Monday, May 25, 2009

12 Pop Quiz II

Here's my quiz to you for this week. Leave your answers in the comments, leaving your name, blog or website. Winners will be credited by a free link here to their site. Comments close on Friday, May 29. Good luck now!

1. Only two riders who won the Giro d'Italia recently in the past is not taking part in this year's Centenary Giro. One is Alberto Contador. Who is the other?

2. Which famous Giro winner was paid money by organizers not to race because of his absolute dominance?

3. This bicycle component manufacturer has the longest name. Geez, it is so long, they are popularly known only by an abbreviation. Who do I have in mind?

4. This part of the bicycle was ingeniously used by domestiques in the past to open Champagne bottles during a race.

5. Very recently, which car company decided to launch a single speed bike? (Follow the news?)



Last Week's Quiz Winner is Michael Cole, an Art Director working for Slack Barshinger & Partners in Chicago. He gets an invisible trophy from my side. Applause!!!

The correct answers were :

1. Reportedly, all three men have/had just one testicle. Check out this news story.
2. Mapei and Mapai.
3. Gianni Bugno was prescribed Mozart's music to cure Vertigo. Read more on this story here.
4. Frank Kirk, engineer and inventor of Kirk Magnesium cycles. Read 'The 8 Second Bicycle'.
5. The word 'Domestique' was the insult. Read more about rider Maurice Brocco and his claim to fame here.


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12 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:08 PM

    Boy this is hard. Not fair. Hints?

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  2. 1. Paolo Savoldelli (most recent past giro winner not participating who isn't retired).
    2. Alfredo Binda.
    3. Full Speed Ahead, perhaps? It's the only obnoxiously long component manufacturer I'd only use an abbreviation for that comes to mind.
    4. Top of the stem shaft.
    5. Mini Cooper.

    Anyways, I've never commented before, but I was kind of bored and up for a challenge (I'd be riding my bike in todays beautiful memorial day weather, but I pinched my knee cartilage a few days ago. I have to "take it easy"). I always enjoy reading your blog, keep it up :-)

    -Evan

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  3. Evan : Thank you for commenting for the first time. Your answers look good, except.... ahh.. how can I say?


    Any more answers? Bring it on!

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  4. I have the urge to correct myself on #5, it would just be Cooper, or more properly Cooper Car Company... Seeing as Mini is a model, and not their design, and now owned by BMW...

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  5. Evan, isn't it the other way around? Mini being the brand name and Cooper (or Cooper S) being the model?

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  6. BMC had the Mini designed way back when (err.. 1960ish?), I forget the gentlemans name, it underwent several revisions at which point the rally racing firm and friend (I think) of the original designer, Cooper Car Company, developed the Mini Cooper and Cooper S which were just tricked out performance minded models of the existing BMC design. The mini continued to be produced and revised in it's non Cooper form until something like 2000 when production ceased (im not sure if other companies controlled the Mini in its "classic" run, aside from BMC)and BMW took the reigns with their dramatically updated new Mini. I think some of the new models made some reference to the Cooper Mini models in keeping with their performance minded angle of the Mini. This is my understanding of it anyways, car companies and their subsidiaries, and mergers and all that confuse the heck out of me.

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  7. Savoldelli is retired.

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  8. Dick : Il Falco retired? Really?

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  9. Dick : You're right. Thanks!

    Eitherways, it doesn't change the question asked in the quiz. Nothing was mentioned about retirement. Evan's reply of Savoldelli is correct.

    I can't say the other answers out.

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  10. I believe the answer to number 3 is: Manufacture d'Articles Vélocipédiques Idoux et Chanel more commonly known as Mavic.

    Alternatively Italian frame manufacturer SOMEC was also an acronym, but I don't recall each of the proper words.

    As for number 4, why would someone need an opener for a Champagne Bottle? One would think 2 hands would be enough, with or without wire cage.

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  11. Touriste : Yes, opening with the hands can be done. Its a safety issue when you're with 180 other riders, that's all. Drop the bottle, and that's going to be a mess.

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