Richie Porte - what do we know about him?

[del1962]

He was 5s behind Bertie on one stage and looking well. Then suddenly he is hit with illness overnight.

Odd.

Have you never been hit with ilness overnight, I remember I once went for a run when I was younger, I went pretty quick, the next day I was down with flu like symptoms feeling completely drained of energy it took me over a month to recover

 

[Benotti69]

Have you never been hit with ilness overnight, I remember I once went for a run when I was younger, I went pretty quick, the next day I was down with flu like symptoms feeling completely drained of energy it took me over a month to recover

GT riders have hugely strong constitutions that their bodies are able to deal with excessive athletic efforts and recover.

Doping bypasses the natural order.

 

[Jspear]

Funny. They expect him to be training again in 48 hours. That's seems pretty fast if he is still sick.

“Unfortunately due to illness which occurred overnight it’s been decided that Richie is too unwell to start the race this morning,” team doctor Alan Farrell said at the time. “We expect him to recover quickly and hope to have him back in training within the next 48 hours.”

http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/03/news/illness-forces-porte-volta-catalunya_321211

 

[Beech Mtn]

If I were surprise-tested in-competition for ABP, having some suspicion that my values would be off (for whatever reason, having recently taken in blood or donated a bag, or whatever), I would get on twitter and give interviews screeching over and over to the whole world about my awful flu/illness that was really laying me flat, and how I was just struggling every day to get through the competition. If I were really desperate, I'd pull from the race. Give myself a nice visible public record that I was sick at the time of the strange ABP values.

Now, I'm not at all saying this is what Porte is doing. Only his two recent DNFs + the Henao ABP deal made me think what evasive strategies I'd take in such a position.

 

[HSNHSN]

If I were surprise-tested in-competition for ABP, having some suspicion that my values would be off (for whatever reason, having recently taken in blood or donated a bag, or whatever), I would get on twitter and give interviews screeching over and over to the whole world about my awful flu/illness that was really laying me flat, and how I was just struggling every day to get through the competition. If I were really desperate, I'd pull from the race. Give myself a nice visible public record that I was sick at the time of the strange ABP values.

Now, I'm not at all saying this is what Porte is doing. Only his two recent DNFs + the Henao ABP deal made me think what evasive strategies I'd take in such a position.

Fortunately enough, the amount of white blood cells in one's blood is quite indicative of diseases. So if he really ill, I'd expect it to show up during blood tests anyway. Just pulling away from a race in this fashion would then only keep 'the public' at bay for some time, but it shouldn't fool the ABP test. It's more likely he's really ill for some reason, whether doping-related or not.

 

[HSNHSN]

Have you never been hit with ilness overnight, I remember I once went for a run when I was younger, I went pretty quick, the next day I was down with flu like symptoms feeling completely drained of energy it took me over a month to recover

Probably everyone has experienced this. However, when this happens it is often the case that in hindsight one wasn't quite feeling that well the day before anyway. And I haven't heard of anyone getting ill overnight twice within a couple of weeks.

 

[del1962]

Probably everyone has experienced this. However, when this happens it is often the case that in hindsight one wasn't quite feeling that well the day before anyway. And I haven't heard of anyone getting ill overnight twice within a couple of weeks.

I think in Porte's case it is not fully recovered, so thats why he felt empty, it is fairly straight forward explanation. Yesterday he dropped time because he felt empty, I thought at the time he is not going to finish this race.

I honestly don't know why people can't see that it is a straight forward illness.

 

[BYOP88]

I think in Porte's case it is not fully recovered, so thats why he felt empty, it is fairly straight forward explanation.

Well shouldn't he have abandoned after stage 1? If he's been ill for 10 or so days and still felt rough on stage 1 gotta be pretty unlikely that he'll be better for today.

 

[del1962]

Well shouldn't he have abandoned after stage 1? If he's been ill for 10 or so days and still felt rough on stage 1 gotta be pretty unlikely that he'll be better for today.

Of course he should have abandoned, however he might have felt he could ride his way through it, people do things like that

 

[pastronef]

Of course he should have abandoned, however he might have felt he could ride his way through it, people do things like that

yes, it happened before in cycling, a rider not feeling well does not quit straight away, he tries to ride until he can, and hope he can recover.

add to that, the weather worsened today, they were all soaked in rain in the second half of the stage. so, no hope to try and stay in the peloton and see how he felt this evening.

ps. I'm not a Sky apologist by the way. and I'll never say they're clean or try to convince you. I think they do the same thing as the others, and they fail with their PR talks about clean cycling (but that comes from the high rooms and BSkyB who pay them)

but sometimes the speculation against anything they do or say is getting too far.

