Are the French clean?

[LOOKFOOL]

French cyclists have had an excellent tour..They've won 6 stages including 3 of 4 in the Pyrenees..Do you think they've been riding clean for some years and getting killed by the dopers in past tours OR their doping and riding to victory?..I feel this has been the "cleanest" tour in the modern era and their taking advantage of it..by riding clean.

 

[bobbins]

I think the threat of jail is keeping france pretty clean.

 

[Oldman]

I think the threat of jail is keeping france pretty clean.

It's keeping all of them relatively clean. Relatively.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

French cyclists have had an excellent tour..They've won 6 stages including 3 of 4 in the Pyrenees..Do you think they've been riding clean for some years and getting killed by the dopers in past tours OR their doping and riding to victory?..I feel this has been the "cleanest" tour in the modern era and their taking advantage of it..by riding clean.

Considering their best GC man was 19th, I'm convinced they are clean.

Can you even remember the last time the French had an actual GC rider? And not some clown who got into the top 10 because of a breakaway like Dessel or Le Mevel?

 

[Lajeretta4Ever]

Per capita, France uses less soap than any western country, so hard to belive they are clean.

 

[shouldawouldacoulda]

French cyclists have had an excellent tour..They've won 6 stages including 3 of 4 in the Pyrenees..Do you think they've been riding clean for some years and getting killed by the dopers in past tours OR their doping and riding to victory?..I feel this has been the "cleanest" tour in the modern era and their taking advantage of it..by riding clean.

The French are clean. The French have led the cleaning up of the sport. They were way ahead of JV and his 100% clean campaign. In fact JV likely was heavily influenced by Legay. The French deserve an enormous amount of credit. The French have completely changed their own cycling culture and its attitudes... they used to be just as toxic as any other nation and are now very clean.

But I'm sure there are a few bad guys there still. On balance, they lead, and lead well.

So yeah this Tour was likely very clean comparably. But the French were also really stuck in the old ways of training, and there was some truth to the characterization of French pros being entitled and capitulatory.

CN did a really good feature on French cycling earlier this year. Link anyone? It talked about this and how they have been adopting more modern training and are seeing the benefits of these changes now.

I was interested to see Jalabert's comments in a recent CN news bit about how Fredrigo laughed at him when Jalabert said he thought he could be World Champion. Hinault has been really critical of his countrymen, but I think some of Hinault's criticisms are a tad extreme and he has failed to credit the changes they have made.

It has been really cool to see the French at the top again, I hope it continues.

 

[Hairy Wheels]

I think of it this way...France has what is probably the largest talent pool of any European country...the racing is varied and hard...they have a massive cycling culture, yet they are consistently not at the top of the results in many of the biggest races.

To believe that they are as doped as the rest (ie. Italy and Spain) you'd have to believe that their riders, en masse, don't train hard enough, are too fat, too lazy and/or too complacent.

Australia has a talent pool a fraction of the size of France, but you could argue they are more successful on the international stage. I've raced in both countries...the Aussies know how to ride for sure, but their scene is a drop in the bucket to France's.

Just makes me wonder....

 

[shouldawouldacoulda]

Per capita, France uses less soap than any western country, so hard to belive they are clean.

rotflmao... oh man, that was hilarious.

 

[bobbins]

Pro level, pretty clean. Amateur level, who knows? It was always dodgy at amateur level so not sure if it is now. The UK is cleanish at pro level but at amateur level seems to be pretty bad. Positive tests being kept quiet and high profile events taking place with no testing and the national body not wanting to test so there still seems to be a gulf between amateur and pro except these days it has been reversed with pro being cleaner and amateur being an arms race!

 

[LOOKFOOL]

Considering their best GC man was 19th, I'm convinced they are clean.

Can you even remember the last time the French had an actual GC rider? And not some clown who got into the top 10 because of a breakaway like Dessel or Le Mevel?

Good point..Hinault in '85 was their last claim to fame although they won 6 stages in '97..Virenque won the mountains in '94, '95, '96, and '97..Then the man with the hammer arrived in '98..But he still wins the mountains in '99 alonside LA's 1st..

 

[ellenbrook2001]

well too answer your question yes most the french rider are clean,i know for the fact then hes easy too see or hes not clean the first four of the tour De France 2 are Spanish?????????rumours in the peloton suggest another Spanish doctor doing a very good job?????????????????also sleck been too Spain many times?????????
hes very very sophisticated but he cost a lot lot only the top riders can afford it.

