Most memorable doped performance? 2010-2020

[roundabout]

Benoot is 2 years younger than Foliforov, I doubt that they had many (any?) battles as U23. Wellens would be much more likely.

And even if they did, the age difference alone is enough to question the extent of the talent, as 2 years is a huge difference at U23.

 

[ciranda]

My impression about Foliforov was that he just looked so well suited physically for going fast uphill and that stage win was just the beginning. Sad he somehow lost interest or whatever happened.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Rest day reinventions are ten-a-penny though. I mean, in that case we should point to Sagan's post-rest day stage win last year, struggling to assert himself in the sprints and not having the legs all through week 1, and then dropping everybody and holding off the bunch solo the first day after the rest day, but everybody just kinda shrugged and moved on. It's certainly an eye-opening improvement pre- and post-rest day, but it really doesn't have anything on outliers like Gabrovski and Najár, or complete rider reinventions like Alarcón or Geraint Thomas, when it comes to this thread, for my money.

 

[roundabout]

Martin was s.t. as the best from the bunch on San Giacomo and 44 seconds slower than Bernal on the Zoncolan (6th out of the favorites).

The only mountain stage where he suffered hugely was the Cortina one which took place in conditions that he seems to also historically suffer in.

This was one of the best climbers in the race racing against Castroviejo for over half of the final climb.

 

[PhiLiz]

Martin was s.t. as the best from the bunch on San Giacomo and 44 seconds slower than Bernal on the Zoncolan (6th out of the favorites).

The only mountain stage where he suffered hugely was the Cortina one which took place in conditions that he seems to also historically suffer in.

This was one of the best climbers in the race racing against Castroviejo for over half of the final climb.

I agree. The most suspicious performance was precisely Castroviejo dropping Carthy, Vlasov and Bardet, not Martin.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Victor de la Parte climbing the Kitzbüheler Horn faster than Ricco on a much harder stage (Gailbergsatter and the Glockner early on) and putting over 1min into everyone else (good climbers like Ben Hermans and Hirt, who had been 7th on the Rettenbachferner in the Tour de Suisse just a few weeks earlier), while riding for Team Vorarlberg.
One year earlier he had raced for Efapel and got a top 10 on gc in the Volta a Portugal.
He did well when he was riding for CCC and Movistar afterwards, but he was never again climbing that well.
Reminds me a bit of Zoidl, who seems to find some extra watts when he rides for a CT team and doesn't have to deal with the bio-passport...

 

[Scarponi]

A top 5 GC rider should be able to hold everyone off out of the break. I had no problems with the Dan Martin effort.

 

[Scarponi]

Contador in the two Paris Nices he came second where he powered away and only just lost enough time being chased by a group on the flat final kms to not come first overall.

His Tirreno 2014 long range attack as well was great. He was absolutely flying in 2014.

Any ballistic one day races performances any one thinks?

Gilbert triple maybe?

 

[meat puppet]

Cancellara Rvv and Roubaix 2010 have probably been mentioned, but always worth repeating.

Boonen Roubaix 2012.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Contador in the two Paris Nices he came second where he powered away and only just lost enough time being chased by a group on the flat final kms to not come first overall.

His Tirreno 2014 long range attack as well was great. He was absolutely flying in 2014.

Any ballistic one day races performances any one thinks?

Gilbert triple maybe?

Cancellara e3 harelbeke 2011

Gilbert Flanders 2017 and Roubaix 2019

Fuglsang Liege 2019

Iglinsky Liege 2012

Valverde Liege 2017

Loulou fleche wallone 2021

 

[SafeBet]

Loulou fleche wallone 2021

Why 2021 specifically?

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Why 2021 specifically?

The speed they went up Mur de Huy, in record time, beating all times when courses were easier.

Maybe I should say 2019 as well. I read somewhere that after his crash and DNF in Pais Vasco, Ala spent 2 weeks in Belgium with dr Vanmol to prep for the fleche-liege

 

[fbjim]

A lot that I was thinking of have already been mentioned. But I haven't seen this one:

Rohan Dennis at the Stelvio & Sestriere in 2020

Look, it takes a lot to drag a guy who was last seen getting dropped on Vuelta Cat 2s by Hermann Pernsteiner to a Giro.

 

[fbjim]

The fact that nearly every rider leaving Quickstep turns into a shadow of their former selves.

I used to think this was doping, but after Gaviria left QS and then caught COVID-19 twice I think it might be an actual curse.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Despite all the innuendo in the race thread, no-one has come here to propose Padun over the last couple of days.

 

[kingjr]

Despite all the innuendo in the race thread, no-one has come here to propose Padun over the last couple of days.

Wrong thread, need 2020-2030

 

[will-10]

Despite all the innuendo in the race thread, no-one has come here to propose Padun over the last couple of days.

It will be curious to see if this weekend is just the start for Padun or a Foliforov-style sputnik.

 

[Skalman]

Loulou fleche wallone 2021

Really? Hm ...so Loulou but not Roglic? mind me asking why? because he was first over the line? both broke the record if i remember correctly.

 

[BlueRoads]

There's nothing especially weird about Ala's FWs, other than his general extremely high level (in this race). It's his specialty, always has been, I think.

Fuglsang Liège I don't find suspicious per se, it was to expect after that spring, and it's a good race for him. What's weird about Fuglsang was his general step up that whole spring, especially his FW.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Wrong thread, need 2020-2030

Fair enough, but it is very unusual for this forum to stick rigidly (or even remotely) the the thread title.

 

[lenric]

well, apart from what has already been mentioned, gotta say Aru's ITT. Don't quite sure when or where, but perhaps in the Vuelta or Giro.
The only thing I remember is him doing a world-class performance out of nowhere

 

[QuickZulu]

well, apart from what has already been mentioned, gotta say Aru's ITT. Don't quite sure when or where, but perhaps in the Vuelta or Giro.
The only thing I remember is him doing a world-class performance out of nowhere

That's possibly in the 2018 Giro. He rode such an unbelievable ITT that the likes of Tony Martin were visibly shaking their heads as he crossed the line.

Turns out that he'd been pacing behind a motorbike and was subsequently docked time.

 

[luckyboy]

Aru finished 37s behind Dennis and 23s behind Martin but he had a 20s penalty.

Ulissi was drafting Conti during the TT too.

 

[Breh]

https://twitter.com/x/status/998933146262474752

View: https://twitter.com/CdelVentoux/status/998933146262474752

 

[Panda Claws]

https://twitter.com/x/status/998933146262474752

View: https://twitter.com/CdelVentoux/status/998933146262474752

Lmao that's even better than Van Aert and Dumoulin reacting to Pogacar.