State of the Peloton 2025

[noob]

State of the peleton: not good.

 

[noob]

What bums me about doping is that riders like Bardet has to leave it too soon.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

What bums me about doping is that riders like Bardet has to leave it too soon.

He'll turn 35 in November. Hardly a wild age to call it quits though.

 

[Pozzovivo]

In my opinion, Bardet maximized his career by peaking in a particularly weak GC era. Scoring two Tour de France podiums, despite being no more talented than someone like Enric Mas, strikes me as extraordinarily lucky.

Perhaps the "clean" era with slower climbing times from 2010 to 2019 played a role, but Bardet never managed to ride a decent time trial, suggesting to me that his engine is just not that big.

 

[noob]

In my opinion, Bardet maximized his career by peaking in a particularly weak GC era. Scoring two Tour de France podiums, despite being no more talented than someone like Enric Mas, strikes me as extraordinarily lucky.

Perhaps the "clean" era with slower climbing times from 2010 to 2019 played a role, but Bardet never learned to ride a decent time trial, suggesting to me that his engine is just not that big.

I don't know what it says but when Broe spoke about him last year he said Bardet is the only rider in the peleton he could really promise is clean.

(In the beginning of his podcast days Broe had the typical clinic view that every elite athlete are doping.)

 

[Ripper]

Has anyone mentioned Carlos Sastre - 2008 Tour? I think it is similar. But like Sastre, Simon Yates has always been regarded as a top tier climber and this Giro S.Yates didn't do much before Finestre - a bit like how Sastre was hardly seen in the 2008 TdF before he won the Tour on the Alpe D'Huez.

On his age I don't see that particularly noteworthy either. 32 is still in the sweet spot for an endurance athlete. Cadel Evans was 34 when he won the Tour. Of course nothing beats Chris Horner who was just shy of his 42nd birthday when he won the Vuelta on one of the hardest climbs used in professional cycling.

Chris was 100% cleanzzzzz!

I remember him taking his tiny little climber self, and just whip past people in criteriums like they were going backwards (of course I was literally going backwards, but that's another story). Saturn were 100% cleanzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[Cookster15]

Chris was 100% cleanzzzzz!

I remember him taking his tiny little climber self, and just whip past people in criteriums like they were going backwards (of course I was literally going backwards, but that's another story). Saturn were 100% cleanzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I don't have much problem with Chris Horner pre 2008. But there was a very obvious step up in his climbing level when he left Lotto to ride for Armstrong and then Astana. Horner is seen as a nice guy so he wasn't questioned as much as he should have been.

 

[Gratemans]

I don't have much problem with Chris Horner pre 2008. But there was a very obvious step up in his climbing level when he left Lotto to ride for Armstrong and then Astana. Horner is seen as a nice guy so he wasn't questioned as much as he should have been.

Don't know if he's a nice guy but he is by far the creepiest dude that pops up in my Youtube feed.
He just comes across as.. something else doing its best to look human.

(note: I don't actually believe that )

 

[noob]

Don't know if he's a nice guy but he is by far the creepiest dude that pops up in my Youtube feed.
He just comes across as.. something else doing its best to look human.

(note: I don't actually believe that )

I never thought of Horner as uncanny valley. But that might be because I'm autistic myself and surrounded by such people 😂 If he is uncanny valley he sure is a very hot version of it cause he is not hard to look at 🔥 🥵 Also even if I don't always agree with him his perception for the tiniest details is impressive and he's so pedagogical for a noob! 😁🥰

 

[Pozzovivo]

"State of peloton 2025" discussion topic: Chris Horner's career trajectory and achivements in 2013 were suspect!

This must be a good sign for 2025 right?

 

[noob]

"State of peloton 2025" discussion topic: Chris Horner's career trajectory and achivements in 2013 were suspect!

This must be a good sign for 2025 right?

For sure! Since your name is Pozzovivo do you know how he's doing today? He always looked patched up like a rag doll, like much more so than anyone else. His poor arm!

 

[Pozzovivo]

For sure! Since your name is Pozzovivo do you know how he's doing today? He always looked patched up like a rag doll, like much more so than anyone else. His poor arm!

The holy man is doing great ! He is involved with making cycling safer and still pushes 6,5 w/kg for 15 min according to a recent velofacts post:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1932534924117971305

View: https://x.com/velofacts/status/1932534924117971305


"Dr." Pozzovivo is reportedly pursuing his interest in economics and sport science as well

 

[Ripper]

I don't have much problem with Chris Horner pre 2008. But there was a very obvious step up in his climbing level when he left Lotto to ride for Armstrong and then Astana. Horner is seen as a nice guy so he wasn't questioned as much as he should have been.

Well, let's just say pre-2008 things were weird. And yes, they got just that much weirder as time rolled on to the Vuelta

Like and subscribe!

