• The Cycling News forum is still looking to add volunteer moderators with. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Antoine Vayer

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
T

TheSpud

Jul 3, 2014
2,351
15
11,510
Visit site
Not sure if this is the right place but as he was linked to Festina I thought I'd try here. I'm pretty sure I have read a book (in English) by / about Vayer that covers his life - as a school teacher and later with Festina.

I cannot find it in my bookshelf or online. Have I dreamt this? Anyone know if this exists or what its called?

Apologies if this is the wrong forum.

Thanks
 
  • Haha
Reactions: GG441
P

Parker

Mar 4, 2011
3,346
451
14,580
Visit site
There's no Vayer biography that's for sure. Why would there be?

On the other hand there was a book he self published called "Je Suis Le Cycliste Masque" which claimed to be the opinions of a peloton insider, but was most likely just Vayer's opinions.

Some media like to flock around Vayer because he tells them what they want to hear. He's not a credible sports scientist, real sports scientists have described him as a fraud and clown.. He defines himself by his time as a coach at Festina. Either he knew all about the doping or he was a gulliable front, a stooge.

The only talent he has is for self publicity. And journalists who were burnt by Armstrong lap it up.
 
T

TheSpud

Jul 3, 2014
2,351
15
11,510
Visit site
Parker said:
There's no Vayer biography that's for sure. Why would there be?

On the other hand there was a book he self published called "Je Suis Le Cycliste Masque" which claimed to be the opinions of a peloton insider, but was most likely just Vayer's opinions.

Some media like to flock around Vayer because he tells them what they want to hear. He's not a credible sports scientist, real sports scientists have described him as a fraud and clown.. He defines himself by his time as a coach at Festina. Either he knew all about the doping or he was a gulliable front, a stooge.

The only talent he has is for self publicity. And journalists who were burnt by Armstrong lap it up.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, I'm not claiming he's a guru or anything, I'm just convinced I have read about him / his story somewhere and I cant find it and its annoying me!
 
fmk_RoI

fmk_RoI

Sep 16, 2010
7,617
1,052
20,680
Visit site
Possibly you're mixing up the Bassons book with other things you know? Short of the Voet one it's the only English-language book that covers that subject (excluding the Abt/Whittle/Fotheringham books that look at the 98 Tour).

Agree with Parker on him being a bit of a PR manipulator. Try getting him to actually answer a question...
 
Logic-is-your-friend

Logic-is-your-friend

Jun 7, 2011
19,895
18,405
28,180
Visit site
Le breton said:
You must have a very selective reading of his tweets.
Click to expand...
Oh? Well, maybe. I don't know. I never read all his tweets and have stopped reading them since last year. Can you show us some tweets where he points fingers to French riders of this generation currently in the peloton? Like he does on a regular basis with other riders? Or is it only French riders that ride for French teams that are clean? Or am i talking about the wrong twitter account? I see there are multiple "Antoine Vayer" accounts on Twitter, tweeting about cycling, so that's actually very possible, i guess.

Edit: nope, Festinaboy... that's the one i was talking about.
Edit2: apparently i'm not the only one thinking so:

#pinotetgaudusontlesdeuxseulsmecscleansdanslepeloton

https://twitter.com/x/status/1159233893654028288
View: https://twitter.com/SaDefourny/status/1159233893654028288

https://twitter.com/x/status/1182318658925858818
View: https://twitter.com/EganBernaal/status/1182318658925858818
 
Last edited:
L

Le breton

Nov 10, 2009
1,598
38
10,530
Visit site
Vayer has been pretty quiet recently, for some time actually; I check his Chronoswatts messages from time to time. There he hands the reins over to Portoleau and his calculations, physics is blind to nationality. I guess his criticisms towards French racers (and trainers, managers) maybe more subdued than towards other nationalities, but I perceive them as just as real.
In any case, since 1998 he has made an impact and it has become very difficult to ridicule calculations (as was so common before) based on physics and facts. Others, like Ammatti Pyöraïly and Mihail Cazacu are on the same wavelength.
 
M

Merckx index

Jul 27, 2010
5,121
883
19,680
Visit site
The available numbers support what Vaughters is saying. Remco's reported 10-20 min power numbers are about the same as what Pinot reported back in 2013. If someone can show that his sustained power numbers during a race or ITT are that high, or higher, then doping suspicions would get much more traction.
 
