State of the Peloton 2025

[pastronef]

tbf Kimmage can't believe that's happening. I think he lost hope, and Ineos not winning anymore had calmed him and all the "antidopers(antiSky). it's Christmas every day for him and friends since the news broke, yippii!!

 

[Rob5091]

UCI confirms Tolhoek ban -
https://velo.outsideonline.com/news/antwan-tolhoek-receives-4-year-ban-for-anabolic-steroids

Dutch climber Antwan Tolhoek was slapped with a four-year ban after testing positive for anabolic androgenic steroids, the UCI confirmed Wednesday. Tolhoek — who formerly raced with Jumbo-Visma and Trek-Segafredo — tested positive for anabolic steroids in November 2023 in an out-of-competition control. ...Tolhoek, 31, is facing ineligibility from February 7, 2024, through February 6, 2028, officials said.

Previous post -
https://forum.cyclingnews.com/threads/state-of-the-peloton-2024.39391/page-3#post-2954654

 

[houtdffan]

I wonder if Mapei and the Bank Robbers got a Mayo-like UCI letter to tone things down a bit, whereas Saunier-Duval are still going full steam ahead?

 

[Mayomaniac]

I wonder if Mapei and the Bank Robbers got a Mayo-like UCI letter to tone things down a bit, whereas Saunier-Duval are still going full steam ahead?

I was thinking about that one too. Or the rest is really struggling to find anything to replace the monoxide sniffing, while UAE is still doing good old transfusions, not having to fear a passport violation notification because their backers are pretty much paying off the UCI by hosting all kinds of cycling WCs over the next few years (e-cycling, urban cycling, master's/granfondo, track and RR WC).

Honestly, overall so many guys underperformed, from a numbers perspective it was slow. The 4 guys who finished behind Nibali in 2014, Pinot, Majka Peraud and TJVG, where all faster than Vauquelin and Evenepoel.

 

[houtdffan]

I was thinking about that one too. Or the rest is really struggling to find anything to replace the monoxide sniffing, while UAE is still doing good old transfusions, not having to fear a passport violation notification because their backers are pretty much paying off the UCI by hosting all kinds of cycling WCs over the next few years (e-cycling, urban cycling, master's/granfondo, track and RR WC).

Honestly, overall so many guys underperformed, from a numbers perspective it was slow. The 4 guys who finished behind Nibali in 2014, Pinot, Majka Peraud and TJVG, where all faster than Vauquelin and Evenepoel.

the CO had to be stopped. That literally is the same gas that was used at TREBLINKA in WW2!

Think about how crazy that was last year. Now, just need to keep the playing field level by stopping Saunier-Duval from doing whatever they are doing

 

[Forever The Best]

To be fair even Pogacar wasn't on last years absolute level (Plateau de Beille, Isola 2000 as well IIRC), but Vingegaard and Evenepoel were much worse.

Leads another question about what was going on last year, and why Pogacar got affected less by what happened over the year.
At least this was a performance humanly possible with normal doping as Riis showed unlike Plateau de Beille last year which really raised questions of motors.
Maybe the difference between the 2 years is the ban of carbon monoxide.

 

[b0ydman]

Let's guess the records to be broken and by how much - stage 13, should be the biggest chance for a rocket fuel win -
https://velo.outsideonline.com/road...ders-climb-2025-tour-de-france-record-setting

Have we seen enough grand tours to not know they save it for the last climbs, and see what happens up until then?

Maybe the competitors know they can't beat them on the saddle, so why red zone it early wait to see if they crash out?

Maybe? I dunno. Its barely interesting now

 

[b0ydman]

Christopher Froome has deleted all tweets mentioning his soigneur, known doping supplier David Rozman (Who deleted his twitter account on Sunday).

Funny thing about that...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1944719988616552645

https://twitter.com/x/status/1945168516690203126

You picked this up pretty early

I look forward to some Knighthoods being revoked

 

[AmRacer]

To be fair even Pogacar wasn't on last years absolute level (Plateau de Beille, Isola 2000 as well IIRC), but Vingegaard and Evenepoel were much worse.

Leads another question about what was going on last year, and why Pogacar got affected less by what happened over the year.
At least this was a performance humanly possible with normal doping as Riis showed unlike Plateau de Beille last year which really raised questions of motors.
Maybe the difference between the 2 years is the ban of carbon monoxide.

Laast year, Remco and Jonas come back from a terrible crash. They got better prep this year, yes I know the door and concussion but still.

 

[b0ydman]

the CO had to be stopped. That literally is the same gas that was used at TREBLINKA in WW2!

Think about how crazy that was last year. Now, just need to keep the playing field level by stopping Saunier-Duval from doing whatever they are doing

Crazy stuff isn't it. Imagine being the human "test dummy" the doctors use as their control and measurement.

CO is also the stuff that blows out of the back of team cars, which run on standard fuel....................plus whatever additive they put in the petrol tank that day..."get behind the car boys we're about to pull the choke"

 

[Rackham]

I wonder whether there's too much focus on teams being the underlying factor on the medical side (like dating back pre-98) and not individual riders with their network of coaching staff, soigneurs and other 'friends' who provide the good stuff. I'm thinking a team like EF is a good example here because they reportedly let their riders prepare for races by themselves doing their own thing. It could explain why there's disparities between the level of riders on the same teams and no real logic behind 'who' is red hot on form versus who isn't.

For example with all due respect to Sepp Kuss, he looks like he's riding paniagua. That could be an individual choice to tone it down since xyz reasons. Meanwhile someone like Kévin Vauquelin needs a contract because his team is going bust at the end of the season so he's on fire here in this TdF. It's often simple explanations that make the most sense.

UAE obviously has a more hands-on approach but even then it's not totally consistent. Adam Yates for example is really bad now.

 

[Pozzovivo]

There is something about seeing Campanaerts drop Evenepoel on Soulor and Narvaez drop everyone but Pog on Hautacam that just doesen't feel right. I don't understand how these two teams manage to get their support riders to a whole new level every Tour.

Follows the tradition of Laporte and Politt being super climbers all of a sudden.