Tour crashes and abandons signs of a cleaner peloton?

[miloman]

Are we finally seeing the results of a “clean” or at least cleaner peloton?

Bode Miller, professional alpine skier and five-time Olympic medalist, in an Oct. 16, 2005 Times Online article titled "War On Drugs Must Continue," was quoted as having said the following:"I'm surprised [EPO is] illegal, because in our sport, it would be pretty minimal health risks, and it would actually make it safer for the athletes, because you'd have less chance of making a mistake at the bottom and killing yourself."
Oct. 12, 2005 - Bode Miller

Without the boost of PEDs, are cyclists unable to compete at previous, accepted levels? What about adapting to inclement weather? Maybe organizers need to take a long hard look at the Tour’s parcours and do their part in the war on PEDs and keeping the peloton safe. Is it finally time to look at team contraction (too many teams and too many riders on the road at one time); and fewer stages and/or shortening stages. This year, the riders seem more anxious and exhausted than usual!

 

[Cloxxki]

Nah, it's just overly light and rigid frames and wheels. So nice, in a straight line.

 

[ElChingon]

Its more of a sign of Class C or Cat 5 racing antics.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Voeckler still in yellow

Yes miracle do happen but today's minimal loss of time by Tommy Voeckler is a touch alarming - especially after all the effort he put in last week while the climbers were keeping out of the wind....

 

[SiAp1984]

I guess a certain guy fighting to stay with the best in the mountains is a sign of a cleaner Tour... no steak this year, eh?

I don't think this year's crashes have to do anything with (the lack of) PEDs in the field. Even a clean field should not be that tired during a first week that they are handicapped avoiding crashes...

 

[guilder]

I guess a certain guy fighting to stay with the best in the mountains is a sign of a cleaner Tour...

you wouldn't be referring to the least tested guy in the peloton? the guy with a special in with the organization? the only thing he didn't do today was ride away from the pack. hmm... so unlike him.

 

[Parrulo]

I guess a certain guy fighting to stay with the best in the mountains is a sign of a cleaner Tour... no steak this year, eh?

I don't think this year's crashes have to do anything with (the lack of) PEDs in the field. Even a clean field should not be that tired during a first week that they are handicapped avoiding crashes...

 

[SiAp1984]

Thanks a lot...

 

[Parrulo]

Thanks a lot...

your welcome. always a pleasure to point out the obvious. you are either ignorant about whats happening in the pro peloton or you are just baiting which is something a troll would do.

anyway i think its silly to say that a cleaner peloton is what is causing more crashes

 

[Cloxxki]

Yes miracle do happen but today's minimal loss of time by Tommy Voeckler is a touch alarming - especially after all the effort he put in last week while the climbers were keeping out of the wind....

This deserves its own thread. It could also be explained as a rider in his best form ever, in a sport where the advantage to be had from doping is diminishing. I've become a great sceptic, but I do feel the latter should apply here, at least to some extent.
I don't like how brave strong riders for some reason fail to turn the pedals when the roads point up. Like DaveZ. He should get over himself and climb faster. And ride a steel bike. He doesn't seem to have the luck or skills to deal with contemporary carbon.

 

[Willy_Voet]

This deserves its own thread. It could also be explained as a rider in his best form ever, in a sport where the advantage to be had from doping is diminishing. I've become a great sceptic, but I do feel the latter should apply here, at least to some extent.

If there is one...just one rider that I would pin my hopes on being clean, it is Voeckler. I have never seen such a tormented face as the last time he defended his yellow jersey. If there are real performances in the peloton, this is the guy who can make them.

 

[hrotha]

If there is one...just one rider that I would pin my hopes on being clean, it is Voeckler. I have never seen such a tormented face as the last time he defended his yellow jersey. If there are real performances in the peloton, this is the guy who can make them.

Even if you dope, you're still giving your all in the finale, so if grimacing is in your nature, you'll grimace, clean or not.

 

[roundabout]

I can only imagine what Kern would have done today...

 

[Polish]

Even if you dope, you're still giving your all in the finale, so if grimacing is in your nature, you'll grimace, clean or not.

But a clean wholesome grimace looks different from an evil doper grimace.
You have to look into their eyes I believe.

Anyway, Tommy has averaged 41km/hr so far this Tour
That is FAST.
And I think that is a CLEAN 41kph.
That is pretty darn good!
Would cream any rider from the 80's - doper and/or clean!

 

[Velodude]

But a clean wholesome grimace looks different from an evil doper grimace.
You have to look into their eyes I believe.

