Pro Cycling Chit Chat

[Geoffv]

Surprising how few have beaten that total, given how people tend to dominate an era to an extent. I know, almost nobody tends to have a serious go at all three in one year. And there’s a few others on 7, including Contador who was stripped of at least one title.

Froome is also one of only seven men to have won all three during their career, looking at the all-time list.

And even fewer who have held all three at the same time.

[blahblah]

Surprising how few have beaten that total, given how people tend to dominate an era to an extent. I know, almost nobody tends to have a serious go at all three in one year. And there’s a few others on 7, including Contador who was stripped of at least one title.

Froome is also one of only seven men to have won all three during their career, looking at the all-time list.

And even fewer who have held all three at the same time.

Were Sky actually clean though?

[Geoffv]

Surprising how few have beaten that total, given how people tend to dominate an era to an extent. I know, almost nobody tends to have a serious go at all three in one year. And there’s a few others on 7, including Contador who was stripped of at least one title.

Froome is also one of only seven men to have won all three during their career, looking at the all-time list.

And even fewer who have held all three at the same time.

Were Sky actually clean though?

Suspicion will always be held against the team’s performances and nobody will be able to say with 100% conviction that they were.

[murf]

100% legal quite possibly

100% clean is a different question and depends on your definitions, e.g. I think they milked the TUE rules to near breaking point.

[forestfan]

Surprising how few have beaten that total, given how people tend to dominate an era to an extent. I know, almost nobody tends to have a serious go at all three in one year. And there’s a few others on 7, including Contador who was stripped of at least one title.

Froome is also one of only seven men to have won all three during their career, looking at the all-time list.

And even fewer who have held all three at the same time.

Were Sky actually clean though?

Was anyone who has won a Grand Tour in the last century or so 100% clean? Who knows…

[unc.si.]

any sport where physical ability is such a big part of success will always push the rules and go as far beyond them as they can get away with, whether its bouncy shoes, EPO, shark swim suits, oxygen tents, TUE's, cortisone, brandy and amphetamines, or whatever.

I don't mind too much to be honest. A lot of it depends where you draw the line. As long as it doesn't get to the industrial scale blatant cheating of Fuentes, Armstrong, Moto Man, Festina and cyclists having to wear HRM's and get woken up in the night to get on the rollers because their blood was too thick then its manageable.

I doubt sky were 'clean' but then I also don't see them in anywhere near the same league as Armstrong or Festina. Marginal gains and marginal incursions behind the enemy lines of the doping rules, but not taking the piss levels of industrial cheating.

I'd like to think that LeMond was fairly clean and he did have freakishly high natural VO2 Max levels (a good 5 points ahead of the likes of Armstrong, Indurain, Froome etc). Probably fantasy though. If he could beat a doped up Fignon whilst riding for a French team in the 80's then its a fair bet that he was on cortisone to some degree, freakish physiology or no freakish physiology.

Ignoring current riders (mainly to avoid getting into the debate about doping in the peloton today) I can't see anyone other than LeMond who might have been clean.

Now if Christophe Bassons had won the Tour...

[forestfan]

Some have said Sastre given he worked his way up to the front as the cheats got weeded out, but then again it’s possible nobody in the peloton was truly clean in the ‘00s. Same goes for Cadel Evans, who always seemed like a “good guy” fighting the juggernaut teams through staying power and time trial ability. But yeah, to say even they did it on bread and water or whatever the French phrase translates as, is probably stretching credibility a bit.

[sibrown4]

Just casting my eye down the field for the Tour. Surprised at Bahrain Victorious’ omission of Mark Padun. This is the guy who spectacularly rode away from the field in the last two stages of the Dauphine.

Clearly on top form I’m not sure why he wasn’t included? Fred Wright has taken his place. A sprint domestique. Maybe boosting Colbrelli’s support.

[El Tel of Ealing]

Gino Mader rode an exceptional last 2 stages in Switzerland for Bahrain.Also out of the blue.
I don't think I am alone in having suspicions about what the Victorious ones are putting in their porridge.Padun said he was now eating what he liked and the irritating Brian Smith has been repeating this as gospel.But that is Eurosport for you
Best take them out of the spotlight for now and send them to Spain with Landa

[murf]

Padun looked good (whether on legal or illegal porridge). Had him earmarked as a hopefully cheap squad-filler!

[blahblah]

Good to see Cav get a start..

