Cannondale getting dropped in the new era of cycling

[sniper]

Wouldn't mind seeing a dominant 2014 by Slipstream just to see where the thread goes

considering JV's vocal support for Cookson, yes, that would raise an eyebrow or two.

 

[dolophonic]

Nice to see Garmin keeping Hesjedal on the squad. He has "experience".

 

[blackcat]

Is it odd that an ex-Garmin rider, who never made the Garmin Tour squad, would be dragging the Wizards from Oz to a TTT win?

How come he wasn't good enough before?

Dave.

are you really asking this?

cos he is tuff. really, really tuff. The antipodean heathens respect toughness. Not some effeminate hipsters from Boulder.

 

[the sceptic]

Nice young talented squad they got there. The most talented riders in the world apparently, so its a shame that an unrepentant doper like Hesjedal is still around.

 

[Ferminal]

Yes, such a shame that Hesjedal having a contract keeps another Iberian journeyman out of a WT gig.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

The CN article ad libbed. The original Garmin release said nothing of Hesjedal, who won a GT barely 2 years ago, and had virus / injuries last season. Didn't even rate a mention. Seems too weird.

 

[movingtarget]

Now that the peloton is clean the French team finally have a level playing field.

Does not seem to help them much. About 30 years since a Frenchman won the Tour. Apart from the anomaly that was Thomas in 2011 re a handy breakaway and a lot of spirit, I can't see any Frenchman winning the Tour in the foreseable future. There may be an element of truth in the lack of drugs, spoilt overpaid riders on French teams and lack of discipline. These types of comments have been circulating for a long time now. We have heard about the promising riders like Sicard, Rolland and Pinot but none of them are getting even close to winning a grand tour.

As for Garmin I think Talansky is their best hope at the moment and I rate him higher than Van Garderen. Next few seasons will tell. As for Hesjedal winning the Giro, well the jury's out.

 

[The Hitch]

Does not seem to help them much. About 30 years since a Frenchman won the Tour. Apart from the anomaly that was Thomas in 2011 re a handy breakaway and a lot of spirit, I can't see any Frenchman winning the Tour in the foreseable future. There may be an element of truth in the lack of drugs, spoilt overpaid riders on French teams and lack of discipline. These types of comments have been circulating for a long time now. We have heard about the promising riders like Sicard, Rolland and Pinot but none of them are getting even close to winning a grand tour.

As for Garmin I think Talansky is their best hope at the moment and I rate him higher than Van Garderen. Next few seasons will tell. As for Hesjedal winning the Giro, well the jury's out.

I hope you meant "spirit" as a metaphor. The guy finished with the heads of state on 3 of the mtfs including the most brutal one.

 

[DirtyWorks]

D There may be an element of truth in the lack of drugs, spoilt overpaid riders on French teams and lack of discipline.

"Discipline" is not a PED routine to podium a grand tour.

What is "spoilt overpaid riders?" If they are clean, their results are best effort. Paying them for being possibly clean is okay.

 

[Random Direction]

The CN article ad libbed. The original Garmin release said nothing of Hesjedal, who won a GT barely 2 years ago, and had virus / injuries last season. Didn't even rate a mention. Seems too weird.

I'd put money on more clinic related news for Hesjedal coming out shortly - perhaps out of the artibration for Johan et al, perhaps out of the discussions with CCES and USADA. Not being mentioned in the Slipstream press release is weird, definitely, however in the context of the limited hangout regarding doping 10 years ago, it makes complete sense.

JV, when will we hear more news on this? Perhaps a 6 month or year suspension is already agreed to and Slipstream is distancing the brand from a known future issue.

 

[manafana]

I think ROhan Dennis is the next hope lots of new talent come in to this year.

 

[movingtarget]

I hope you meant "spirit" as a metaphor. The guy finished with the heads of state on 3 of the mtfs including the most brutal one.

No I meant he was riding drunk............obviously I meant it was a gutsy ride and I don't think anyone would dispute that.

 

[The Hitch]

No I meant he was riding drunk............obviously I meant it was a gutsy ride and I don't think anyone would dispute that.