Anyway, Tommy has averaged 41km/hr so far this Tour
That is FAST.
And I think that is a CLEAN 41kph.
That is pretty darn good!
Would cream any rider from the 80's - doper and/or clean!

You mean like "the look" - Alpe d'Huez at the 2001 Tour de France.

 

[Willy_Voet]

Even if you dope, you're still giving your all in the finale, so if grimacing is in your nature, you'll grimace, clean or not.

Damn, well, chalk another one up as a doper.

 

[craig1985]

John Gadret dropped out due to fatigue from the Giro, so he is probably one of the clean(er) riders in the peloton. With his bodyshape I don't think it's surprising he is good in the mountains. That's just my opinion and I'm speculating, I'm welcome to be proven wrong of course

 

[theswordsman]

I don't think the crashes indicate anything about a clean or dirty peloton. The one with Flecha was a horrible driver. The one that took out Vino was a blind curve on a fast descent. The Soreson one was a moto driver out of position. The first one was a rugby fan looking the wrong way. People are giving Karpets credit for the Contador solo crash. The absence of a Prlogue probably had a bit of an affect on the general nervousness of the peloton. There were also too many riders on too narrow roads, and people trying to improve their position every time there was a roundabout or center island.

 

[Escarabajo]

Nah, it's just overly light and rigid frames and wheels. So nice, in a straight line.

+1.

I am sure that's one of the reasons. I would not have made the trade off for safety. But of course that's me that I don't race.

 

[Escarabajo]

your welcome. always a pleasure to point out the obvious. you are either ignorant about whats happening in the pro peloton or you are just baiting which is something a troll would do.

anyway i think its silly to say that a cleaner peloton is what is causing more crashes

where did he say that?

 

[karlboss]

I like to think it's telling that Voekler was so close.

 

[BigBoat]

Well....well....well

blood doping with your own blood gives atleat a 12% boost to most guys done properly & too a very high crit of 54% or better.

Chris anker Sorensen posted his average power of 370 watts over a 25 minute period during the TTT on stage 2 of this years TDF......

assuming these are his real numbers he averaged 5.75 watts per kilo (weighs 63 kg). That is includes sitting in the draft behind the train over 80% of the course. His power at the front was hitting 500 watts.

I bet his FTP is 5.8 watts per kilo which tis not possible clean.....Not to mention he's currently sitting in what, well dont know because he's so far down the list in overall I cannot find his name............BTW his FTP here is listed higher....at 400 watts. At 63 kg thats 6.3 watts/kilo. Very, very high. Almost as high as in the good old days of Pantani, Riis aka "Mr 60%" & chicken man's climbs of 2007.

Even more jaw dropping is where he is overall, not a top climbing contender in these Grand Tours by any stretch.... So either his FTP/Kilo listing is fibbing and "jacking him up a bit" as they say or the top 75-100 riders in the TDF all came in with their packed red cells deep frozen & ready to go like the last 8-10 years after epo testing became the norm.

http://home.trainingpeaks.com/races/saxo-bank-sungard/2011-tour-de-france/stage-8.aspx

 

[greenedge]

An odd thread. How do drugs help you stay upright???

 

[Velodude]

An odd thread. How do drugs help you stay upright???

Drugs that enhance performance also speed recovery for training benefit and also to eliminate or reduce fatigue between stages.

If recovery is materially incomplete you will compound fatigue. A fatigued person in control of a vehicle, and the bicycle is a vehicle, is more prone to accidents.

I know a rider who was on an IOC sanctioned field test for EPO detection. He was aware he was not in the control group as he had privately blitzed his competition PB's over TT courses.

He claimed he could have doubled his training distances and time whilst on EPO as duplicating his normal routine did not produce the customary latent fatigue.

 

[Oldman]

Drugs that enhance performance also speed recovery for training benefit and also to eliminate or reduce fatigue between stages.

If recovery is materially incomplete you will compound fatigue. A fatigued person in control of a vehicle, and the bicycle is a vehicle, is more prone to accidents.

I know a rider who was on an IOC sanctioned field test for EPO detection. He was aware he was not in the control group as he had privately blitzed his competition PB's over TT courses.

He claimed he could have doubled his training distances and time whilst on EPO as duplicating his normal routine did not produce the customary latent fatigue.

I read the entire thread before you stated the logical obvious. Johnathan Vaughters even confirmed your assertion when he retired from the Tour one year. His synopsis was simple: he was always chasing and always recovering from those efforts placing him among other riders in the same state. Put those riders in a large compact field and crashes are inevitable.