Is Walsh on the Sky bandwagon?

[Granville57]

I think it is a glaring omission that their doctor rules out using it for training, referring to possible drowsiness effects, but says nothing about using it for racing.

That's because the drowsiness effect that occurs during racing when Tramadol is in use is ours, not the rider's.

 

[The Hitch]

That's because the drowsiness effect that occurs during racing when Tramadol is in use is ours, not the rider's.

lol nice

 

[mewmewmew13]

#theclinicafterdark effect

 

[Dr. Maserati]

That's because the drowsiness effect that occurs during racing when Tramadol is in use is ours, not the rider's.

I hear overuse will make you a bone idle w*nker.

 

[mewmewmew13]

I hear overuse will make you a bone idle w*nker.

LOL

well he's seen too much of it

wiggo is fed up..

 

[JMBeaushrimp]

I hear overuse will make you a bone idle w*nker.

Strange. It only made me a c*nt...

 

[martinvickers]

Sky's fuzzy position on Tramadol use is contained in this article. Maybe you should read it before telling us what is or is not Sky's position, what is or is not germane, and whether my take on Sky's position is unevidenced. Maybe you have a better source for Sky's position.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/team-sky-calls-for-tramadol-ban-in-peloton

Perhaps if you quit being an Adolf then you could actually add something to the discussion.

Be a good dog, and tell me where...

Sky's position is risible. "We are totally clean but we load our riders with painkillers to give them an edge at the end of a race."

...is stated in that Article.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

"as a team it has prescribed Tramadol throughout the season, but only in what it calls 'appropriate scenarios'"

Funny, Sky didn't define the operable quote. I'm sure it was used sparingly...

Is this a more than half-century old reference?

Fausto, do you use La Bomba?

Only when absolutely necessary.

When is absolutely necessary?

Almost all the time.

 

[gooner]

I remember Conor McGrane on twitter at the time of Farrell's comments saying it was a red herring as it wasn't banned.

I want it banned but the criticism should be at the relevant authorities who can do something about it. RR mentions OOC cortisone without TUE is another that is strongly rumoured.

I think they are probably pushing the boundaries within the law of a "legal" mindset and exploiting loopholes.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I remember Conor McGrane on twitter at the time of Farrell's comments saying it was a red herring as it wasn't banned.

I want it banned but the criticism should be at the relevant authorities who can do something about it. RR mentions OOC cortisone without TUE is another that is strongly rumoured.

I think they are probably pushing the boundaries within the law of a "legal" mindset and exploiting loopholes.

That was one of the suggested questions that ought to be fired Brailsford's way. "Do you use products, treatments or methods that are not banned but, if they were publicised, may be considered controversial by purists, and that you do not wish to publicise lest any performance advantage from these be negated?"

I would venture that the answer to that is yes.

 

[roundabout]

I remember Conor McGrane on twitter at the time of Farrell's comments saying it was a red herring as it wasn't banned.

I want it banned but the criticism should be at the relevant authorities who can do something about it. RR mentions OOC cortisone without TUE is another that is strongly rumoured.

I think they are probably pushing the boundaries within the law of a "legal" mindset and exploiting loopholes.

I am pretty sure Sky can do something about it as well instead of hiding behind it being legal.

 

[martinvickers]

I am pretty sure Sky can do something about it as well instead of hiding behind it being legal.

How is it hiding. Farrall admitted it's use in an interview, for crying out loud? I'm sorry -it's not illegal. It oght to be but it isn't. And while it isn't, there's nothing to hide.

 

[martinvickers]

That was one of the suggested questions that ought to be fired Brailsford's way. "Do you use products, treatments or methods that are not banned but, if they were publicised, may be considered controversial by purists, and that you do not wish to publicise lest any performance advantage from these be negated?"

I would venture that the answer to that is yes.

Easily fobbed off question.

 

[roundabout]

How is it hiding. Farrall admitted it's use in an interview, for crying out loud? I'm sorry -it's not illegal. It oght to be but it isn't. And while it isn't, there's nothing to hide.

We would like to see it banned, because we are worried about side effects, but we have used it in the past and will use it in the future.

And I mostly had McGrane and gooner in mind.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Easily fobbed off question.

Still a lot harder than a lot of the softballs that have been publicised. At least if the question is easily fobbed off, Brailsford doesn't have to - literally - run away, like he did when asked how the investigation into Leinders' past was going at the 2012 Worlds, two months after they said they were doing it.

 

[Benotti69]

Easily fobbed off question.

To a lesser hack but not to a journalist worth their salt.

