Brad Wiggins

[podilato]

If Wiggins was a kilo rider then fair enough. But he was doing the pursuit. When Chris Boardman went from the track to the road did he lose a whole heap of weight? And Wiggins has been riding the road almost all the time. Same with Bradley McGee. When he went from the track to the road did he lose weight all of a sudden? Stuart O'Grady started out as trackman. Did he shed kilos when he did road? And he wasn't just concentrating on prolouges.
My point is that whether it is a cyclist, directeur sportif or whoever; something isn't neccessarily so just because they say it is. For example, when the entire PDM pulled out of the 1991 Tour and they said it was food poisoning or a virus. Richard Virenque also denied he doped and wrote a book about it. Schmacher and Rebellin deny doping despite positive tests. Does this mean they are all right?

 

[rhubroma]

ok, i hate to be the one to start this, but....

remember what we normally find out later after a rider shows a dramatic, out-of-nowhere, mid-career improvement? bernard kohl anyone?

There are lots of little strange things out there to be seen, a bit like watching Wiggins, who just about a year ago at the Bejing Olimpics was a track racer in the individual and team pursuit, climb with the best up to Arcalis without suffering the pace of the strongest climbers. It's all well and good that he lost six kilos, did specific training, but in regards to this pass forward, if it's only a question of weight, in another 2 years you need to include Cancellara among the favorites.

 

[badboygolf16v]

When Chris Boardman went from the track to the road did he lose a whole heap of weight?

Yes he did actually. Chris Boardman made massive efforts to lose weight and improve his climbing ability. He even set his bike up on a treadmill set at an incline to get his musculature used to the different position.

As I recall he was very successful in the Dauphine that year.

 

[badboygolf16v]

Just looked it up, it was 1996. Here are the overall results.

Final overall

1. Miguel Indurain (Spa) Banesto 30.57.49
2. Tony Rominger (Sch) Mapei-GB + 1.21
3. Richard Virenque (Fra) Festina + 1.32
4. Stephane Heulot (Fra) Gan + 4.49
5. Chris Boardman (Eng) Gan + 5.49
6. Fernando Escartin (Spa) Kelme-Artiach + 6.48
7. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Festina + 7.23
8. Laurent Madouas (Fra) Motorola + 8.24
9. Udo Bolts (Ger) Telekom +10.19
10. Laurent Dufaux (Sch) Festina +11.37
11. Gilles Bouvard (Fra) Collstrop +11.57
12. Luc Leblanc (Fra) Team Polti +13.50
13. Pascal Chanteur (Fra) Petit-Casino +14.04
14. Federico Echave (Spa) Mapei-GB +15.25
15. Mikel Zarrabeitia (Spa) Once +15.44
16. Benoit Salmon (Fra) Collstrop +16.15
17. Francisque Teyssier (Fra) Aubervilliers +20.27
18. Cedric Vasseur (Fra) Gan +22.33
19. Santiago Blanco Gil (Spa) Banesto +24.48
20. Christian Henn (Ger) Telekom +27.44

Pretty impressive given it was at the height of the EPO era.

 

[podilato]

I agree. However Boardman was doing mostly track before going to pro road racing. If a 400 metre runner started doing marathons then of course they would lose weight. But if you are already a marathon runner it would be pretty difficult to suddenly lose almost 10 kilos whilst you are competing.
Also if weight loss can dramatically improve results then why doesn't everyone do it?
Wiggins season may well be the result of weight loss but we shouldn't automatically believe it just because he says it.

 

[TDFfannn]

Wiggins gets up, has breakfast and gets on with it!

I love Wiggins laid back attitude http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rzuujKpuF0

 

[Irish2009]

Riders are obsessed with weight and POWER. The secret is to find a balance to give you the best power to weight ratio possible, this depends on your physical makeup hence some riders are sprinters or climbers. If a rider can't improve dramatically explain Armstrong?

 

[fatandfast]

Bad feeling

Wiggins is riding great and when asked has some logical reasons for his ability to fly.Cera,EPO and everything else that has been unmuked in the pack has everybody questioning everything.If the UCI wants to do anything right they better make the first pop 4 years instead of two.Too many comments about what if,it seems we have stopped believing anybody.Thanx Floyd.

