State of the Peloton 2025

[Rob5091]

With Team Vino flying high and now the return of Rabobank, it's all getting very deja vu. But we have supposed to have forgotten all about it!
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...n-to-the-peloton-with-team-visma-lease-a-bike

"Since Belgian Stefaan Decraene became CEO of the Dutch bank on 1 January 2023, Rabobank's management has been keen to cautiously discuss a possible 'return' to cycling."

And although the reputation of the former Rabobank team was somewhat soured by doping, both alleged and proven, enough time has now more than likely passed to ensure a fresh, untainted opinion from the majority of cycling fans.

 

[houtdffan]

With Team Vino flying high and now the return of Rabobank, it's all getting very deja vu. But we have supposed to have forgotten all about it!
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...n-to-the-peloton-with-team-visma-lease-a-bike

In other words, the Bankrobbers know that anything goes. No sponsor reputation damage if unrestricted doping is again legal

 

[Rob5091]

In other words, the Bankrobbers know that anything goes. No sponsor reputation damage if unrestricted doping is again legal

I wonder what Lappi will do, if he does not get the IOC job (as most expect will happen). The UCI President job is up for a vote again this year (if I'm not mistaken) and a show of force/crackdown on a few guys always looks good.

 

[houtdffan]

I wonder what Lappi will do, if he does not get the IOC job (as most expect will happen). The UCI President job is up for a vote again this year (if I'm not mistaken) and a show of force/crackdown on a few guys always looks good.

dont think a crackdown is coming. Tour was more popular than ever with the aliens battling it out, smashing Pantani records and still losing 3 minutes on a single climb.

I just wish we'd set a few parameters that riders must stay within without exceptions, like in F1. Maybe set a 53% hematocrit level. No exceptions for violating. You are above, you get a DQ.

 

[pelotonIQ]

Ok fellas, keep an eye on Gee. Had my suspicions about him ever since 2023 giro.

 

[pastronef]

Ok fellas, keep an eye on Gee. Had my suspicions about him ever since 2023 giro.

he raced for Israel Academy in 2022 and turned pro in 2023. had a super Giro. then podium at Dauphiné and 9th at TDF 2024. he's been strong from the start. and Gran Camino suits him. if we're shouting about Gee, then wtf. he did beat Piganzoli and Chumil ffs

 

[pelotonIQ]

he raced for Israel Academy in 2022 and turned pro in 2023. had a super Giro. then podium at Dauphiné and 9th at TDF 2024. he's been strong from the start. and Gran Camino suits him. if we're shouting about Gee, then wtf. he did beat Piganzoli and Chumil ffs

During that 2023 giro, he always was in the breaks and attacked for multiple days in a row without signs of fatigue. That definitely raises suspicions, don't you think?

 

[pastronef]

During that 2023 giro, he always was in the breaks and attacked for multiple days in a row without signs of fatigue. That definitely raises suspicions, don't you think?

he was very strong. he was very strong with his breakaway fellows, though a bit cooked at the end, didn't win any stage, always got beaten. he showed he's a very strong rider. I have no problem with that

 

[Ilmaestro99]

During that 2023 giro, he always was in the breaks and attacked for multiple days in a row without signs of fatigue. That definitely raises suspicions, don't you think?

Procycling is in fairy land these days , pogacar can do this all season long with a 9 months peak and vingegard can do it 3 months after puncturing his lungs. New fans don't have suspicions about anything unfortunately

 

[pastronef]

Procycling is in fairy land these days , pogacar can do this all season long with a 9 months peak and vingegard can do it 3 months after puncturing his lungs. New fans don't have suspicions about anything unfortunately

and yet ppl break Gee's balls

 

[Fester]

dont think a crackdown is coming. Tour was more popular than ever with the aliens battling it out, smashing Pantani records and still losing 3 minutes on a single climb.

I just wish we'd set a few parameters that riders must stay within without exceptions, like in F1. Maybe set a 53% hematocrit level. No exceptions for violating. You are above, you get a DQ.

That's more or less what happened with the 50 % rule in the 90s.

 

[houtdffan]

That's more or less what happened with the 50 % rule in the 90s.

except they had the exception for "naturally high hematocrit"

which is why I said set it slightly higher and riders must stay under that, no exceptions. If within the parameters, "have at it, boys!"

 

[Rob5091]

Nans Peter at Team Babs (Decathlon/AG2R) talks the "D word" -
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...world-tour-pro-on-doping-questions-in-cycling

"I think we've replaced this form of doping, which was all about performance, with optimizing aerodynamics, weight, nutrition and altitude training. Today, that's how you achieve performance."

"Tomorrow, if I put the same watts on the bike that Lance Armstrong had in 2000, I'll climb the Alpe d'Huez five minutes slower than I did on my bike today. But in reality, it will be five minutes. It's huge."

I hope there is no doping.

If there is "no doping" it would be the first time in the history of the sport!

 

[houtdffan]

maybe Saunier-Duval can bring Ricco back as a DS. His suspension is over by now

 

[MyFTP5.9w/kg]

Are people really defending Gee? The guy is one of the biggest freakshow in the whole field.

 

[pastronef]

Are people really defending Gee? The guy is one of the biggest freakshow in the whole field.

has he climbed at 7w/kg? has he beaten any big stars? has he become a super domestique holding on with his captain? he went in big Giro breakaways 2 years ago but at the end someone was always stronger than him on the line. yes he did a great Dauphiné last year, well, and so what?

 

[MyFTP5.9w/kg]

has he climbed at 7w/kg? has he beaten any big stars? has he become a super domestique holding on with his captain? he went in big Giro breakaways 2 years ago but at the end someone was always stronger than him on the line. yes he did a great Dauphiné last year, well, and so what?

