Most Suspicious Performance Of The Last 5 Years

[DanielSong39]

Another performance that boggles my mind is the cobblestone stage (Stage 5) in the 2014 Tour de France. Not sure how Astana dropped every GC contender and cobbled classics specialists. The rain, tailwind, and the full-out racing really mucked things up, which might be part of it.

Part of me says "motor" but under those conditions using a motor might only increase the chances of a crash. Of course the entire Astana team was doped up but it's not like the other teams were clean either.

 

[DanielSong39]

Nibali's overall performance in the 2014 Tour was also something else. His attacks fit the profile of a typical doped-up cyclist though. At most 2-3 attacks a stage; makes good use of help; and the bike sways from side to side whenever he puts in a sudden burst of acceleration. Compare that with Cancellara coasting up a cobbled hill on a motorbike at 15mph.

 

[DanielSong39]

Also not fond of race neutralizations in general, whether it favors Froome or not. Penalties are also applied inconsistently. 2 minutes for exchanging wheels with a non-teammate and 30 seconds for an illegal feed near the end of a stage.

 

[therealthing]

Re:

Nibali's overall performance in the 2014 Tour was also something else. His attacks fit the profile of a typical doped-up cyclist though. At most 2-3 attacks a stage; makes good use of help; and the bike sways from side to side whenever he puts in a sudden burst of acceleration. Compare that with Cancellara coasting up a cobbled hill on a motorbike at 15mph.

Looking back at it- it was a rather crazy performance wasn't it? Like, he absolutely demolished everyone else. I know Froome and Contador crashed but he was still against some very decent climbers. That cobbled stage was insane- he dropped everyone like a stone despite having no pedigree on the cobbles at all. The final TT was something else too.

 

[Bronstein]

Honourable mentions:

Kruijswijk 2016 Giro

Quintana 2016 Vuelta


Future certainty: Porte 2017 Tour

 

[Rollthedice]

Top 3: 1. Froome Ventoux, 2 Froome PSM, 3 Froome AX3. Places 4-10 Horner, all Vuelta climbs 2013.

 

[SeriousSam]

Good list as far as suspicious climbing performances are concerned, but let's not forget the Froome Time Trials

 

[Rollthedice]

Re:

Good list as far as suspicious climbing performances are concerned, but let's not forget the Froome Time Trials

True, but there are so many it's hard to choose one in particular. The award "Bye Cancelara, sorry Brad" goes to Dawg Vuelta Salamanca 2011. Froomey TdF Mont Saint Michel for the category "Tony you know I could've won" and the same Chris Froome gets the award " You and me Brad" for both TTs 2012. The rest are just a confirmation of his tremendous talent since he ditched the sandshoes.

 

[WheelofGear]

Cancellara's cobbles season in 2010, but it looked like something other than doping..

 

[DanielSong39]

I'm looking forward to seeing Richie Porte smash everyone in this year's tour. Hopefully it climbs to #1 on the list!

 

[DanielSong39]

Re:

Cancellara's cobbles season in 2010, but it looked like something other than doping..

He had a great encore performance in the Olympics! Retired at the perfect time.

 

[Escarabajo]

Again people just keep posting any rider that comes to mind.

Please keep it dirty, real dirty!!!

Thanks.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

OK, this should be more to your liking. Still ridiculous four years on (his even more comical predecessor passed outside the 5 year margin last week).

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

OK, this should be more to your liking. Still ridiculous four years on (his even more comical predecessor passed outside the 5 year margin last week).

Yes. That was a good one. LOL. Everyone knew he was completely loaded!!!

One of the commentators was saying "I cannot believe what I am seeing"

 

[The Hegelian]

Commentary gold.

 

[DanielSong39]

Obviously the dude was loaded but it seems rather tame to me. He is clearly attacking, as the bike sways from side to side and he is using his upper body muscles as well. The cadence isn't that fast and he only won the stage by 18 seconds.

Seems like a typical attack from a doped-up cyclist and not as visually impressive as the Contador/Nibali efforts. I give that attack a score of Quintana.

