Omega Pharma Quick Step: Are you kidding me??

[Ferminal]

1995 Rominger, the only rider Lefevere had who won a GT, the Giro (in 1994 pre-Lefevere he won the Vuelta at Mapei-Clas).

Ibarguen actually has some GT prowess, look at this list of clients:
Tonkov
Zulle
Heras
Mancebo
Ricco
Piepoli
Mayo

Heh, disconcerting typing that list and knowing he's still around.

Mayo faded in 2007

 

[Benotti69]

Tony Martin,

2 tweets

David Millar @millarmind

I know the TdF is all very dramatic today, but has anybody else noticed Tony Martin is putting time into the peloton on his own. Again.

Taylor Phinney @taylorphinney

That was one of the most selfless rides I've ever seen from a teammate. Especially after winning yesterday. Chapeau @tonymartin85

OPQS, what a dirty team!

 

[Granville57]

Tony Martin,

David Millar @millarmind

I know the TdF is all very dramatic today, but has anybody else noticed Tony Martin is putting time into the peloton on his own. Again.

Of course Martin is just lucky that Froome hasn't been there the past couple of days to chase him down, seeing that Chris is a better climber and TTer than Tony.


(Sorry for the diversion but I just couldn't bring myself to bump the Froome thread from Page 2)

 

[IndianCyclist]

2 words- Sylvain Chavanel
Just a year back he was in the mix in the northern classics. In the TDF, he was very powerful. Now he is mid pack.

 

[DirtyWorks]

2007 details on multiple doping *claims* for Lefvre's teams.

Museeuw strategically admits to doping.
I have done nothing that I can be criminally punished for. But that doesn't take away from the fact that I have not been honest. And I'm sorry about that He's real sorry.

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/museeuw-admits-to-doping-use-9631/

The cyclist spoke out of frustration at what he thought was Lefvre's double standard with respect to doping. "There are basically three types of riders in our team," he said. "At the bottom level: the discards, the riders that have to go 100 kilometres. They take nothing, or maybe a bit of caffeine or cortisone. Patrick Lefvre barely knows their names. "Level two: the domestiques that have to last for a long time, they require a few extras. And then you have the real toppers. They take the important stuff. At Quick.Step, it's generally EPO in low doses, IGF and growth hormone. Undetectable." The rider said that Lefvre and team doctor Ivan Van Mol

Rider pays Van Mol. Lefvre and Van Mol are believed to be the primary suppliers. Boonen denies it all.

More in the story.

It seems like everyone gets the good stuff for the classics block now.

 

[blackcat]

2007 details on multiple doping *claims* for Lefvre's teams.

Museeuw strategically admits to doping.
I have done nothing that I can be criminally punished for. But that doesn't take away from the fact that I have not been honest. And I'm sorry about that He's real sorry.

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/museeuw-admits-to-doping-use-9631/

The cyclist spoke out of frustration at what he thought was Lefvre's double standard with respect to doping. "There are basically three types of riders in our team," he said. "At the bottom level: the discards, the riders that have to go 100 kilometres. They take nothing, or maybe a bit of caffeine or cortisone. Patrick Lefvre barely knows their names. "Level two: the domestiques that have to last for a long time, they require a few extras. And then you have the real toppers. They take the important stuff. At Quick.Step, it's generally EPO in low doses, IGF and growth hormone. Undetectable." The rider said that Lefvre and team doctor Ivan Van Mol

Rider pays Van Mol. Lefvre and Van Mol are believed to be the primary suppliers. Boonen denies it all.

More in the story.

slavoj zizek riffs on this. he says, if a wife is sure her husband is having an affair, she navigates with cognitive dissonance, but when she sees her husband thru a long lens photographs by a PI, she has the paroxysms. I think Zizek made this analogy referring to Assange and WL and US FoPo.

We know they dope. But until they have the positive samples we can maintain the suppression of disbelief. And the UCI as gatekeepers, play on this delusion and sycophancy

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

I think it is time to bump this thread. Fleche walllone 1994 deja vue. ...

 

[Puckfiend]

Well, if Etixx is on the gear, it darn sure didn't improve their race tactics!

 

[Netserk]

I guess smarts can't be injected.

 

[58teeth]

well, if etixx is on the gear, it darn sure didn't improve their race tactics!

+1000000000

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

Well, if Etixx is on the gear, it darn sure didn't improve their race tactics!

Guess give Stijn Vandenbergh a ring....

Boonen on the Taaien: absolute magic.

Taus and QS are ready.

