling who has gone into government, local or national? Viatcheslav Ekimov
35. Which ex-US Postal rider now runs a dry cleaners? Floyd Landis
36. Name an ex-pro who now owns a supermarket? Jacky Durand
Picture round
37. Name the rider suggested above
38. Name the rider suggested above
39. Name the race suggested above
40. Name the team suggested above.
Merry Christmas to Inrng and all who read and comment here. Thanks for another great year of blogging and wishing everyone a cracking 2020.
(I’m not even going to attempt this quiz as I’ve been a bit distracted away from cycling this year).
Merry Christmas and thanks for all your hard work! It has been a joy reading your posts over the course of this year (and previous years).
Answers below:
1. Fausto Masnada
2. Vuelta a España
3. Itzulia Basque Country
4. Utsunomiya Blitzen
5. Zico Waeytens (Cofidis seems to have been a hotbed of boxing talent…)
6. Primož Roglič
7. Tie between Jens Debusschere and LL Sánchez according to PCS
8. Paso de San Boldo
9. Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenges
10. Great War Remembrance Race
11. Seven times including stages – two one-day races (both MVDP), 3x Vuelta stages and 2x Giro stages.
12. A spanish rider finished 1st (and another finished 2nd) in a race that had never been won by a Spaniard before.
13. The race name does not match with the number of days over which each race is held.
14. Each race no longer starts in the city that makes up the first part of its name.
15. 2001
16. 2018 Giro d’Italia overall
17. Sebastian Langeveld
18. Eight countries
19. Mount Teide
20. Gent-Wevelgem (Belgium and France)
21. Greg Van Avermaet, Philippe Gilbert, and Warren Barguil
22. £38,016,000
23. Probably the bike parts division
24. 10 km
25. Because the fines are imposed by the UCI which is headquartered in Switzerland.
26. No – technically they’re are paid a daily allowance when racing or participating in team activities but are not salaried.
27. Thomas De Gendt, Jakob Fuglsang and Enric Mas respectively
28. A prize awarded to the rider who achieves the highest average speed over a race (either one-day race or a stage) of over 200 km.
29. “Three countries mountain”.
30. Countryman/farmer.
31. Steven ‘Le Cintre’ Kruijswijk
32. Romain Bardet
33. Michael Woods
34. Rocco Cattaneo
35. Jean-Cyril Robin
36. Nick Nuyens
37. Cees Bol
38. Christophe Laporte
39. Gran Piemonte
40. Mitchelton-SCOTT (Scat?)
I am honored to re-do my sprint in a second shameless attempt finishing off the work of others, including that bearing the name of a well-respected former pro.
Answers below:
1. Fausto Masnada
2. Vuelta a España
3. Volta a Catalunya, white with green stripes for GC leader. In fact, all classification jerseys are white with various coloured stripes to differentiate them.
4. Utsunomiya Blitzen
5. Zico Waeytens
6. Primož Roglič
7. Tie between Jens Debusschere and LL Sánchez according to PCS
8. Paso de San Boldo
9. Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge (ME), Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa (WE).
10. Great War Remembrance Race, Hammer Hong Kong.
11. Seven times including stages – two one-day races (both MVDP), 3x Vuelta stages and 2x Giro stages.
12. A spanish rider finished 1st (and another finished 2nd) in a race that had never been won by a Spaniard before.
13. The race name does not match with the number of days over which each race is held.
14. Each race no longer starts in the city that makes up the first part of its name.
15. 2002 “last proper mudbath”, 2012 “a few drops”.
16. 2018 Giro d’Italia overall
17. Sebastian Langeveld
18. Eight countries
19. Mount Teide (Teide (Canary Islands) or Mulhacén if we look only at the continental part of Spain)
20. Gent-Wevelgem (Belgium and France), Amstel Gold Race (Netherlands and Belgium).
21. Greg Van Avermaet, Philippe Gilbert, Rigoberto Uran and Warren Barguil
22. £38,016,000
23. The bike parts division (277 billion Yen, fishing tackle: 70 billion Yen)
24. 10 km
25. Because the fines are imposed by the UCI which is headquartered in Switzerland (for tax purposes?).
26. No – technically they’re are paid a daily allowance when racing or participating in team activities but are not salaried.
27. Thomas De Gendt (LTS)/Thomas Degand (CWG/WGG), Jakob Fuglsang and Enric Mas respectively
28. A prize awarded to the rider who achieves the highest average speed over a race (either one-day race or a stage) of over 200 km.
29. “Three countries mountain”.
30. Countryman/farmer.
31. Steven ‘Le Cintre’ Kruijswijk
32. Romain Bardet
33. Michael Woods (running as junior), Primoz Roglic (ski jumping as junior).
34. Rocco Cattaneo (UEC chair, Swiss National Councilman), Andrei Tchmil (Minister of Sport in Moldavia), Edwin Van Hooydonck (2x Tour of Flanders winner, liberal politician), Hubert Opperman (Australian cyclist and liberal MP) Tom Steels (sprinter/DS, brief left councilman).
35. Jean-Cyril Robin
36. Nick Nuyens
37. Cees Bol
38. Christophe Laporte
39. Gran Piemonte
40. Mitchelton-SCOTT
I will just add one more which I am pretty sure of.
