Teams & Riders Froome Talk Only

[MartinGT]

Re: Re:

McQuaid wades in:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/42367974

'McQuaid believes Cookson would "absolutely" have been told of the case. "If a result comes through from the laboratory that a big, big rider has provided an adverse analytical sample then the president is involved, so he would have been aware," said McQuaid.

Last week Cookson praised Team Sky, telling the BBC it should have its reputation "reinstated" following a series of recent controversies. "It really surprises me to see what Brian said about Sky getting their credibility back when all the time he knew that this thing was going on in the background," said McQuaid. "How Brian, knowing all of those facts, could turn around and say, 'you need to hand their credibility back to Team Sky', I just don't understand it, it's beyond me."

Pat getting the knife in
nicely

Pat the knife

 

[red_flanders]

Re: Re:

Well honestly that Kittel thing was outrageous and still is. You pump your blood out and put it back in and you argue it's ok ??? really ? UCI at the time lacked guts. It should have if not punished at least massively shamed the culprit saying that "while not legally punishable because unknown at the time this action is viewed as having a clear intent of boosting one's blood efficiency artificially and therefore to reaping benefits akin to those of banned doping. This type of practice will not be tolerated and should not have been tolerated, the UCI regrets not being able to punish the rider for what should have been an offence.". Boom.

You had 6 years to attack kittel for this. You are only getting the knives out now because a guy who was mean to poor froomie seems to like him.

Dude I don't give a rat's *** about Kittel, I am not "attacking him", what matters here is the Froome case. It doesn't change the fact that shaming riders and teams that abuse a system by exploiting grey areas should be seen as a legitimate action from organisers and federations, It would be a helpful tool to try and keep them in line as we all know that researd in gaming the system is always one step ahead of the rules to enforce fair and clean playing field.

Nailed it.

 

[brownbobby]

Just seeing the BBC website and a reminder about SPOTY. It struck me that the British public have a mischievous sense of humour and an unpredictable track record when it comes to public votes in recent times.

What do the BBC do if he goes and wins this thing :lol:

 

[Netserk]

Re: Re:

Obviously the filthy frogs are trying to tarnish British sport by framing their greatest ever athlete, just had to wait until they could cout de tate Sir Bryan and replace him with their puppet. It was only a marginal indiscretion though, not really worth worrying about. Tranquilo.

They did the same thing with Lance and the chamois cream in '99 on his comeback. Mountain out of a molehill, Lance had a saddle sore. They have history.

I'm sure Sir Dave and Michelle will show them up with perfectly sensible level headed explanations

Yeah, blame the French...

Worst post of the day.

Oh Tonton, be a bit more generous in your reading of sb. He may have been away for a long time, but that post's sarcasm is still easy to read

I guess some things just hits too close to home :lol:

 

[veji11]

Re: Re:

Obviously the filthy frogs are trying to tarnish British sport by framing their greatest ever athlete, just had to wait until they could cout de tate Sir Bryan and replace him with their puppet. It was only a marginal indiscretion though, not really worth worrying about. Tranquilo.

They did the same thing with Lance and the chamois cream in '99 on his comeback. Mountain out of a molehill, Lance had a saddle sore. They have history.

I'm sure Sir Dave and Michelle will show them up with perfectly sensible level headed explanations

Yeah, blame the French...

Worst post of the day.

Honestly it was a great post, obviously in gest, and I am french.

 

[thehog]

Re: Re:

McQuaid wades in:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/42367974

'McQuaid believes Cookson would "absolutely" have been told of the case. "If a result comes through from the laboratory that a big, big rider has provided an adverse analytical sample then the president is involved, so he would have been aware," said McQuaid.

Last week Cookson praised Team Sky, telling the BBC it should have its reputation "reinstated" following a series of recent controversies. "It really surprises me to see what Brian said about Sky getting their credibility back when all the time he knew that this thing was going on in the background," said McQuaid. "How Brian, knowing all of those facts, could turn around and say, 'you need to hand their credibility back to Team Sky', I just don't understand it, it's beyond me."

When asked by BBC Sport if he was made aware of Froome's adverse test while he was UCI president, Cookson denied he had any "role or influence" in the case.'

Classic politician tactic, avoiding a question by answering one he wasn't asked

I noticed that, Cookson just can’t be honest.

 

[The Hitch]

Oh how far the road has turned.

Mcquaid is still a fraud but nice to see him do something good for once.

Maybe 1 day we will be able to see crookson redeem himself by sticking the knife into the next iteration of BrunyeelLance/ BrailsfordFroome.

For now though and the forseeable future hes still just a scumbag

 

[Tonton]

...post which was reported as offensive by a non-French member, earning its author a warning.

Personally, I can't tell if it's bashing or sarcastic...it's just stirring the pot. So far, it has been a rather healthy discussion, much healthier than the Armstrong thread of years ago. Let's keep it that way .

 

[DanielSong39]

If Froome is smart he will negotiate for a retroactive 2016-2017 ban, which means losing the double and the runner-up finish in the 2016 Vuelta. Painful, but better to cut the losses short instead of being Armstronged.