WHY should he have withdrawn yesterday if he wanted to try and ride today? because if you are sick you are totally sick, and if you dare starting the next stage, and drop after half stage, there's for sure an hidden reason? LOL

 

[Alpechraxler]

Probably everyone has experienced this. However, when this happens it is often the case that in hindsight one wasn't quite feeling that well the day before anyway. And I haven't heard of anyone getting ill overnight twice within a couple of weeks.

Maybe it is just food poisoning and the chief did not yet clean up the fridge

 

[Benotti69]

Maybe it is just food poisoning and the chief did not yet clean up the fridge

Probably something in the butter dish.......

 

[CycloAndy]

yes, it happened before in cycling, a rider not feeling well does not quit straight away, he tries to ride until he can, and hope he can recover.

add to that, the weather worsened today, they were all soaked in rain in the second half of the stage. so, no hope to try and stay in the peloton and see how he felt this evening.

ps. I'm not a Sky apologist by the way. and I'll never say they're clean or try to convince you. I think they do the same thing as the others, and they fail with their PR talks about clean cycling (but that comes from the high rooms and BSkyB who pay them)

but sometimes the speculation against anything they do or say is getting too far.

WHY should he have withdrawn yesterday if he wanted to try and ride today? because if you are sick you are totally sick, and if you dare starting the next stage, and drop after half stage, there's for sure an hidden reason? LOL

Never a truer word said in the clinic!

 

[lllludo]

Richie abandoning twice in a row after a top perf is just another uncommon story for SKY.
Froomey as a late-bloomer in 2011 and express Healing from his long bilharzia was also uncommon, Sky & Wiggo dominating 2012 and the Tour = uncommon, recruiting Leinders and so many other dopers = uncommon, Froomey 2013 Tour climbs and ITT = uncommon, Froomey peaking during 5 months in 2013 = uncommon, the JTL affair = uncommon, Stannard & Thomas becoming stars = uncommon, the Henao affair is uncommon,
So many uncommon facts, it's like eating contaminated spanish beef every day.

I guees that's what SKY fans like. This team is full of surprise. It never stops !

 

[Escarabajo]

yes, it happened before in cycling, a rider not feeling well does not quit straight away, he tries to ride until he can, and hope he can recover.

add to that, the weather worsened today, they were all soaked in rain in the second half of the stage. so, no hope to try and stay in the peloton and see how he felt this evening.

ps. I'm not a Sky apologist by the way. and I'll never say they're clean or try to convince you. I think they do the same thing as the others, and they fail with their PR talks about clean cycling (but that comes from the high rooms and BSkyB who pay them)

but sometimes the speculation against anything they do or say is getting too far.

WHY should he have withdrawn yesterday if he wanted to try and ride today? because if you are sick you are totally sick, and if you dare starting the next stage, and drop after half stage, there's for sure an hidden reason? LOL

I don't agree with your assessment. Trying to show that are sick makes a difference in people's eyes. Their PR is important. Riding the first stage and retiring the second make people second guess that he was sick just like you did. It would have been very stupid to do it the first day. I just don't like the situation now since the Henao news broke.

I am trying to be as objective as possible but it just does not smell good.

 

[thehook]

Maybe Richie forgot to bring his own pillow?
Or maybe not enough hand washing?
Maybe they ran out of pineapple juice?
Marginal Gains?

 

[thehog]

yes, it happened before in cycling, a rider not feeling well does not quit straight away, he tries to ride until he can, and hope he can recover.

add to that, the weather worsened today, they were all soaked in rain in the second half of the stage. so, no hope to try and stay in the peloton and see how he felt this evening.

ps. I'm not a Sky apologist by the way. and I'll never say they're clean or try to convince you. I think they do the same thing as the others, and they fail with their PR talks about clean cycling (but that comes from the high rooms and BSkyB who pay them)

but sometimes the speculation against anything they do or say is getting too far.

WHY should he have withdrawn yesterday if he wanted to try and ride today? because if you are sick you are totally sick, and if you dare starting the next stage, and drop after half stage, there's for sure an hidden reason? LOL

I would agree.

In isolation, yes you would be right. What makes this situation a little odd, I mean, what makes what would normally be seen as normal sickness is half of team sky is pulling out and dodging races with various excuses since Heano was busted.

Correlate all of those incidents on a graph with Heano as the trigger. Now overlay last years Sky riders amd races and they'd lucky have one riding missing a scheduled race for the entire year.

True?

 

[42x16ss]

Maybe Richie forgot to bring his own pillow?
Or maybe not enough hand washing?
Maybe they ran out of pineapple juice?
Marginal Gains?

I heard the bolts on his seatpost were in the wrong position

 

[the sceptic]

I would agree.

In isolation, yes you would be right. What makes this situation a little odd, I mean, what makes what would normally be seen as normal sickness is half of team sky is pulling out and dodging races with various excuses since Heano was busted.

Correlate all of those incident on a graph with Heano as the trigger. Now overlay last years Sky riders amd races and they'd lucky have one riding missing a scheduled race for the entire year.

