Voeckler doping?

[luckyboy]

Anyone got his Plateau de Beille times, out of interest?

 

[Arnout]

Do you think? He didn't to me, on the podium sure lots of smiles but they looked forced but hey ho that's debatable and I concede I can't read minds!

However in the interview he looked outright worried - he did not look like somebody who had just ridden the stage of his life.....IMO.

Well yeah he was tired. But he looked delighted.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Voeckler doping?
Why because the others try not to race? What should he do, get off the bike to loose minutes so the "normal" contenders win?

Good luck Voeckler. Take the presents. You might just be given a podium....
That was the worst ever MTF i ever saw.

 

[tobsie]

Anyone got his Plateau de Beille times, out of interest?

Nevermind.... (EDIT)

 

[Arnout]

I now read in the race thread he wasn't even one minute faster than in 2004.

 

[Lance Armstrong]

That was the worst ever MTF i ever saw.

Welcome to Tour de France.

 

[hrotha]

If the bit about his 2011 time being only one minute faster than in 2004 is true, that's good news for everyone involved. I have less trouble believing in Voeckler and Rolland than in Vanendert.

 

[Arnout]

If the bit about his 2011 time being only one minute faster than in 2004 is true, that's good news for everyone involved. I have less trouble believing in Voeckler and Rolland than in Vanendert.

But even if it was three or five, it is obvious that Voeckler is a better rider now than in 2004. So I wouldn't be at all surprised.

 

[roundabout]

If the bit about his 2011 time being only one minute faster than in 2004 is true, that's good news for everyone involved. I have less trouble believing in Voeckler and Rolland than in Vanendert.

Not sure. Second-hand (I didn't get my stopwatch out) information puts Vanendert at 46.05 for the climb. Means Voeckler did it under 47. He did about 50.20 in 2004.

 

[palmerq]

we need to check his buttocks and upper thighs for strange marks..... :S

 

[Apollonius]

But even if it was three or five, it is obvious that Voeckler is a better rider now than in 2004. So I wouldn't be at all surprised.

There's better and then there is better. It's not as if he'd been conserving his energy for this climb like a lot of the GC contenders - he was fully exerting himself in breakaways in the first week, taking the chances with stage wins and chasing yellow.

Yet now we get to the mountains proper and he's able to get the measure of Contador and Schleck? When did he become better than them? I say better because today Baby Schleck tried to break him and failed and Baby Schleck really had been conserving his energy over the first week.
He actually looked fresher than them all after today.

 

[Willy_Voet]

Ehm this board is to discuss doping in cycling. I understand you want to put the hammer down on every rider because you get some inner satisfaction doing that but don't dictate what we can and cannot say.

Sarcasm. You fail.

 

[Ferminal]

Let's see how he goes in the Alps. I actually think he will get top10 finishes on Galibier and the Alpe too, he just looks so good, but hopefully he fades.

OPL on the other hand, are looking dodgier by the day.

 

[Arnout]

There's better and then there is better. It's not as if he'd been conserving his energy for this climb like a lot of the GC contenders - he was fully exerting himself in breakaways in the first week, taking the chances with stage wins and chasing yellow.

Yet now we get to the mountains proper and he's able to get the measure of Contador and Schleck? When did he become better than them? I say better because today Baby Schleck tried to break him and failed and Baby Schleck really had been conserving his energy over the first week.
He actually looked fresher than them all after today.

How did he get his jersey in 2004 then?

 

[roundabout]

He got 12 minutes on the day after the TTT.

Or was it sarcasm?

 

[Jeanne]

Dunno what this dude is on but hell sure it is effective. He is in long breaks, defending MJ like he has never done anything else and now covering attacks in mountains.

The best of all, he has the french in the back.

As much as I appreciate voeckler, I find him very suspect. The French desperately want a frenchman to win the tour, maybe they finally found a way...