Get real. The guy was in the break almost all the time. It didn't matter what the profile of the stage was, flat, hilly, mountainous. The guy was there at the end of the stage. It was absolutely ridiculous.

A year later, without any indication, he started competing for the GC. He did a Dauphiné that even Padun would have been proud of, and a top 10 in the Tour where he consistently beat top climbers.

 

[pastronef]

Get real. The guy was in the break almost all the time. It didn't matter what the profile of the stage was, flat, hilly, mountainous. The guy was there at the end of the stage. It was absolutely ridiculous.

A year later, without any indication, he started competing for the GC. He did a Dauphiné that even Padun would have been proud of, and a top 10 in the Tour where he consistently beat top climbers.

yes sometimes he beat Buitrago Mas and Ciccone. he caught 6 minutes in Plateau de Beille. call me when he holds on to the beasts
ps. ok I am biased, I love him. I love him. as I do with Jorgenson

 

[pelotonIQ]

Procycling is in fairy land these days , pogacar can do this all season long with a 9 months peak and vingegard can do it 3 months after puncturing his lungs. New fans don't have suspicions about anything unfortunately

and yet ppl break Gee's balls

Are you seriously comparing Gee with Poga? No chance. Gee was a nobody before that 2023 Grio.

 

[pastronef]

Are you seriously comparing Gee with Poga? No chance. Gee was a nobody before that 2023 Grio.

not comparing. just looking at how people react to different performances

 

[hulkgogan]

I'll bite a bit on the Gee thing seeing as I'm Canadian. He was a team pursuiter on a weak nation. It makes it hard to get a sense of his actual talent. Would he have made the UK or Aussi squad? His road record when he was racing track was underwhelming thought he did finish 7th in the 2007 Abitibi junior race which is nothing to sneeze at. Israel signed him over Internet cyclist Jack Burke, after finishing 3rd at the 2021 National RR. This was only a month after racing team pursuit at Tokyo. Notable results in 2022 include 5th in TT at Camino and 1st at Canadian nationals TT. 2023 was his breakout year.

So we have the classic British model of pursuiter gets skinny and keeps the power. What I've never been clear on, is whether one can do that naturally or not. For instance, by all accounts Ed Clancy was as good as anyone on the Brit squad but either couldn't or didn't want to get skinny.

On the talent thing, Gee wasn't setting the World on fire on the road during his pursuit days, and Israel only signed him to their dev squad at 24 and probably only because he was Canadian but as soon as he committed to road he started having tt results on a not fast rig, and by all accounts the power was there.

So, is that suspect? As suspect as the other G, depending upon where you stand on that. Other than the weight, I don't see a huge transformation in Gee, it's been a steady progression. On the one hand his fatigue resistance is world class, and that could be suspect, but if he only ever trained for track, how would anyone even know he was a good after 4 hours? On the Froome scale of 1 to Alien, I'd put Gee around 5, surprising but not glowing.

 

[Gratemans]

Wait, wasn't Gee an internet cyclist as well? I thought he was offered a contract mostly based on his Zwift performances. Or am I confusing him with someone else?

 

[zlev11]

Nans Peter at Team Babs (Decathlon/AG2R) talks the "D word" -
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...world-tour-pro-on-doping-questions-in-cycling



If there is "no doping" it would be the first time in the history of the sport!

lol the bikes aren't 5 minutes slower on alpe d'huez. if anything they are slower with the disc brakes. omerta.

 

[Ripper]

I'll bite a bit on the Gee thing seeing as I'm Canadian. He was a team pursuiter on a weak nation. It makes it hard to get a sense of his actual talent. Would he have made the UK or Aussi squad? His road record when he was racing track was underwhelming thought he did finish 7th in the 2007 Abitibi junior race which is nothing to sneeze at. Israel signed him over Internet cyclist Jack Burke, after finishing 3rd at the 2021 National RR. This was only a month after racing team pursuit at Tokyo. Notable results in 2022 include 5th in TT at Camino and 1st at Canadian nationals TT. 2023 was his breakout year.

So we have the classic British model of pursuiter gets skinny and keeps the power. What I've never been clear on, is whether one can do that naturally or not. For instance, by all accounts Ed Clancy was as good as anyone on the Brit squad but either couldn't or didn't want to get skinny.

On the talent thing, Gee wasn't setting the World on fire on the road during his pursuit days, and Israel only signed him to their dev squad at 24 and probably only because he was Canadian but as soon as he committed to road he started having tt results on a not fast rig, and by all accounts the power was there.

So, is that suspect? As suspect as the other G, depending upon where you stand on that. Other than the weight, I don't see a huge transformation in Gee, it's been a steady progression. On the one hand his fatigue resistance is world class, and that could be suspect, but if he only ever trained for track, how would anyone even know he was a good after 4 hours? On the Froome scale of 1 to Alien, I'd put Gee around 5, surprising but not glowing.

If I recall correctly (and I could totally have this wrong in my memory) Gee Unit started cycling a bit later, and focused on track even though in hindsight that was not where he was most gifted. I think he's always been a pretty lightweight guy, and because he initially focused on pursuit type of efforts, he was really 'nowhere' in road racing.

I mean, Gee Unit doesn't visit me daily or anything, so I have no idea if he's doping or not. But the narrative that he came out of nowhere is quite misleading.

 

[Roku]

I recall Gee doing quite good performances as an absolute nobody with Israel Premier Tech as a stagiare in "O Gran Camiño" three years ago. Late switch to road could justify greater leaps in performances on relatively adult ages. I don't think he is the most suspicious of the pack at all and Israel does not seem a Carnivale either.

I guess Astana will be told to cut the fireworks on higher races and keep a lower profile once they are safe. UCI will be very happy with Chinese money and exposure to a relatively new market, but this Scambrogio freak show is disgusting.