 

[scholar]

I'm a huge fan of ?tybar, but was slightly surprised by the way he followed and then eased away from both Valverde and GVA in the last km today -- surprised in a way I wasn't, to the same extent, when Kwiatkowski did from Sagan this time last year. I confess to hearing alarm bells. Not the 'he must be doping' sort of alarm bells, since it could be that he's closer to his peak than either of the other three, but the 'might something be not quite right here?' sort. Especially after the strength QS showed a week ago. What do others think?

 

[JimmyFingers]

I think given the winds and the surface today's race suited Stybar's strengths precisely. I did think Valverde had it in he bag but Stybar monstered it. With the wind it was a race for strong men, and Stybar is nothing if not strong.

 

[zlev11]

nah, everyone had Stybar down as the big favorite for this race. he was likely the the second strongest rider in the race (to Vanmarcke) but way better suited to the route. is he clean? who the hell knows, but it didn't shock me as much as when Kwiatkowski dropped Sagan like he was packfill last year.

 

[skippythepinhead]

I'm a huge fan of ?tybar, but was slightly surprised by the way he followed and then eased away from both Valverde and GVA in the last km today -- surprised in a way I wasn't, to the same extent, when Kwiatkowski did from Sagan this time last year. I confess to hearing alarm bells. Not the 'he must be doping' sort of alarm bells, since it could be that he's closer to his peak than either of the other three, but the 'might something be not quite right here?' sort. Especially after the strength QS showed a week ago. What do others think?

Doping or not, Stybar has entertained me on several occasions this time of year.

 

[scholar]

Fair enough. Perhaps I had the wrong sense of his strengths, or of the parcours -- but I wasn't expecting him to do as well on this kind of finish as someone with the strengths that Valverde's record in the hilly classics (and in the FW in particular) displays.

But by others' reaction it sounds as if it's my expectations (whether of ?tybar or of the parcours) that were off rather than his performance that was suspicious.

 

[Franklin]

Besides the question of doping, Valverde is not a favorite anymore when competing against the younger gen in these one-day races. He can still win, but I'll bet on a Vanmarcke or Stybar nowadays.

Speed is the problem when you get older, even on rocketfuel.

 

[Benotti69]

Besides the question of doping, Valverde is not a favorite anymore when competing against the younger gen in these one-day races. He can still win, but I'll bet on a Vanmarcke or Stybar nowadays.

Speed is the problem when you get older, even on rocketfuel.

Not necessarily true. Horner won a GT at 42. I guess Piti does a little less PEDs to be sure the Italians wont catch him.

 

[Franklin]

Not necessarily true. Horner won a GT at 42. I guess Piti does a little less PEDs to be sure the Italians wont catch him.

Since when is a GT a One-Day race?

 

[roundabout]

The level of delusion in the last few posts reminds me of the de Gendt thread a few years back

 

[Franklin]

Delusions? We are discussing if it's odd that Valverde loses, which we don't think it is. Nobody here says they think anyone is particularly clean.

I find this tendency to call people delusional grating. It's hostile and clearly unneccesary.

 

[skippythepinhead]

The level of delusion in the last few posts reminds me of the de Gendt thread a few years back

whenever I get to feeling my life is bad, I'll just look at your post and think about how much worse it could be.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Besides the question of doping, Valverde is not a favorite anymore when competing against the younger gen in these one-day races. He can still win, but I'll bet on a Vanmarcke or Stybar nowadays.

Speed is the problem when you get older, even on rocketfuel.

If only Vanmarcke actually could win a race, which he can't. Valverde is still a great rider who wins more than the young gen guys you speak of. Strade Bianche is a good race for Valverde, but being beaten by semi-sprinter GVA and Stybar (who's in the form of his life) doesn't suggest that he's lost his top speed. It only suggests that he targets other races. His top speed is still unique for a climber/GT specialist of his class.

 

[Franklin]

If only Vanmarcke actually could win a race, which he can't. Valverde is still a great rider who wins more than the young gen guys you speak of. Strade Bianche is a good race for Valverde, but being beaten by semi-sprinter GVA and Stybar (who's in the form of his life) doesn't suggest that he's lost his top speed. It only suggests that he targets other races. His top speed is still unique for a climber/GT specialist of his class.

Valverde is a rider who will still win a handful of races this years and probably quite a few nice ones.

But he will have lost top speed, it's really unavoidable, even with rocketfuel. Even in the most chemical years sprinters slowed down when they hit 30. Now granted uphill sprinting after 6 hours racing is more slanted towards the one with the best endurance, yet even then, he will have slowed down due to his age.

So sure, he can win a finish against younger guys simply because of his huge engine (with additives^^), but it will get rarer.

 

[scholar]

The level of delusion in the last few posts reminds me of the de Gendt thread a few years back

What exactly is the delusion?