Is UAE Over the Top?

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AttaqueDeRolland

AttaqueDeRolland

Jul 28, 2023
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Imagine if you went in a time machine back to 2008 and started telling cycling fans that the two guys running the most scandalous team at the time would face zero repercussions and instead would be dominating cycling 17 years in the future with the most unreal rider of all time, plus two unbelievably good youngsters. It sounds ridiculous, but that's the reality.
 
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E_F_

E_F_

Jul 16, 2024
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Peyroteo94 said:
Seriously? Tour of Austria? Look to UAE and other teams, of course they will dominate.
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Dude, c'mon. They're in the middle of the Tour, where they'll dominate. But they also have the squad to take 4 of the top 5 places on the first stage of a race with 6 other world teams. That's insane. I do agree that it isn't surprising. Red Rick is hardly surprised either, I'm sure. That only makes it all the more insane, though.
 
Peyroteo94

Peyroteo94

Mar 20, 2022
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E_F_ said:
Dude, c'mon. They're in the middle of the Tour, where they'll dominate. But they also have the squad to take 4 of the top 5 places on the first stage of a race with 6 other world teams. That's insane. I do agree that it isn't surprising. Red Rick is hardly surprised either, I'm sure. That only makes it all the more insane, though.
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UAE is just too deep. Seriously, look to the startlist and compare UAE with other teams. UAE has Del Toro (a future GT winner), Majka (multiple top10 in GTs), Grobschartner is probably peaking for his home race. Of course they will dominate this race.
 
Red Rick

Red Rick

Feb 20, 2012
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Peyroteo94 said:
UAE is just too deep. Seriously, look to the startlist and compare UAE with other teams. UAE has Del Toro (a future GT winner), Majka (multiple top10 in GTs), Grobschartner is probably peaking for his home race. Of course they will dominate this race.
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Having riders of such quality to send to this race is obviously a part of being over the top.
 
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ashhutch1997

ashhutch1997

May 27, 2022
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AttaqueDeRolland said:
Imagine if you went in a time machine back to 2008 and started telling cycling fans that the two guys running the most scandalous team at the time would face zero repercussions and instead would be dominating cycling 17 years in the future with the most unreal rider of all time, plus two unbelievably good youngsters. It sounds ridiculous, but that's the reality.
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It's crazy, yet Johan Bruyneel is banned for life, the double standards of cycling is a joke.
I miss that period between 2006-08 when the UCI and ASO atleast attempted to catch dopers.
 
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U

Unchained

Sep 5, 2016
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Laughable that women's racing is just dismissed!! UAE just won again!! This time with a fantastic talent, national champion and absolute animal for her race tactics and attitude!! Longo Borghini is great!! Another UAE success story!!
 
Y

yaco

Jun 20, 2015
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Unchained said:
Laughable that women's racing is just dismissed!! UAE just won again!! This time with a fantastic talent, national champion and absolute animal for her race tactics and attitude!! Longo Borghini is great!! Another UAE success story!!
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ELB is no better than when she was at Lidl trek.
 
S

solo80k

Jul 3, 2018
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Kedjan said:
Did I miss something, when did Narvaez become a climber stronger than A Yates and Sivakov?
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Nothing like this, he just has a punch to drill any climb for 1/2 minutes and bonk afterwards. Pogacar lost to him during the 2024 Giro uphill finish and probably decided Jonathan is a right guy for such tactics to blow up the field early.
 
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F

Forever The Best

Apr 15, 2016
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solo80k said:
Nothing like this, he just has a punch to drill any climb for 1/2 minutes and bonk afterwards. Pogacar lost to him during the 2024 Giro uphill finish and probably decided Jonathan is a right guy for such tactics to blow up the field early.
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The surprise for me was Narvaez managing to hang on at Soulor, probably his best performance on a big mountain.
 
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K

kingjr

Sep 9, 2012
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ashhutch1997 said:
He was going to be Pogacar, but that was when the UCI actually did their jobs and attempted to catch dopers.
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Pogacar had 2 GTs under his belt by the time Ricco reached his first podium.

I won't even bother comparing their Monument record.

They both do have some very devoted fans, however.
 
ashhutch1997

ashhutch1997

May 27, 2022
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kingjr said:
Pogacar had 2 GTs under his belt by the time Ricco reached his first podium.

I won't even bother comparing their Monument record.

They both do have some very devoted fans, however.
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I meant that he was Gianetti's golden child, of course he was nowhere near as good as Pogacar.
 
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Saint Unix

Saint Unix

Feb 14, 2014
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ashhutch1997 said:
I miss that period between 2006-08 when the UCI and ASO atleast attempted to catch dopers.
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And ironically that was when the sport was seen as being at its absolute dirtiest in the eyes of the general public.

The only thing functional testing taught us in the end is that over time, anti-doping is basically an unwinnable game, because you either
1) Convince the general public of the truth; that the sport is extremely dirty already and that every positive test is a small step in the right direction. A dirty sport is fundamentally unattractive to sponsors to begin with, but the very process of cleaning the sport up also involves banning all the best and most recognisable riders, who have been generating all the interest over the last few years which further drives fans, and thus also sponsors, away from the sport

or

2) Challenge the existing narrative that the sport is totally cleans every time there's a positive test from a big name rider, which makes the sport more unattractive to sponsors with each passing test.

As long as the sport remains a PR machine on wheels it can never be clean. There's simply no actual incentive to catch anyone worth catching. But as long as you torch the guy from some backalley Conti team who's glowing so brightly the lab techs need to wear a welding mask when they handle his sample you can eat your cake and have it too. The public says "Look! Testing works!" and the sponsors say "You caught Mustafa who??? Never heard of him... Anyway, here's your massive oil-soaked cheque. Tadej's going to have a good season this year, right? Wink wink!"

Oh, and there seems to be a window of time that stretches about 10-15 years back from present day. As soon as the former high-profile riders are outside of that window you can safely bust one or two of the more problematic ones and the public will say "Of course he was doping, everyone was back then! Testing just wasn't sophisticated enough, but it totally works now!" and they can stay blissfully ignorant of the fact that another 10-15 years down the line they'll be saying the exact same thing about those same riders who are supposedly so ultra clean now, and on and on it goes. The sport was always dirty, but is always clean.
 
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