dandannieldanok Posted 22 July 2009 Author Posted 22 July 2009 Both of them. Contador already has a cloud as big as the Mont Ventoux over his head with his involvement in Operacion Puerta, and suddenly Wiggins pops out of nowhere very much like Kohl and Rasmussen did. Doping is just a part of the game in cycling, and to be able to compete at the level Wiggins has with the likes of Armstrong, Klöden, Contador and the Schleck brothers, especially as he's never done anything in mountains before, casts huge doubts in my mind. Id be hugely suprised if Contador, or anyone from Astana, has been doping. Yes Contador does have a murky past, but the Astana riders have been hounded by doping controllers throughout the tour, it would be virtually impossible to mask any doping. As for Wiggins, well given his angry reaction when his Cofidis team had to pull out of the tour a few years ago due to one of his teammates doping, and his general manner and what he says about doping, once again I'd be surprised if he'd done it. It is a remarkable performance, but it's not 100% out of the blue. Ever since Beijing, Wiggins has concentrated on losing weight for the road season, and his performance at the Giro certainly suggested he could maybe surprise a few people.
shen Posted 22 July 2009 Posted 22 July 2009 Id be hugely suprised if Contador, or anyone from Astana, has been doping. Yes Contador does have a murky past, but the Astana riders have been hounded by doping controllers throughout the tour, it would be virtually impossible to mask any doping. As for Wiggins, well given his angry reaction when his Cofidis team had to pull out of the tour a few years ago due to one of his teammates doping, and his general manner and what he says about doping, once again I'd be surprised if he'd done it. It is a remarkable performance, but it's not 100% out of the blue. Ever since Beijing, Wiggins has concentrated on losing weight for the road season, and his performance at the Giro certainly suggested he could maybe surprise a few people. It's well-known that the riders and doctors are always one or two steps ahead of the doping control agencies. Besides, the retired or suspended riders admit that doping is part and parcel of it all, basically saying that you need to be doped in order to win anything especially the Tour. The majority of top classement riders the past 10-15 years have been found guilty of doping, and I'm not naive enough to believe it has stopped riders from cheating anyway. EVERY rider who's been found guilty of doping has pleaded not guilty until it was finally proven they cheated. Riis had been dementing it for over 10 years when he finally admitted that he'd used doping throughout his career, likely pressured by the suspension of Basso and allegations from Jacksche. I'm sure there are riders not using doping, but they are not the ones competing for the yellow jersey of the Tour, that's for sure.' So basically I'm saying I don't trust a word Wiggins, or any other top rider, comes out with re: doping. Rasmussen looked like he was a natural when he burst on to the scene and flew up those mountains in 2005-2007, but he was just another Pantani.
dandannieldanok Posted 22 July 2009 Author Posted 22 July 2009 So basically I'm saying I don't trust a word Wiggins, or any other top rider, comes out with re: doping. Rasmussen looked like he was a natural when he burst on to the scene and flew up those mountains in 2005-2007, but he was just another Pantani. Fair enough, no offence when I say this because I reckon you're hoping the same but, I hope you are wrong.
shen Posted 22 July 2009 Posted 22 July 2009 Fair enough, no offence when I say this because I reckon you're hoping the same but, I hope you are wrong. I am hoping the same, but it's not realistic. I know how you feel with Wiggins being British and all that. I was sceptical of Rasmussen then, but was still hoping he would banish the Riis ghost. Instead he only confirmed it. Professional cycling is a cut-throat business and elbows out to the side, so vividly and obviously shown during mass sprints. A rider with any ambition of winning any of the major Tours will have to consider getting the extra percent from doping, knowing full well he might get caught. A 'clean' Tour is many years away still I'm afraid (if it will ever become clean that is...) and almost everyone agrees that is the case. I just feel sorry for the genuine riders out there who would otherwise be able to compete. At least they're not destroying their bodies at this stage of their lives...
dandannieldanok Posted 22 July 2009 Author Posted 22 July 2009 Brad's lost time on the yellow jersey and a few others but still another magnificent effort today when you consider the likes of Sastre and Evans struggling way down the road. Contador once again proves his class, fair play to the Schlecks for having a go. Could do with Frank staying the top 3, had an e/w bet on him before the Tour started.
shen Posted 23 July 2009 Posted 23 July 2009 Brad's lost time on the yellow jersey and a few others but still another magnificent effort today when you consider the likes of Sastre and Evans struggling way down the road. Contador once again proves his class, fair play to the Schlecks for having a go. Could do with Frank staying the top 3, had an e/w bet on him before the Tour started. Best stage of the tour so far! Fair play to Hushovd too who showed why he merits the green jersey in Paris. That should shut Cavendish up a bit...
