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Pro cycling: General Chat


leviramsey

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  • 2 weeks later...

So now we know; it's Team Sky for certain ! Annual salary estimated at £2.2m. In the cycling world, that is a lot; I've won £12 this year :(

Do you cycling fans think he is worth that and will he be a success without his old leadout team ?

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He will be a success wherever he goes. He wouldn’t have gone to Sky if he didn’t think they would lead him out well. I would be more concerned what this means for Wiggins and Frome... Anyway it will be great to support a British Pro team that is going places. I think Dave Brailsford should be coach of the year at the SPOTY.

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He will be a success wherever he goes. He wouldn’t have gone to Sky if he didn’t think they would lead him out well. I would be more concerned what this means for Wiggins and Frome... Anyway it will be great to support a British Pro team that is going places. I think Dave Brailsford should be coach of the year at the SPOTY.

Disagree to an extent Paul. I still think, and Brailsford has said it himself, that "Winning" the TDF is the ultimate aim. That means the team backing/concentrating on Wiggy/Froome/Thomas in the Tour.

That is Brailsford's stated aim, and he wants to do it within the next 2 or 3 years.

The signing of Cav IMO means occassional glory on the way, but I'd be very surprised if Sky concentrate on Stage wins for Cav at the expense of the overall aim. Eisel is the concession here. He will ride for Cav and stage wins.

This is largely irrelevant for 2012 TDF anyway, as many of the Brits in Team Sky will be concentrating on the Olympics instead.

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He will be a success wherever he goes.

Although I do agree with that.

IMO he does not need a big lead out train, as he has proved before numerous times in the tour.

IMO Sky will not be burying themselves chasing down breakaways as Team GB did at the Worlds. Cav will know this. I'd imagine the huge pay cheque compensates somewhat for a team not exclusively built around winning stages for Cav.

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With the emergence of Renshaw, Greipel and (maybe) Matt Goss as challengers to Cavendish next year, there may be more teams willing to help reel in breakaways.

Wiggins can be the Ullrich of the sprint train and put down the hammer for the penultimate 4 or 5kms of the stage.

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  • 3 months later...

Cuntador

Cuntador stripped of 2010 TDF title and banned from this year's TDF. Gives Wiggy an excellent chance of the podium or even better this year.

Alberto Contador handed two-year ban for doping offence

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has banned Alberto Contador for two years for doping, according to the Spanish Cycling Federation.

He has been stripped of his 2010 Tour de France victory and, with his suspension running until 6 August this year, will miss the 2012 Tour.

The Spaniard, 29, was found guilty of doping after testing positive for clenbuterol during the 2010 Tour.

He has maintained that the failed test resulted from eating contaminated meat.

Andy Schleck, who finished second to Contador in the 2010 Tour de France, is set to be elevated to winner.

Under Union Cycliste Internationale rules, Contador also forfeits all his wins in 2011, which include the Giro d'Italia.

He becomes only the second Tour de France champion to lose his title for doping, after American Floyd Landis, who tested positive for testosterone in 2006.

However, Contador can resume competition on 5 August, 2012 - two years after he was informed of his initial failed test.

UCI president Pat McQuaid said: "This is a sad day for our sport. Some may think of it as a victory, but that is not at all the case.

"There are no winners when it comes to the issue of doping: every case, irrespective of its characteristics, is always a case too many."

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Quite how long this has taken this long is bizarre. But then again with the Terry case, look how long justice takes to be served in sport.

The criminal case against Armstrong was dropped on Friday (possibly near the Superbowl to avoid it being newsworthy), yet WADA and USADA are still investigating. Why is nothing quick and easy? Yes this cases are usually complicated, but one wonders what is happening behind the scenes as these large organisations try to ‘uncover’ the truth...

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Well,as I see it, there are two possibilities :-

1) He is innocent !

2) Whatever he took is so 'strong' that the whole pro-scene would be brought into disrepute with disastrous consequences for pro-cycling.

I (seriously Paulo) have no idea of the truth. I don't know how he recovered from that terrible illness, I don't know how he altered his body-shape so dramatically. One must remember that he had been World Road Champ (Oslo) before his illness so obviously pretty damn good.

Perhaps we will never know.

PS. I still quite fancy his Mum !

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  • 2 weeks later...

Anyone been watching the Track Cycling from the Olympic Velodrome?

If so, what did you think.

Some Midlands involvement with Jess Varnish from the Halesown club and coach of the women's pursuit squad, Paul Manning, from Burntwood.

I don't think Andy Tennant from Wolverhampton got a ride.

Bodes well for the Olympics perhaps ?

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Any of you cycling fans see that Cavendish won the "semi-classic" Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne ?

I don't think it was on Eurosport - but I was asleep anyway after hanging on to my mates for 51 mile ride in the morning :(

Good start for Cav and, apparently, his Sky team did him proud - no Wiggins though - I don't think.

Roll-on Milan-San Remo.

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