Many riders have surnames that are also nouns. I apologise if this ruins your TV viewing, those once exotic Euro names can actually prove a bit dull but here are some more of the peloton’s names translated from their home language into English:
Serpa, mountain sherpa
Valerio Agnoli – Valerio Angels
Manuel Belletti – Manuel Makeup
Federico Canuti – Federico Frosties
Leonardo Duque – Leonardo Duke
Addy Engels – Addy Angels
Stefano Garzelli – Stefano Herons
Richie Porte – Richie Door (from French)
José Serpa – José Sherpa
Cameron Wurf – Cameron Litter (as in litter of puppies)
What’s in a name – Part I
What’s in a name – Part II
What’s in a name – Part III
What’s in a name – Part IV
What’s in a name – Part V
What’s in a name – Part VI
What’s in a name – Part VII
Addy Engels surname does not translate to ‘Angels’ but to ‘English’.
The Dutch plural for Angels is ‘Engelen’.
Engels probably stands for the place Engelen and means “citizen of Engelen”
Serpa is a common spanish and portuguese surname (and toponymic) probably derived from vineyard. Heraldry makes the fancier link to serpent, but that smells of fabrication.