Help me find someone to root for at Le Tour

[Billie]

Re: Re:

Pick a random no-name domestique and create a groundswell of support for the guy.
Some folks did that at the Tour Down Under a few years back, and it was pretty awesome.
I don't remember the name of the rider, but he was stunned to learn he became one of the most popular riders in the peloton.

First Vichot, then Madrazo and Wouter Mol.

Didn't the Vuelta do this a few years ago too? I think it was Yannick Talabardon who was on Credit Agricole.

Yeah i remember him getting loads of support during a GT. Think it was because everybody loved the pronounciation of his name

 

[hrotha]

Re: Re:

To be fair he's not necessarily wrong, even if he reached that conclusion for all the wrong reasons. The 1999 and 2008 Tours were probably much cleaner than the rest of the season.

Not sure when to consider a race clean but pyrenees in 2008 where the most doped up weekend of the season.

You're taking the outliers for the whole peloton.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re: Re:

To be fair he's not necessarily wrong, even if he reached that conclusion for all the wrong reasons. The 1999 and 2008 Tours were probably much cleaner than the rest of the season.

Not sure when to consider a race clean but pyrenees in 2008 where the most doped up weekend of the season.

No they weren't. The penultimate weekend of the Giro was.

Poor Lelle, even getting overshadowed by the douchey ginger one in retrospect.

 

[May0maniac]

he Giro was even worse, but the you shouldn't forget the rest of his team and Bernie Kohl.

 

[Escarabajo]

So the big four:

Contador: Doping ban
Froome: Insists on being clean, but Leinders, magic leap
Nibali: Astana, US Postal 2.0, Vino, my god this guy is dirty
Quintana: Spanish team, teammates with Valv,Piti

Any thoughts on who might be the least dirty? Hope for an improbable run from Pinot? I'm trying to find a rooting interest beyond the theater of it all.

I think you'd better root for some stage hunters. I don't know, Brammeier has not been selected, I'd go for Nathan Haas, but he was praising Hesjedal during the Giro (I don't care, but it seems you looking for someone not touched by any doping related info)
Bauer and Navardauskas, but someone will tell you they race for Vaughters who dedicated his life to Antidoping, even though it does not seems so.
some Bretagne Sechè riders?

I mean. don't look for any GC rider to find a clean one.

Quintana the cleaner? he disappeared for months in Colombia to prepare for the Tour...

I'll give you the relation with Valverde and Movistar. But for sure it is not Quintana's fault being from Combita, Boyacá, where his whole family lives at 2825 m of altitude. What do you want him to do? Go to Teide to please everyone?

He is in a great position for being from there.

And expect a lot of wheelsucking from him as well, just like Cadel. When he was attacking he was not holding Froome's wheel at all. He already said in an interview that he learned his lesson about conserving a lot of energy. It helped him a lot in the third week of the Tour. He will probably won't make a lot of friends by riding like that, but I prefer this way of riding. At least is more believable just like Cadel.

Don't think it means they are clean but not mutant like others.

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%B3mbita

 

[blackcat]

Re: Re:

Pick a random no-name domestique and create a groundswell of support for the guy.
Some folks did that at the Tour Down Under a few years back, and it was pretty awesome.
I don't remember the name of the rider, but he was stunned to learn he became one of the most popular riders in the peloton.

First Vichot, then Madrazo and Wouter Mol.

Didn't the Vuelta do this a few years ago too? I think it was Yannick Talabardon who was on Credit Agricole.

Yeah i remember him getting loads of support during a GT. Think it was because everybody loved the pronounciation of his name

johnny walker was getting the support on Footon-Servetto(Saunier Duval) at the Vuelta about 6 years back.

 

[thehook]

Pull up the list of tour starters. Get a bottle of your favorite adult beverage. About half way through said bottle. Close your eyes and point to the list. BAM! There is the guy you follow daily!

Were do I send the bill for that advice? :0)

 

[Tonton]

Pinot. But like last year, I'll be watching for any data published and hope that I don't see anything suspicious from him. I'll root against Sky and their BS, against Oleg and his BS, so of the Big4, I'd rather Quintana or Nibali to do well. But France all the way, Pinot, then Bardet, Barguil...

I think you confused BS spouting ability with riding ability. Nibali might not be up there with Froome and Contador on climbing and tt ability, but together with Astana he sure as hell is right up there with them when it comes to spouting BS.