[forestfan]

Green jersey could be wide open (unless Sagan is back to peak form and just picking off the green points on the non-flat stages to keep the pure sprinters at arm’s length…)

[sibrown4]

incredibly Froome is starting Stage 2.

https://twitter.com/chrisfroome/status/ ... 32416?s=21

[murf]

A couple of cracking videos linked on the Froome thing.

Top footwork: https://twitter.com/i/status/1408711091971149826

Top Mum: https://twitter.com/i/status/1408807834934992896

[blahblah]

Great scenery today.

[sibrown4]

Here is an interesting stat. The no of riders within 5 1/2 mins of the leader after week 1 of a TdF.

[El Tel of Ealing]

Gino Mader rode an exceptional last 2 stages in Switzerland for Bahrain.Also out of the blue.
I don't think I am alone in having suspicions about what the Victorious ones are putting in their porridge.Padun said he was now eating what he liked and the irritating Brian Smith has been repeating this as gospel.But that is Eurosport for you
Best take them out of the spotlight for now and send them to Spain with Landa
[/quote]
It would seem Inspector Clouseau shared my uneasy feelings regarding TBV.So he took 50 of his pals to give their hotel a once over.Pre Armstrong memories.
Will Colbrelli and his new-found climbing strength make Paris?
Could this have anything to do with Pelle Bilbao's non-selection for the Olympics?

[Just A Kiwi]

Ready for a historic day tomorrow? Note of interest. Last time a break away succeeded on the Champs D’Elysees was 2005. That man Vinoukourov.


https://youtu.be/kdwpL___4kY

[forestfan]

Ready for a historic day tomorrow? Note of interest. Last time a break away succeeded on the Champs D’Elysees was 2005. That man Vinoukourov.


https://youtu.be/kdwpL___4kY

Most of the Tour chat’s been on this thread: viewtopic.php?f=32&t=133637 and we have had some discussion of that era recently… Vino was always one of my favourites with his audacious attacks, and I remember his doping bust, coming after a procession of others, being the moment I briefly thought “I’m done with this sport”. His comeback to win Olympic road race gold in 2012 brought mixed feelings.

To do that on the Champs-Elysses was quite remarkable, and not sure who is capable of it in today’s field but anyone who denies Cavendish a shot at a bunch sprint won’t be popular!

[forestfan]

Realising via the Olympic coverage debate that Eurosport is owned by Discovery does make their pre-eminence in cycling coverage somewhat ironic…

[murf]

Anybody know how good Pidcock's chances are in the Olympic mountain bike (7-9am UK time if you are interested)?

Is it just a single, long race?

[unc.si.]

Pretty sure it is just one race, but no idea whether Pidcock (or MvdP) have a chance against the specialist MTB'ers. They'll have the endurance but not sure about the really technical stuff?

I'll probably have it on in the background. I've got a zoom call at 6.00 so I can watch after that while I'm having my weetabix

[blahblah]

Pretty sure it is just one race, but no idea whether Pidcock (or MvdP) have a chance against the specialist MTB'ers. They'll have the endurance but not sure about the really technical stuff?

I'll probably have it on in the background. I've got a zoom call at 6.00 so I can watch after that while I'm having my weetabix

4th and 6th after 8 mins. There is a crowd too

[blahblah]

MvdP with a spectacular dismount.

[forestfan]

Caught the end of the race, the commentators mentioned Ineos looking to turn Pidcock into a Tour rider but didn’t realise he had quite a road racing track record already.

[blahblah]

Yep, he's had good results this year and is an excellent prospect

[forestfan]

Thought I’d heard the name before, anyway. Seems he can climb, which is a good start, though don’t know if he has potential as a GC rider or likely to remain more of a one-day race/individual stage man? The commentator said mountain biking is still his passion, but obviously the substantial money is on the road.

[unc.si.]

He came 1st in Brabantse Pijl, 2nd in AGR, although it was so close between him and WvA that a lot of people thought he'd actually won (and still do!). 4th or 5th in Strade Bianchi and I think a couple of other decent results.

and now an Olympic gold as well, looking pretty comfortable. Once he worked his way to the front and overtook the 2 Swiss riders for the second time he never looked in trouble. The only real risk was a chute or a mechanical. Very nice ride

[Neath boy]

Spectacular race. The guy in flipping awesome and yet he can be a GC rider. He won baby Giro.

[forestfan]

The versatility of top cyclists is remarkable really… track, mountain bike, various road disciplines. It’s only really the out-and-out sprinters on the track who you couldn’t imagine ever dragging themselves through the Pyrenees!