 

[thirteen]

He won't be outed. The French police will never do the Ricco-style bust to Voeckler and certainly not when the yellow, however tainted, is in sight.

I'm so gutted by this. Voeckler was one of my very favorite riders. Plucky, attacking, getting wins when he could. I thought that the steady improvements very just the sign of him maturing (Mountain stage last year, GP de Quebec). I was even willing to give him the benefit of the doubt as he's been owning every French race so far this season.... But chasing down Andy Schleck, Basso, attacking at 11kms up the Beille, it's just so damn sour.

I don't know for sure whether he's clean or doped to the gills. Time will tell. But I certainly can't believe this, no matter what a test will or won't say. This Tour is finished for me. I just had no joy whatsoever in watching the GC men climb up one of the most storied climbs in the Tour.

not all -- Chavanal beat him at the French National Championship.

 

[Square-pedaller]

Not sure. Second-hand (I didn't get my stopwatch out) information puts Vanendert at 46.05 for the climb. Means Voeckler did it under 47. He did about 50.20 in 2004.

Voeckler was 4.42 down on Armstrong in 2004 (so lost less than that on Armstrong on the climb if he was already behind at the base. If he was at least 3.20 faster this year, does that mean that the top GC guys this year were only 1.22 slower than Armstrong in 2004?

 

[hrotha]

As much as I appreciate voeckler, I find him very suspect. The French desperately want a frenchman to win the tour, maybe they finally found a way...

I wouldn't be surprised if Voeckler is doping. I would be somewhat surprised if Europcar as a team (and not as individuals) is doping. I would be thoroughly surprised if this is an orchestrated manoeuvre by "the French" to get back in the game. These French boogeymen hunted down Festina and Cofidis.

 

[mulletCobra]

Well, he covered every attack today. He looked like the strongest rider in the lead bunch for most of the climb. It wasn't until around 2km to go that Andy looked stronger. I swore that Voeckler was going to attack a few times today. He looked unstoppable. If he's still there with them Tuesday, then he could very well win this. Doped to the gils? I'd say so. But of the yellow jersey "gives you wings."

 

[Moondance]

not all -- Chavanal beat him at the French National Championship.

Aren't you smart

 

[Apollonius]

How did he get his jersey in 2004 then?

By doing what he's known for: Getting in to a break and hoping he touches lucky - he did in 2004 and it was such a large gap that he was able to hold on for so long.
This year his gap is no way near as big and he's not holding on because of the gap, he's holding on because he's actively competing with the other GC contenders, he's not having bits nibbled out here and there (or bitten out!) as in 2004, he's defending incredibly well on the toughest of stages.
He's doping, with such a radical increase in form, he's got to be.

 

[thirteen]

Aren't you smart

i'm sorry i corrected you. excuse me. i forgot this was the clinic where facts don't matter

i've been watching Tommy for years (french TV) and have seen him get stronger. suddenly, this year, all his fruitless attacks were sticking... so i was kind of relieved (and rooting) when Sylvain beat him.

didn't mean to weaken your tirade.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

are they even going to give him a drug test?

They have to, maillot jaune gets tested every day.

Anyway, it's just before a rest day. We'll see what happens after that rest day. If the others show miraculous powers of recovery and Thomas just fades away, we'll know that we had nothing to worry about. But if he's up there with the blood bag mafia, it gets interesting.

 

[Moondance]

i'm sorry i corrected you. excuse me. i forgot this was the clinic where facts don't matter

i've been watching Tommy for years (french TV) and have seen him get stronger. suddenly, this year, all his fruitless attacks were sticking... so i was kind of relieved (and rooting) when Sylvain beat him.

didn't mean to weaken your tirade.

Well, he also failed to win in Paris-Camembert, Circuit de la Sarthe, Tour du Finestre.... My comment wasn't mean't to imply he'd won everything. But he had been riding extremely well, in almost every race he entered, collecting many wins. I define that as owning, my apologies if my vernacular was not adequately accurate for your liking.