33. Cameron Wurf represented Australia at the 2004 Olympics in rowing. I think he has now been doing iron man including the record for the fastest bike leg at Kona. A true multiple discipline athlete.
1 – Fausto Masnada
2 – Vuelta
3 – Volta a Catalunya
4 – Utsunomiya Blitzen
5 – Zico Waeytans
6 – Primoz Roglic
7 – Jens Debusschere and Luis Leon Sanchez tied
8 – Passo di San Boldo
9 – Mont Ventoux Challenge
10 – Tour of California
11 – 7
12 – 1st Spanish rider and last time the winning move came before the last time up the Mur de Huy
13 – They are lying about how long they last in their name
14 – They don’t start where they claim to start
15 – 2002
16 – 2018 Giro d’Italia GC
17 – Sebastian Langeveld
18 – 8
19 – Teide
20 – Gent Wevelgem
21 – Philippe Gilbert, Rigoberto Uran, Greg van Avermaet
22 – 38 million pounds
23 – Bike parts
24 – 10 km
25 – UCI is based in Switzerland
26 – Yes, only became a requirement this year
27 – Thomas de Gendt, Jakob Fuglsang, Enric Mas
28 – Rider winning fastest race over 200km
29 – Three countries mountain
30 – Someone from the countryside
31 – Steven Kruiswijk
32 – Romain Bardet
33 – Primoz Roglic
34 – Lyne Bessette, Andrei Tchmil
35 – Jean-Cyril Robin
36 – Nick Nuyens
37 – Cees Bol
38 – Christophe Laporte
39 – Gran Piedmonte
40 – Mitchelton Scott
1. Fausto Masnada – Madonna del Ghisallo- Giro di Lombardia
2. La Vuelta a España
3. Volta a Catalunya
4. Blitzen: Utsunomiya Blitzen (BLZ), UCI Continental Team Japanese
5. Former professional cyclist Zico Waeytens (Cofidis) will fight his first boxing match in his home town of Ledegem on 25 April 2020.
6. Men Elite: Primož Roglič (TJV) 4705.28 points; Women Elite: Lorena Wiebes (PHV) 2259.33 points
7. Luis Leon Sánchez León. As per CQranking: 94 days, 14793 km; as Procyclingstats: 95 days 14898 km
8. Passo di San Boldo (Veneto, Italy)
9. Giro di Sicilia (2.1), Tour of Peninsular (2.1) or Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge (1.1)
10. Amgen Tour of California (2.UWT), Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey (2.UWT) or Vuelta Aragón (2.1)
11. Seven. Dwars door Vlaanderen and Amstel Gold Race by Mathieu Van Der Poel (COC); Vuelta a España: Stage 5 by Ángel Madrazo (BBH), Stage 6 by Jesús Herrada (COF) and Stage 11 by Mikel Iturria (EUS); Giro d’Italia: Stage 6 by Fausto Masnada (ANS) and Stage 18 by Damiano Cima (NIP)
12. Because there wasn’t a Spaniard in the palmares. He was the first.
13. They have a different duration than the number they have in their name.
14. The actual start is not the one that shows the name of the race
15. 2002
16. The general classification of the Giro d’Italia 2018
17. Sebastian Langeveld (EF1)
18. Eight: Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Slovenia, and Switzerland.
19. Mount Teide (Spanish: El Teide) 3718 m. Tenerife in the Canary Islands
20. Gent-Wevelgem: Belgium and France and Amstel Gold Race: Netherlands and Belgium
21. Rigoberto Urán (Go Rigo Go); Philippe Gilbert: The Bike Shop and Elia Viviani: Evolution Bike.
22. £38,016 million.
23. Segment Information of Net Sales (as of September 30, 2019): Net SalesBicycle components 78.9%, Fishing tackle: 21.0%, Others: 0.1%
24. The real start will be given – flying or standing – at a point no more than 10 km from the assembly point.
25. Because cycling’s governing body, the UCI, is based in Switzerland.
26. No. These riders will be indemnified by the UCI WorldTeam on the basis of a flat-rate payment for each race day or day of participation to a UCI WorldTeam’s event.
27. Thomas Degand, Jakob Fuglsang and Enric Mas.
28. The Yellow Ribbon (Ruban Jaune) is a cycling trophy created in 1936 by Henri Desgrange, awarded to the rider recording the fastest average speed in a professional cycling race or stage longer than 200 km.
29. The pass of Mikuni-Yama and this means “three countries mountain” and refers to the mountain whose peak forms the point between three prefectures.
30. Campagnolo (che vive in campagna): Who lives in the country.
31. Steven Kruijswijk
32. Romain Bardet (Tour de l’Avenir in September 2007 in Brioude)
33. Canadian Michael Woods, 2005 – Pan American Junior Champion & 1500m Record holder. Liliana Moreno (ASA) represented Colombia in several international duathlon and tower running tournaments.
34. Lyne Bessette, who raced for T-Mobile Professional Cycling, won a seat in Canada’s federal government in the 2019 election.
35. Jean-Cyril Robin
36. Nick Nuyens owns a Carrefour Market supermarket in the town of Testelt, Belgium
37. Cees Bol
37. Christophe Laporte
39. Gran Piemonte
40. Mitchelton-Scott