I don't think Taylor Phinney needs a Clinic thread

[therhodeo]

Wasn't he riding with Leipheimer this winter or was that someone else?

 

[red_flanders]

Phinney was (and maybe still is) trained with Allen Lim in Denver, last year.

He rides for Och/BMC, which is not a positive sign.

He was buddies with Armstrong and rode for Axel Merckx.

I would not be giving Phinney, nice guy that he is and makes all the right noises, a get out jail card free yet.

Very good points as well.

 

[Ventoux Boar]

Nice wind-up thread. How can a guy who has just ridden off the front away from notorious doper Bradley Wiggins and an entirely untested peloton, not need a full clinic assesment?

Is it because Kimmage hails him as cycling's Buddha?

 

[Digger]

Nice wind-up thread. How can a guy who has just ridden off the front away from notorious doper Bradley Wiggins and an entirely untested peloton, not need a full clinic assesment?

Is it because Kimmage hails him as cycling's Buddha?

He's a a clean steve. And obviously left his helmet on.

 

[Nathan12]

Nice wind-up thread. How can a guy who has just ridden off the front away from notorious doper Bradley Wiggins and an entirely untested peloton, not need a full clinic assesment?

Is it because Kimmage hails him as cycling's Buddha?

Because he does one discipline, very well.

 

[King Boonen]

Because he does one discipline, very well.

Yeah, and no-one on here questions Cav, or Kittel, Or Cancellara...

 

[Netserk]

Yeah, and no-one on here questions Cav, or Kittel, Or Cancellara...

Cancellara only does one discipline very well?

 

[Nathan12]

Yeah, and no-one on here questions Cav, or Kittel, Or Cancellara...

Sorry, I should have explained that this was my own point of view. I see riders who perform well at one discipline as less suspicious. That includes Cancellara now but not the version of a few years past, who used to set an ungodly tempo on the front of climbs for the Schlecks.

 

[King Boonen]

Cancellara only does one discipline very well?

Pretty much, his road riding is basically the same as his time trialing.

 

[Nathan12]

Pretty much, his road riding is basically the same as his time trialing.

I disagree: there were a few years for CSC when he was pretty much a mountain super-domestique. Maybe not for the really steep gradients, but he could climb, similar to 2012 Mick Rogers.

 

[King Boonen]

I disagree: there were a few years for CSC when he was pretty much a mountain super-domestique. Maybe not for the really steep gradients, but he could climb, similar to 2012 Mick Rogers.

Or Porte, Wiggins, Froome, people who time-trial up a mountain. Full of dope (probably). His riding is the same no matter what he does, power down and try blow people off the back.

 

[Nathan12]

Or Porte, Wiggins, Froome, people who time-trial up a mountain. Full of dope (probably). His riding is the same no matter what he does, power down and try blow people off the back.

Well OK- I think we agree, somewhat. Point is, I have yet to see Phinney do this. If and when I do, I would start to be suspicious.

 

[Netserk]

Pretty much, his road riding is basically the same as his time trialing.

So why is Tony not winning MSR, Ronde and Roubaix? Why don't we see other TTers do what Canc did in Mendrisio and Beijing RRs?

 

[Ventoux Boar]

He's a a clean steve. And obviously left his helmet on.

Your Da thinks a guy who just free-wheeled away from a World-class field is a leader for clean cycling. If it was Walsh you'd rip him.

 

[King Boonen]

So why is Tony not winning MSR, Ronde and Roubaix? Why don't we see other TTers do what Canc did in Mendrisio and Beijing RRs?

Because they're not Cancellara? Because they are too heavy? Because they're on different programmes? Because his dope is better? Because they are clean?

Just because he's doing something better doesn't mean his riding has changed. He can't sprint, can't climb, he can put down a lot of power over an extended period of time. He's a time-trialler, it just so happens he can do it in a road-race.

 

[ChewbaccaD]

You forgot to include a poll. Always include a poll.

Poll question:
Should there be a poll about whether or not there should be a Clinic thread about Taylor Phinney?

Options:

1) Yes

2) No

3) Maybe just a poll about whether or not there should be a Clinic thread about Taylor Phinney.

4) Let's just ask Liggett and Sherwen.

5) I generally don't vote in polls, however, there should be a poll to determine the awesomeness of this thread title.

Don't know how to add a poll after starting a thread, but if a Mod can add it, add away. GREAT options btw.

 

[Netserk]

Don't know how to add a poll after starting a thread, but if a Mod can add it, add away. GREAT options btw.

An admin can. You could always report your first post (or your post here) and ask to add a poll.

 

[ChewbaccaD]

Nice wind-up thread. How can a guy who has just ridden off the front away from notorious doper Bradley Wiggins and an entirely untested peloton, not need a full clinic assesment?

Is it because Kimmage hails him as cycling's Buddha?

Skybots throwing sh!t like monkeys...who'd have thought?

 

[roundabout]

I disagree: there were a few years for CSC when he was pretty much a mountain super-domestique. Maybe not for the really steep gradients, but he could climb, similar to 2012 Mick Rogers.

Err, no. Did not happen except for 10 days in CH one June

 

[zlev11]

Err, no. Did not happen except for 10 days in CH one June

and the entire 2008 TdF

 

[roundabout]

and the entire 2008 TdF

Not really, unless you think that having 40+ people in the group when his turn was over was being a "mountain super-domestique similar to 2012 Mick Rogers"

 

[red_flanders]

Fascinating discussion on Cancellara, but don't really see how it applies to Phinney.

Phinney doesn't have any performances which point to doping IMO. He broke away on a downhill yesterday for example. He's a strong TT'er. While I think questions are fair given some rather questionable associations and parents who have to know the score, fully, I don't see where one can conclude he's a doper based on performance.

I would say, for a rider with his background, he rather rides like a clean guy. Can't stay with the leaders at the end of long classics, despite showing talent for it at a young age. Looks exactly like the kind of riding a clean guy would do against a bunch of dopers.

So he won yesterday, it's the kind of ride one might expect from him. It's well within his character as a rider. Call me when he starts winning (or even placing in) long TT's in the TdF or starts dropping 20 lbs and competing for GT wins.

Oh wait, that was the other guy in the ToC. Never mind.

 

[kingjr]

he got a silver medal in the Worlds ITT, narrowly missing out on the gold medal, would a high placing in a TdF TT really be so suspicious?

 

[roundabout]

No. He was 5th in a Vuelta flat TT at 21.

Did underperform in the Giro long TT's though, even if the profile last year wasn't really suitable for him.

 

[red_flanders]

he got a silver medal in the Worlds ITT, narrowly missing out on the gold medal, would a high placing in a TdF TT really be so suspicious?

A bit, but I get your point. I think the competition level is much higher historically for the Tour TT's than the Worlds, but it wouldn't be shocking. I would be surprised to see someone competing clean for such an event, but if anyone can, I guess it's someone like Phinney or Dan Martin.

Certainly far more shocking rides have occurred and plenty of people are willing to accept those as "possibly" clean.