He is always saying he is at his best, better than ever, 2014 his best year, now he is like 2014, that he didnt lose nor a 1 % of his best shape ever now. He is getting his cimbing records,.. but the fact is that he climbs year by year Arrate 40 s-1 min slower than in 2009, that he won almost every 1 week race he rode, not just to win, but with some exceptions, smash everybody in the ITt and in the mountain finishmbeating in flat `prologues people as Toy Martin, Wiggins, etc...and, despite the change of the wind that helped him, a flat ITT in le Tour to Cancellara...
After his santion is a good rider able to win some races, with more problem than before,to be one of the best of the history in short and hilly ITTs...he needto use strategy, to ask for people to other team, as we see in Fuente dé, but he won that vuielta, he won another Vuelta, he was the best pre`pared rider and he wa lucky with the circuntances, but he won Vuelta in 2014, and he won the Giro, becouse atana didnt bet or risk to win, but he won...but he has never be on the podium again ion le Tour, againt the best riders in toop hape, and now he isnot very good in all kind of ITTs, (he was very good in the Giro, but it was an exception, ad there Porteand uran were with problem, Froome, Wiggins, cancellara, Tony Martin,.. want there.. but yes, good one...and now he is up always in one week races, but he need a good rute or luck to win.
So, he is far those numbers of 2009, and he ha worse results.
But he aid he is the ameorevenn better,
he just try to justifique he never doped.. and he is a rider that as most of riers before 2008 doped usually, and in the transitional era, when doping decreae a lot, he still doped, lees than before, but more than the average, when lot of people already didnt dope) He was caucth and, the contrary to others who lest cycling or his reult tarting to be much worse, without doping he was still a very good rider, but not the same.
Other people were lacking best result for that reason and improved his results.
some people aid here he i still doping.
i think his improvement after 2014 is not for doping, he just starting to do what people do in the new era, and he improved his result, becouse he is a very good rider, not the best, but a very good one.
He won the Vuelta 2012 becouse he was fresher than others, and for strategy, but Purito climbed better, and other riders were beter in la Bola del mundo.
His 2013 wanst so bad, he was 4th in le Tour, but compared his trayectory very bad...and later he imprioved becouehe starting to note the new metodologhy, that is not doping.
Could I rule out he is doping. I would say yes, but in a team a Tinkoff with Riis over there and his past., and with those study of cycling saying still 30 % of cycling dope some way.... who knows?, , but I am sure if he is ussing he has a minimum margin, so the improvement is very small. I hope no and I think no.
The same I think of his rivals.
if you ask me about Gasparotto, I would say, probaby yes...with something minimal, but probably...but he is out of World Tour teams.