State of the peloton 2021

[Escarabajo]

Ok. Two Bahrain riders in a row is a red flag in itself. I hate Bahrain for bringing Padun to the race. At least we could have had some competition.

 

[Koronin]

Looks like the peloton is back to the 90's/00's era currently.

 

[Huapango]

I know this is a strecth, but, maybe what we're seeing in this year's TDF is what "clean" looks like. Froome is probably back to his pre-transformation self. Thomas is Thomas before he decided to give grand tours a go and magically became a climber.

 

[zlev11]

Ok. Two Bahrain riders in a row is a red flag in itself. I hate Bahrain for bringing Padun to the race. At least we could have had some competition.

yeah, they had the strongest rider from a huge breakaway two days in a row with two different riders. Teuns and Mohoric have done it before but those were maybe the two strongest breakaways i've ever seen in terms of the riders in them and then add it to everything else Bahrain has done in the past two months...lol.

 

[Netserk]

The peloton speed is at where the 2006 one would be without Puerto.

 

[gunara]

What if Pog did this number and some others could keep up closer? Would it have blown the clinic more or less?

 

[Riek s]

What if Pog did this number and some others could keep up closer? Would it have blown the clinic more or less?

Given he seems to broken two records on his raids (second one is still questioning, but it seems either broken or very close to it). I doubt it would have mattered if the others were closer. He still did the ride in bad weather breaking records while pacing himself.

 

[ppanther92]

I know this is a strecth, but, maybe what we're seeing in this year's TDF is what "clean" looks like. Froome is probably back to his pre-transformation self. Thomas is Thomas before he decided to give grand tours a go and magically became a climber.

And why are the so fast then?

 

[Pinot's goat]

I know this is a strecth, but, maybe what we're seeing in this year's TDF is what "clean" looks like. Froome is probably back to his pre-transformation self. Thomas is Thomas before he decided to give grand tours a go and magically became a climber.

Thomas is injured, did you see his performances in thee one week races?

 

[Escarabajo]

What if Pog did this number and some others could keep up closer? Would it have blown the clinic more or less?

It would be a collective clinic show!

Did you see Pogacar climbing the Colombiere in the big ring? who else did that?

 

[Luthor]

If everyone was doping then the gaps wouldn't be like this. You also look at rider's faces or people from within the cycling world and you know what is happening lately is not normal by the peloton's standards.

Bahrain and UAE found some new tree in the Middle East, probably in the middle of the desert. I'm sure their performances are all due to natural causes.
I look at Pog, Padun, Mohoric, Teuns, Caruso and all of them pedal so natural on the climbs, like they are not even there. If it wouldn't have the graphic saying the gradients I would say those guys must be on easy hills. They are able to keep a high pace and drop everyone like flies.

 

[Savant12]

It’s the lack of effort on his face. He’s awful at faking the tired out look at the finish line. At the end of the TT he was as fresh as a daisy.

 

[Luthor]

It’s the lack of effort on his face. He’s awful at faking the tired out look at the finish line. At the end of the TT he was as fresh as a daisy.

But but...today he looked tired...right? That's what ES commentators felt the need to repeat it several times, how tired he looks... Although for me he didn't look more tired than the rest and not even close to how tired he should be after such a effort. Same commentators made doping innuendo every day during Ala's run at 2019 TdF, I wonder what changed.

 

[Rackham]

If everyone was doping then the gaps wouldn't be like this. You also look at rider's faces or people from within the cycling world and you know what is happening lately is not normal by the peloton's standards.

We're seeing a permanent rinse repeat cycle ad infinitum.

What you saw yesterday was no different from Lance destroying the Alpe D'Huez in 2001, specifically the moment he passed poor hapless Laurent Roux without a glance.

Since that day we know two facts: both were doping, but they weren't doping equally.

Roux (who got caught later) admitted he had some pills in his pocket & the usual cheap stuff the small teams could their hands on, Lance meanwhile had the best program & the political power required to make it stick (Verbruggen & the UCI in his pocket).

And that's why the omerta endures because at every level of this Peloton & sport, you'll find there's doping to varying degrees on a level from to 1 to 10 (10 being the highest with the backing from the right authorities).

I am convinced of this because that's what the history of cycling has proven to be true (& considering the names of the men behind the scenes & in the teams like UAE, it's pretty evident). In fact yesterday was probably the biggest p*ss-take & finger in the eye of the anti-dope regulators ever, like a total humiliation of anyone with pretences of making the sport "clean". Like saying "we won, you lose".

 

[Red Rick]

We're seeing a permanent rinse repeat cycle ad infinitum.

What you saw yesterday was no different from Lance destroying the Alpe D'Huez in 2001, specifically the moment he passed poor hapless Laurent Roux without a glance.

Since that day we know two facts: both were doping, but they weren't doping equally.