True?

I agree. Something is up. I just dont understand what.

Cookson warning Brailsford about new tests?

 

[Jspear]

Richie abandoning twice in a row after a top perf is just another uncommon story for SKY.
Froomey as a late-bloomer in 2011 and express Healing from his long bilharzia was also uncommon, Sky & Wiggo dominating 2012 and the Tour = uncommon, recruiting Leinders and so many other dopers = uncommon, Froomey 2013 Tour climbs and ITT = uncommon, Froomey peaking during 5 months in 2013 = uncommon, the JTL affair = uncommon, Stannard & Thomas becoming stars = uncommon, the Henao affair is uncommon,
So many uncommon facts, it's like eating contaminated spanish beef every day.

I guees that's what SKY fans like. This team is full of surprise. It never stops !

What do you mean by uncommon? Not all of those things are uncommon. Two different riders from the same team have dominated or nearly dominated a Tour before. Froome dominating the 2013 tour climbs and itt is not uncommon....many tours have been dominated by a single rider in the past. Thomas is not a star....neither is Stannard for that matter. Winning Omloop doesn't make you a star. Besides that his résumé isn't that impressive(from a professional point of view.) Henao in a doping controversy isn't too uncommon. Many riders have and are getting caught.

Nothing to uncommon the way I see it. Just the new US Postal.

 

[sniper]

Cookson warning Brailsford about new tests?

Sky admitted that a new test alparently got introduced this winteer.
http://www.sportsnet.ca/more/henao-left-off-team-sky-over-blood-anomalies/
second paragraph in the linked article.
also, i think a new? aicar test got introduced this winter, see sky thread.

 

[Ferminal]

If I were surprise-tested in-competition for ABP, having some suspicion that my values would be off (for whatever reason, having recently taken in blood or donated a bag, or whatever), I would get on twitter and give interviews screeching over and over to the whole world about my awful flu/illness that was really laying me flat, and how I was just struggling every day to get through the competition. If I were really desperate, I'd pull from the race. Give myself a nice visible public record that I was sick at the time of the strange ABP values.

Now, I'm not at all saying this is what Porte is doing. Only his two recent DNFs + the Henao ABP deal made me think what evasive strategies I'd take in such a position.

Not a bad point, thanks.

Fortunately enough, the amount of white blood cells in one's blood is quite indicative of diseases. So if he really ill, I'd expect it to show up during blood tests anyway. Just pulling away from a race in this fashion would then only keep 'the public' at bay for some time, but it shouldn't fool the ABP test. It's more likely he's really ill for some reason, whether doping-related or not.

Do we know if they do a full blood count?

At least we might get decent odds on his Giro win now. If he really has lost his nerve due to circumstances changing then you would expect "interesting" crash landings in other teams too.

 

[SundayRider]

When Froome level drops significantly then we know they are scared of something being tested for and getting caught. Whilst Froome still produces ET performances...

 

[sniper]

If I were surprise-tested in-competition for ABP, having some suspicion that my values would be off (for whatever reason, having recently taken in blood or donated a bag, or whatever), I would get on twitter and give interviews screeching over and over to the whole world about my awful flu/illness that was really laying me flat, and how I was just struggling every day to get through the competition. If I were really desperate, I'd pull from the race. Give myself a nice visible public record that I was sick at the time of the strange ABP values.

Now, I'm not at all saying this is what Porte is doing. Only his two recent DNFs + the Henao ABP deal made me think what evasive strategies I'd take in such a position.

plausible point indeed.
but sky did announce that he'll be back on his bike within 48 hours.

 

[lllludo]

What do you mean by uncommon? Not all of those things are uncommon. Two different riders from the same team have dominated or nearly dominated a Tour before. Froome dominating the 2013 tour climbs and itt is not uncommon....many tours have been dominated by a single rider in the past. Thomas is not a star....neither is Stannard for that matter. Winning Omloop doesn't make you a star. Besides that his résumé isn't that impressive(from a professional point of view.) Henao in a doping controversy isn't too uncommon. Many riders have and are getting caught.
Nothing to uncommon the way I see it. Just the new US Postal.

2 different riders from the same team winning the Tour : Riis-Ullrich, Hinault-Lemond, Hinault-Fignon; you'd tell me 2 years ago that the Froome-Wiggins duo will be next I would have said "no way".
Froome dominating the Movistars on Ventoux and Ax3D and time trialing like Tony Martin is not uncommon by Armstrong and Indurain standards.
Stannard, extremely ambitious for Paris-Roubaix, and Thomas, aiming for a GT in the near future, are considered as stars in the making within team Sky (according to Sutton for example).

I'm not saying SKY are the new US Postal organizing the team bus as a doping station or working directly with a Dr like Ferrari. This organization is 10 year old now.
But there's definitely something dodgy in the way they are making things happen.