I knew that talking about BS and forgetting Astana would get me in trouble . So in a sense, yes, riding ability is there in my cheering. Now for the BS part: even the casual cycling fan knows that Astana is a gang of shameless dopers. The Oakland Raiders of cycling. My dislike of Oleg and Sky makes me cheer for whomever can make them bite the dust. Had my Frenchies stood a real chance, I wouldn't have mentioned Nibble or Nairito. I don't want Pinot to win and climb l'Alpe d'Huez in 37'. I would be really pi$$ed, BTW, Movistar, they are not bad either when it comes to BS...all that matters to me is a sad Oleg and a sad Dave B in July. And Pinot in the top-5 .

last year Nibali said some real crap about how it's a new era, how he is proof of clean cycling etc.

Yes he did. I understand that I'm rooting for small pox vs. plague and cholera. . Someone from the Big 4 will win: unfortunately, but true. My point is that as long as Dawg and Bertie don't, I'll have some sense of satisfaction.

 

[Billie]

Re: Re:

To be fair he's not necessarily wrong, even if he reached that conclusion for all the wrong reasons. The 1999 and 2008 Tours were probably much cleaner than the rest of the season.

Not sure when to consider a race clean but pyrenees in 2008 where the most doped up weekend of the season.

You're taking the outliers for the whole peloton.

Even after sending home the GST and SDV boys there was Kim Kirchen racing for top 5 on every stage and suddenly being one of 3 best timetrialists in the peloton while climbing better than ever. He never achieved anything after that but a stage win in Suisse where his team was the only to show up. Quite sure he was one of the positives when they re-tested for Cera. Just like Valjavec and Efimkin. All gone in less then 2 years.
Four other riders out of the top 10 have since been suspended..

edit: testing that year was obviously better than ever.

 

[hrotha]

I'm fully aware of how many dopers there were. Your edit is kinda what we're getting at.

 

[skippythepinhead]

So the big four:

Contador: Doping ban
Froome: Insists on being clean, but Leinders, magic leap
Nibali: Astana, US Postal 2.0, Vino, my god this guy is dirty
Quintana: Spanish team, teammates with Valv,Piti

Any thoughts on who might be the least dirty? Hope for an improbable run from Pinot? I'm trying to find a rooting interest beyond the theater of it all.

If you're ok with caffeinated gels and cookies follow me on Strava for the next month. Otherwise, cheer for the guy who is in 16th place after the first rest day.

 

[42x16ss]

Unless WADA, ASO and the Gendarmes are planning a mass raid/bust I say go for the craziest performers. Pick the guys who put on a show!

Too bad there's no insane, selfless entertainers willing to risk their lives anymore . IMO real men's, balls to the wall, IDGAF doping died with the likes of Piepoli, Ricco, Schumacher, Rasmussen, Sella, Kohl, Soler and Rebellin in 07/08. To be honest, cycling hasn't been the same since ('09 Contador, '11 Gilbert and '13 Froome possible exceptions)

No more half measures, bring back the comedy I say!

 

[The Hitch]

Re:

Unless WADA, ASO and the Gendarmes are planning a mass raid/bust I say go for the craziest performers. Pick the guys who put on a show!

Too bad there's no insane, selfless entertainers willing to risk their lives anymore . IMO real men's, balls to the wall, IDGAF doping died with the likes of Piepoli, Ricco, Schumacher, Rasmussen, Sella, Kohl, Soler and Rebellin in 07/08. To be honest, cycling hasn't been the same since ('09 Contador, '11 Gilbert and '13 Froome possible exceptions)

No more half measures, bring back the comedy I say!

13 Horner imo too.

 

[42x16ss]

Yeah Horner was good too, but it was "only" the Vuelta. Contador, Gilbert and Froome went straight for the Big Leagues

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

So the big four:

Contador: Doping ban
Froome: Insists on being clean, but Leinders, magic leap
Nibali: Astana, US Postal 2.0, Vino, my god this guy is dirty
Quintana: Spanish team, teammates with Valv,Piti

Any thoughts on who might be the least dirty? Hope for an improbable run from Pinot? I'm trying to find a rooting interest beyond the theater of it all.

I think you'd better root for some stage hunters. I don't know, Brammeier has not been selected, I'd go for Nathan Haas, but he was praising Hesjedal during the Giro (I don't care, but it seems you looking for someone not touched by any doping related info)
Bauer and Navardauskas, but someone will tell you they race for Vaughters who dedicated his life to Antidoping, even though it does not seems so.
some Bretagne Sechè riders?

I mean. don't look for any GC rider to find a clean one.

