Pozzovivo = pots-of-epo

[Cycle Chic]

How come Pozzovivo is getting away without a Clinic grilling - surely no-one can believe this Giro and the way he is riding ? or del Trentino ?

Yesterdays stage it looked like he was lying low so as not to raise suspicions. If he is this good why hasn't a team picked him up by now ?

The way he leisurely rides away from the best climbers
- i reckon Contador would struggle to keep up with him.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Come on, the guy is just a good climber.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

lol cycle chic is funny.

 

[MADRAZO]

It does not prove anything, but the last time he was this strong in the Giro was 2008, when the whole CSF team seemed juiced up (Sella for sure, and also Baliani most likely).

But ofcourse he has always been a great talent and is built to be a great climber, but it is hard not to be a bit suspicious, with the teams past.

 

[iZnoGouD]

no one dopes anymore

/close thread

 

[Cycle Chic]

It does not prove anything, but the last time he was this strong in the Giro was 2008, when the whole CSF team seemed juiced up (Sella for sure, and also Baliani most likely).

But ofcourse he has always been a great talent and is built to be a great climber, but it is hard not to be a bit suspicious, with the teams past.

So why hasnt a major team signed him up ?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Pozzovivo has always been this good. It's just he weighs about 50kg soaking wet and has been susceptible to illness and injury and terrible at placing himself in the péloton as a result. In 2010 he was great in the warmup races (winning on Pampeago in Trentino), but was battered and crashed in the crosswinds on stage 3, got ill in the cold on stage 8 and retired on stage 13. Last year he got involved in a crash early on, and soldiered on until Zoncolán before dropping out.

This year the Giro has been comparatively warm and the péloton comparatively docile in the early, boring flat stages, which has enabled him to arrive at his playgrounds of the mountains in better condition than usual.

He hasn't been picked up by other teams because he wants to ride for Colnago; he has been approached by other teams at times but chooses to stay where he is. Plus, his general weakness and fragility would mean he would likely be a helper elsewhere, whereas where he is he is a leader.

Maybe he's doping, maybe he isn't. I wouldn't like to say. But it's not like he's suddenly changed as a rider, like he's suddenly found a new product that turns him into a mountain goat par excellence; he's always been one. So he could have been doping all along, or he could have been clean(ish) all along.

It's not too dissimilar to Mosquera really - if you pay attention to the national scene you'd be aware that it isn't the surprise it seems to the outside world to see him performing like this (plus Pozzovivo is a few years younger). It could have been great talent obscured through years of domestique work in the Portuguese péloton and being on the wrong teams at the wrong time, or it could have been EPO. We couldn't know for sure until he actually tested positive.

 

[Cycle Chic]

doesnt add up - if he is such a 'marked man' in the peloton and can climb like he does, why hasnt a pro-team signed him ? and ok if he wont leave Italy (like Cunego) why not sign for Liquigas or Lampre ?

example:- if he had been in the middle of the liquigas train, or Lampre (protected),..yesterday up to cervinia, they would have won. It seems POZZOVIVO is now the new Contador and everyone is just waiting for him to ride away.

 

[hrotha]

doesnt add up - if he is such a 'marked man' in the peloton and can climb like he does, why hasnt a pro-team signed him ? and ok if he wont leave Italy (like Cunego) why not sign for Liquigas or Lampre ?

example:- if he had been in the middle of the liquigas train, or Lampre (protected),..yesterday up to cervinia, they would have won. It seems POZZOVIVO is now the new Contador and everyone is just waiting for him to ride away.

At Lampre he'd be working for Scarponi. At Liquigas he'd be working for Basso.

The other day no one tried to follow him, except for Intxausti after a while, and the gap remained stable.

I don't think he's climbing above his level (where was he yesterday?). The level of the Giro has simply been awful so far. But of course, with 2008 in mind you have to be sceptical.

 

[Cycle Chic]

so you dont think he could tow Basso or Scarponi up the mountains ?? and take home a huge pay packet ? instead he stays at Colnago where he isnt capable of GC anyway and who wont get the opportunity to ride the Pro Tours ?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

so you dont think he could tow Basso or Scarponi up the mountains ?? and take home a huge pay packet ? instead he stays at Colnago where he isnt capable of GC anyway and who wont get the opportunity to ride the Pro Tours ?

Maybe he values the opportunity to ride for his own opportunities more than towing somebody else around? Maybe the money he can earn from winning races like Trentino and the Brixia Tour covers the shortfall?

Pozzovivo could superdomestique for Basso or Scarponi, sure. But maybe he doesn't want to. Przemysław Niemiec was tearing up the Italian domestic scene for Miche until he was 31, before he decided to take the money for domestiquing in the World Tour. Maybe when Pozzovivo reaches that age he'll conclude that he can't do any more than he's already achieving at Colnago, so he'll go ride for Lampre or Liquigas or whoever then. But until then, why shouldn't he keep riding for Colnago if he gets his own opportunities?

