RunRickyRun Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 Yes, it was pretty brutal today. Froome will get a lot of plaudits but I think Rogers was the star of the day for Sky. He did a massive stint at the front of the group and took the sting out of anybody looking to attack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 Rodgers is the King, yes. Always been a top rider. I did think a few years ago, he could be a GC contender. Now a superb lieutenant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PauloBarnesi Posted July 12, 2012 Author Share Posted July 12, 2012 I think perhaps Rogers has had a bit of a change in his refuelling habits in recent years. Another former client of Dr Ferrari... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 I think perhaps Rogers has had a bit of a change in his refuelling habits in recent years. Another former client of Dr Ferrari... Hasn't he always been a very decent rider? From the TDF's I've watched, he's always been up there, doing a decent job on the hill stages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 great article from wiggo, commenting on the 'doping' slurs: Wiggo speaks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PauloBarnesi Posted July 13, 2012 Author Share Posted July 13, 2012 I think perhaps Rogers has had a bit of a change in his refuelling habits in recent years. Another former client of Dr Ferrari... Hasn't he always been a very decent rider? From the TDF's I've watched, he's always been up there, doing a decent job on the hill stages. He was triple TT world champion and seen as a future grand Tour winner. Somehow luck and illness has curtailed that. Or perhaps other things? Anyway another great day, and another great day for Britain... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted July 15, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted July 15, 2012 I think it's absolutely plausible that Wiggins, racing clean for Garmin in 2009 and being beaten by obvious dopers like Contador, Schleck, and Armstrong, decided that he wanted to really wanted win the Tour (IINM, it wasn't until he was riding the Giro that year that Vandevelde basically told him that he could win a Grand Tour; before that, it seems fairly clear that Wiggins had never really considered himself capable of winning a Grand Tour prior to 2009) and given the extent to which the sport was looking the other way decided that winning the Tour and beating the Schlecks and Contador would require doping. And thus he left Garmin... So, he left Garmin to start doping at Sky? I get the distinct impression that Wiggins and Sky each changed their goal from riding clean, regardless of results, to "win the Tour", the unspoken corollary in that change being "whether we're doping or not." Contador: convicted doper Armstrong: likely-to-be-convicted doper Schleck: quite probable doper (the Riis connection and now Bruyneel...) If you've got pretty good reason to suspect that the only reason you're fourth and not the winner is because you're not doping and they are, and you want to be the winner, that's a hell of a motivation to dope (and the evidence from baseball on the psychology of dopers is illuminating: the main reason players have given for doping is fear that the players they're fighting for roster spots, home run title bonuses, etc. are doping). Garmin are the team with the strongest anti-doping history on the pro tour (quite probably because Vaughters and Vandevelde and Millar (and probably Hesjedal (ex of Phonak...)) know the tricks): if you believe that the doping stance is going to hold you back, you're going to leave. Do I think Sky are organizing doping? There's no reason to believe that. I suspect it's more of a look the other way thing (and Rabobank were certainly willing to look the other way with Rasmussen)... I'd put a 65-70% chance on Froome doping. call it 51-55% on Wiggins less than 20% on Cavendish (the Highroad gang, despite arising out of T-Mobile, were most likely clean) As for teh Grauniad piece, if anything, it strengthens my view. He admits to being pissed off at being beaten by dopers. His "I'd never risk..." rings hollow when you consider that by the very fact that he's riding the Tour he's risking his life (when you consider how many professional cyclists have been killed (Grand Tour cycling's death toll from 1995: two, vs. F1's over the same timeframe: none), it makes you realize how dangerous a sport this is!). It's pretty clear that Wiggins is willing to risk having his son grow up without a father in pursuit of yellow: is being branded a cheat worse than death? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunRickyRun Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Interesting day off the road as well as on it. Van Garderen, Froome and Rolland not coming out of today's events very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Interesting day off the road as well as on it. Van Garderen, Froome and Rolland not coming out of today's events very well. Indeed. Rollande being something of an opportunistic and unsportmanlike prick. TVG and Froome being seemingly want to topple their respective Kings. Wiggy looking imperious though still. I wonder if Froome may not be with Sky Next season .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PauloBarnesi Posted July 16, 2012 Author Share Posted July 16, 2012 Do I think Sky are organizing doping? There's no reason to believe that. I suspect it's more of a look the other way thing (and Rabobank were certainly willing to look the other way with Rasmussen)... I'd put a 65-70% chance on Froome doping. call it 51-55% on Wiggins less than 20% on Cavendish (the Highroad gang, despite arising out of T-Mobile, were most likely clean) But where can you get these figures from? With certain athletes you get a background of stories that connect said athlete with doping, and connections are started to be made. I am not sure with Wiggins you have that much of that noise to say he’s more likely to be involved in doping or not. Its a hunch, with perhaps a little hearsay. I am not naïve to think cycling is clean, and that anyone is guaranteed to be clean, but to say I think its more likely that Wiggins is doping than not seems a leap too far based on the evidence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Possibly the most boring stage of the TDF yesterday. Rest day today. and then the real fun begins. 