He then misses the Giro and the Tour, and makes a comeback in the Vuelta. He will gain a lot of sympathy and public support while keeping 3 Tour titles.

Let's not forget that Contador was considered to be a heel before missing time due to a ban.

 

[rhubroma]

Re: Re:

Brent Copland's interview in today's la Gazzetta dello Sport exemplifies why Sky fails every credibility test. "Why hasn't team Sky suspended Froome?" he asks."Honestly it doesn't surprise me. I want to start by saying, however, that my words aren't an attack against Sky,or even Froome. I'm just reflecting aloud in the interest of cycling." The reason is this: "The news was communicated on 20 September and the majority of teams have an internal ethical conduct code that provides for a rider's suspension, until the affair has been resolved. This means us too (Bahrain-Merida), obviously. And if this would have happened to any of our riders, from Nibali to Feng, we would have suspended him. This sort of thing can happen to any team. And Sky has always proclaimed to have zero tolerance." Now another question: "The other day the UCI made known the list of World Tour teams and, from the tenor of the communication, one understood that Sky was not called in to clarify its position following Froome's situation before the licencing board. Why not? Usually, for administrative, financial and naturally ethical concerns, this is always the case. Yet this time, no. How come?"

It is also rich how Nibali responded to a question about the perception of Sky in the peleton in a separate interview.

GdS: "But is it true that in the gruppo there is a diffused sentiment of dislike/envy towards the British team?"

VN: "No. It's their behavior that can be a bit annoying. A bit...haughty. We are strong, the others are nobody. Can this be said? One perceives this, but then maybe if I outright say so oh the drama and headlines."

No surprise - except perhaps the timing. Nice little present from Santa for me. And though it's 'only' an AAF, it's usually the little, overlooked things rather than the big stuff people are worried about, like EPO or whatever, that'll catch people out, so that's no surprise either.

It seems, too, that it isn't only the 'pushing the envelope' that is coming home to roost. Sky have had an ugly 'flashing the cash' attitude with their RVs and Formula One 'box' things, so it's no surprise to read Nibs comments (and Tony M's) and find that they don't appear to have won many friends. Hubris. I can't say I'm not enjoying it. I'm delighted. I'll be even more delighted if the snake Brailsford has his comeuppance, because I've always found the management more intolerable than the actual riders, even if I do not like Froome.

Best of all though - the nauseating, fawning articles and triumphalism may be coming to an end, or at least tempered. Has Walsh published anything as yet?

The TdF in particular has been nigh on unwatchable in recent years. I had already decided I couldn't stomach watching GTs this year...hopefully, this might make that a bit more palatable even if only coz the Kirby-gasms and the like will have to be more muted.

Ho ho ho and all that.

On the other side is Mascon in an interview in la Repubblica today blithly chalking it all up to Sky hate, to a distaste for Brailsford, to an aversion to their manaical devotion to success, while ignoring the inconsistancies and blatant hypocrisy over why his team can't even live up to its own "no tolerance" policy. By contrast he boldly proclaims his complete faith in Froome's innocence, and with no insignificant self-deception states his certainty over none of this impacting upon his future or Sky's. So he is either a moron, or we shall be taken for (another) ride.

 

[DanielSong39]

If Froome does take his medicine and accepts a suspension and the loss of his double, my opinion of him will change considerably and I suspect I won't be alone.

A subsequent comeback at a reduced level will make him a folk hero.

 

[Franklin]

Re: Re:

[
Hope that lawyers cheap. From what I can see there that guys success rate is less than 50%.

Considering the cases any success at all would be noteworthy. Scoff about it all we might (it's delicously funny for sure), the guy is a very good lawyer who had some landmark cases.

And considering, I have no problems whatsoever with a lawyer like him. It's a necessary thing and however I might think/feel about it, in any case on whatever grounds, a defendant should be able to be defended by the best lawyers.

 

[DanielSong39]

You have to look at the bigger picture too. Losing a case is bad but the bigger goal is to protect the client's public brand. Contador's brand and public image improved because he was actually stripped of two Grand Tours. Sharapova received mostly sympathy for her ban and was welcomed back to the sport with open arms. Their long-term legacy is secure and they will continue to be loved by fans and generate tons of income through their branding.

For this reason I think Froome will accept a retroactive ban that includes the loss of two Grand Tours. Anything less than that will damage his legacy in my opinion.

 

[70kmph]

His final recourse is to reveal doping information...to bargain for a reduced sentence

 

[ruamruam]

I have a serious dilemma.

I picked Froome in my fantasy Vuelta team, I am not proud of this but I needed the points . I ended up finishing 2nd in my club's Vuelta fantasy league and got a small prize for that. I have a few questions I would like your opinions on:

1. Do I have to give that prize back?
2. Are the points I got from Froome before Stage 18 valid or should I have got no points for him for the entire race?
3. After answering question number 2, would anyone be willing to recalculate the points for the entire league to see who rightfully finished 1st, 2nd & 3rd.
4. If I sent the small prize to Nibali, would that absolve me of my guilt? Nibali could always send me back the prize if it was found out he was also doping.