 

[Irish2009]

Wiggins is riding great and when asked has some logical reasons for his ability to fly.Cera,EPO and everything else that has been unmuked in the pack has everybody questioning everything.If the UCI wants to do anything right they better make the first pop 4 years instead of two.Too many comments about what if,it seems we have stopped believing anybody.Thanx Floyd.

I agree, Chris Bordman retired because he had a condition which meant his medication for the condition would make him test postive, the UCI would at the time not sanction it, this effectively finished his career. The UCI would also not increase the ban for doping to 4 years because it would finish a riders career(who had tested positive for peds). Pretty sad realy, clean rider career= finished Dopers= welcomed back.

 

[Futuroscope]

Riders are obsessed with weight and POWER. The secret is to find a balance to give you the best power to weight ratio possible, this depends on your physical makeup hence some riders are sprinters or climbers. If a rider can't improve dramatically explain Armstrong?

more drugs,lower BW and a focused effort to improve his climbing.

 

[podilato]

I agree, Chris Bordman retired because he had a condition which meant his medication for the condition would make him test postive, the UCI would at the time not sanction it, this effectively finished his career. The UCI would also not increase the ban for doping to 4 years because it would finish a riders career(who had tested positive for peds). Pretty sad realy, clean rider career= finished Dopers= welcomed back.

His condition was that his body stopped producing testosterone because of his training regime. He had to push himself that hard just to compete. My understanding is that this was not the sole reason for his retirement.

 

[pmcg76]

Gonna ignore everybody else here, yes Wiggins is going well but this Tour has been **** poor, how many riders are still within 5 minutes after 2 weeks, there were no attacks(Contador apart) in the one mountain stage so far, everybody just rode up tempo. Again TTT has distorted the overall completely.

I dont think Wiggins is doping and his increased focus on the road has helped as well as his weight loss but if it kicks of in the Alps he will be Top 20 at best, he wont be able to deal with attacks. Still not a bad performance methinks.

I am not stupid or blind to doping but if frustrates me that the second somebody does soemthing half good, its due to doping, same as some people were hitting Haussler today, WTF, a good classics rider winning a middle mountian stage, not exactly amazing. If Wiggins rider like a true climber in the Alps, then I might get suspicious.

 

[rhubroma]

Gonna ignore everybody else here, yes Wiggins is going well but this Tour has been **** poor, how many riders are still within 5 minutes after 2 weeks, there were no attacks(Contador apart) in the one mountain stage so far, everybody just rode up tempo. Again TTT has distorted the overall completely.

I dont think Wiggins is doping and his increased focus on the road has helped as well as his weight loss but if it kicks of in the Alps he will be Top 20 at best, he wont be able to deal with attacks. Still not a bad performance methinks.

I am not stupid or blind to doping but if frustrates me that the second somebody does soemthing half good, its due to doping, same as some people were hitting Haussler today, WTF, a good classics rider winning a middle mountian stage, not exactly amazing. If Wiggins rider like a true climber in the Alps, then I might get suspicious.

Dietrolagia, methinks.

 

[fatandfast]

End of the world

I have to agree with you 76. Heinrich and Thor in the top 10 in a mountain stage?This could be the end of racing as we know it.Track racers in the hunt with 8 days left.I can't figure any of this out I am going to start watching golf.I think there is a loop audio track playing in the riders ear piece"go slow don't attack,go slow don't attack""wait until Paris"

 

[Irish2009]

His condition was that his body stopped producing testosterone because of his training regime. He had to push himself that hard just to compete. My understanding is that this was not the sole reason for his retirement.

Maybe thats true, I was told it was a bone density related issue!

 

[michaeld05]

sure, i hear ya. i really do. but this new-found climbing ability is pretty incredible. maybe the pace has been more moderate than it normally is, but if he's there with contador on ventoux, put me down for skeptical. having said that, i've got nothing against wiggo.

yeah, hopefully he can get a top 10

 

[BroDeal]

His condition was that his body stopped producing testosterone because of his training regime. He had to push himself that hard just to compete. My understanding is that this was not the sole reason for his retirement.

I heard that FLandis had the same problem.