Right but spirit isn't usually what makes a guy who's one gt stage win before 30 was the flattest stage of the 2010 tour, drop contador.

 

[movingtarget]

Right but spirit isn't usually what makes a guy who's one gt stage win before 30 was the flattest stage of the 2010 tour, drop contador.

I suppose but if he rode more sensibly on the Alpe stage instead of flogging away on his own between the Evans group and Contador's group he would have made the podium. Contador had also been involved in some prangs, was coming off the Giro and had knee issues. Perreiro showed previously in 2006, put someone in Yellow they fight harder. As for doping and Vockler who knows ?

 

[hrotha]

I suppose but if he rode more sensibly on the Alpe stage instead of flogging away on his own between the Evans group and Contador's group he would have made the podium. Contador had also been involved in some prangs, was coming off the Giro and had knee issues. Perreiro showed previously in 2006, put someone in Yellow they fight harder. As for doping and Vockler who knows ?

Pereiro doped.
While the yellow jersey gives you valuable extra motivation, it also gives you more reasons to up your program (which is what I think Pereiro did).
There are many, many red flags around Europcar. Voeckler never shown that level before or after.

 

[Pentacycle]

Pereiro doped.
While the yellow jersey gives you valuable extra motivation, it also gives you more reasons to up your program (which is what I think Pereiro did).
There are many, many red flags around Europcar. Voeckler never shown that level before or after.

His performances in 2010&'12 weren't that bad, particularly his stage wins in Bagnère-de-Luchon, completely destroying the breakaways.

 

[hrotha]

His performances in 2010&'12 weren't that bad, particularly his stage wins in Bagnère-de-Luchon, completely destroying the breakaways.

They weren't that bad, because Voeckler had a good level to begin with. Still not comparable to his 2011 Tour.

 

[movingtarget]

Pereiro doped.
While the yellow jersey gives you valuable extra motivation, it also gives you more reasons to up your program (which is what I think Pereiro did).
There are many, many red flags around Europcar. Voeckler never shown that level before or after.

Pereiro was a top 10 or 20 GT rider and was gifted 18 or 20 minutes in a breakaway in 2006. If that does not give someone incentive I don't know what does and then Landis rode like a demon to save his race, chemically enhanced of course. What I'm saying is that Pereiro was already a decent GT rider. Doping possibly.

 

[hrotha]

There's no "possibly" about it.

 

[ChewbaccaD]

Pereiro was a top 10 or 20 GT rider and was gifted 18 or 20 minutes in a breakaway in 2006. If that does not give someone incentive I don't know what does and then Landis rode like a demon to save his race, chemically enhanced of course. What I'm saying is that Pereiro was already a decent GT rider. Doping possibly.

My favorite performance of the doping era...The year after that, everyone stopped doping...but that year, they were all juiced, and Landis went out, and by force of will, put them all in the gutter. Brilliant ride!

 

[Ferminal]

Funny his Ventolin positives were both on stages after he took the lead.

 

[roundabout]

Probably was not tested before

 

[Ferminal]

That's what I figured but he would have been tested the day of the break too. Salbutamol detection hit and miss?

 

[movingtarget]

That's what I figured but he would have been tested the day of the break too. Salbutamol detection hit and miss?

The amount of salbutamol Pettachi was sucking down it's a wonder his heart didn't give out. Yes he had an exemption for Asthma I think but that was just ridiculous. I'm an asthmatic and I know the effects of using too much ventolin. And that point it used to be off to hospital.

 

[movingtarget]

There's no "possibly" about it.

I watched the 2006 Tour again recently. I always found Sastre's performances interesting. Many swear that he was clean as he does himself of course, it's also interesting comparing him to Evan's over those few years. Evans usually beat him convincing in the TT's but that last TT in 2008 was a good one for Sastre and a mediocre one for Evans. There was no doubt Evans was tired in the third week. In the mountains though they were pretty similar. Usually in the second best group after Contador, Rasmussen etc. Maybe Sastre 2008 was like Evans 2011 but different circumstances of course. Schleck's obviously did not expect his attack in 2008. Bad blood ever since.