Evans V Valverde...

[Nick777]

Name me a Spaniard who cannot beat Evans head to head. The top 4 all can and have the past three seasons. Heck, LLS and Rodriguez would give him a run for his money on a week long event.

There is a reason for that. Spain seem to produce amazing athletes. I wonder why..?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

When I get some time i will do a full extensive head to head on them.

I trust your research to be as objective as Bruyneel's opinions of Armstrong and Contador.

 

[blaxland]

There is a reason for that. Spain seem to produce amazing athletes. I wonder why..?

+1 agree with this quote...........the answer is DR--s and of course the great weather there...........

 

[Galic Ho]

There is a reason for that. Spain seem to produce amazing athletes. I wonder why..?

Are you suggesting then that Evans is some sort of super freak walking the clean and enlightened path, spreading light amongst the darkness of Spanish talent? Or perhaps they are all doing the same things, but the Spanish are just better at putting it all together or are simply better riders? Take your pick, but I don't prescribe to the first line of thought. Maybe at the start of the 90s when Fignon and LeMond were riding and near 30 years of age, a rider stood a chance on GC not on O2 enhancers, but not today and especially not against the peloton as a whole, can they stand out for a long period of time.

People tend to pick on the Spanish because they are across the board so strong at this current time. I like to balance it out and keep some perspective, which at time means reminding people the Spanish are not in their own exclusive league. I can think of one American who would employ everything in his arsenal to stop them. Everything. One can acknowledge the underhand activities used to gain advantages in cycling and still admire the riding. In this regard I can see Omerta enforcers being more realistic than the fans. They know who is and isn't jumping on the dope train. Fans pick and choose when it is appropriate, being an aussie I've heard them all. Aussies call Poms whingers, however we can whine with and deny with the best the world has to offer. Evans in the 2007 Tour for example. Aussie cycling fanatics and sycophants made and continue to make excuse after excuse. They continued the trend the year after. 2007 it was dopers, the next year the line changed to one of Evans being ganged up on. Evans biggest problem has always been in his noggin. His brain and intellect. The Spaniards, or more importantly, the DS, are tactically more aware of circumstances and reacting pro-actively to moves. At the end of the day saying you've done your best should be enough. One can be proud of that, even more so if you competed clean and were flogged.

 

[Oldman]

There is a reason for that. Spain seem to produce amazing athletes. I wonder why..?

And while you're wondering that consider why most American pros have their continental residency there. Also; why many early season camps are held there...

 

[auscyclefan94]

Spanish or not... Valverde has been involved in a doping affair with some substancial evidence.

 

[Galic Ho]

Spanish or not... Valverde has been involved in a doping affair with some substancial evidence.

What is funnier is that he is better from 2008-2010 than he was between 2004-2006, when Fuentes was in full swing with his gynaecology clinic. What does that say about cycling and it's clean racing? Nothing truthful if you ask me.

Yep, Oldman has it. Look at the training camps and pro's living in Spain. Heck Gesink recently moved there, lets take a swing at him too while we're at it.

 

[Nick777]

Are you suggesting then that Evans is some sort of super freak walking the clean and enlightened path, spreading light amongst the darkness of Spanish talent? .

No, I am using common sense.

There is enough evidence that suggests that doping isnt policed very heavily over there.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Aussies call Poms whingers, however we can whine with and deny with the best the world has to offer. Evans in the 2007 Tour for example. Aussie cycling fanatics and sycophants made and continue to make excuse after excuse. They continued the trend the year after. 2007 it was dopers, the next year the line changed to one of Evans being ganged up on.

This is one of my favourite things about Australia. I won't say that we Poms don't whinge, because we do, and I'm one of the most moaning and whining Poms you'll ever meet, but Alan Davies' routine about meeting an Australian who spent a whole hour moaning and whining about how much the Poms moan and whine was both funny and dead on from my personal experiences.

I sometimes feel like Cadel is happier once he has the excuse because then he can just get his head down and ride, and he already has the excuse for when things don't go his way; he doesn't have to acknowledge that on the day somebody might have been better than him that way. He seemed happier and less stressed out in the Vuelta AFTER the puncture stage (not directly after it, he was fuming then) and AFTER the Gesink block that lost him the maillot oro than before them.

 

[Galic Ho]

No, I am using common sense.

There is enough evidence that suggests that doping isnt policed very heavily over there.

I've seen pictures of EPO in vials you can supposedly walk into a Chemist/Drug Store and buy off the shelf. I wonder why UPS went to Spain and trained there? Walsh debunked the myth Lance lived and trained in France in his books. Spain was the place to be. The police tended to follow people in France.

 

[Nick777]

I've seen pictures of EPO in vials you can supposedly walk into a Chemist/Drug Store and buy off the shelf. I wonder why UPS went to Spain and trained there? Walsh debunked the myth Lance lived and trained in France in his books. Spain was the place to be. The police tended to follow people in France.

Maybe I should move there to train before I try my first half ironman in 12 months time..?

 

[Oldman]

Maybe I should move there to train before I try my first half ironman in 12 months time..?

There or San Diego. Ensenada, Mexico and it's liberal pharmacies are just across the border much like Galic Ho described in Spain. We used to get alot of Euro pros train there during the winter build up and, yes; they all seemed to take a short "beach break" South of the border.

 

[Galic Ho]

There or San Diego. Ensenada, Mexico and it's liberal pharmacies are just across the border much like Galic Ho described in Spain. We used to get alot of Euro pros train there during the winter build up and, yes; they all seemed to take a short "beach break" South of the border.

I've heard good things about China. Great things. They've got their own versions of everything you could want all courtesy of Peasant Communism and commie wizz kid chemists copying all the Western PEDs. Problem is Mandarin is not easy to pick up on, so you may ask for EPO and the mistranslation means you get oestrogen and wake up with a nice set of tits instead of enhanced blood parameters. Go to Spain or Mexico. Good beer and good weather in a great geographic location. Does anyone here think the Chicken married a Mexican for love alone? Or does training there have its ups and downs? I am not referring to 2007 and his supposed whereabouts that were disproved, if that is what anyone is thinking. During his ban he spent a considerable amount of time in Mexico.

 

[karlboss]

I've heard good things about China. Great things. They've got their own versions of everything you could want all courtesy of Peasant Communism and commie wizz kid chemists copying all the Western PEDs. Problem is Mandarin is not easy to pick up on, so you may ask for EPO and the mistranslation means you get oestrogen and wake up with a nice set of tits instead of enhanced blood parameters. Go to Spain or Mexico. Good beer and good weather in a great geographic location. Does anyone here think the Chicken married a Mexican for love alone? Or does training there have its ups and downs? I am not referring to 2007 and his supposed whereabouts that were disproved, if that is what anyone is thinking. During his ban he spent a considerable amount of time in Mexico.

altitude training, thats why his blood values are so good when he comes back. Well maybe not, but looking at a map, there looks to be some great terrain along the south coast.