 

[thehog]

Holy smoke

There is an arresting theatrical drama about Ventoux when the riders get to the top of the tree line and come out into the blinding light of the moonscape beyond. It is a mountain built to stage final acts. This final act begins with Froome attacking and leaving everybody for dead except Quintana. Tactically it is a master class, and illustrates how much wisdom Team Sky have been able to plant in Froome’s head these past few years. The younger, straight out of Africa, Froome would have chased down every break of the day before finding himself out of gas. Or on another day from the early years he would have looked around him, taking in all the big names, and decided his only chance was to attack from far out, when they weren’t paying much attention. They would think he was mad and do what bike riders have done since 1903: give him enough rope to hang himself. He would often get a good placing on the stage but would have emptied his tank to do so. The next day, he would sleep with the fishes. But here on Ventoux, he is calculating, waiting for the right moment. And his understanding of the perfect strategic climb is no coincidence. Froome has climbed Ventoux before. Twice..

Is Walsh embedded this year Sky? Is he writing the same articles for the Times or just Froome's book?

 

[stutue]

Ach......I really don't know about Walsh.

Here we have a man who took enormous risks in taking on Armstrong. Let's be honest, if Floyd hadn't coughed there likely wouldn't have been the USADA case and Walsh would have remained unvindicated, and vilified by many. The Sunday Times would still be £1,000,000 poorer.

Then you see him on the Late late show taking on Roche, a national hero...his nation's hero..on home turf. In some respects this seems even braver.

And now here we have him with his work on and for TeamSky, which, in all honesty, is as described in this thread.

It doesn't add up. If he doesn't believe what he is writing then it seems massively out of character. Not only that but he'd be risking his entire credibility on any doping going on never coming to light.

That would be enormously cynical, and of course you'd then have to ask why, if he is prepared to write a puff piece for Sky, why didn't he for Armstrong or any other doping sportsman?

And yet...he's not asking the tough questions, is he.

 

[Benotti69]

Ach......I really don't know about Walsh.

Here we have a man who took enormous risks in taking on Armstrong. Let's be honest, if Floyd hadn't coughed there likely wouldn't have been the USADA case and Walsh would have remained unvindicated, and vilified by many. The Sunday Times would still be £1,000,000 poorer.

Then you see him on the Late late show taking on Roche, a national hero...his nation's hero..on home turf. In some respects this seems even braver.

And now here we have him with his work on and for TeamSky, which, in all honesty, is as described in this thread.

It doesn't add up. If he doesn't believe what he is writing then it seems massively out of character. Not only that but he'd be risking his entire credibility on any doping going on never coming to light.

That would be enormously cynical, and of course you'd then have to ask why, if he is prepared to write a puff piece for Sky, why didn't he for Armstrong or any other doping sportsman?

And yet...he's not asking the tough questions, is he.

Walsh was excellent on Armstrong, Roche and Michelle Smith. But he wrote puff pieces on Sean Kelly many a time. He also has never seemed interested in other sports obvious doping, Rugby, Golf, Tennis, Football, Athletics....

 

[stutue]

To be fair Kelly was a different era.

Getting popped was all in a days work. Merckx was popped. Plus of course in those days the doping was more capable of giving a psychological advantage than an overwhelming physical one.

 

[Nathan12]

To be fair Kelly was a different era.

Getting popped was all in a days work. Merckx was popped. Plus of course in those days the doping was more capable of giving a psychological advantage than an overwhelming physical one.

True. Though there's a great passage in Breaking the Chain where Willy Voet pretends to Richard Virenque that he's given him a new wonder-injection that Virenque demanded, though in fact it's full of glucose IIRC. And Virenque goes out and smashes a hilly time trial. Of course, the EPO and HGH etc helped with that, massively. But the placebo effect still exists in modern-day cycling.

 

[stutue]

Just one of many crazy stories in that book.

That placebo effect story illustrates the power of confidence beautifully. You know, when I read some peoples posts (no, not naming names) I think they overlook the human element. Maybe they think that athletes have a given power output and they just turn it on and out it comes. If that was the case sport would be boring, especially endurance sports like cycling.

People don't just crack physically, they crack mentally too (Wiggins is an expert at this).

I cracked on an endurance ride the night before last. Ended up in a pub

 

[Benotti69]

David Walsh appeared to be hosting a gig at the Giro start in Belfast sponsored by JaguarUk, Team Sky and Charles Hurst.

https://twitter.com/LOptions/status/464774746413236224/photo/1

https://twitter.com/LKComms/status/464499394839347200/photo/1

https://twitter.com/JLS077/status/464497171711418368/photo/1


Seems to have truly sold out. Journalistic impartiality appears to be missing......

 

[LaFlorecita]

What!!!

Come on David don't make it so obvious

 

[Benotti69]

If only Armstrong/Stapleton managed to get Walsh to do PR for their team......