  • Like
Reactions: yaco
L'arriviste

L'arriviste

Feb 23, 2010
2,114
19
11,510
www.dopeology.org
Le breton said:
Vayer has been pretty quiet recently, for some time actually; I check his Chronoswatts messages from time to time. There he hands the reins over to Portoleau and his calculations, physics is blind to nationality. I guess his criticisms towards French racers (and trainers, managers) maybe more subdued than towards other nationalities, but I perceive them as just as real.
In any case, since 1998 he has made an impact and it has become very difficult to ridicule calculations (as was so common before) based on physics and facts. Others, like Ammatti Pyöraïly and Mihail Cazacu are on the same wavelength.
Click to expand...

I had a chat with him last year in person. He was a bit tired with all the travelling but he did give me the impression that, although he didn't like what he was seeing, he had no clear explanation for it and it frustrated him. Same for any of us, really. Whatever his online output, and a lot of that is beyond the pale, I found him quite likeable.
 
Red Rick

Red Rick

Feb 20, 2012
50,252
37,816
28,180
Visit site
L'arriviste said:
I had a chat with him last year in person. He was a bit tired with all the travelling but he did give me the impression that, although he didn't like what he was seeing, he had no clear explanation for it and it frustrated him. Same for any of us, really. Whatever his online output, and a lot of that is beyond the pale, I found him quite likeable.
Click to expand...
No explanation as in didn't have an idea what the cocktails were/what's going around?
 
P

Parker

Mar 4, 2011
3,346
451
14,580
Visit site
Le breton said:
Has he ever claimed to be a sports scientist? Could you source such a claim from Vayer?
Also : could you name some of the sports scientists who have described him as a fraud and clown ?
Are you a sports scientist?
Thanks for your answers.
Click to expand...


He's often billed as a Professor of Sports Science (a mistranslation of PE teacher) and doesn't correct it and he presents himself as a scientist

Fredrick Grappe from FdJ has. Most were a few years ago on twitter. So I can't name them, but I remember how the French scientists viewed him (and Pierre Sallet)

No, but I know a fair bit about data analysis
 
fmk_RoI

fmk_RoI

Sep 16, 2010
7,617
1,052
20,680
Visit site
Well, he's lost a platform:
L'Humanité later unpublished the Espé cartoon and Vayer’s chronicle and issued an apology to Rousse.

“We totally share the indignation at this drawing. We quickly unpublished it. It is contrary to the values of L'Humanité, which promotes the dignity of human beings and the feminist struggle. We ask Marion Rousse to excuse us for this lack of vigilance."

L'Humanité also issued a statement to AFP, which was reported in La Presse, saying the publication had ended its collaboration with Espé and Vayer.

“Such a publication is contrary to the history of the newspaper," the statement read. "All those who read us regularly know that our titles fight daily for the emancipation of women and defend values of universal equality. We hope that the lack of vigilance which has led to this situation will not be repeated. We are delighted with the end of the collaboration between our daily, the designer Espé and the chronicler Antoine Vayer, whose texts the latter illustrated."

Vayer defended the drawing on his Twitter account, drawing a parallel with the Charlie Hebdo cartoons.
Click to expand...
 
  • Like
Reactions: pastronef and yaco
P

pastronef

Aug 19, 2011
8,005
2,114
20,680
Visit site
L'arriviste said:
I had a chat with him last year in person. He was a bit tired with all the travelling but he did give me the impression that, although he didn't like what he was seeing, he had no clear explanation for it and it frustrated him. Same for any of us, really. Whatever his online output, and a lot of that is beyond the pale, I found him quite likeable.
Click to expand...

likeable? wtf his twitter feed is 24/7 accusations, finger ponting, hints, mocking. he´s off his head. it´s a continous stream of tweets and hints and free accusation and jokes and mocking. ffs, he even has a jouno pass. but finally serves him well that L´Humanité ended its collaboration with him after the Marion Rousse awful drawings and his comments on that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: yaco
Mayomaniac

Mayomaniac

Apr 10, 2019
10,823
13,772
23,180
Visit site
pastronef said:
likeable? wtf his twitter feed is 24/7 accusations, finger ponting, hints, mocking. he´s off his head. it´s a continous stream of tweets and hints and free accusation and jokes and mocking. ffs, he even has a jouno pass. but finally serves him well that L´Humanité ended its collaboration with him after the Marion Rousse awful drawings and his comments on that.
Click to expand...
Those drawings were tasteless and also really disrespectful, she's a former cyclist after all an more than qualified to do her job.
Vayer looks like the yellow press version of the guys who actually do serious calculations about w/kg, it's all about headlines and clickbait.
 
  • Like
Reactions: pastronef and macbindle
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom