I was a massive Pogacar fan, but last the last 2 years were just too much. I don't nessacerly have an issue with pro athletes doping, but it's gotten to a stage where it's completely taking the p*ss.
But 2024 TdF PdB is a very valid point of reference. For the record I think they are all doing something. But I do tire of a lack of objectivity in The Clinic by rival fans.
I knew it would happen before the start (see my earlier post). He's never been a one day racer and end of season form has been poor, so it was obvious it was for the team, or money,or both.
I don't know what your point is. The entire UAE team has been riding at a ridiculous level, so Vine's performance, who has always been fast in the TT, is little surprising. Look at how Almeida almost won the Vuelta. I doubt Pogi destroying Remco in the WCITT, would have been prudent before what they expected (and got) in Kigali and yesterday. Utter carnage. Even UAE must realize when gluttony becomes excessive. For the conspiracy theorists, perhaps they only gave him a normal bike in the TT to cool things down a bit.
I thought Gianetti made a name for himself by being a doped rider during a very dirty period of racing and almost dying from doping? And then, yes, managing multiple teams with dopers galore.
It has nothing to do with one particular climb or even a whole GT. I don't believe that the others are clean either, come on it's pro cycling. The thing just is, that this pog(and UAE) madness is so far ahead of anything natural and what has ever been seen, that it just makes the sport unbearable these days. And yes I don't believe in miracles like this and can't dream big 😉like one infamous cheater said back in the day and that the thig he was doing, wasn't even close to being this crazy.
The point is Ricco was laughable. Nobody was surprised when he was busted for CERA. And pretty sure Saunier Duval wasn’t the only team with dodgy management who are still involved in other teams today?
Exactly. I probably dislike Remco even more than Tadej haha. Though I still hope he can beat Pogacar same as I welcome anyone who can for the sake of competition. I am Dutch and sure I will be biased towards MVDP but still I am actually more supportive of Van Aert. I guess I often just choose the underdog... Again, for the sake of competition.
I am not sure this was entirely correct but from what I read Pogacar arrived very late in Kigali, this could affect his state of mind his energy et cetera. And that in itself shows he's human, doped or not, everyone can still be affected by circumstances, diseases and so on. I think Pogacar just didnt prep ideally, yet let's not forget, its not like Pogacar completely failed, still rode a fine TT.
Yet he would not totally dominate GT's, Paris Roubaix and so on and so on. No one is as all round as Pogacar is.
Had there be no Remco, Pogi would still not win any ITT. Olympics, WC, European
Well yeah, hasn't it been the talking point that things have changed right around covid? Maybe the sport looked at what the past 20 years had done to it's image compared to other sports and changed it's narrative to forget about doping. It's of course disgusting that the approach to trying to catch cheaters doesn't bring nobility to the sport, but rather taints it compared to others, but that's the world we're living in.
Thanks for this. I recall that story. Not sure how many here actually read it closely enough to understand. Basically the biopassport boils down to tracking the 14 markers listed below against a rider's baseline (not sure how that is obtained either).Analysis of Aderlass athletes who were found to be blood doping showed no biopassport abnormalities, reinfusion seems to just occur at a smaller but more frequent rate as evidenced and as Dr. Fuentes suggested, I imagine there are also other workarounds;
Biological Passport: Have dopers found ways to beat it?
Procycling investigates the cracks that have appeared in the tool credited with cleaning up cyclingwww.cyclingnews.com
I understand it is constantly being updated based upon new parameters, but given the hundreds of blood-doping positives in cycling and athletics since it's introduction that weren't also accompanied by AAFs I would suggest it just provides a stumbling block to this method rather than an outright bulwark.
I'm not sure about UAE, perhaps they have found something else more fast-acting, Vingegaard's program does feel like something that preparation is required for, hence him falling off a cliff today and in San Sebastian last time.
This is what I wrote a year ago and the time has given me the reason.
That's so ridiculous. Suppressing critical voices. [content deleted]
Well poggies PDBF performance was at least the same level of laughable, than any of Riccos stunts. I was sure he was going to get busted, but I guess that was when the UAE&UCI connection and money came to the picture. The Vampire had learned his lessons and wasn't going to be busted anymore. Beacuse of that we are having the current UAE sh*tshow going on, poggie being the pinnacle of it. Majority of the casual fans are just clapping their hands for the "goat" of socialmedia audience, but the ones that have been around for a bit longer and have their eyes open are disgusted. Yes we have been here before and seen it in the past, but this just some next level piss and stupidity.
I have been seeing the emptiness in his eyes too. Yeah the coming to goals celebrations still come from the memory, but after the race interviews he looks like a joyless robot. Even the after race interview yeasterday and this years Tour on many occasions. His happy when having fun on the bike, training with Urska, the team and friends, but it really looks like his feeling the robot-like expectations too much these days. Because of my work i actually have to be quite good in reading peoples emotions and how they feel. It's different on video than real life, but still it certainly looks like not everything is fine. I think the supercharging after 23/24 winter has taken it's toll.
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