How The Pro's Defeat The Anti Doping System

[Galic Ho]

He is, after all, an alcoholic. No I'm not doing the big long speel. He often will do better after a few than while he is starving himself of the juice(lager), during training and racing but a non drinking alco is in a much more perilous state than a reformed/remodelled. I would not normally comment on his problem publicly but his general disloyalty prompts a similar feeling in me.

Didn't know that he'd perform better after a few pints. Knew he had alcohol issues in the past but just assumed it was a casual drinking thing. Larrikin nature and likes to relax by getting smashed.

It is he who is being referred to with regards to being unable to keep wheels, then turning out top quality mountain rides?

Yes it is. Referring to his Cofidis days where he would be dropped by the groupetto. I was shocked when I rewatched the 2006 Tour last November and heard Liggett announce that very thing. Now he is climbing very well.

His twittering attempts at being the witty/clever man of the peloton will haunt him one day, if he gives up the sauce. If he continues, then it will just remain as one of the props of his performance. Sorry Brad but I can't be Vaughtered with yo any more.

Yep, his joking and tongue wagging may come back and bite him on his behind. I do enjoy hearing him pile on more and more fuel. Looks like he's stockpiling a nice bomfire. All we need is the petrol and a flame.

 

[Winterfold]

looking at BroDeal's pix looks like his weight came back up after the Roubaix one? where he does look shockingly thin.

As Brit I am going to take a positive view on it (like I do with Cadel), but I do think he could do with engaging his brain sometimes before shooting his mouth off, on the other hand, we need a few loose cannons about to keep things interesting.

To me so much of his performance improvement can be explained by developing a serious attitude to road racing. The power was always there, dropping 5 kilos gives you minutes on every big climb, moving from domestique to team leader means you use your energy at a different point in the race - but he lacked self-belief when it came to road racing.

He needed someone else to believe in him before he could believe in himself, and JV gave him that - so to some extent I can see why JV would be upset, but he has milked it for every $ he can get out of it so my sympathy only goes so far.

When he rides away from Contador with 5km to go on the Tourmalet, then I will start to shift to a more sceptical way of looking at his performance, but for now he is getting dropped by Frank Schleck, then caning him in TTs which means a I can take a naif's view on it.

 

[knewcleardaze]

Oh, noes.......... don't you love me?

Oi! There's a curious photo for a cycling thread.