They explain why he wasn't keen on taking risk earlier this season. I am pretty sure he wouldn't won this kind of stage in the rain 3 months ago.I suppose his crashes last year, particularly at the Vuelta, would be lame excuses.
They explain why he wasn't keen on taking risk earlier this season. I am pretty sure he wouldn't won this kind of stage in the rain 3 months ago.I suppose his crashes last year, particularly at the Vuelta, would be lame excuses.
Mauro forgot to plug the charger in.No motor today. Makes a difference, doesn’t it?
Yeah, I'm sure the injuries don't affect performance at all.They explain why he wasn't keen on taking risk earlier this season. I am pretty sure he wouldn't won this kind of stage in the rain 3 months ago.
It’s just double standards is what it is. You can’t be disgusted by Pog’s alleged cheating while at the same time being totally cool with a 100% proven albeit a bit less effective (in absolute terms) form of cheating.Because back then doping in general was much less effective. It was pre epo
Well Jonas was slightly better last year after his injuries, than this year with optimal prep.Yeah, I'm sure the injuries don't affect performance at all.
They had the same injuries?Well Jonas was slightly better last year after his injuries, than this year with optimal prep.
Yeah exactly. It’s like comparing a kid messing about with fireworks and bottle rockets to NASA. ‘But they’re the same, they both had a space programme.’ Ffs.Because back then doping in general was much less effective. It was pre epo
The dirty work was done by Gianetti and performance handling by Gianetti-Maxtin (Riccò, Piepoli, Cobo). Not that the others are innocent, but now Gianetti has UAE petrol-dollars to be given a free pass (which he didn't have at Saunier-Douval). That's the greatest coup.[deleted content]
No I just find it ironic that people who have so much to say against Pog’s (as of yet unproven) doping will use Merckx as yardstick for greatness.
Not if you’re Belgian. All other riders are allowed to be affected by injury, just not Belgian riders.Yeah, I'm sure the injuries don't affect performance at all.
Just so we are clear Pogacar while trying to maintain a world championship title ,a TDF title and defence, fighting off crashing, sniffles, @13 teams trying to destroy him should be abreast of current news and specifically because a guy in the news was also holding a Slovenian passport, or was born there?I thought Pogi was evasive and ridiculous (fake naivete) to the point of being awkward and embarassing (at least Lance was imperious) in this interview.
View: https://youtu.be/AXzpyShXvoM?si=Pmk-nL7GU61Cmyq2
HA! That was my exact thought at the end of todays stage. His pedaling certainly looked different.No motor today. Makes a difference, doesn’t it?
blinded by the brainwash>?Just so we are clear Pogacar while trying to maintain a world championship title ,a TDF title and defence, fighting off crashing, sniffles, @13 teams trying to destroy him should be abreast of current news and specifically because a guy in the news was also holding a Slovenian passport, or was born there?
I mean Pogacar is talented sure but knowing the birth status of some guy from his home country?
Sounds like if Pogacar cures cancer, immediately someone will say what took you so long? Are you lazy or what? The guy asking the question needs a drug test and press credentials verified!!!That fact that Tadej didn't toss the guy, answers like a gentleman, despite the utter stupidity and lack of relevance of the question.. Class..
First, I didn't actually think anything much of Pogocar/s answer. Seemed within a normal response range. I mean, he was not slick ... but that is not necessarily a bad thing.Just so we are clear Pogacar while trying to maintain a world championship title ,a TDF title and defence, fighting off crashing, sniffles, @13 teams trying to destroy him should be abreast of current news and specifically because a guy in the news was also holding a Slovenian passport, or was born there?
I mean Pogacar is talented sure but knowing the birth status of some guy from his home country?
Sounds like if Pogacar cures cancer, immediately someone will say what took you so long? Are you lazy or what? The guy asking the question needs a drug test and press credentials verified!!!That fact that Tadej didn't toss the guy, answers like a gentleman, despite the utter stupidity and lack of relevance of the question.. Class..
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Rozman is a side show and merely further circumstantial evidence that UAE are at it. In any event, any rider in a team managed by Gianetti and which is dominating the entire cycling calendar should expect to be asked questions on doping every day of the week and twice on Sunday. The failure of the press to do so is a disgrace.First, I didn't actually think anything much of Pogocar/s answer. Seemed within a normal response range. I mean, he was not slick ... but that is not necessarily a bad thing.
Regarding the bolded ... what? So you are a full on supporter of omerta? The question absolutely makes sense if you can add. Rozman has ties to others on UAE. And I would hardly say the media dude was rude ... he was nearly apologetic for asking. So you believe media should absolutely not ask these kinds of questions??
Well, which is it, does he know him or not? This question isn't definitively answered in your post. If you're going to rely on body language interpretation, then i'll take it as a no, why? Because it's pseudoscience.