5 days of excitement. Bring the yellow back to blighty, Wiggo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Frank Schleck!! Noooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF. You clown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eames Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Frank Schleck!! Noooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF. You clown. This. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-Reacho Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 great article from wiggo, commenting on the 'doping' slurs: Wiggo speaks Agreed - It's the exact sentiment cycling fans like me want to hear, rather than the tirade he came out with last week which IMHO was Armstrong all over again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PauloBarnesi Posted July 17, 2012 Author Share Posted July 17, 2012 great article from wiggo, commenting on the 'doping' slurs: Wiggo speaks Are you going to do the Wiggo Sportive Jon? On the Frank Schleck case Earlier today, the UCI advised the Luxembourger rider Frank Schleck of an Adverse Analytical Finding (presence of the diuretic Xipamide based on the report from the WADA accredited laboratory in Châtenay-Malabry) in the urine sample collected from him at an in competition test at the Tour de France on 14 July 2012. Mr. Schleck has the right to request and attend the analysis of his B sample. The UCI Anti-Doping Rules do not provide for a provisional suspension given the nature of the substance, which is a specified substance. However, the UCI is confident that his team will take the necessary steps to enable the Tour de France to continue in serenity and to ensure that their rider has the opportunity to properly prepare his defense in particular within the legal timeline, which allows four days for him to have his B sample analyzed. That’s the UCI press release from this evening. Schleck is being withdraw from the race by his team. Only the UCI’s own press release calls for its own rules and due process to be suspended. The rules vary depending on the class of banned substance discovered but let’s cut to the chase: tonight Franck Schleck has the right to stay in the race because if his A-sample is positive, his B-sample has yet to be tested. The UCI is using exactly the same wording as it deployed last year when Russia’s Sacha Kolobnev tested positive. The call that Radioshack-Nissan takes “the necessary steps to enable the Tour de France to continue in serenity” (identical wording was used with the Kolobnev case last year) is an open call for him leave the race. It is astonishing to see the governing body calling for its own rules and due process to be suspended. Now I can understand the pressure and given the news his team would probably have withdrawn him to avoid scandal. But sure the governing body does not need to get involved here, instead it should be upholding its rules. Instead though it seems to be applying them selectively, announcing A-test doping controls and then hinting the rider must stop racing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-Reacho Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Schleck case seems a strange one. From what I can make of the situation Xipamide is not banned by WADA and is a diuretic that actually hinders the performance of muscles. Was he using it to mask something else or flush something else out of his system? If WADA haven't specifically banned it has he been withdrawn because of the suggestion that he has taken this to hide something else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eames Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Schleck case seems a strange one. From what I can make of the situation Xipamide is not banned by WADA and is a diuretic that actually hinders the performance of muscles. Was he using it to mask something else or flush something else out of his system? If WADA haven't specifically banned it has he been withdrawn because of the suggestion that he has taken this to hide something else? If thats the case, it throws his "I was posioned" arguement straight out of the window. Why would you take the time and effort to spike him or his sample with it, if its not a performance enhancer? If you were going to do it, you'd surely use something to utterly destroy his credibility? A strange one.... lets see what the B sample throws up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PauloBarnesi Posted July 18, 2012 Author Share Posted July 18, 2012 Schleck case seems a strange one. From what I can make of the situation Xipamide is not banned by WADA and is a diuretic that actually hinders the performance of muscles. Was he using it to mask something else or flush something else out of his system? If WADA haven't specifically banned it has he been withdrawn because of the suggestion that he has taken this to hide something else? He claims he was poisoned... a disgruntled manager with a disgruntled employee would never do that? And of course have an instant alibi?... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PauloBarnesi Posted July 18, 2012 Author Share Posted July 18, 2012 Oh and Evans as I thought wasn’t up to it; lost a stack of time. Looks completely beaten. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eames Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Though Nibali and Evans had their tactics totally off today. The only real attacks came in the last 5k of the last climb of the day...... Wiggo has got this some totally sewn up now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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