Roux (who got caught later) admitted he had some pills in his pocket & the usual cheap stuff the small teams could their hands on, Lance meanwhile had the best program & the political power required to make it stick (Verbruggen & the UCI in his pocket).

And that's why the omerta endures because at every level of this Peloton & sport, you'll find there's doping to varying degrees on a level from to 1 to 10 (10 being the highest with the backing from the right authorities).

I am convinced of this because that's what the history of cycling has proven to be true (& considering the names of the men behind the scenes & in the teams like UAE, it's pretty evident). In fact yesterday was probably the biggest p*ss-take & finger in the eye of the anti-dope regulators ever, like a total humiliation of anyone with pretences of making the sport "clean". Like saying "we won, you lose".

This 100%. I can handle that there is doping in cycling. But I can't handle when there's not the slightest shred of parity in the doping among the top riders in the world.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Peleton looked humanly yesterday.

 

[SarahtheDane]

I know this is a strecth, but, maybe what we're seeing in this year's TDF is what "clean" looks like. Froome is probably back to his pre-transformation self. Thomas is Thomas before he decided to give grand tours a go and magically became a climber.

Except for Pogacar you mean, right?

 

[Põhja Konn]

It’s the lack of effort on his face. He’s awful at faking the tired out look at the finish line. At the end of the TT he was as fresh as a daisy.

It's a complete waste of time trying to guess the level of fatigue from riders facial expressions. Some of them show something visible only when they are on a verge of collapse from exhaustion (Quintana on Ventoux in 2013 for example), while others look like they are dying a thousand deaths while still having a lot left to give (Aru or C.A.Sörensen come to mind from recent past).

What is revealing are the faces his rivals pull while seeing Pog's performances. WVAs and Dumoulins from last years PDBF stage, or Küngs on wednesday are instant meme material and at the same time an insight into what riders themselves actually think about it.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

And that's why the omerta endures because at every level of this Peloton & sport, you'll find there's doping to varying degrees on a level from to 1 to 10 (10 being the highest with the backing from the right authorities).

I am convinced of this because that's what the history of cycling has proven to be true (& considering the names of the men behind the scenes & in the teams like UAE, it's pretty evident). In fact yesterday was probably the biggest p*ss-take & finger in the eye of the anti-dope regulators ever, like a total humiliation of anyone with pretences of making the sport "clean". Like saying "we won, you lose".

Given how things have gone this year, it feels like things are becoming more blatant and I've found myself wondering if we're nearing that part in the cycle where something concrete comes out as someone pushes it too far. Perhaps a gentleman's agreement on how far one go is being trashed, at least that's the impression from those comments in Le Parisien after Padun's second win:
"We all feel like idiots. That the guy does a hold-up at La Plagne, why not? But he doesn't have the decency to hide away a bit the next day."

And now it seens Bahrain are just winning at will with different members of the team: "Dylan Teuns’ lone triumph on stage 8 of the Tour de France was the team’s second in as many days and their twelfth victory in the past 35 days alone."

Of course it's not just Bahrain and we're building up a nice library of meme pictures from the TT hotseat or rivals on climbs as Pog dominates like it's the good old days. The next couple of years will be interesting.

 

[Rackham]

What is revealing are the faces his rivals pull while seeing Pog's performances. WVAs and Dumoulins from last years PDBF stage, or Küngs on wednesday are instant meme material and at the same time an insight into what riders themselves actually think about it.

Yes, for example yesterday here's the moment Soren Kragh Andersen had a little laugh when Pogacar mowed down the breakaway guys:

 

[carolina]

Did you see Pogacar climbing the Colombiere in the big ring? who else did that?

He had a crossed chain. He was using the big ring and the 2nd biggest cogg of the cassette. Not that different from using the small ring and a smaller cogg of the cassette.

He was ridiculous in many ways, that wasn't one of them.

 

[roundabout]

Roglic/Jumbo fans complaining about the lack of 'doping parity' (whatever the *** that means) is not a good look

 

[BlueRoads]

Roglic/Jumbo fans complaining about the lack of 'doping parity' (whatever the *** that means) is not a good look

Lol, no, but although I'm not a Jumbo fan I can understand the sentiment... if there has to be doping you at least want it to be kind of equal.

Edit: it's not like Vingegaard's and van Aert's performances are totally unsuspicious, though...

 

[roundabout]

Lol, no, but although I'm not a Jumbo fan I can understand the sentiment... if there has to be doping you at least want it to be kind of equal.

Edit: it's not like Vingegaard's and van Aert's performances are totally unsuspicious, though...

I don't mean you, in case you are wondering, because I know that you are not one.

 

[Red Rick]

Roglic/Jumbo fans complaining about the lack of 'doping parity' (whatever the *** that means) is not a good look

Please find me the example of Roglic dropping everyone by 3 minutes on a single mountain stage. Or find Contador for that matter.