Vuelta results... if all suspended drug users are removed

[kurtinsc]

I found an interesting site that had results of recent Vuelta's if all riders who had ever been suspended for drug related infractions were removed from the results. I wonder if anyone has done something similar with the Tour and Giro... would be interesting to see. I think the site removed everyone who was named in Operation Puerto... regardless of suspension.

1998:
1. Olano
2. Escartin
3. Jimenez

No change from real results. First off the results would be Heras at #6.

1999:
1. Tonkov
2. Jimenez
3. Rubiera

Original podium all gone... Ulrich, Galdeano and Heras.

2000:
1. Tonkov
2. Gonzalez
3. Laiseka

1-2 removed... Heras and Casero

2001:
1. Leipheimer
2. Mercado
3. Plaza

1-2 removed. Casero and Sevilla. Leipheimer's first GT win!

2002:
1. Casas
2. Simoni
3. ???

All riders in top 10 except these 2 are gone. I guess Zubeldia would be 3rd?

2003:
1. Valverde
2. Cardenas
3. Perez

yeah, I know... Valverde comes with a large grain of salt. Rasmussen would have been 2nd, but they crossed him off for the "lying about location" suspension.

2004:
1. Valverde
2. Sastre
3. Gomez

2005:
1. Menchov
2. Sastre
3. Danielson

Tom Danielson with a podium!

2006:
1. Valverde
2. Sastre
3. Marchante

2007:
1. Menchov
2. Sastre
3. Sanchez

Only #9 Beltran removed from this group.

2008:
1. Contador
2. Leipheimer
3. Sastre

No change to top 10

2009:
1. Valverde
2. Sanchez
3. Evans

Basso only one who'd be out from the top 10.


It might be fun if someone did this with the TDF and Giro's... especially if they take Lance out even though he hasn't been suspended.

I find it interesting that Valverde has 4 Vuelta's with all the Puerto guys and other suspended dopers removed... and if you take him out that gives Sastre a couple of GT wins.

 

[issoisso]

Far more telling to me is the fact that even after all those riders are removed, there's no one left in the "new podiums" that I'd touch with a ten foot pole.

 

[Hugh Januss]

How does Valv-Piti get anything with "all of the Puerto guys removed"?

 

[Big GMaC]

How does Valv-Piti get anything with "all of the Puerto guys removed"?

I think because he has not been officially given a global ban. The main problem with this thread is it only look at riders who have been "caught" at some point. When most people know that is the tip of the Iceberg

 

[Anonymous]

someone wanna clinique this?

 

[djconnel]

Olano won the EPO World Championship: the race in Colombia in 1995. To their credit, Banesto spent considerable time training in Colorado that year prior to the race, while the Swiss and Pantani (who claimed to acclimate by crossing 2000 meter peaks in the Vuelta) came in with no specific acclimation and were still raging the whole race. So I wouldn't say winning the race was enough to implicate him.

 

[Frosty]

Cycling weekly did a similar thing back in 2008 for all the grand tours.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/346046/tour-de-france-1999-2008.html

Am sure some people on here will help adding a few asterisks

 

[Francois the Postman]

I have long resigned myself to the fact that the sport then was what it was then.

Like someone said before, after they went through the exercise, we are still stuck with podia that smell iffy. So it seems that the ones we have were indeed the best riders amongst a pretty screwed up field, but fighting on more or less equal terms.

That will do for me.

Face it, when we are gonna cross off anyone that has used something they shouldn't have, say bye bye to all those legends we hold so dear, and that ARE cycling -Merckx et all.

We are, and probably always will, measure all newly emerging champions by the champions of a tainted past.

Just get over it and move on. Pointless what-if list, to me at least. More a so-what one.

 

[flicker]

Who cares if they were doped I am into it for the entertainment. Besides who in their right mind would punish themselves in a grand tour except the mentally ill.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Uh - Highly likely most of those riders left were not clean. Out of the big names, Sastre and Evans are maybe the cleanest left. Santi Perez shouldn't be listed in 2003, btw, as he popped + in 2004.

That CyclingWeekly list is easier to read, as you can see the names crossed off. But even it's flawed. No one really thinks either Kloden or Escartin were clean, do they? Kloden was on T-Mob's program. And Escartin was on Kelme with Manolo Saiz during the EPO era! I mean, lets be more honest. Leipheimer's best results were on USPS when Ferrari was their special doctor, and Armstrong's been tied to plenty of doping scandals, including six retroactive positives from 1999.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Looks to me as if someone just wants to give Levi a GT.
The "new" podiums are totally bogus.
As Alpe points out, Santi Perez got 2 years.
2000 J E Gutierrez, named in OP, not suspended, but out of a job, included.

2001/2 Sevilla, named in OP, not suspended, but out of a job, not included.
1 Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Kelme-Barclaycard 0.47
2 Levi Leipheimer (USA) US Postal Service 2.59
3Juan Miguel Mercado (Spa) iBanesto.com 5.45

2002 Josebo Belokki, named, but not suspended, not included.
1 Joseba Beloki (Spa) ONCE-Eroski
2 Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
3 Angel Casero (Spa) Team Coast

Where's Paco Mancebo? Never suspended, just a short spell of early retirement. 3 podiums I count.


2004-10 Valverde, named in OP, given partial ban, but included and wins 4 Vueltas!

He certainly does seem teflon coated, even on cycling forums.

Like Issoisso says, I wouldn't touch those left, with a barge pole.
I started posting in the pro racing section and finished in le clinique.

 

[luckyboy]

In addition to what others have said, no way is Menchov clean. ****es me off that he 'won' that Vuelta when Heras was caught.

 

[kuat2770]

Simoni also had the +ve for cocaine in the giro (2002(?)).
Perez went non negative for a blood transfusion (?).
Jiminez also has huge question marks over his career.

Also Alpe d'Huez unless I'm very much mistaken Manolo Saiz was ONCE Director Sportif not Kelmes. Although a certain E Fuentes was working with the team at the time...

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Good catch Kuat. Thanks for the correction. Fuentes not Saiz.

Good point Lucky. I felt the same way. While I never questioned Heras + test, I just thought he was unfairly singled out during a time of rampant doping. There's no possible way he was doping and Menchov was clean. Shame that even though he was so contrite about it, he was completely blackballed from the sport.

 

[movingtarget]

Revised Vuelta Results

Whatever way it is analysed it makes depressing reading and I suppose the same reasoning could be applied to the Giro and the Tour De France results. Round up the usual suspects !