official Ilnur Zakarin thread

[blackcat]

Re: Re:

Russian, British - the point is surely that when something looks that bloody suss, it's impossible to refrain from the doping imputation. Does the imputation drop like a stone because of race, ethnicity, culture, nation-state? Surely not. Surely it's because it actually just is unbelievable.

no, the Anglophones brought a puritanical edge to their MO and pro cycling. Therefore, the backlash is worse when folks allege emperor's clothes

I see what you're saying, but I think the backlash is more aesthetic. i.e. before all the moralising logic and judgement, it just looks awful to have Murdoch-owned black jerseyed-watt fundamentalists dominating a stage race, with the main star possibly the most ungainly and ugly thing ever put on a bicycle.

Interesting that Zakarin looks so bloody awful too - he basically pedals squares.

Yet Contador, perhaps Nibali - they have beautiful form. So juiced or not, they do not offend aesthetically.

I reckon the backlash is principally this, and only then do we turn to our reasons to justify it.

Last years Tour when Nibali handled the cobbles and the Arenburg, I was willing to give Nibali the jersey and the win right there. That stage was a thing of beauty, whereas you always doubted Wiggins could make a podium in Roubaix, that stage made you think that Nibali would be certain to make a podium in Roubaix if he had the intent, and pending on the day and the tactics, he might be able to beat Cancellara and/or Boonen. Did he come second to Dekker in the u23 worlds tt?

Nibali deserved last year on that stage alone. And I dont really like him that much. And Nibali is on one of those weightloss peptides too, or cocktail of peptides and AICAR and cortisone and GW. And even leaner by about 4lbs, he still handled the crosswinds and the cobbles.

But I agree, it might be implicit in my critique of the Anglophones sans elan, sans brio. I alleged a puritan MO on PEDs. Which would be correct, but your point also correct, and I also agree, I think of them in the johhny-come-lately calumny

 

[The Hegelian]

Yeah. I was pissed that there were three Astana's at the pointy end of that stage - but Nibali looked a milliion dollars on those greasy cobbles. I had similar thoughts at the time: he deserves it.

Why? Maybe it's also something to do with a paradigm between authenticity/fakeness. Whatever cocktail Nibbles is/was on, he was the real deal on a bicycle. i.e. against my early points about aesthetics, it wasn't just how he looked, it was also what he actually did. So classy.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Having a team mate slide out right in front of you and managing to avoid them while keeping it upright was spectacular viewing. A shame that the best bits of a race can also be the most dangerous for the riders, but I'd pay to watch that sort of stuff.

 

[blackcat]

Re:

Won't someone think of the smilies? :-(

it was not clear, actually, it was not even ambiguous, it looked like I wrote that, it looked like a continuation of what I wrote.

but no, I copy and pasted that message about too many smilies from the forum program! the 5 smilies or whatever, cant have more. that was copy P or ctrl P cntrl... NO , it was ctrl C ctrl P!!!

<no smilies> my words

 

[blackcat]

Re: Re:

Well by any rational standard, of course his doping offense is not worse. The point I'm making is that most of us tend to make our judgements before there is any real reason applied - and that it's not (necessarily) race or nationhood doing the work there. I'm no different: there's no way on earth I can deny the grace of Pantani flying up a hill. But there's no way on earth I can accept Froome do it. Irrational. But aesthetically, it makes a great deal of sense.

yes, confluence of biology, and experience which is informed by culture

 

[rainman]

Only just caught Zakarin's stage victory and have to say it was the most alien ride I've seen since Dawg on Ventoux. I didn't get all the details but he's lost 10 kilos in six months? Come on, that is ludicrous. But it was the way he SHREDDED the likes of top fuel Hesjedal that really binned any remaining credulity for me. First time I've switched off before the finish since Landis Alpine rampage.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

Only just caught Zakarin's stage victory and have to say it was the most alien ride I've seen since Dawg on Ventoux. I didn't get all the details but he's lost 10 kilos in six months? Come on, that is ludicrous. But it was the way he SHREDDED the likes of top fuel Hesjedal that really binned any remaining credulity for me. First time I've switched off before the finish since Landis Alpine rampage.

I heard he's planning to do a second lap in the TT just for fun. Forget Hesjedal, he's belongs to the past like Basso.

 

[blackcat]

its lipotropin and Aicar and GW

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re:

Only just caught Zakarin's stage victory and have to say it was the most alien ride I've seen since Dawg on Ventoux. I didn't get all the details but he's lost 10 kilos in six months? Come on, that is ludicrous. But it was the way he SHREDDED the likes of top fuel Hesjedal that really binned any remaining credulity for me. First time I've switched off before the finish since Landis Alpine rampage.

