“I’ll quit when I fall off my bike”

July 21, 2009 · Comments

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“I’ll quit when I fall off my bike.” That’s what Kenny said in this Dutch article after stage 15 when he crossed the finish line in last place 45mins after Contador did.

Kenny van Hummel crossed the finish after the climb of the Verbier
this Sunday with a fistpump and a loud scream.

The rider on Skil arrived in time only to start again after a rest
day. “Today I literally ate my handlebar. I didn’t care if I was gonna
make it in time or not. I’m tough, I’ll quit when I fall off my bike.
A lot of sprinters went home already, but Kenny van Hummel is still
here. And I’m proud of that.”

Thanks to Huph (our Dutch speaking correspondent) for sending this in!

Kenny has now been riding for over 3hrs more than Contador has in this TdF.  I’d say that Van Hummel is probably the toughest guy in the race at this point.  Do you think that Armstrong or Contador have suffered as much as Kenny?  I think not.

Here’s the vid:

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  • Rob
    Our thoughts are with him. We should still print the shirts, though. It has an 'Kenny Would Go' vibe now.
  • What a sad day today. Get well soon Kenny!
  • roshea
    “I’ll quit when I fall off my bike”

    Damn - he saw the future!
  • Uncle Salty
    Fuckin' A Kenny!
  • GO KENNY! NEVER GIVE UP!

    Someone stylize that image and put it on a T-shirt (after getting the rights, of course).
  • Stoked to hear that Kenny made it again today for stage 16. Finishing in last place, almost 35 minutes behind stage winner Mikel Astarloza. 5 more stages to go Kenny. YOU CAN DO IT!
  • Rob
    I'm going to turn this into a poster and print it.
  • Ridley
    Nothing wrong with being last if you finish.
  • jeroen
    Mind you, this guy is not a bad rider! His average on the Sunday was 36 km/h... I wish I could keep that up for some five hours.
  • Dave
    Kenny is not dead!
  • Simon
    It's the characters that make it more than just “a race”.

    Naturally we all want to see the best riders go head-to-head, but it’s not merely that. As fans we want more than winning, we want drama and stories, personalities and hardship. We want others to see the greatness in this sport that makes them our heroes. The power and pride of wearing the maillot jaune, Heinrich Haussler’s emotions on winning stage 13, Cancellara descending, the spat between Cavendish and Hushovd, the Lanterne Rouge and a thousand more. Kenny’s story will surely be worth retelling in years to come.
  • Ed
    Kenny has way more wins than any other rider on Skil-Shimano this year. It’s not even close. This guy isn’t some third rate rider. He wins bike races.

    This degree of character and perseverance makes you think he’s gonna win a lot more of them before he’s done.
  • nzmatto
    Brilliant, Inspirational. The best thing I have seen in a while, and I know the feeling of being last!
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