 

[ilillillli]

...yes Wiggins is going well but this Tour has been **** poor, how many riders are still within 5 minutes after 2 weeks, there were no attacks(Contador apart) in the one mountain stage so far, everybody just rode up tempo. Again TTT has distorted the overall completely.

it's like you typed my brain. seriously, if there were no TTT there would be exactly ZERO stages that produced a time gap of more than a minute between any of the [whom i consider to be] serious contenders for the GC. This will be true until Verbier. after 16 stages a crosswind has still proven to be the most selective element of the course. unbelievable.

but i guess it's better than this....

 

[runninboy]

...
Also if weight loss can dramatically improve results then why doesn't everyone do it?
Wiggins season may well be the result of weight loss but we shouldn't automatically believe it just because he says it.

Weight has always been a huge issue, rider diets were severly restricted. But when Lemond came along he broke the #1 rule, no ice cream. Pretty soon the directors had to relax their iron grip on the riders, pay them more etc.
Also steriods came into vogue which make you larger, so u generate more power then a little epo to make you more efficient and u didn't have to be 145 lbs to out climb the field...

Losing weight to be more efficient is the old fashioned way to cycling stardom. But it is hard to do, you have to live like a monk even during the off season to get down in weight. The older you are the harder it gets as well.
Everyone knows the dangers of bulimia but alot of jockeys still practice it to keep their jobs. So a rider is doing well because he took drastic measures and lost alot of weight. To people who have experienced rapid weight loss legally they know its benefits. Riders used to do this but not many anymore.

 

[Jamsque]

It is impossible for a cyclist to 'improve' at any point in their career. When you are born, you are exactly as strong and fast as you will be for the rest of your life. The only way to improve performance and results is with drugs, training is useless because exercise does not improve your strength or fitness. Anyone who wins bike races was either born that strong or takes drugs. Therefore, since Bradley Wiggins was not sixth in the Tour de France after two weeks at age 13, he must be on drugs.

 

[hulkgogan]

Losing weight to be more efficient is the old fashioned way to cycling stardom. But it is hard to do, you have to live like a monk even during the off season to get down in weight. The older you are the harder it gets as well.
Everyone knows the dangers of bulimia but alot of jockeys still practice it to keep their jobs. So a rider is doing well because he took drastic measures and lost alot of weight. To people who have experienced rapid weight loss legally they know its benefits. Riders used to do this but not many anymore.

Do you consider the mid-90s to be old fashioned? Cause that's when getting super skinny became trendy with Riis, Casagrande, Bartoli and then everyone else. As far as I know, that trend never went away except in France, where it never started.

 

[BroDeal]

Weight has always been a huge issue, rider diets were severly restricted. But when Lemond came along he broke the #1 rule, no ice cream. Pretty soon the directors had to relax their iron grip on the riders, pay them more etc.
Also steriods came into vogue which make you larger, so u generate more power then a little epo to make you more efficient and u didn't have to be 145 lbs to out climb the field...

Losing weight to be more efficient is the old fashioned way to cycling stardom. But it is hard to do, you have to live like a monk even during the off season to get down in weight. The older you are the harder it gets as well.
Everyone knows the dangers of bulimia but alot of jockeys still practice it to keep their jobs. So a rider is doing well because he took drastic measures and lost alot of weight. To people who have experienced rapid weight loss legally they know its benefits. Riders used to do this but not many anymore.

I don't think so. To my eye the older riders from the 80s and before look "bigger" than modern riders. Bigger meaning that they look more muscular with higher levels of body fat.

I don't think Lemond had anything to do with this other than the effect it had on himself.

There are various drugs that can be used to lose weight. I would suspect that might have something to do with the freaky thinness of some riders, but maybe use of power meters and carefully matching food intake with energy expenditure could be another explanation.

 

[runninboy]

Do you consider the mid-90s to be old fashioned? Cause that's when getting super skinny became trendy with Riis, Casagrande, Bartoli and then everyone else. As far as I know, that trend never went away except in France, where it never started.

I meant old fashioned from hard work rather than a result of doping

 

[runninboy]

I don't think so. To my eye the older riders from the 80s and before look "bigger" than modern riders. Bigger meaning that they look more muscular with higher levels of body fat.

.

Yeah that Robert Miller was loaded with body fat

 

[BroDeal]

Yeah that Robert Miller was loaded with body fat

When compared to Rasmussen he was.