Movistar

[afpm90]

It certainly brings to mind the signing of Dowsett.

That signing made more sense to me. He's a young talented rider, who can win a TT and help when there's a TTT. But, it's not the first time that Movistar surprises me in their signings: Smyzd and Gadret are transfers that make no sense to me, either.

 

[GuyIncognito]

Clentadoppucci

There's people who stretch so much to come up with a 'clever' nickname that they make everyone cringe.

And then there's that.
You should get an award for it. I've seen a guy stab himself on accident and even then I didn't cringe as much as now.

 

[Ferminal]

Well there's half a chance Sutherland has actually been clean these days. He will be serviceable and given his versatility, makes for very useful squad filler. Capecchi and Szmyd on the other hand have been spoonfed for too long and lack the "professionalism". And of course there's Cobo.

Like most teams, Abarca stopped doing comprehensive team-wide doping years ago. Anacona is a good signing if he is taking a step up to the Quintana program, but it's a bit of a mystery as to why Valverde doesn't have more friends.

 

[No_Balls]

There's people who stretch so much to come up with a 'clever' nickname that they make everyone cringe.

And then there's that.
You should get an award for it. I've seen a guy stab himself on accident and even then I didn't cringe as much as now.

This.

Worst thing he is actually very proud of it. So proud that this nickname is sometimes repeated four-five times in just one sentence and each time, i bet, it doesnt get clearer for the reader whom it supposed to represent. Chiappuci? Chioccioli? Pucci?

I´ll take "Contadope" any time of the week. A little respect to the reader please.

 

[HSNHSN]

This.

Worst thing he is actually very proud of it. So proud that this nickname is sometimes repeated four-five times in just one sentence and each time, i bet, it doesnt get clearer for the reader whom it supposed to represent. Chiappuci? Chioccioli? Pucci?

I´ll take "Contadope" any time of the week. A little respect to the reader please.

Having nicknames that are clear to all sounds like a good thing. When I first came here, I indeed thought Chiappuci was meant and couldn't understand what was being written at all. Just leave it at Contadope or Clentador and everyone will understand what's meant.

 

[hrotha]

So, Amador. I know the mid-to-high level field isn't very impressive, but still.

 

[Irondan]

Re:

So, Amador. I know the mid-to-high level field isn't very impressive, but still.

Who'da thunk?

 

[Netserk]

I will be very surprised if he doesn't crack on the Mortirolo or Cervinia stage and drop out of the top-6.

 

[luckyboy]

Going from his past (Cervinia win, top 30 in a few GTs), what he's done so far isn't crazy with this field, the parcours so far, and no leader to work for..

 

[hrotha]

Well, today was a proper mountain stage and he was very good. I get the feeling every time something like this happens, everybody expects the guy to crack, but instead we get Quique Gutiérrez or Wiggins.

 

[SafeBet]

Re:

Going from his past (Cervinia win, top 30 in a few GTs), what he's done so far isn't crazy with this field, the parcours so far, and no leader to work for..

Giro 2012: 29th at 54 minutes (in a very weak field).
Vuelta 2014: 30th at 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Those results count as GT pedigree?

This guy was dropping from a dozen riders on the hills of Tour de Pologne last year. And he was trying hard.

 

[Miburo]

Re: Re:

[/quote]

Going from his past (Cervinia win, top 30 in a few GTs), what he's done so far isn't crazy with this field, the parcours so far, and no leader to work for..

Giro 2012: 29th at 54 minutes (in a very weak field).
Vuelta 2014: 30th at 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Those results count as GT pedigree?

This guy was dropping from a dozen riders on the hills of Tour de Pologne last year. And he was trying hard.

According to sky it does.

 

[hrotha]

They're not GT contender pedigree obviously, but they show he could always climb a little.
Still quite the leap forward, though.

 

[Benotti69]

Re:

surprised no one has hired Leinders yet. His knowledge seems extremely valuable.

I doubt Leinders stopped working. I also doubt he is exclusively a cycling 'Doctor'....

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Put it this way: the guy is a decent enough climber to win a mountaintop finish in the Giro, and resilient enough and good enough in bad weather to top 10 Gent-Wevelgem in that horrible spring season a couple of years ago where half the races got abridged or cancelled.

And he was still unthreatening enough to be allowed into the smaller initial break in stage 4 without anybody minding. After all, it's not like he's come out of nowhere or anything, he's been around the bunch for five or six years now, we know his level... (edit for clarification of point: and it isn't GT podium)

Because of that early time gain and previous reasonable if un-spectacular results, and certainly if he falls away at least from the leaders if not from the chasing guys in week 3 it's perhaps more 2010 Tour Hesjedal than Búfalo, but atm his GC position is pretty eye-opening even in this field.

 

[BigMac]

He's not a poor against the clock either, especially in a hilly course.

 

[hrotha]

Odd way to crack.

 

[TheGreenMonkey]

Confidence does have an impact on performance or perhaps lack of confidence could limit performance. Unlike some other riders in the race I see no special reason why Amador would be getting a big boost in performance from doping over previous years nor do I see anything especially different from the team as a whole. This might be explained by something else than better doping, but that certainly does not mean he is clean either.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

amador is simply doing his first ever gt in which he didn't seriously crash in the first week. he always even with crashes, had a good final week in every gt and his talent has been incredible from very young age he tore spanish elite cycling up, as well as avenir 2008

 

[Benotti69]

https://twitter.com/teundewit/status/624580269497024512

 

[Eagle]

https://twitter.com/teundewit/status/624580269497024512

Edit: beaten to it, lol

 

[meat puppet]

Re:

https://twitter.com/teundewit/status/624580269497024512

I'm sure there will have been a TUE.

 

[Benotti69]

Re: Re:

https://twitter.com/teundewit/status/624580269497024512

I'm sure there will have been a TUE.

Hey Zorzoli will be cool, give it a few days........

 

[Ventoux Boar]

2nd and 3rd in the Tour merits 4 posts. Numerologically intriguing and good to see we're beyond equating dominant performances with doping. Chapeau.

Edit. Everyone's favourite objective sports scientist seems to believe, now, that we shouldn't rush to judgement based solely on known limits of physiology.

Ross Tucker @Scienceofsport
@Cubed120 depends whether one wants to believe the fictitious argument that numbers alone are cause for suspicion. Even then,much to wonder

 

[hrotha]

Movistar has had the formula for a couple of years now. It is known.