Notice how 2020 wasn't very fast? This year almost tied it for most elevation gain of recent GTs.
View: https://twitter.com/velofacts/status/1683213753662464001
View: https://twitter.com/velofacts/status/1683213753662464001
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And they always compare to Pogacar as if he is the beacon of light... (The same questions apply to him as well. They are comparing to another mutant to justify the first one)https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...stonishing-criticism-of-tour-de-france-winner
(Michel) "Wuyts also references the questions raised by Vingegaard's dominance as a few have begun to raise questions of doping. "Given the history of this sport, it is right that questions are asked. Especially if someone drives 4.5 seconds per kilometre faster than the closest opponent in a time trial," says the Belgian. "But add up all the details that make up those striking differences and you'll almost get there. The only question mark remains the medical support. Teams have also taken steps in recovery resources. It would be nice if they showed how they get their riders to the start as fresh as possible every day."
Yeah, the recovery processes would be very interesting to know (and I mean more then the ice tub!).
It made me think of 1999, the day after Lance Armstrong’s dominant performance in Sestriere. Speaking to my then sports editor, Alex Butler, I told of my misgivings and listed the reasons why Armstrong’s performances couldn’t be believed. EPO, the drug of choice in the peloton during these years, was still undetectable, Le Monde journalist Benoît Hopquin was working on a story that the UCI had covered a positive test for Armstrong and the French rider Christophe Bassons was telling anyone prepared to listen that doping was still rife in the peloton. Bassons didn’t ask for anonymity.
Hearing my scepticism, the sports editor wasn’t exactly euphoric. “You really think he’s doping after coming back from cancer?” “Yes,” I said. “Well, if that’s what you believe, that’s what you’ve got to write,” he said matter of factly.
You see 24 years ago there was disappointment that the guy in the Yellow Jersey was cheating. Now, in some quarters, the belief that the maillot jaune is clean is greeted with disappointment. The second reaction is of course born out of the first. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
No one, though, comes up with a scintilla of evidence that Vingegaard, Pogacar or any of today’s generation are cheating. Ouest France, a high-circulation regional newspaper, published a story last week that quoted a number of anonymous sources saying Vingegaard’s performances were too good to be trusted. Nobody can be that good, was the thrust of the argument.
The only source quoted in the piece offered a different view. Asked about the time difference between Vingegaard and his nearest rival, he said: “I wasn’t expecting it, the gap is incredible, but that doesn’t make me uneasy.” The Ouest France piece read like long-form Twitter.
COMMENTS
J Wolfenden
You say there is no suspicion about their performance and there was with Armstrong, but why is this different?
I suspect they are producing significantly better outputs than Lance in his prime - does 20yrs development of legal sports science beat the illegal sports science of 20yrs ago?
I get your Pog and Jonas are performing at the level they always have, but that doesn’t seem a bonafide reason they can’t be doping - maybe just that they started young?
Hate to be so sceptical… but, cycling….
Hi J,
The reasons for the disbelief about LA in 1999 were manifold. For example he’d ridden the Tour 4 times before 1999 and never been remotely competitive in time trials or mountain stages. The most powerful drug Epo was undetectable in 1999 and we knew the UCI had covered up an LA positive test from the first day of the 1999 Tour. Then once you started asking questions, witnesses with inside knowledge of LA’s doping came forward. Betsy and Frankie Andreu, Emma O’Reilly, Stephen Swart, Greg and Kathy LeMond, Mike Anderson. There were other informants who offered up valuable information but wanted their names kept out of the story. About today’s generation, there hasn’t been one witness with anything that could be considered as evidence of doping. So in my view the differences between then and now are stark.
Best,
David.
Oh wow, there were so many dopers in history of cycling but you think likes of Froome and Wiggins were the most obvious dopers of all-time.Walsh was also vouching for Landis after stage 17 2006 because "he actually had a bad day in the Tour" or whatever. he is a clueless moron. he got lucky that Lance was the most obvious doper of all-time that wasn't British. everything goes back to that one day on Sestrieres, 1999 with him, the one day he was ever right about anything.
Only one has tested positive, so therefor only one has "doped".Oh wow, there were so many dopers in history of cycling but you think likes of Froome and Wiggins were the most obvious dopers of all-time.
Here's some better clues for you: Pogacar Belles Filles TT 2020, Vingegaard Domancy TT 2023, Dumoulin Bergen TT 2017, Alapilippe Pau TT 2019 (with wild crazy eyes at the finish for emphasis), Roglic Tokyo TT 2020
There, I made it so much easier for you
Oh wow, there were so many dopers in history of cycling but you think likes of Froome and Wiggins were the most obvious dopers of all-time.
Here's some better clues for you: Pogacar Belles Filles TT 2020, Vingegaard Domancy TT 2023, Dumoulin Bergen TT 2017, Alapilippe Pau TT 2019 (with wild crazy eyes at the finish for emphasis), Roglic Tokyo TT 2020
There, I made it so much easier for you
lol, yeah Thomas went up a mountain at 7 watts and won the tour de france by 7 minutes.
what the *** are you talking about?
I gave 5 clear examples of time trials where the winner was clearly doped to the gills. I'm not even british (in fact if you knew my nationality you would laugh that I "protect" british riders)
These riduclous time trials are cheating in plain site, and this joke of a forum has shot its load for several years over a powerful boring sky train dominating one race.
I mean YOU and almost everone else here are *** pathetic (literally, in the sense of sadness and non-literally in the sense of *** pathetic)
Yeah maybe.This Lopez thing worries me a lot. They clearly have near proof that he is a doper but he has never failed a test. There is no way Astana would have kicked him out or UCI banned him if there wasn't compelling evidence against him. But he hasn't had a positive test. This shows that the tests they do are not effective and he has got past them. And if he has got past them, it seems almost certain other riders have too. If he had failed a test, this would actually reassure me as it would show the testing system is good but being banned without testing positive shows the system is floored and likely better riders are also doping
Of course, he doesn't mention that his struggles started after Bahrain Victorious got a "friendly warning" to calm down with their special protein shakes.For me, when a guy as good as Mohoric says he barely was hanging on during most stages...yeah, that tells me they're on some serious jet fuel right now.
I mean, Caruso still got 4th in the Giro this year, he's still up there. Colbrelli turning into the Italian Van Aert and almost dropping 2021 Masnada on muritos in the NC was something else, not to mention the sudden watts explosion that occured with Padun...Of course, he doesn't mention that his struggles started after Bahrain Victorious got a "friendly warning" to calm down with their special protein shakes.
BV making donkeys fly (Caruso, Colbrelli, Padun), the police raids and their consequent decline in results is the biggest indirect proof of doping we have in recent years.
What I wonder is why Jumbo and UAE are not getting the same treatment. More power and money?
For me, when a guy as good as Mohoric says he barely was hanging on during most stages...yeah, that tells me they're on some serious jet fuel right now.
Indeed he did and in week 3 when everyone was tired ...Didn't he win the fastest (49.13 km/h) stage in the Tour?
Indeed he did and in week 3 when everyone was tired ...
What I wonder is why Jumbo and UAE are not getting the same treatment. More power and money?
Lot of internet drama involving them and shady aliases but I don't think it's been confirmed he had an influence on the investigation.Wasn't the Bahrain raid done following some actions by Vayer and a journo, or was that all a conspiracy theory about a conspiracy theory?