 

[roundabout]

Moreau finished 4th. Once. Somehow.

 

[petethedrummer]

well too answer your question yes most the french rider are clean,i know for the fact then hes easy too see or hes not clean the first four of the tour De France 2 are Spanish?????????rumours in the peloton suggest another Spanish doctor doing a very good job?????????????????also sleck been too Spain many times?????????
hes very very sophisticated but he cost a lot lot only the top riders can afford it.

I put this in to Google translate

"well, to answer you question, yes, most french riders are clean. I know for a fact. Its easy to see. In the first four of the tour de france, 2 are spanish. Rumours in the peloton suggest there is another Spanish doctor doing a very good job! Also Schleck has been to Spain too many times. It is very sophisticated but costs alot, only the top riders can afford it."

Translated to French, then to Bulgarian, then to Icelandic and then back to English.

"Now, to answer your questions, yes, most of the players are pure French. I know for a fact. It's easy to see. During the first four Tour de France, two in Spanish. Rumors of a packet indicates that there is another Spanish doctor did a great job! Schleck is also in Spain a few times. This is very complicated, but great cost, only the best riders can afford."

I haven't cracked the code, but I feel I'm getting close.

 

[scribe]

Per capita, France uses less soap than any western country, so hard to belive they are clean.

Nice! I was trying to figure out how to play that one when I opened the thread just now.

 

[nia O'Malley]

To be fair there are a lot of reasons to go to Spain "many times", the first and foremost being it's one of the nicest places in the world to be in, whether you like sun, food, wine, tremendously nice and good looking people, or partying to put the irish to shame.
I know, I lived there for a while and I cried when I had to leave.

 

[VeloGirl]

I think the French are relatively clean - aside from maybe recovery drugs (especially Festina alum Moreau).

You've got Voekler, Fedrigo and Casar - they're good for 1 stage a year (plus a breakaway or 2).

Other than that...they don't really dominate that much.

I think, overall and generally, this Tour was a little cleaner which probably made the French look better.

 

[Epicycle]

The French have had a rudimentary bio-passport program for more than 10 years. JaJa made a big stink about it when it was implemented. But after his stage win this year Voeckler did make a point of cautioning against the French being a doping barometer.

 

[hrotha]

It's not like the French are one massive hive mind. I posit that some of them are clean while others are not.

Also, the usual French stage winners winning the usual TdF stages is not indicative of anything.

 

[nia O'Malley]

Is there even anything unethical with so-called "recovery drugs"? (what are they anyway, aside from minerals and vitamins or stuff like that)

 

[Animal]

To be fair there are a lot of reasons to go to Spain "many times", the first and foremost being it's one of the nicest places in the world to be in, whether you like sun, food, wine, tremendously nice and good looking people, or partying to put the irish to shame.
I know, I lived there for a while and I cried when I had to leave.

Italy is better on all counts.

 

[I Watch Cycling In July]

Is there even anything unethical with so-called "recovery drugs"? (what are they anyway, aside from minerals and vitamins or stuff like that)

Testosterone and HGH and stuff like that

 

[callac]

Past examples might also play in the head of a French rider.
Richard Virenque's been laughed at, mocked, and is still considered as a joke today (might not have to do 100% with his doping though... ).

I don't think any present day french rider might want to risk having the same media/public treatment.

Armstrong always had the excuse: "Doping? ... Just witch hunt from those jealous frenchies..." and could go home and enjoy his glory.
Virenque could just go home and checked how he was ridiculed on TV...

 

[ellenbrook2001]

well i d'ont know what country you are please respect the french clean for soap hes not your problem had have good look at your self?????????????????

 

[FactChecker]

Per capita, France uses less soap than any western country, so hard to belive they are clean.

You are a very sad person.

No doubt for your next "joke" you'll do something tasteful like have a crack at how Yids are money-grasping.

 

[Fester]

Hypocrisy irritates me. We have Roubaix/Lille Metropole, busted (and still riding?) this year, Festina was the scandal of the last century, we have the Cofidis affair. That's without trawling the net for more dirt.

And in other sport, Thierry Henry's handball? Remember that for a blatant act of cheating? Renault F1 and the Nelson Piquet crash?

What are the French better human beings? This is typical and it was the same stuff we heard about the "north/south divide"... Something perpetuated by Pat McQuaid no less. Everyone needs to clean up their act.

But yeah, they don't win, so they must be clean. Not, not so good. Right?