 

[LaFlorecita]

doesnt add up - if he is such a 'marked man' in the peloton and can climb like he does, why hasnt a pro-team signed him ? and ok if he wont leave Italy (like Cunego) why not sign for Liquigas or Lampre ?

example:- if he had been in the middle of the liquigas train, or Lampre (protected),..yesterday up to cervinia, they would have won. It seems POZZOVIVO is now the new Contador and everyone is just waiting for him to ride away.

Are you trying to bait me by constantly mentioning Alberto? Alberto is the best climber period.

 

[Ferminal]

Erm, he's a pure climber who has always performed well, only inconsistently (contradiction, but you know what I mean!). The Giro hasn't even begun yet, if he manages to stay top5 by the end of the race then you'd say he's on the same playing field as Scarponi/Basso, but what he's doing at the moment is hardly surprising.

 

[Ferminal]

Loses two minutes, who would have thought.......

 

[Michele]

1. He's done similar VAM in past like the ones he did this year but probably ever found stronger people than him and having a big VAM doesnt mean be a smart rider.

2. Today he lost time so...he's clean according to your theory?

3. By saying he has similar physical values as in past, there are then many other things to consider; a route that suit his quality (pure climber), not any stronger rider, luck (you ever need it), etc etc.

 

[The Hitch]

Pozzovivo wouldnt be a good worker for the mountains anyway. How much of a tow is Basso going to get from him?

 

[Christian]

Great thread title though

 

[Angliru]

doesnt add up - if he is such a 'marked man' in the peloton and can climb like he does, why hasnt a pro-team signed him ? and ok if he wont leave Italy (like Cunego) why not sign for Liquigas or Lampre ?

example:- if he had been in the middle of the liquigas train, or Lampre (protected),..yesterday up to cervinia, they would have won. It seems POZZOVIVO is now the new Contador and everyone is just waiting for him to ride away.

He's getting to ride in most of the important Italian races including the Giro and as LS said, going to another team would potentially mean his opportunites to ride for himself would be limited and he would be given domestique duties.

 

[Caruut]

I'd really like to see the talent spread out far more than it is. Would liven races up a lot if we had more riders who knew they would have to gamble to win. As it is, the would be gamblers are towing the favourites around.

 

[Cycle Chic]

Ok so he lost time yesterday.....but how come he was surrounded by press and tv after the stage ? how come Pinotti is hailing the 'Colombian from Italy' as the one to be afraid of and we're waiting to see what he does next !

Thats because he can ride away from the best climbers in the Race, just like at Trentino - a bit like a few other banned riders have always done.

http://www.cyclingarchives.com/coureurfiche.php?coureurid=11870

and where are any results to mention apart from 2010 onwards ?

And what is going on with all these Venezuelan and Costa Rican showings ?? i suspect the Colombian marching powder is being used in abundance.

 

[Parrulo]

cycle chic, just because you never heard of a rider before it doesn't mean he dopes, all your post shows is ignorance.
Also very funny coments about colombian riders etc. What do think about the sudden jump in performance in british cycling on the road from 09 onwards?

 

[taiwan]

Pozzovivo isn't really riding above his usual level. Because the OP has only just heard of this climber does not mean he's having a suspicious breakout. It's a fairly wild overreaction. He's as likely to be doping as he was last year, or as any other rider who rode for a sketchy team at some point in their career i.e. much of the peloton.

Also these are easy pickings, but is 'Columbian marching powder' a performance enhancer? You can get banned for cocaine but it doesn't help you ride.

 

[Cycle Chic]

Pozzovivo isn't really riding above his usual level. Because the OP has only just heard of this climber does not mean he's having a suspicious breakout. It's a fairly wild overreaction. He's as likely to be doping as he was last year, or as any other rider who rode for a sketchy team at some point in their career i.e. much of the peloton.

Also these are easy pickings, but is 'Columbian marching powder' a performance enhancer? You can get banned for cocaine but it doesn't help you ride.

so how does his performance differ from Tiernan-Locke or Froome ?? who also have dodgey super riding achievements recently...and who are berated for it. I agree they should be questioned...i am not an anglophile.

 

[pmcg76]

so how does his performance differ from Tiernan-Locke or Froome ?? who also have dodgey super riding achievements recently...and who are berated for it. I agree they should be questioned...i am not an anglophile.

Comparing Pozzovivo to Froome and JTL, you are having a laugh now.

 

[Paco_P]

Consistently inconsistent performance may even be a sign that a rider is cleanish.