State of the Peloton 2025

[Rob5091]

Now retired Franc Bonnamour gets 4 year ban - that's the way to do it UCI! Wait until they retire then, bang! you're banned ....that'll teach 'em.
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/no...d-abnormality-in-athlete-biological-passport/

 

[Dazed and Confused]

ah, but Bonnamour is 30 and therefore part of the old doped up brigade that continues to bog down the ultra healthy broccoli consuming youthful pro peloton. Good thing hes gone.

 

[Rob5091]

ah, but Bonnamour is 30 and therefore part of the old doped up brigade that continues to bog down the ultra healthy broccoli consuming youthful pro peloton. Good thing hes gone.

Yeah, it's a good job we've got all these clean team managers, coaches, DS's and team staff to balance up the ol' dopers!

 

[pastronef]

just watched the Renewi stage in Geraardsbergen. 47kmh average. that's absolutely wild. the way De Lie Vdp Wellens pushed had during their breakaways was incredible. not a second of respite. watts over the roof

 

[Unchained]

just watched the Renewi stage in Geraardsbergen. 47kmh average. that's absolutely wild. the way De Lie Vdp Wellens pushed had during their breakaways was incredible. not a second of respite. watts over the roof

Cherry juice with broccoli shots!! And a big Chimay after the race!!

 

[Rob5091]

Cherry juice with broccoli shots!! And a big Chimay after the race!!

Don't forget the ice tub!

 

[Tim Cahill]

Resisted speculation so far on the chance that the absence is mental health related but Denk's outright refusal to comment or say it's health related has invited it;

The latest we know about him is from today, at the end of the second week of the Vuelta a España, with Patxi Vila, the Red Bull director, denying any information to Marca: "I can't comment on anything due to team directives."

Lazkano popped?

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Resisted speculation so far on the chance that the absence is mental health related but Denk's outright refusal to comment or say it's health related has invited it;

The latest we know about him is from today, at the end of the second week of the Vuelta a España, with Patxi Vila, the Red Bull director, denying any information to Marca: "I can't comment on anything due to team directives."

Lazkano popped?

Apart from the rumours in spanish that I have read, the longer this goes on for, the more likely that this is the outcome. If he has a mononuclosis or some other illness, an injury or nerve problem, over training, even at this point mental health problems, they would likely say something to minimise speculation.

You can see from strava that he started training again after Paris roubaix, in May he was doing altitude training Andorra. Then after 31 may he just abruptly stop uploading rides

 

[Rob5091]

Romain Gregoire's opinion on 2 fellow riders - ******!
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...pogacar-evenepoel-and-the-rest-of-the-peloton

 

[hrotha]

Romain Gregoire's opinion on 2 fellow riders - ******!
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...pogacar-evenepoel-and-the-rest-of-the-peloton

Not the A-word

 

[YellowSocks]

Not the A-word

It wasn't. He used the word extraterrestres, not aliens. The first has fewer connotations than the second in French.

 

[Rob5091]

It wasn't. He used the word extraterrestres, not aliens. The first has fewer connotations than the second in French.

Not of this world, I suppose would be more accurate, but the meaning is really the same.

"Les écarts sont juste monstrueux. Il y a des extraterrestres devant et il n'y a juste pas match avec nous, enfin, avec moi, personnellement”

 

[Rob5091]

Apart from the rumours in spanish that I have read, the longer this goes on for, the more likely that this is the outcome. If he has a mononuclosis or some other illness, an injury or nerve problem, over training, even at this point mental health problems, they would likely say something to minimise speculation.

You can see from strava that he started training again after Paris roubaix, in May he was doing altitude training Andorra. Then after 31 may he just abruptly stop uploading rides

Sounds like something serious, getting caught is one possibility. Does Andorra have the same "no testing at weekends and after 6 p.m." as in Spain?

 

[Ilmaestro99]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1975545450427232646

View: https://x.com/unclecycling/status/1975545450427232646?t=U2REh7sfMzYmbMW4kL117A&s=19

 

[Tim Cahill]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1975545450427232646

View: https://x.com/unclecycling/status/1975545450427232646?t=U2REh7sfMzYmbMW4kL117A&s=19

I have checked with the hombre's over on forodeciclismo and none of them seem to know where he is.

Oier if you're reading this please come home, your family and friends are very worried.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1975597894150602863

Maybe Samu knows? He's always going on about Basques isn't he? Very suspicious stuff.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I have checked with the hombre's over on forodeciclismo and none of them seem to know where he is.

Oier if you're reading this please come home, your family and friends are very worried.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1975597894150602863

Maybe Samu knows? He's always going on about Basques isn't he? Very suspicious stuff.

I promise I'm not keeping him hostage.

I do hope BORA are simply upgrading him in a secret lab somewhere in a forest on the border between Austria and Germany and that he will go full Búfalo Gutiérrez in the Giro next year, but it doesn't appear to be the most likely outcome.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

His prolonged absence isn't doing much for my claim that he's better than van aert

 

[Samu Cuenca]

His prolonged absence isn't doing much for my claim that he's better than van aert

Van Aert's only wins during that time came from sucking Del Toro's wheel and on some fake stage in the Tour. Lazkano could easily have achieved the same. Had he stayed at Movistar, he would have helped Mas to that elusive Vuelta victory.

 

[houtdffan]

end of the year it appears the UCI has allowed Mapei and Sanuier-Duval to have at it again

Maybe they didn't like the lack of any excitement in the final week of the TDF

Now, what will the Red Bull F1-cycling team manage to come up with next year?

 

[Tim Cahill]

His prolonged absence isn't doing much for my claim that he's better than van aert

There is still time, Guangxi and Giro Del Veneto are only a week away, and we have assigned our best guys to the case.

 

[Rob5091]

Just in time to add to your letter to Santa ... G gives it all the "I'm just a normal bloke who likes a pint and just happened to win the Tour" bs -
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...france-cycling-bradley-wiggins-mark-cavendish

Was he surprised by the news of Rozman’s links to Schmidt? “I wasn’t surprised that he knew some doctor that ended up being a bit suspect. But just because you know someone doesn’t mean you’re guilty. I was surprised at how quickly it blew up and the bad press he was getting.”

Surely he understands that Ineos and Rozman were being asked legitimate and important questions? “Yes, but I think it could have been looked at without it all coming out. I think if you looked at other teams as intensely, then there will be lots of questions about them. It shows we’re held to a different standard than a lot of other teams.”

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Seeing rumours about biopassport for lakzano

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Seeing rumours about biopassport for lakzano

It would be funny if it turned out to be because of something that happened during his Caja Rural days.
The Stannard case has taught us that you can't feel safe before at least 5 years has passed, no matter who your lawyer is.

 

[Rob5091]

Seeing rumours about biopassport for lakzano

Back in April, lots of talk of illness for Lazkano, so something is up -
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...is-too-thin-to-be-competitive-in-the-classics

Original at https://sporza.be/nl/2025/03/31/zij...c-oier-lazkano-en-ethan-hayter~1743432859336/

In addition, speaking to Sporza, Red Bull - BORA sport director Heinrich Haussler said, "At the second training camp Oier got sick for the first time. That disrupted his build-up to the season."
"After the opening weekend, Oier fell ill again. Then he went on an altitude training camp, where he fell ill again," Haussler says.

 

[TheKidsCallMeBoss]

He was definitely in Andorra at the end of July. If the guys are so concerned about him, that's a good place to start the search.