Sella and Riccò not ridiculous enough for you?! What about Gabrovski? Sayar?

I kind of respect Zakarin for pulling this stunt in the post-Froome generation. The guy just doesn't give a flying one how ridiculous he looks.

 

[The Hitch]

Re:

Only just caught Zakarin's stage victory and have to say it was the most alien ride I've seen since Dawg on Ventoux.

Horner beating Contador's time on Angliru 3 weeks into the race while never getting into the saddle, has got to be up there

 

[Irondan]

Re:

Only just caught Zakarin's stage victory and have to say it was the most alien ride I've seen since Dawg on Ventoux. I didn't get all the details but he's lost 10 kilos in six months? Come on, that is ludicrous. But it was the way he SHREDDED the likes of top fuel Hesjedal that really binned any remaining credulity for me. First time I've switched off before the finish since Landis Alpine rampage.

His ITT time in the giro was very pedestrian compared to the alien performances he's been producing in the past month. Did the team instruct him to chill? Or, has he peaked?

 

[Netserk]

Taking it easy so he can win tomorrow.

 

[rainman]

Re: Re:

Only just caught Zakarin's stage victory and have to say it was the most alien ride I've seen since Dawg on Ventoux. I didn't get all the details but he's lost 10 kilos in six months? Come on, that is ludicrous. But it was the way he SHREDDED the likes of top fuel Hesjedal that really binned any remaining credulity for me. First time I've switched off before the finish since Landis Alpine rampage.

His ITT time in the giro was very pedestrian compared to the alien performances he's been producing in the past month. Did the team instruct him to chill? Or, has he peaked?

Almost certainly considering tomorow as others have said.
Re all time doping monsters, yes he probably doesn't figure that highly.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

Only just caught Zakarin's stage victory and have to say it was the most alien ride I've seen since Dawg on Ventoux. I didn't get all the details but he's lost 10 kilos in six months? Come on, that is ludicrous. But it was the way he SHREDDED the likes of top fuel Hesjedal that really binned any remaining credulity for me. First time I've switched off before the finish since Landis Alpine rampage.

Sella and Riccò not ridiculous enough for you?! What about Gabrovski? Sayar?

I kind of respect Zakarin for pulling this stunt in the post-Froome generation. The guy just doesn't give a flying one how ridiculous he looks.

I have to admit that Landis was my favourite. Gabrovski gets an honourable mention as does Ricco, and the Chicken from the 2007 Tour. Froome's tricycle impression was also very good as was the looks on the faces of the riders behind.

 

[BullsFan22]

He is Russian. End of story.

 

[blackcat]

Ricco. Ricky Riccio, 'respect/

dont take Ricky Riccio's name in vain folks. you've been warned

 

[ebandit]

for ricco's sake who do you think you are?............expect fireworks today

Mark L

 

[TheGreenMonkey]

Zakarin's performance at Romandie must have been a final test run of the doping program for Trofimov during the third week of the Giro.

 

[Martin]

No update in this thread today? Wow, really unbelievable performance... TBH I didn't know Zakarin before this Giro.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Flies like a bird and drops like a stone on alternate stages

 

[Irondan]

Re:

Zakarin's performance at Romandie must have been a final test run of the doping program for Trofimov during the third week of the Giro.

He only won the Tour de Romandie in commanding fashion.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re:

No update in this thread today? Wow, really unbelievable performance... TBH I didn't know Zakarin before this Giro.

Followed by a Taaramäe-esque collapse as well. When he hit the wall, he really splatted into it, fly on the windshield style.

 

[Billie]

Re: Re:

No update in this thread today? Wow, really unbelievable performance... TBH I didn't know Zakarin before this Giro.

Followed by a Taaramäe-esque collapse as well. When he hit the wall, he really splatted into it, fly on the windshield style.

He came in with Trofimov so likely he waited for him once he was dropped from the leading group.

 

[SeriousSam]

Did you guys see that grin he gave the cameras after he was dropped? Won me over, am now a Zakarin supporter.

 

[Martin]

Re:

Did you guys see that grin he gave the cameras after he was dropped? Won me over, am now a Zakarin supporter.

Hmm... Seemed to me as if he zipped his mouth... Won't tell my secret I would like to know how he looked when he crossed the line, trofimov was probably barely hanging his back wheel