Quintana the cleaner? he disappeared for months in Colombia to prepare for the Tour...

I always can't stop laughing my ass off at comments like these. how dare quintana "disappear" to his wife and and newborn child and rest of his family in his home country. I hope you, yourself realize how idiotic this sounds

 

[the sceptic]

anyone but team sky

 

[jmdirt]

So the big four:

Contador: Doping ban
Froome: Insists on being clean, but Leinders, magic leap
Nibali: Astana, US Postal 2.0, Vino, my god this guy is dirty
Quintana: Spanish team, teammates with Valv,Piti

Any thoughts on who might be the least dirty? Hope for an improbable run from Pinot? I'm trying to find a rooting interest beyond the theater of it all.

How do you feel about cheering for the Lanterne Rouge?

Why would the LR be any cleaner than anyone else?

 

[pastronef]

So the big four:

Contador: Doping ban
Froome: Insists on being clean, but Leinders, magic leap
Nibali: Astana, US Postal 2.0, Vino, my god this guy is dirty
Quintana: Spanish team, teammates with Valv,Piti

Any thoughts on who might be the least dirty? Hope for an improbable run from Pinot? I'm trying to find a rooting interest beyond the theater of it all.

I think you'd better root for some stage hunters. I don't know, Brammeier has not been selected, I'd go for Nathan Haas, but he was praising Hesjedal during the Giro (I don't care, but it seems you looking for someone not touched by any doping related info)
Bauer and Navardauskas, but someone will tell you they race for Vaughters who dedicated his life to Antidoping, even though it does not seems so.
some Bretagne Sechè riders?

I mean. don't look for any GC rider to find a clean one.

Quintana the cleaner? he disappeared for months in Colombia to prepare for the Tour...

I always can't stop laughing my ass off at comments like these. how dare quintana "disappear" to his wife and and newborn child and rest of his family in his home country. I hope you, yourself realize how idiotic this sounds

he did not disappear to his family lol
I meant he left Europe

 

[frenchfry]

I like Pinot. A real cyclist, humble, discreet, and not a clen-skinny freak.

Clean - who knows. But I am cheering for him.

 

[Ramon Koran]

I think most of the top riders don't dope, why would they risk their helth when they are already the best? So any of them are worth rooting for. The ones I would be suspicios of are the second rate ones, they may be doping to be more than just a domestic (Landa, Rogers, Terpstra)

 

[King Boonen]

Nibali is clean. Root for Nibali.

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

How about supporting Cummings and Eddie Bos? MTN will be trying their best to get these two into breakaways and every chance you might get to celebrate a stage win. Both guys are clean as a whistle so no reason to not get behind them.

 

[Benotti69]

So the big four:

Contador: Doping ban
Froome: Insists on being clean, but Leinders, magic leap
Nibali: Astana, US Postal 2.0, Vino, my god this guy is dirty
Quintana: Spanish team, teammates with Valv,Piti

Any thoughts on who might be the least dirty? Hope for an improbable run from Pinot? I'm trying to find a rooting interest beyond the theater of it all.

I think you'd better root for some stage hunters. I don't know, Brammeier has not been selected, I'd go for Nathan Haas, but he was praising Hesjedal during the Giro (I don't care, but it seems you looking for someone not touched by any doping related info)
Bauer and Navardauskas, but someone will tell you they race for Vaughters who dedicated his life to Antidoping, even though it does not seems so.
some Bretagne Sechè riders?

I mean. don't look for any GC rider to find a clean one.

Quintana the cleaner? he disappeared for months in Colombia to prepare for the Tour...

I always can't stop laughing my ass off at comments like these. how dare quintana "disappear" to his wife and and newborn child and rest of his family in his home country. I hope you, yourself realize how idiotic this sounds

you spend most of the time laughing while banned........

 

[Benotti69]

Re:

I think most of the top riders don't dope, why would they risk their helth when they are already the best? So any of them are worth rooting for. The ones I would be suspicios of are the second rate ones, they may be doping to be more than just a domestic (Landa, Rogers, Terpstra)

Yeah, the top riders dont dope, just ask Coppi, Anquetil, Merckx, Hinault, Fignon, Indurain, Riis, Pantani, Kelly, Roche, Armstrong, Landis, Hamilton, Heras, Piti, Scarponi, Contador etc etc etc etc

 

[Tonton]

Re:

I like Pinot. A real cyclist, humble, discreet, and not a clen-skinny freak.

Clean - who knows. But I am cheering for him.

Me too. Aaaah, today is such a beautiful day!