# Adios Oscar Freire



## rfrancisco (Feb 2, 2004)

Thanks Oscar for the 15 years of exciting racing, you will be missed

A Big Fan
Rick


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

+eleventy. Loved to see him win.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)




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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

ffwd to 12:37


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)




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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Tour de France
Points classification (2008)
4 individual stages

Vuelta a España
7 individual stages

Stage Races
Tirreno–Adriatico (2005)

Single-Day Races and Classics
World Road Race Championship (1999, 2001, 2004)
Milan - San Remo (2004, 2007, 2010)
Ghent-Wevelgem (2008)
Vattenfall Cyclassics (2006)
Paris-Tours (2010)
Brabantse Pijl (2005, 2006, 2007)


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

this one is my favorite... I happened to be watching it live, thinking, "that break is so caught" when he pulls this move and won it solo.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Freire takes cagey win at Tour de Suisse

Freire survived a 20-rider break that went off around the 50-kilometer mark, along with Matthew White of Discovery Channel. T-Mobile's Michael Rogers and Lampre's Salvatore Commesso were in a six-man group that bridged up shortly later.

Commesso and Rogers went off the front at 12 kilometers to ride, and Freire and White bridged 5 kilometers later, to create a high-quality break, with Commesso notably avoiding any work.

Then, with only about 5 kilometers to ride, and Davitamon-Lotto and QuickStep driving the peloton nearer and nearer, Freire bunny-hopped up onto and across a median as the break took the long way around a divided highway.

By the time the break went right, straight, and back to the left to join the lane Freire had followed, the triple world champion had 5 seconds on the trio, and rode all out to the line. His breakmates were absorbed in the last kilometer, and the peloton was breathing down his neck, but Freire took the win, with just enough time in hand to zip his jersey.

www.cyclingnews.com presents the 70th Tour de Suisse


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

I love how, even when you know he's there, he's invisible and the announcers never see him either. 

ffwd to 12:40


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

ffwd to 3:55


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)




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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

he wuz robbed


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

let's also note: Valverde led out Oscar to take a WC in 2004:


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

the famous M-SR Zabel derp... Oscar won


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

"Winning a stage in the Tour de France in 2008. The same year he clinched the green jersey"


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

"Bettini can't believe it but Freire takes his second world title in Lisbon in 2001"


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

Freire was great. I find it peculiar that a lot of people have a conception of him as a sprinter. Anyway, here's my favourite photo of him, and a very precise assessment:










Of course you duct tape your pump to your Colnago.


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

Oscarito is one ( if not the one ) of my all time cycling heroes.

he'll be missed.


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## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

kbwh said:


> Freire was great. I find it peculiar that a lot of people have a conception of him as a sprinter. Anyway, here's my favourite photo of him, and a very precise assessment:
> 
> 
> 
> Of course you duct tape your pump to your Colnago.


"2 out of 10 off the bike"

What does that mean?


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## LostViking (Jul 18, 2008)

What a career - including not one but three World Championships!

Adios, Sr. Freire - You did good.


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## champamoore (Jul 30, 2012)

Creakyknees said:


> this one is my favorite... I happened to be watching it live, thinking, "that break is so caught" when he pulls this move and won it solo.


You don't see ballsy moves like that too often in the peloton! His presence there will def be missed. 

There are already rumors about his leaving retirement, though. ;] Let's hope they are true.


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## Cableguy (Jun 6, 2010)

foto said:


> "2 out of 10 off the bike"
> 
> What does that mean?


He was a chronic child molestor off the bike :hand:

Just kidding, I don't know


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

I think it was a joke about his looks

he looks 10/10 on the bike but 2/10 out of it.

BTW my riding partner is a Spanish guy, who has his same height and chin, so he looks exactly like Oscarito with the helmet and glasses on.

I have the impression I am riding with him all the time 

BTW that could be easy to do for me, he lives in the Ticino/Como region, just behind the Alps and trains often around the lake Lugano when he is at home.

I just would have to go there on the weekends to ride ( 200 Km from my home ) and maybe I will cross paths with the real Oscar.


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

Here Oscarito on rainbows leading Bettini to a win in Tirreno Adriatico


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

more Oscar goodness, read about his thoughts on the TDF here

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/8...Tour-is-the-most-boring-race-of-the-year.aspx



Oscarito said:


> The Tour is the most boring race of the year. In the flat stages, you have a breakaway, then a sprint. In the mountain stages, the same riders are at the front every time. The Tour of Flanders: that is a real race.
> 
> It would benefit the sport if the Classics were raced in the summer. The Tour gets a lot of attention, because nothing else happens in the summer.


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

here is McEwen daring to mess with Oscar


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

rainbows forever


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## vismitananda (Jan 16, 2011)

Adios mate. Although he never had an explosive victory this season. We will always remember that there was an Oscarito who won the Worlds 3 times, and for giving both Betteni and Zabel a pain in the a$$. ^_^


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## Villareal27 (Sep 27, 2012)

ffwd to 12:37


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## JChasse (Sep 16, 2005)

Yeah, it seems like each decade, there's one rider in the peleton that I just really like watching on the bike. Last decade it was Ballerini, this one it has been Freire.


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## Dan Gerous (Mar 28, 2005)

I always loved how he raced, often invisible in the peloton, not much help needed from his team then: BOOM, he striked when it mattered! Gracias for the nice moments Oscarito! :thumbsup:


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

enjoy your retirement and knowing you will forever be in Zabel's nightmares


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

a little excerpt from an interview on the local Swiss Italian TV, from the region where he lives.


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