Bikepure - Omerta

[craig1985]

I would not put any money on any spaniard, anyone whos ridden for a spanish team, had a spanish doctor, been to spain on holiday, full stop.

Well I have been to Barcelona and would go back in a heartbeat if I could. Saw a crit there as well (well I happened to come across it) and one guy won by about 30 seconds...

 

[Berzin]

Omerta is not dead , but it is dying.

As long as Dopetrong and the whole Radio Shack crew are still racing, Omerta is alive and well.


In addition, the UCI led by President Pat McQuaid must also be acknowledged for their anti-doping efforts.

I stopped reading the article once I got to this sentence. What a joke.

 

[Oldman]

As long as Dopetrong and the whole Radio Shack crew are still racing, Omerta is alive and well.


In addition, the UCI led by President Pat McQuaid must also be acknowledged for their anti-doping efforts.

I stopped reading the article once I got to this sentence. What a joke.

I said it earlier but the reference to the UCI being "acknowledged" is not entirely enthusiastic. In the political world that description suggests a late-coming, half-hearted effort; not an endorsement of their activity. I read it as a challenge to Fat Pat to do more but we know that won't happen.

 

[Galic Ho]

Yes, and no. I've posted on this many times. The reason why Oscar got his break was because he was so far behind, having bonked in the heat a few days previously and losing 29 minutes. Thus, when he was in a 30 minute break, he never got the half-hour head start people think he did. Oscar was a pretty darned good racer and it was dangerous for Phonak to let him get out there and they had to know it. Top 10 even before the 2006 Tour. With Lance/Jan/Ivan and the other dopers out that year, and Levi bonking (riding clean?!?), Oscar was set to finish top 5 that year, maybe even podium. Circumstances being what they were, he won the Tour. And I'm okay with that. He was a better rider than people remember before that, and no more doped up that those around him - certainly much less than the guy who stood atop the podium before him.

Agreed. When freaky Floyd dropped everyone on stage 17 the other teams committed the same mistake that Phonak had made when Perreiro gained his time. They left the chase till too late. By then Floyd's funk was flowing like a fountain. Who tried to to limit the time? Carlos Sastre went out front on his own, delivered by Frank Schleck and Caisse pulled hard and Oscar was able to salvage something. All the other GC boys had to be nursed home. Kloden, Menchov, Evans...all needed help that day. Oscar fought harder than they did. He deserved his Tour win.

 

[craig1985]

You know Dim, you say Spanish cycling is dodgy, Portugese cycling is far far worse.