Richie Porte - what do we know about him?

[JimmyFingers]

C'mon Jimmy, you can do better than this.

As can you. Start by making a point, rather than some throw away remark.

 

[veganrob]

At the pro level, If you are not cheating you are not trying to win. Simple. That extends to lower levels also unfortunately. The war will always be fought on the doping front. There will be the occasional "truce", but they will always be looking for better ways to circumvent the rules and testing. IMO Sky is winning that war now.
It is like the ridiculousness of the arms race between US and the world. Or arms reduction. How laughable. If we reduce our nuclear arsenal by 10% or30 or whatever and you do too then we will only have the capability to deastroy the world X number of times now instead of 8X. It is for fools. DOn't make the world any safer.

 

[DirtyWorks]

At the pro level, If you are not cheating you are not trying to win. Simple. That extends to lower levels also unfortunately. The war will always be fought on the doping front. There will be the occasional "truce", but they will always be looking for better ways to circumvent the rules and testing. IMO Sky is winning that war now.

This observation touches on one of my pet peeves about this issue. As has been observed many times over in the last 6 months, the federation is deeply involved in the doping.

As much as teams in cycling or even individual athetes pursue the doping, the federation absolutely gives the actors the opportunity to dope.

If you don't want to believe my crackpot theory (and it is crazy) that the UCI are giving Sky the free doping pass to monetize the sport by growing viewers in the UK, then that's okay. But, the federation's role in doping cannot be ignored.

 

[thehog]

Careful now. 7-10kg's is an enormous amount to lose when you are under 70kg's. However I wouldn't bet against him losing 3-5kg's in that period.

Sky will go into super weight loss mode soon. Say around late May/June. Porte will disappear for a while and come back 3-4kg lighter. He has built up his bulk with head shape changing. He’ll also gain another 10-20w in raw power.

I’m not sure how any other team can beat them in the GTs. The only way is to get a very bad day weather wise and break them that way. But still can’t see it happening. Sky will get Porte an Froome 1-2 and probably Wiggins Top 4 depending on how much work he has to for those two.

There biggest problem will be hiding their obvious strength advantage over the other teams. They have to make it look somewhat real.

 

[ebandit]

dope

But, the federation's role in doping cannot be ignored.

unless team sky really are as clean as they state

and thus far no-one can prove otherwise

Mark L

 

[Netserk]

That wasn't my point at all, not even close. My point was in response to Chewie saying Sky started an arms race, and I pointed out that if Sky are doping it would be to compete with the dopers, like it's always been. I'm saying Sky didn't start this, unless you, like Chewie, think the sport was clean when Sky started?

It's a theoretical model, not necessarily representative of my beliefs or opinions, but rather exploring possibilities. It's cheap to misrepresent what people say, try not to in future.

Ofc others doped before Sky, but IMO Sky took it to the next level forcing others to step up too, if they'd want to compete.

 

[Parrot23]

https://twitter.com/ozDanJones/status/320288661969186817/photo/1

Dan Jones ‏@ozDanJones 5 Apr
OK this one's for you @cjsutton2. @richie_porte as Danger Mouse. #sharingtheaussielove pic.twitter.com/qIHDVscYZd
Retweeted by Richie Porte

 

[JimmyFingers]

don't have aproblem

Ofc others doped before Sky, but IMO Sky took it to the next level forcing others to step up too, if they'd want to compete.

But then we end up at some weird chicken-and-egg scenario. Personally I think its part of the whole 'demonise Sky at all costs' movement, that somehow their hypothetical (in my opinion) doping is more morally reprehensible than the rest of the peloton's.

This is because they are viewed as the inheritor's of the Armstrong mantle, the most aggressive and prolific dopers in a field of dopers. nd this mainly because everyone is doping and Sky are winning (although I do believe claims of dominance are an exaggeration on results so far this season). I also believes thjat results in a transference of feelings, from LA to Sky, so I do think Sky are paying for a lot of the sins and excessess of Lance.

And so we have this mysterious 'next level' of doping, because if everyone is doping, how are Sky dominating? So they have some special sauce, some secret stuff no-one else has access to, perhaps developed in the bowels of a BC velodrome.

I just think there are huge holes in all of that, plus this raging against Sky for doping when everyone else is doping is odd, because people are angry for them being a bit more corrupt than everyone else in a sport that is corrupt already, and has been for decades?

 

[Netserk]

But then we end up at some weird chicken-and-egg scenario. Personally I think its part of the whole 'demonise Sky at all costs' movement, that somehow their hypothetical (in my opinion) doping is more morally reprehensible than the rest of the peloton's.

