Tadej Pogacar and Mauro Giannetti

[Rotted Melon]

...this all changed some time around 2020 and now we are seeing what humans are really capable of doing (probably even more than this but it is a good trajectory)...

Yeah, we got them big pulley wheels on rear derailleurs, ceramic bearings, and chain lubes made from graphene that all save watts. Watts man! WATTS!

The guys in the 90's and 00's were just as dead serious about training and how they lived back then as now. There's just more money and watt saving technology now (like inboard motors). WATTS!

 

[orbifold]

How is it possible that Pogacar is performing ten times worse here than, for example, in the Tour... mechanical doping. He looks 100 times more tired than after a tough Tour stage or a Monument. Ridiculous.

Romandie is an early Asian criterium, fake climbs, fake sprints. Mauro had promised the race organizers that one day he would bring Tadej. Zone 0-1 till the end and everyone is happy. He was constantly looking at the power meter not to accidentally drop the other 3 riders.

 

[Divergence]

What makes you think the sport was not professional prior to 2020? Marginal gains where already part of the sport. The major change was rider quality. WVA and MVDP coming from CX and talented youngsters like Evenepoel and Pogacar skipping the ranks and going directly to the Pro peleton. That influx of young talent had an impact. Nevertheless it doesn't explain the more recent crazy performances. La Redoute for example was just absurd. About 9 w/kg on a 4 min climb after almost 6 hours racing at 44 km/h is defying standard human biology. He should almost drop of the bike due to acid build up in his body! In contrast, his face shows nothing and he seems fully recovered immediately. So either the acid is neutralized using an illegal substance (most likely) or he uses a motor.

I do no think you eve read my post. I clearly wrote what they were doing and it is not optimal at all.

Operation Aderlass - examples of riders who were not caught by the passport:

Stefan Denifl - confessed to blood doping. No passport violation throughout his career.

Georg Preidler - admitted blood doping. No passport violation throughout his career.

Danilo Hondo - admitted to blood doping in (at least) 2011. No passport violation throughout his career.

Alessandro Petacchi - two-year ban. No passport violation throughout his career.

Kristijan Koren - two-year ban. No passport violation throughout his career.

Kristijan Đurasek - four-year ban. No passport violation throughout his career.

Borut Božič - two-year ban. No passport violation throughout his career.

Pirmin Lang - admitted blood doping. No passport violation throughout his career.

Björn Thurau - long ban. No passport violation throughout his career.


Conclusion - blood doping is still relevant. Even 'lesser' riders can use transfusions without getting caught.

I am not saying the the passport is a great solution. I am saying that if you are blood doping with EPO or injecting testosterone like they were doing in the 90s you are going to get caught now. If you are micordosing (smaller quantities, smaller effects) maybe you can circumvent the system.

Yeah, we got them big pulley wheels on rear derailleurs, ceramic bearings, and chain lubes made from graphene that all save watts. Watts man! WATTS!

The guys in the 90's and 00's were just as dead serious about training and how they lived back then as now. There's just more money and watt saving technology now (like inboard motors). WATTS!

Sure the bikes are better now, but the training is way better. I am quite sure of that.
Also, they are to using motors in the pro peloton.