Is UAE Over the Top?

[yaco]

Why are the Anto-Doping authorities busting a 60 year amateur athlete. What a waste of resources!

 

[ColonelKidneyBeans]

Nah, I get what they mean. It seems a bit weird that if UAE are running a team wide doping program that has evaded detection for years, it would somehow involve Marc Soler meeting a banned soigneur in a public place. It doesn't convince me that the team is clean, but it does make me doubt some of the conspiracy theories that I read online.

I don't believe UAE has a team wide (as in involving nearly every rider) doping program. Soler didn't have a huge jump in performance there. But i do absolutely think they are doing something fishy with multiple riders, 20 july 2022 was really eye opening on that.

 

[KoopaCycling]

Remco raced in Mallorca and Valencia to get some confidence. He was winning Mickey mouse races, the first real test he had this season, he was humiliated and he expected to win UAE Tour. In Catalunya, he will be better but he will also have better competition and in better shape compared to early February (e.g. Almeida). I constantly see posts about Remco still didn't go to altitude and will improve significantly and I just ask "Is everyone bar Remco peaking in February?" Of course not, and a lot of gc riders didn't also go to altitude (e.g. Del Toro, Almeida).

If you look at who he beat in those Mickey mouse races and how they are faring since then i think you're hitting down too hard on remco. Having said that, i fully expect UAE to dominate this season. Cause in the words of someone else, they found some magical gains beyond whatever training the others are getting.