"clean", "suspect", "miraculous" and "mutants"

[L'arriviste]

Linked before but very informative:
http://www.alternativeditions.com/2013/06/02/les-calculs-de-puissance-du-tour-d-italie-2013/

It's released on Friday. I already have a copy but I'm not allowed to talk about it until then.

OK, I'm allowed to talk about this now.

I have the French language edition but it's available in English too.

All those timings, VAM and power numbers can be rather opaque, as you can imagine, so the authors have grouped them into ranges to which they apply a simple "heat scale". Normal (green), Suspect (yellow), Miraculous (orange) and Mutant (red).

So, how they approach the presentation is like this:

There are smaller blocks dedicated to selected performances on climbs and in TTs by riders in supporting roles or those who have since been busted:

These are however mere tidbits in comparison with the bigger presentations that follow.

The main section of the magazine consists of double-page spreads on the big guns of recent history and how their performances measure up, based on known climbs and Portoleau's published methodology.

Here's an example - Marco Pantani:

You can see various climbs and TTs over the years that Pantani rode, with the details carefully recorded for each performance.

The colour ranges have been applied so that you can get a good overall picture of what the authors think of the Italian's career.

On the opposite page, meanwhile, the "official" narrative of Pantani's rides followed by the allegations that dogged him, ruining his career and eventually his life. These synopses will be of less interest to Clinic regulars.

This pattern of evalutating performances - but also the surrounding hype - of riders is the common thread throughout the magazine.

Although it is undoubtedly weighed down by the unenviable tasks of trying to persuade less convinced cycling fans and attract interest from a casual readership, I found it quite readable and, while nothing was strongly surprising (only one rider gets a clean sheet), such a factual demonstration of the sheer level of ridiculousness is often fascinating.

Let me conclude by saying that the results broadly confirm the narrative of doping as described by the Clinic and other fans who do their homework. Thus things are no longer so depraved as they were (the published data ends with the 2012 season) but it does not follow that cycling is clean. Far from it.

Get yourself a copy, if only for the legitimate sense of satisfaction it will give you.

 

[webvan]

That looks interesting, thanks, it seems it's available in newspaper shops, will got check out my local one during lunch time!

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

Get yourself a copy, if only for the legitimate sense of satisfaction it will give you.

I'm waiting for the mail to come.

Wonder who got the clean sheet.

 

[L'arriviste]

I'm waiting for the mail to come.

Wonder who got the clean sheet.

Hint: the only one who has nothing to be afraid of.

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

Hint: the only one who has nothing to be afraid of.

Quelle surprise...

I saw an item on Chiappucci 1992 in your scans, it is interesting to see his performance that day wasnt even extraterrestial numberswise. But, being able to do that day after day is something different.

 

[L'arriviste]

Quelle surprise...

I saw an item on Chiappucci 1992 in your scans, it is interesting to see his performance that day wasnt even extraterrestial numberswise. But, being able to do that day after day is something different.

You're right and that's more or less what I thought too.

That said, doing rides classified as "miraculous" was still one step beyond what a good proportion of the rest of the peloton could do in 1992.

We can see how his results waned as the years passed, others got on terms and the Arms Race rumbled on.

 

[Pulpstar]

Is the 'one' clean rider Cuddles ?

 

[Ferminal]

Is the 'one' clean rider Cuddles ?

LeMond I guess.


Lemond Greg
Voeckler Thomas
Hinault Bernard
Fignon Laurent
Evans Cadel
Moreau Christophe
Virenque Richard
Wiggins Bradley
Froome Chris
Valverde Alessandro
Jalabert Laurent
Schleck Andy
Vinokourov Alexandre
Landis Floyd
Basso Ivan
Armstrong Lance
Contador Alberto
Indurain Miguel
Ullrich Jan
Riis Bjarne
Pantani Marco

 

[Benotti69]

Is the 'one' clean rider Cuddles ?

I doubt it.