SOCCERROO FOX Posted 23 July 2009 Posted 23 July 2009 Evans is spent Physically as well as Mentally.......i feel for him as he has been loyal to an inferior team and there treating him like rubbish and it's finally got to him
dandannieldanok Posted 23 July 2009 Author Posted 23 July 2009 Best stage of the tour so far! Fair play to Hushovd too who showed why he merits the green jersey in Paris. That should shut Cavendish up a bit... Taking my obvious British bias into consideration, I hate Hushovd. He's a whingeing arsehole, not only when complaining about Cav but also having a pop at Velits when he contested a sprint, just **** off Thor. When he went through the intermediate sprint yesterday kissing the jersey I genuinely wanted him to fall off. He may win the green jersey but Cav > Hushovd. 4 stages to 1. Evans is spent Physically as well as Mentally.......i feel for him as he has been loyal to an inferior team and there treating him like rubbish and it's finally got to him Evans has wasted his best years in a poor team, he'll never get as close as last year again. I'm not his biggest fan by a long chalk, but it is a shame to see him that far down.
dandannieldanok Posted 23 July 2009 Author Posted 23 July 2009 From Brad Wiggins's twitter on Di Luca getting caught doping: "Di Luca, what a willy puller! unbelievable"
dandannieldanok Posted 23 July 2009 Author Posted 23 July 2009 Yes my life is complete, finally got a text comment on the BBC Live text!
haraven Posted 23 July 2009 Posted 23 July 2009 Taking my obvious British bias into consideration, I hate Hushovd. He's a whingeing arsehole, not only when complaining about Cav but also having a pop at Velits when he contested a sprint, just **** off Thor. When he went through the intermediate sprint yesterday kissing the jersey I genuinely wanted him to fall off. He may win the green jersey but Cav > Hushovd. 4 stages to 1. Taking my obvious Norwegian bias into consideration, I think Cavendish is one of the biggest whiners and mr.shilly-shally of this tour. He first wasn't admitting that he wanted to compete for the green shirt, then he wanted it, then the referees disqualified him, then he moaned about if Hushovd got the shirt, it would be a stained shirt... then Hushovd utterly pwned him yesterday in the climbing phases. So from the interviews I've seen, Cav is one big huge moaner that I am sure is from Derby or maybe even Coventry... (I am not really that into cycling)
Wycombe Fox Posted 23 July 2009 Posted 23 July 2009 I'm looking forward to something special from Bradley Wiggins today.
dandannieldanok Posted 23 July 2009 Author Posted 23 July 2009 I'm looking forward to something special from Bradley Wiggins today. Desperately hope he can, although the category climb looks a lot more difficult on the tv than it does on paper which won't help Brad. Just got a feeling that Contador will dominate this.
dandannieldanok Posted 23 July 2009 Author Posted 23 July 2009 Taking my obvious Norwegian bias into consideration, I think Cavendish is one of the biggest whiners and mr.shilly-shally of this tour. He first wasn't admitting that he wanted to compete for the green shirt, then he wanted it, then the referees disqualified him, then he moaned about if Hushovd got the shirt, it would be a stained shirt... then Hushovd utterly pwned him yesterday in the climbing phases. So from the interviews I've seen, Cav is one big huge moaner that I am sure is from Derby or maybe even Coventry... (I am not really that into cycling) I'll give Thor his due, he was pretty special yesterday. But I still hate him.
haraven Posted 23 July 2009 Posted 23 July 2009 I'll give Thor his due, he was pretty special yesterday. But I still hate him. Fair enough, but at least we are 100% sure he isn't from Derby or Coventry
shen Posted 23 July 2009 Posted 23 July 2009 Contador is among the favourites for the TT Indeed he was... Even beat the machine Cancellara Gonna be a nailbiting stage up the Mont Ventoux with only about 30 seconds separating the four riders battling for third. Contador and Andy Schleck have the other places sown up now.
dandannieldanok Posted 23 July 2009 Author Posted 23 July 2009 Just got a feeling that Contador will dominate this. Was pretty obvious in the end but I'll claim to have great knowledge. On a serious note, Contador was truly excellent today, a very very worthy winner of the yellow jersey. It will be tough for Brad to get on the podium and in my eyes not necessarily because of Lance. As Brad shown at Verbier, on a single tough climb he can have the measure of Armstrong. If I was Brad, I'd be far more worried about Kloden and Frank Schleck, who will be desperate to help his brother to a maiden tour stage win.