This is because they are viewed as the inheritor's of the Armstrong mantle, the most aggressive and prolific dopers in a field of dopers. nd this mainly because everyone is doping and Sky are winning (although I do believe claims of dominance are an exaggeration on results so far this season). I also believes thjat results in a transference of feelings, from LA to Sky, so I do think Sky are paying for a lot of the sins and excessess of Lance.

And so we have this mysterious 'next level' of doping, because if everyone is doping, how are Sky dominating? So they have some special sauce, some secret stuff no-one else has access to, perhaps developed in the bowels of a BC velodrome.

I just think there are huge holes in all of that, plus this raging against Sky for doping when everyone else is doping is odd, because people are angry for them being a bit more corrupt than everyone else in a sport that is corrupt already, and has been for decades?

I agree with you that it seems like Sky gets a lot of the Lance hate. But it's not very surprising considering all the similarities IMO.

Regarding next level: By implementing a team-wide program, whereas it used to be more 'don't ask don't tell'. (Speculation)

 

[JimmyFingers]

But to have rational, reasoned debate you have to seperate the two, else Sky are being condemned for some one else's sins. Lance was a one off: a pr!ck as big as him only comes along once in a generation.

As for 'next level' being merely team wide organised doping as opposed to lone-gun doping, that's the crime laid at Sky's door,and they are the only team doing it? In a sport with decades of excess behind it, it seems fanciful to lay most of the guilt and blame at the door of one of the youngest teams in the pro-tour. They started an arms race, really? Seems that arms race has been going along merrily for a long time without Sky's involvement.

 

[zigmeister]

Porte going off the back with 15km to go at Fleche, not even that steep of a climb, he is looking pathetic.

Hmmm....even Andy Schleck is taking turns at the front...strange.

 

[Ferminal]

Clean riders have form swings too.

 

[zalacain]

Clean riders have form swings too.

Like Floyd?

 

[the sceptic]

Clean riders have form swings too.

I thought clean riders could peak all year round

 

[Ferminal]

I don't think there is any correlation. There are plenty of dopers who have focused on a single objective and been very ordinary for the rest of the season. Just as there are dopers who practically win races in every month of the season.

I guess we don't know how it works for clean riders because there are no good examples of them in the modern era.

 

[roundabout]

I was actually expecting the Gilbert thread to be bumped.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Being tired after a few good races / results looks far more human to me than going all the way through to August...

 

[Benotti69]

I thought clean riders could peak all year round

This is what i thought that clean riders maintained a decent level throughout the year if they avoided accidents and viruses.

 

[JimPanzen]

The way he popped today is somewhat suspicious. Maybe he was on the wrong "diet"

...maybe he just has the ****s...who knows.

 

[Gloin22]

The way he popped today is somewhat suspicious. Maybe he was on the wrong "diet"

...maybe he just has the ****s...who knows.

Classics are different to stage races..

Where was Quintana today using same example of a rider dominating last week ?

He never rode these classics and you do have to get used to them.

 

[roundabout]

Quintana did kinda crap, but still beat Porte by over 8 minutes.

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

Just warming up for sunday, he will be up there to assist buddy Chris. Just like the rest of Pays Vasco top ten.

 

[thehog]

He's not the sharpest tool is he?

But what's he talking about here? It's literally makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

I was interested to read comments last week from my fellow Tasmanian, Cameron Wurf about how there was almost a predictability about the way Sky race. It's not the first time it's been mentioned but it should be noted that Froomie attacked in Tirreno, I attacked in Paris-Nice, Froomie attacked in Criterium - it's not totally predictable. People say that. Cycling's changed, people want to see exciting racing from 10 years ago or whatever but I'm sorry, that just doesn't happen now. We've copped a lot of flack for riding off SRMs but if Romandie was predictable then that has nothing to do with the use of an SRM because what people don't realise is that when you've got all those cameras around, all the interference off them cuts the data from the SRM. At the end of the day we rode Romandie without an SRM. So maybe that does make us predictable?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/richie-porte/the-giro-wiggins-and-why-you-cant-rule-out-evans

 

[BroDeal]

He's not the sharpest tool is he?

But what's he talking about here? It's literally makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/richie-porte/the-giro-wiggins-and-why-you-cant-rule-out-evans

I put it though my bogan to English translater but still could not figure out what he is saying.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Wurf said - some races are really hard, due to the constant attacking and surging, then there's the races where the GC Sky team are there, and you just look at your SRM and know what to expect.

ie they are going to hit the limit then just sit there, for the rest of the climb.

Why the friggin feck would Wurf lie about that?

No reason.

Porte should calm down and look at this a little more objectively. 4 attacks in 4 races is not unpredictable racing. el oh el.