Think the only American to win the TdF.

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

Hint: the only one who has nothing to be afraid of.

Given that more than one rider profiled is pre-EPO that seems to imply that PEDs (oxygen vector doping) perhaps have a stronger effect then they are given credit?

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

You're right and that's more or less what I thought too.

That said, doing rides classified as "miraculous" was still one step beyond what a good proportion of the rest of the peloton could do in 1992.

We can see how his results waned as the years passed, others got on terms and the Arms Race rumbled on.

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/results/1999/dec99/dec30news.shtml

''Claudio Chiappucci, who said that he had never worked with Conconi, was measured at 35% in January 1994 to 60(!) in June, where he came 5th in the Giro''

Well, he didnt lie about that one, we know Grazzi was his best buddy
He needed a crit of 60 to reach fourth in 1994, blown away on the Mortirolo by f.uck all.

capucino on Alpe d'Huez:
1992: 43 minutes
1995: 40 minutes

Hampsten in 1992:
44 minutes

Pretty sure who of them was a better climber, and not on epo.

Given that more than one rider profiled is pre-EPO that seems to imply that PEDs (oxygen vector doping) perhaps have a stronger effect then they are given credit?

You mean non o2v I assume?

Fignon 1984 versus Indurain 1995:
La Plagne
Fignon 52 minutes Indurain 45 minutes

That is a 14% difference, give or take.

 

[whittashau]

So the red line here is what exactly? The miraculous or mutant line?

 

[burning]

So the red line here is what exactly? The miraculous or mutant line?

I think it's the mutant line but I might be wrong

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

You mean non o2v I assume?

Fignon 1984 versus Indurain 1995:
La Plagne
Fignon 52 minutes Indurain 45 minutes

That is a 14% difference, give or take.

That is not my point at all. I am not saying that the drugs give equal or even similar boosts in performance.

I am asking if the drugs of the pre epo era allowed you to improve you power number beyond what could normally do as opposed to help you sustain your existing ones.

There is only one guy with a 'clean sheet' from that list. Assuming it is Lemond then there must be something in the other guys performances (of that era) that are being flagged wrt power, no?

 

[thehog]

...................

The 21 riders that are analyzed in the book. Green, riders called "clean" yellow "suspect" riders in the orange "miraculous" and the red "mutants".

http://www.rtbf.be/sport/cyclisme/d...-les-watts-pour-denoncer-le-dopage?id=8011128

 

[Zam_Olyas]

The tongue man is yellow.

 

[The Hitch]

That only takes the tour though right? Wonder if 52 would be higher if it was taken into account that the rider had been on peak for 5 months prior and won 3 overalls and 4 stages in that time.

 

[hrotha]

They only take watts into account, not W/kg, right? That has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

 

[roundabout]

2006 was clean

Even though they climbed Alpe d'Huez in 38 and a half minutes from memory

 

[whittashau]

I think it's the mutant line but I might be wrong

Yeah, that would make sense

As for the line, wouldn't it be somewhat irrelevant for a TT? Since it's a one off effort rather than at the end of a stage?

 

[King Boonen]

That only takes the tour though right? Wonder if 52 would be higher if it was taken into account that the rider had been on peak for 5 months prior and won 3 overalls and 4 stages in that time.

Three posts, new record?

 

[Gregga]

They only take watts into account, not W/kg, right? That has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

They calculate watts for a virtual 70kg rider with 8kg bike + equipment
So "suspect" is above 5.85 W/kg (=410/70)
"miraculous" is above 6.14 W/kg
"mutant" is above 6.4

IMO Contador shouldn't be among the "mutants", Verbier '09 seems to be an artefact in their calculations as at least 10 riders were mutants that day, including Wiggins, maybe a strong tailwind even though they said it had been taken into account.

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

I thought that was Record Power Profile as cited by the study they did?

 

[whittashau]

What does the number on the far left indicate?

 

[burning]

I'm curious about how the final scores were given to riders?