SOCCERROO FOX Posted 24 July 2009 Posted 24 July 2009 Evans has wasted his best years in a poor team, he'll never get as close as last year again. I'm not his biggest fan by a long chalk, but it is a shame to see him that far down. He has been a very good rider considering he has been in a crap team. He understands he has one year left to win the TDF. Shame he started riding tours to late. would of been good if he had more tours under his belt before he enterted his prime.
shen Posted 24 July 2009 Posted 24 July 2009 Was pretty obvious in the end but I'll claim to have great knowledge. On a serious note, Contador was truly excellent today, a very very worthy winner of the yellow jersey. It will be tough for Brad to get on the podium and in my eyes not necessarily because of Lance. As Brad shown at Verbier, on a single tough climb he can have the measure of Armstrong. If I was Brad, I'd be far more worried about Kloden and Frank Schleck, who will be desperate to help his brother to a maiden tour stage win. He was, but I feel for Cancellara who really pulled out something special yesterday. His complaint about Contador being paced by the motorbike has surprisingly not been highlighted as much as the Hushovd-Cavendish incident
dandannieldanok Posted 24 July 2009 Author Posted 24 July 2009 He was, but I feel for Cancellara who really pulled out something special yesterday. His complaint about Contador being paced by the motorbike has surprisingly not been highlighted as much as the Hushovd-Cavendish incident Tbf as Brad said afterwards, the headwind had picked up near quite a bit for the final few cyclists so it's swings and roundabouts really. Was a cracking ride from Cancellara, and David Millar also. I may end up with egg on my face by the end of the day, but I can guarantee today's winner will come from a breakaway, hopefully David Millar isn't too tired to try.
shen Posted 24 July 2009 Posted 24 July 2009 Tbf as Brad said afterwards, the headwind had picked up near quite a bit for the final few cyclists so it's swings and roundabouts really. Was a cracking ride from Cancellara, and David Millar also.I may end up with egg on my face by the end of the day, but I can guarantee today's winner will come from a breakaway, hopefully David Millar isn't too tired to try. Yup, it will be a breakaway today, simply because Cavendish's team are the only one's interested in keeping the peloton together for a mass sprint. All the top teams will save energy for tomorrow. Sylvain Chavanel looks like a decent bet for this stage.. Edit: Cadel Evans, Yaroslav Popovych, Kim Kirchen, Jose Luis Arrieta, David Arroyo, Luis Leon Sanchez, Leonardo Duque, Simon Spilak, Carlos Barredo, Geoffroy Lequatre and Britain's David Millar!... That's one strong breakaway group!
dandannieldanok Posted 24 July 2009 Author Posted 24 July 2009 Edit: Cadel Evans, Yaroslav Popovych, Kim Kirchen, Jose Luis Arrieta, David Arroyo, Luis Leon Sanchez, Leonardo Duque, Simon Spilak, Carlos Barredo, Geoffroy Lequatre and Britain's David Millar!... That's one strong breakaway group! Bit too strong really for Millar unfortunately. Oh well come on Dave!
shen Posted 24 July 2009 Posted 24 July 2009 Very surprised the pace in the peloton was so hot!! That's crazy! Well done to Cav, he's an awesome sprinter. Reminds me of Super Mario in his great days.
dandannieldanok Posted 24 July 2009 Author Posted 24 July 2009 Yes Cav! Have that Hushovd, stick your intermediate sprints and green jersey up your arse. 5 stage wins to 1, I think we know who is the true sprint king. Come on Brad for tomorrow!
shen Posted 24 July 2009 Posted 24 July 2009 Yes Cav! Have that Hushovd, stick your intermediate sprints and green jersey up your arse. 5 stage wins to 1, I think we know who is the true sprint king.Come on Brad for tomorrow! He's the best sprinter hands down. I didn't expect him to last all the way to Paris though. Thought he would do a Super Mario like he did last year. Fair play to Cav!
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.