 

[ontheroad]

It was fairly obvious that he was juicing and the insinuation from the commentary left nobody in any doubt what they made of it also. Contrast the commentary with Froome's alien attack on Ventoux which was visually more astonishing and yet there is nowhere near the level of astonishment expressed on commentary which goes to show the hypocrisy of many cycling media/journalists. Froome on Ventoux takes some beating.

 

[Squire]

Re:

Obviously the dude was loaded but it seems rather tame to me. He is clearly attacking, as the bike sways from side to side and he is using his upper body muscles as well. The cadence isn't that fast and he only won the stage by 18 seconds.

Seems like a typical attack from a doped-up cyclist and not as visually impressive as the Contador/Nibali efforts. I give that attack a score of Quintana.

Yes, Sayar can't hold a syringe-shaped candle to his predecessor Ivailo Gabrovski. The Bulgarian attacked 7-8 km from the mountain top with an acceleration that makes Riccó on Aspin look like a Honda Civic. Turning a monster gear and being all over his bike, he kept pulling out the gap all the way to the top, despite the others (including a young Bardet) turning themselves inside out to eat into his advantage. In the end, he won by one and a half minute to the next rider, and with only ten riders within three minutes.

 

[DanielSong39]

Re:

It was fairly obvious that he was juicing and the insinuation from the commentary left nobody in any doubt what they made of it also. Contrast the commentary with Froome's alien attack on Ventoux which was visually more astonishing and yet there is nowhere near the level of astonishment expressed on commentary which goes to show the hypocrisy of many cycling media/journalists. Froome on Ventoux takes some beating.

Froome (and Porte) did catch some flak for the attack on PSM, though. Not surprisingly it was all swept under the rug.

 

[ontheroad]

Re: Re:

It was fairly obvious that he was juicing and the insinuation from the commentary left nobody in any doubt what they made of it also. Contrast the commentary with Froome's alien attack on Ventoux which was visually more astonishing and yet there is nowhere near the level of astonishment expressed on commentary which goes to show the hypocrisy of many cycling media/journalists. Froome on Ventoux takes some beating.

Froome (and Porte) did catch some flak for the attack on PSM, though. Not surprisingly it was all swept under the rug.

Some of the comments from that Eurosport commentary:

'What the heck?'
'What is going on?'
'completely unbelievable'
'I just cannot believe what I am seeing'.

Porte and moreso Froome may have got some flack but it was moreso from the French racing public rather than any mainstream media outlets. They play to their audience on tv, knowing full well what is going on.

 

[Escarabajo]

PSM got a lot of attention on Sky. It is still on people's minds. Remember that there was a big discussion abut that oval rings. How you can save some energy and blah, blah, blah.

 

[GraftPunk]

Re:

PSM got a lot of attention on Sky. It is still on people's minds. Remember that there was a big discussion abut that oval rings. How you can save some energy and blah, blah, blah.

My Biopace rings did not turn me into a monster climber in the 80's, I demand a refund!

 

[BYOP88]

Cookson.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Obviously the dude was loaded but it seems rather tame to me. He is clearly attacking, as the bike sways from side to side and he is using his upper body muscles as well. The cadence isn't that fast and he only won the stage by 18 seconds.

Seems like a typical attack from a doped-up cyclist and not as visually impressive as the Contador/Nibali efforts. I give that attack a score of Quintana.

Yes, Sayar can't hold a syringe-shaped candle to his predecessor Ivailo Gabrovski. The Bulgarian attacked 7-8 km from the mountain top with an acceleration that makes Riccó on Aspin look like a Honda Civic. Turning a monster gear and being all over his bike, he kept pulling out the gap all the way to the top, despite the others (including a young Bardet) turning themselves inside out to eat into his advantage. In the end, he won by one and a half minute to the next rider, and with only ten riders within three minutes.

Looool, that acceleration. And with 8 km to go, holy fck.

 

[Scarponi]

That first mountain in the 2014 Dauphine always makes me laugh. Multiple sprints up the mountain and then final 900m he sprints like its stage one of the tour