 

[noob]

Well, let's just say pre-2008 things were weird.

And yes, they got just that much weirder as time rolled on to the Vuelta

Like and subscribe!

My stomach hurts so bad! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

[houtdffan]

new sauce for Mapei? They now fully into the antimatter, or is there something new like a monopole weapon?

Apparently, Remco did 7.85w/kg on the climb today

 

[Netserk]

State of the peloton? Jam in the veins.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1933427073038627200

View: https://x.com/GreenEDGEteam/status/1933427073038627200

 

[Red Rick]

new sauce for Mapei? They now fully into the antimatter, or is there something new like a monopole weapon?

Apparently, Remco did 7.85w/kg on the climb today

7.85 for 4'15 barely registers. Especially with a tailwind. 4'15 on Redoute also gives you 7.85. Pogacar did 8.4 for 3'59.

 

[YellowSocks]

Mapei leveling the playing field? In the current climate it would be almost good news.

Go, Remco ! Go !

(Well, let's see how he does in the mountains... Combloux belongs forever to Vingegaard.)

 

[Ripper]

So nice to see 48-year-old baby face Sevilla throwing it down to local pros at the Tour de Beauce.

 

[noob]

State of the peloton? Jam in the veins.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1933427073038627200

View: https://x.com/GreenEDGEteam/status/1933427073038627200

Like the beginning of a crime thriller.

 

[houtdffan]

only thing we're missing is Trek (USPS) getting back on the sauce

 

[Rob5091]

State of the peloton? Jam in the veins.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1933427073038627200

View: https://x.com/GreenEDGEteam/status/1933427073038627200

I had what they say Matthews has and I didn't get it for training for MSR. Old fshioned blood doping is more likely.

 

[Rackham]

State of the peloton? Jam in the veins.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1933427073038627200

View: https://x.com/GreenEDGEteam/status/1933427073038627200

I was reading the reddit thread about this and lots of people in there discussing all the potential medical reasons behind this. All of them.

Except the big elephant in the room of course. No Sir. No one should ever dare mention cycling's "other side" when a healthy man gets a blood clot at an altitude training camp and if you do, you're a very bad person who should be banned.

 

[Netserk]

I had what they say Matthews has and I didn't get it for training for MSR. Old fshioned blood doping is more likely.

Good to see you back (in good health?)

 

[Ripper]

So the general state of the peloton is a bit weird. The state of me is just head shaking

I will say here that I really don't buy into the "everyone is on the gear" argument, or even - "the top guys are on the gear so it is still the most talented that wins" BS. Both of these, to me, appear to be more a coping mechanism than anything else.

Of our big stage racing talents racing this weekend, I find Remi by far the most believable. Dude has always been a TT prodigy, and being a lighter weight rider compared to other TT machines, he can climb pretty dang well (especially steadier climbs) and has excellent endurance and fatigue resistance. And these have consistently been his major talents. And as a later started to the sport, we've been able to see a bit of growth more recently. And he has to really focus on losing/managing weight to climb exceptionally well. But like most folks aiming to peak, he cannot maintain it indefinitely.

Joni is certainly eyebrow raising. With no Toddy, he is kicking people's butts in the overall and sure looks to be givin' 'er. He certainly looks physically stronger (read - less emaciated) than last year. And his movement mechanics look like he's racing. I have found some media comments seem to suggest he is not doing that well when, in fact, if you don't count the person in front of him, he is doing really well. He is also a late joiner to the elite ranks, so some improvement might be expected. But wow, does he have some suspect performances he has pulled out of the bag.

As for Toddy, it's just funny next level bad. He rides for perhaps the most corrupt team management ever. He obliterates everyone and everything, all year long. If a lightweight, Tour destroying climber can give van der Poel a very difficult run in Paris Roubaix, then you know when the road tilts up he is going to obliterate everyone. And he does not demonstrate the movement mechanics you would expect out of maximum efforts, something I think is increasingly evident. In his first 3-4 Tours, he looked like he was working hard (and killing most folks). Does not look like that anymore. Perhaps it is just because he only started incorporating modern training (intervals, etc) in the last two years.

But current Toddy? Hmmmm, not a lot of accessory muscle recruitment or movement mechanics to suggest max sustained effort, breathing patterns suggesting he is going hard tempo but nowhere near all out (while pulling farther and farther away from those who are killing themselves), not a ton of perspiration or other ANS evidence to suggest he is challenging his system to its max, crazy speeds while not really being that aero, the strange ability to blast away from people without really looking like it took much, and then not pay for that effort. Nothing screams mockery inducing next level dopery like Toddy.

Edit: I see he has three stage wins, three jerseys, and of course is on course to destroy everyone. Business as usual