Pulled Vingegaard? Tadej rode tempo and Vingegaard was comfortable sitting on his wheel, 0 attacks. As for stage 21 today, he wasn't on the verge of victory, lol. Did you miss when he couldn't follow Wout's attack?
Well, agree - the GOAT narrative indeed helps in telling a "credible" story without getting too many critical questions. And I also don't want to warm up the whole Froome saga - but for the ridiculousness of Froome's development, I think the level of questions was anyway still low (with a strong British backing).Froome was actually badgered quite a lot with doping questions after every TdF he won. It's expected. Certainly at a more frequent rate when compared to these riders.
The problem with Pog is there's this entire GOAT narrative which has been successfully implemented by the marketing people in the branding whereby it's heavily implied we should all feel privileged to be witnesses to this 'spectacle'. It's a variant of the bigger the lie, the more people will believe it.
Well, agree - the GOAT narrative indeed helps in telling a "credible" story without getting too many critical questions. And I also don't want to warm up the whole Froome saga - but for the ridiculousness of Froome's development, I think the level of questions was anyway still low (with a strong British backing).
People often talk about blood doping really hitting the peloton with some riders simply dropping out the ranks due to not participating (or not profiting the same way) and some with meteoric rises in the late 80s and early 90s. And an often quoted example for "donkey to racehorse" was Claudio Chiappucci - was nowhere in the 80s and till age 25, and suddenly in the height of blood doping in the early 90s was one of the best.
But to draw the comparison to Froome: the "nowhere" of Chiappucci was still miles ahead of Froomes pre-transformation achievements. Froome literally turned not from a donkey but a turtle to a racehorse.
And it might be unfair (if we think that some might have just had earlier access to a good program - a case you can probably make for Pogacar) that riders that showed talent get more credit. But I also think its quite natural that they do.
But sorry for the OT.
As I’ve said before, any comparisons of Pogacar to Froome/Wiggins, of now to then, are weakened by the fact that cycling just looked and felt different back then. Totally clean, no of course not. Gianetti and co were still tinkering for instance. But overall everyone of the top guys were pretty close. Races were close, everyone on or near the limit keeping the attacks short. No one was doing a Hautacam or Planche des Belles Filles, or racing the entire calendar and ripping everyone a new one. And yet Froome was being treated like the second coming of Armstrong by everyone including the press, with constant abuse and urine bags being hurled at him on the mountain stages. We’ve not seen that level of vitriol being displayed against Pogacar. Maybe we saw the first signs of some trouble stirring his year, and combined with the other reported stuff perhaps Pogacar can see what might be coming for him. Perhaps he’s uneasy that he might be thrown under the bus, like other Gianetti riders. Watch this space I guess.I'll surmise the Froome era by saying any evidence of more inquisitive questioning from the press on matters relating to PED abuse was also a leftover of the Armstrong affair. All of Froome's wins happened around that time and a few years later, so it was all fresh. The critical mood surrounding doping wasn't just about him or Sky per se, it was about the epoch he raced in. The real scandal with Froome happened after his positive salbutamol bust at which point it appeared the media in its ensemble was more afraid of litigation than calling a spade a spade. They totally backed off and now they sugercoat the man whenever he makes a (rare) appearance.
So these days it's almost all locked down. There's very little questioning going on. In fact there was way more questioning of Pog back in 2020 and 2021 (after LPdBF and Le Grand Bornand). I also saw way more people question Vingegaard after Combloux ITT 2023 for example than we've seen going after Pog in this Tour.
It's like the media and followers have just gotten blasé about it all and rolls with the punches, which is pretty much where everyone was back in 1997.
Yes so true... Im getting my tinfoil hat out 🤣Yes, it's so strange I sense a great conspiracy here. It's just pas normal to have so many people seeking clarification when a single rider demolishes classics + GT's with a finger up is nose year after year. It's gotta be some sort of dirty agenda to discredit Pog and UAE. Somewhere right now, the Cobra is nodding in agreement. I just know it.
Character discussions is utterly important when it comes to finding out who will dope what, who will become the wistle blower etc etc.Yes so true... Im getting my tinfoil hat out 🤣
Though I do get it a bit, on the one hand this type of sections (the clinic) are always prone to conspiracies or people that may take a detour too many.
However if we knew everything and had no history as we have in cycling then this section would not be here now. Sadly that's not the case.
And on the other hand, people not liking these discussions, well this is the place for it and they don't need to read it. Questioning Pogacar is hardly 'bashing' on him as a person when you look at Gianetti. Sure I get that it needs to remain civil, but discussinh one's character is also important when looking at doping I guess. Everyone does it all the time with Armstrong and it does matter how someone responds to questions.
I completely agree with the Froome comparison. All critics in media seem to be gone or silent. Yesterday it was even mentioned on Dutch Eurosport commentary during the race: "if you can not value Pogacar's immense talent then you are no cycling fan" or something along those lines. It was very odd to hear this and very much in line of "bow to the GOAT, our messiah."