 

[TMJ]

Here are some highlights of the Cycling News report on Stage 17 of the Vuelta, the day before Froome's high consumption of Salbutamol.

Chris Froome (Team Sky) was forced onto the defensive on the steep slopes of the Alto de los Machucos on stage 17 of the Vuelta a España as he struggled to handle the double-digit gradient of the narrow cow track and was dropped by all his overall rivals.

Froome struggled to stay with teammate Mikel Nieve in the final two kilometres and finished 14th on the stage at 1:46. He lost 42 seconds to Nibali and Zakarin and a little less to Kelderman and others.

This is what happened on Stage 18 :

The momentum is once again with Chris Froome (Team Sky) at the Vuelta a España after he distanced Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) on the short final climb to Alto de Santo Toribio de Liébana on stage 18 to extend his lead atop the overall standings to 1:37.

Anything dodgy here? Or no advantage gained?

 

[MartinGT]

Here are some highlights of the Cycling News report on Stage 17 of the Vuelta, the day before Froome's high consumption of Salbutamol.

Chris Froome (Team Sky) was forced onto the defensive on the steep slopes of the Alto de los Machucos on stage 17 of the Vuelta a España as he struggled to handle the double-digit gradient of the narrow cow track and was dropped by all his overall rivals.

Froome struggled to stay with teammate Mikel Nieve in the final two kilometres and finished 14th on the stage at 1:46. He lost 42 seconds to Nibali and Zakarin and a little less to Kelderman and others.

This is what happened on Stage 18 :

The momentum is once again with Chris Froome (Team Sky) at the Vuelta a España after he distanced Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) on the short final climb to Alto de Santo Toribio de Liébana on stage 18 to extend his lead atop the overall standings to 1:37.

Anything dodgy here? Or no advantage gained?

Resurrection, he liveth

 

[mrhender]

Going to be awkward come july - Froome puffing his way up a big climb, leaving the rest in the dust.

I like how they call it (inhalor) the transporter. The double meaning is perfect for the moment.

 

[mrhender]

Does anyone have the timeline of his asthma condition at hand?

I wonder if Bermon was the one that introduced him to the concept.

 

[thehog]

As it turns out, Swart measured Froome’s hydration, “sweat rate” during his GSK testing. It indicates that Froome doesn’t suffer from dehydration, even in humid conditions. Thus any claims of dehydration at the Vuelta in 20c heat is most likely BS.

 

[veji11]

Re:

Going to be awkward come july - Froome puffing his way up a big climb, leaving the rest in the dust.

I like how they call it (inhalor) the transporter. The double meaning is perfect for the moment.

He won't be there in july, this is a given. Aso can't afford to have him on the race, hearing endless boos along the road, being thrown piss at and basically putting all the other riders in danger because there is the potential for "fans" to throw harder stuff at him or even assault him. Just a god awful mess ASO will want to avoid at all costs.

 

[yaco]

Mike Morgan is a hot-shot Anti-Doping lawyer whose speciality is getting reduced sentences for athletes - Often works with Howard Jacobs and both have a formidable reputation - Though I wonder about their closeness to CAS.

 

[mrhender]

Re: Re:

Going to be awkward come july - Froome puffing his way up a big climb, leaving the rest in the dust.

I like how they call it (inhalor) the transporter. The double meaning is perfect for the moment.

He won't be there in july, this is a given. Aso can't afford to have him on the race, hearing endless boos along the road, being thrown piss at and basically putting all the other riders in danger because there is the potential for "fans" to throw harder stuff at him or even assault him. Just a god awful mess ASO will want to avoid at all costs.

I think that depends how much Froom, Sky and the lawyers can muddy the waters.
Make the case super complicated, long dragging and about his human right to protect his health.

The french might throw piss, but the reaction so far hasnt been fury. No one is surprised.

 

[yaco]

Re:

If Froome is smart he will negotiate for a retroactive 2016-2017 ban, which means losing the double and the runner-up finish in the 2016 Vuelta. Painful, but better to cut the losses short instead of being Armstronged.

He then misses the Giro and the Tour, and makes a comeback in the Vuelta. He will gain a lot of sympathy and public support while keeping 3 Tour titles.

Let's not forget that Contador was considered to be a heel before missing time due to a ban.

So the UCI is somehow going to find a way to sanction an athlete one year before his AAF - What creative thinking !

 

[miguelindurain111]

As it turns out, Swart measured Froome’s hydration, “sweat rate” during his GSK testing. It indicates that Froome doesn’t suffer from dehydration, even in humid conditions. Thus any claims of dehydration at the Vuelta in 20c heat is most likely BS.

Yeah, a test lasting ~1h and started fully hydrated gives us everything needed to conclude athlete's hydration status after 2,5 weeks of intense racing in a GT :lol: