USP Postal Train in the Mountains...

[Alex76]

Chaps,

was talking about this last night with my brother, which was the stage / stages where the USP 'train' totally ruled the mountains - i seem to recall it was the 2003 TdF - but can't remeber the stage itself...

Can anyone help - and possible point me to some online links with footage.

cheers all,

A

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

alpe dhuez 2003. beltran pushed so hard lance himself nearly dropped

 

[auscyclefan94]

USP train ruled the mountains just about every year other than 2005 when they performed quite badly.

 

[Lanark]

USP train ruled the mountains just about every year other than 2005 when they performed quite badly.

I wouldn't call this quite badly, a complete massacre on a quite easy mountain stage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1_c8WHOnsY&feature=related

They only performed really bad in the Weening/Klöden stage.

That's the only thing I do miss from the Armstrong days, the first MTF was always really decisive. The last couple of years (Morzine, Arcalis, Tignes), outside of maybe Hautacam were quite boring and inconsequential.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I wouldn't call this quite badly, a complete massacre on a quite easy mountain stage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1_c8WHOnsY&feature=related

They only performed really bad in the Weening/Klöden stage.

That's the only thing I do miss from the Armstrong days, the first MTF was always really decisive. The last couple of years (Morzine, Arcalis, Tignes), outside of maybe Hautacam were quite boring and inconsequential.

T-Mobile isolated Armstrong on many stages and Discovery were quite average. T- Mobile were just ridiculously stupid.

 

[Mellow Velo]

USP train ruled the mountains just about every year other than 2005 when they performed quite badly.

So badly, in fact, that George Hincapie won the Queen stage.

Two words: The Clinic.

 

[hrotha]

In restrospect, US Postal was hilarious. Big col in sight? No problem, have some proven climber like Padrnos, Noval or Joachim set the pace and watch everyone drop.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-y38WZAtgc

alpe dhuez us postal sprint

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

In restrospect, US Postal was hilarious. Big col in sight? No problem, have some proven climber like Padrnos, Noval or Joachim set the pace and watch everyone drop.

that never happened. man honestly you are talking so much bs when it comes to doping all the time. these guys only did the flats.

 

[auscyclefan94]

So badly, in fact, that George Hincapie won the Queen stage.

Two words: The Clinic.

That was from a breakaway, silly. T- Mobile were just hopeless tatically.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

So badly, in fact, that George Hincapie won the Queen stage.

Two words: The Clinic.

from a big break

pls spread your lies elsewhere like the clinic where it's full of idiots that believe you

 

[hrotha]

that never happened. man honestly you are talking so much bs when it comes to doping all the time. these guys only did the flats.

There was some hyperbole involved, but they definitely paced the peloton up climbs in ways they were never able to do before or after.

As for talking BS about doping, well, excuse me, Mr Cycling Is 99% Clean Now and Colombians Don't Do Anything Wrong.

 

[hrotha]

from a big break

pls spread your lies elsewhere like the clinic where it's full of idiots that believe you

Beating Pereiro.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

yep it was the 'spirit' of the tour which made big George such a great mountain lieutenant every tour.

Being naive is fun.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Beating Pereiro.

so? power of the mind. it's proven that you can perform better under certain mental conditions way more than under so called doping conditions. this wasn't the mid and early 90s anymore, where untalented freaks could climb like animals such as riis, pistore, miceli, ugrumov and countless more

 

[gregod]

alpe dhuez 2003. beltran pushed so hard lance himself nearly dropped

you are probably right that it was beltran, but wasn't there a stage where heras pretty much had dropped the texan and the rest and had to wait for him?

 

[lancaster]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-y38WZAtgc

alpe dhuez us postal sprint

the day after a rest day. clinic

 

[Mellow Velo]

from a big break

pls spread your lies elsewhere like the clinic where it's full of idiots that believe you

Lies? You mean Big George didn't win up Pla d'Adet?
Do you even remember him on the Galibier, that year?

Then you post the Alpe charge.......

Sometimes you come across dumber than a bag of spanners.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

the only clinic thing was that they rode way harder than they do now. but with or without clinic material the same guys on top overall except I think ullrich would've been better than lance and obviously the colombians who physically have less advantage of doping.

you think vino is still doped? or basso or millar?

 

[hrotha]

so? power of the mind. it's proven that you can perform better under certain mental conditions way more than under so called doping conditions. this wasn't the mid and early 90s anymore, where untalented freaks could climb like animals such as riis, pistore, miceli, ugrumov and countless more

No, this was the mid 00s, pre-Puerto, when the methods had already been refined and perfected so much they achieved effects comparable to the pre-Festina times. This is the era that gave us Santi Pérez, Pecharromán, Nozal or Hincapie Armstrong's Heir.

 

[Parrulo]

yep it was the 'spirit' of the tour which made big George such a great mountain lieutenant every tour.

Being naive is fun.

hincapie outclimbing azevedo. do we need any more prof? on normal conditions a guy like azevedo would drop hincapie 100 out of 100 times.

also after a rest day . . . its so obvious its almost sad

 

[auscyclefan94]

Lies? You mean Big George didn't win up Pla d'Adet?
Do you even remember him on the Galibier, that year?

Then you post the Alpe charge.......

Sometimes you come across dumber than a bag of spanners.

Come on MV, that was a pretty silly comment.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

No, this was the mid 00s, pre-Puerto, when the methods had already been refined and perfected so much they achieved effects comparable to the pre-Festina times. This is the era that gave us Santi Pérez, Pecharromán, Nozal or Hincapie Armstrong's Heir.

any evidence of this??

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

hincapie outclimbing azevedo. do we need any more prof? on normal conditions a guy like azevedo would drop hincapie 100 out of 100 times.

also after a rest day . . . its so obvious its almost sad

you pick out one day. with us epostal every climber except heras had days he would drop to the bus to save for next day, including hincapie. that way they saved muche nergy, great example is landis who rode increidble one day and in the bus the next.

 

[hrotha]

any evidence of this??

http://www.sportsscientists.com/2009/07/tour-de-france-2009-power-estimates.html

if you look at a list of the best times ever recorded on these climbs, you'll find that many were set in this era from 2002 to 2007. Pantani still holds most of the records, but the generation 2002 to 2007 are in amongst the best times, faster than Riis and Ullrich, and so I suspect that the power outputs during this period as comparable to those achieved in the period 1994 to 1998, and 2000 to 2001. Therefore, the power output from 2002 to 2005 at least will be in the same range - 6.3 W/kg or higher.