With a shark, a scarab and a gorilla among its ranks, the Tour de France peloton boasts an eclectic mix of nicknames rather than species.
Those nicknames are as often a reference to a person’s origins as they are their physical appearance – sometimes, though, they take some explaining.
While it is not hard to imagine from where burly German sprinter Andre Greipel got his “Gorilla of Rostock” moniker, others are less apparent.
“It’s a nickname I’ve had since my junior days. I can’t even remember who gave it to me,” said the 33-year-old winner of three sprint stages already this year.
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From a gorilla to a scarab, Nairo Quintana’s nickname is no surprise either.
The diminutive Colombian is a giant in the mountains, so comparisons to a beetle that can lift many hundreds of times its own body weight is somewhat logical.
From the land the peloton branches out into the sea and the “Shark of Messina” – reigning champion Vincenzo Nibali.
Once again it is a nickname that has followed the 30-year-old Sicilian since his junior days, given for his tenacity in chasing his goals and an insatiable appetite for victory.
But not all riders are compared to creatures notable for their strength or ferocity, Dutchman Thomas Dumoulin’s unique gift is his grace – the “Butterfly of Maastricht”.
A Dutch journalist once described him as having “natural elegance”, such that he could “ride a time-trial in a dinner jacket and cross the line without his bow tie being out of place”.
A bow tie in Dutch, like many languages, is called a butterfly.
But while that nickname seems tremendously contrived, others are blindingly obvious.
Chris Froome, a Briton, is called the “White Kenyan” in reference to his place of birth.
Likewise British sprinter Mark Cavendish, “the Manx Missile”, being from the Isle of Man where people are known as Manxmen.
As those last few nicknames show, not everyone is named after a creature, even if their strength or valour is being celebrated.
Swiss time-trial and one-day classics specialist Fabian Cancellara is known as “Spartacus”.
Just like the Roman-era gladiator, he is known for his feats of strength on a bike, whether that be the race against the clock or over the back-breaking cobbles at Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders, both of which he has won three times.
Then there is “Hulk”, Peter Sagan, although that refers to the similarity in colour between the Superhero and the Tour green jersey the Slovak has owned for the past three years.
Superheroes have been a consistent theme with Sagan, who used to be known as “Wolverine”, although that was simply for his haircut.
For others, their nickname comes from an even more obscure source, such as Joaquim “Purito” Rodriguez.
Purito means “little cigar” in Spanish and came after a training ride in the mountains soon after he joined the ONCE team, his first as a professional.
His teammates stepped up the pace on a climb, at which point the upstart neo-pro rode past them making a gesture as if smoking a cigar – suggesting that the climb was too easy for him.
His teammates had their revenge, forcing him to smoke a cigar later that evening, and ever since the little climber has been Purito, the explosive little cigar.
He is not the only Spaniard lauded for his dynamism.
Two-time Tour winner Alberto Contador is “El Pistolero” – the pistol – while Ardennes Classics specialist Alejandro Valverde is “La Balla” – the bullet.
As a junior, he used to be “El Imbatido” – the unbeaten one – after a run of 50 consecutive wins
Although he has earned great success as a senior, such as winning the 2009 Vuelta a Espana, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and La Fleche Wallonne three times each and La Clasica de San Sebastian twice, it was his near misses that put paid to the nickname.
Twice second and four times third, he has never won the world championships, while his Grand Tour results include 11 top-10 finishes for just one victory.
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The Rub of Time: Bellow, Nabokov, Hitchens, Travolta, Trump and Other Pieces 1986-2016
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
At Eternity’s Gate
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen
Three stars
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
TOURNAMENT INFO
Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
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Always use only regulated platforms
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Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded
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UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
