2019 Alien Awards

[scapewalker]

Re: Re:

I don't regard Alaphilippe's tt as alien. A bit eyebrow raising, maybe. But the parcours really suited him, and a lot of the climbers did well.

But the team per se has been ridiculous since 2017, especially through the classics. Real 00's stuff. Actually it's kind of nice to see it in the tour, because it's putting a spanner in the works of the usual suspects.

As for Lotto-Jumbo: their level of domination is very suss. Like Quickstep, they have an illustrious history too.

It's all the ketone drinks!!!!!

It's funny because on here we know it's not only about ketones but in the media it was those 2 teams QS and Lotto being linked to ketones.

 

[Ripper]

Re: Re:

I don't regard Alaphilippe's tt as alien. A bit eyebrow raising, maybe. But the parcours really suited him, and a lot of the climbers did well.

But the team per se has been ridiculous since 2017, especially through the classics. Real 00's stuff. Actually it's kind of nice to see it in the tour, because it's putting a spanner in the works of the usual suspects.

As for Lotto-Jumbo: their level of domination is very suss. Like Quickstep, they have an illustrious history too.

It's all the ketone drinks!!!!!

It's funny because on here we know it's not only about ketones but in the media it was those 2 teams QS and Lotto being linked to ketones.

Oh the ketone thing cracks me up. Sky were being focused on about that last year.

All this said, it would be hilarious if all the teams were doing (more or less) the same stuff and the use of ketones was the only difference over the past few years, and now that it's being used by pretty much any team that can afford it and want to, the playing field suddenly is levelling up.

 

[lartiste]

Re: Re:

I don't regard Alaphilippe's tt as alien. A bit eyebrow raising, maybe. But the parcours really suited him, and a lot of the climbers did well.

But the team per se has been ridiculous since 2017, especially through the classics. Real 00's stuff. Actually it's kind of nice to see it in the tour, because it's putting a spanner in the works of the usual suspects.

As for Lotto-Jumbo: their level of domination is very suss. Like Quickstep, they have an illustrious history too.

It's all the ketone drinks!!!!!

It's funny because on here we know it's not only about ketones but in the media it was those 2 teams QS and Lotto being linked to ketones.

Oh the ketone thing cracks me up. Sky were being focused on about that last year.

All this said, it would be hilarious if all the teams were doing (more or less) the same stuff and the use of ketones was the only difference over the past few years, and now that it's being used by pretty much any team that can afford it and want to, the playing field suddenly is levelling up.

This is definitely not about ketones. E.g. Jumbo - Visma improved a lot and most probably it is connected with the fact that they are more skinny than they were. Most probably T3 and T4 which are even not prohibited and usage by the team was discussed. The other part of the game would be aicar (as already mentioned in respect of TdF) and cardarine.

E.g. the advantage would be knowledge how to properly use the substances (e.g. EPO in past).

 

[F_Cance]

Pogacar? 20 years and winning the Vuelta queen stage outclimbing every GC contender.

 

[therealthing]

Pogacar? 20 years and winning the Vuelta queen stage outclimbing every GC contender.

Very odd this year with all the young riders winning so much.

 

[Huapango]

Very odd this year with all the young riders winning so much.

I have been following professional cycling more this year than I have since the early years of Lance's TDF streak. Ask yourself this: If cycling was being cleaned up, behind closed doors, what would it look like? To me, it would look like this year. It's late and I need to go to bed, so I won't get into the details...the one problem I have is the Tour of Poland reflector incident. That makes me feel like nothing has changed.

 

[tobydawq]

Wauw. You know you have entered a weird part of the internet when a young rider's tragic death from a horrific crash is apparently an indicator of the sport not having gotten any cleaner.

 

[brownbobby]

I have been following professional cycling more this year than I have since the early years of Lance's TDF streak. Ask yourself this: If cycling was being cleaned up, behind closed doors, what would it look like? To me, it would look like this year. It's late and I need to go to bed, so I won't get into the details...the one problem I have is the Tour of Poland reflector incident. That makes me feel like nothing has changed.

I’m not sure about Aliens, but this is definetely a contender for strangest post of the year

 

[Singularitarian]

Very odd this year with all the young riders winning so much.

Alternative 1: It looks pretty much as if cycling became cleaner years ago and suddenly CYNTs (Clean Young New Talent) like Delions or Bassons of this world started to kick ass of the established GODDs (Good Old Dirty Doper).

Alternative 2. The usual Clinician's standard: Hellyeah, we've seen it so many times that it's not even funny... so many New Heroes, randomly starting with certain post-Festina time uniballer superman whose name cannot be even whispered, random Floyds, Rasmussens, Riccos, Piepolis, or magic austrians here and there, then all those Contadors and Schlecks... (and don't get me wrong, most of them were obviously talented and would most likely shine even in cleaner era - i.e.no donkey-to-racehorse material like Chiappas or 60% Bjarnes of the Dirty Dark Age of cycling... or marginal BadzillaMan)