Will Contador Be Juiced Up Again Upon His Return

[cycladianpirate]

I say you're not a real pirate: pirates where one eyepatch only, you're clearly wearing two.

"genuine shock and outrage": as in "I'll quit pro-cycling if I get banned"?. Almost as genuine as Lance's outrage versus Kimmage..

and who's singling out other riders as 'total innocents'?

To answer your questions in reverse order:

1. Earlier in the thread someone mentioned that Wiggins was living proof that riding clean was possible.

2. Yup, I think that was the initial reaction - you have to remember that when everybody cheats (and everybody knows that everybody cheats), the guy who cheats the least (or amongst the least) considers himself to be an honest man.

 

[Hugh Januss]

We will know for sure when he either wins again or finishes outside the top 20.
Hesjedal winning the Giro suggests nothing more than the probability that the biopassport has made everyone more careful and limited the advantage that doping provides. It in no way shows that the Peloton is "clean", or that Hesjedal is either, but only that it may be "cleaner", you know kind of like being a little bit pregnant.

 

[Berzin]

Professional cycling has reached its' nadir if people are talking up the chances of Bradley Wiggins at the Tour.

I can just imagine the Evans/Wiggo duel in the high mountains-talk about epic stuff for the ages. Two clowns trying to "consolidate" their positions while watching each other all the way to the line, with the obligatory "ATTACK" 500 meters from the line, while the Schleck brothers, whose type of cycling derring-do has left many fans gasping at the side of the road from sheer excitement, follow along right beside them.

I can't wait. It's going to be the best Tour in years. (Someone always says this about the Tour every year, I figure I'd beat everybody to the punch).

 

[benzwire]

He is a professional cyclist. Of course he'll be juiced up! C'mon Einstein, just enjoy the show.

 

[Nilsson]

Contador is likely to be, either one of the most blood boosted riders in the peloton, or one of the worst responders to blood boosting, depending on whether his naturally high Hb is legit or not.

Interesting point. If we have to believe Ashenden, who reviewed all his blood data, you could say that only 2010 seemed quite off the scale. Not wrong enough, apparently at least from a legal point of view, but stern enough for Ashenden to have serious second thoughts. And whatever he did in that Tour of 2010, it definitely didn't make him a better rider...

Also he has never been implicated (not even before, in or after Puerto - until maybe now, for 2010) to be a blood booster, nor does he have the (performance)-profile of someone who overdoes it. He's way to consistent to be one of the most blood boosted riders out there...

 

[Ripper]

Of course we haven't seen 2007 Berto again. 2007 Berto we only saw in 2007.

Actually, he doped so heavily in 2007 that he created another alberto, who he is keeping in his closet just for you.

 

[Ripper]

I can't wait. It's going to be the best Tour in years. (Someone always says this about the Tour every year, I figure I'd beat everybody to the punch).

I can just see Randy the Macho Man saying -"Ohhhhhhh Yeh!"

Don't know why ... must be because it is Friday.

 

[Parrulo]

Wigans looks like he was just released from the Gulag and you think he's clean. Oh, ok!

How is Contedor going to have a chance against Evens if he's not prepared? He'll either cheat or loose badly.

yep evans, the epitome of clean cycling.

 

[Ripper]

yep evans, the epitome of clean cycling.

Well like it or not, he has not been in the middle of a sh*tstorm of controversy (berts) or made a 'sudden tranformation (wacky wiggo). I'm not saying he's some sort of symbol of clean cycling ... just that his reputation is a bit less suspect (albeit he is an odd duck).

 

[hrotha]

Well like it or not, he has not been in the middle of a sh*tstorm of controversy (berts) or made a 'sudden tranformation (wacky wiggo). I'm not saying he's some sort of symbol of clean cycling ... just that his reputation is a bit less suspect (albeit he is an odd duck).

Agreed. Evans is A LOT less suspect than Contador. This is a fact.

 

[Benotti69]

Well like it or not, he has not been in the middle of a sh*tstorm of controversy (berts) or made a 'sudden tranformation (wacky wiggo). I'm not saying he's some sort of symbol of clean cycling ... just that his reputation is a bit less suspect (albeit he is an odd duck).

Well he has not jumped but maybe that is because he was on it from the beginning.

Look at the teams he rode for.

2001 - Saeco Macchine per Caffè
2002 - Mapei-Quick Step
2003–2004 - Team Telekom
2005–2009 - Davitamon-Lotto
2010– - BMC Racing Team

 

[I Watch Cycling In July]

Agreed. Evans is A LOT less suspect than Contador. This is a fact.

I take it the rumors about the AIS have not made it to your side of the equator?

 

[hrotha]

I take it the rumors about the AIS have not made it to your side of the equator?

Rumours do not compare to being involved in Puerto, testing positive, sprinting up the mountains alongside Rasmussen while riding for Bruyneel, etc etc.

I'm not saying Evans is clean.

 

[Spider1964]

Well he has not jumped but maybe that is because he was on it from the beginning.

Look at the teams he rode for.

2001 - Saeco Macchine per Caffè
2002 - Mapei-Quick Step
2003–2004 - Team Telekom
2005–2009 - Davitamon-Lotto
2010– - BMC Racing Team

So no doubt you have links for the drug controversies he was involved in at said teams?

Thanks

 

[Lanark]

He'll continue to dope. I think doping is sometimes as much a psychological need as it is a physical. Peter Winnen has written a lot about this, if you've used doping for your entire carreer (like Contador), it's really hard to go clean, you'll always feel you're not prepared, you could do better, what if the competetion? etc.

I do think he was already limiting his use to the bare essentials. The 2007-2009 Contador was a lot better than what we saw after that. He'll probably go back to his 2010 level, good enough to win the Tour (but not unstoppable), good enough to dominate the Vuelta or Giro. Good thing for Contador is that his main rival seems to take less risks these days too.

 

[Lanark]

In the 2006 Tour Contador's team wasn't allowed to start. In the 2008 Tour Contador's team wasn't allowed to start. In the 2010, 2011 and 2012 Tour's he is banned. I'm not saying guys like Evans are clean (far from it), but among the current top pro's it's hard to find anybody with a worse track record than Contador, outside of some absolute clowns like Di Luca.

 

[airstream]

He'll continue to dope. I think doping is sometimes as much a psychological need as it is a physical. Peter Winnen has written a lot about this, if you've used doping for your entire carreer (like Contador), it's really hard to go clean, you'll always feel you're not prepared, you could do better, what if the competetion? etc.

Looking at Basso we can not say so.

 

[I Watch Cycling In July]

Rumours do not compare to being involved in Puerto, testing positive, sprinting up the mountains alongside Rasmussen while riding for Bruyneel, etc etc.

I'm not saying Evans is clean.

Wasnt meaning to argue, just emphasizing the point that "a lot less suspect than Contador" is not exactly unimpeachable. IOW, it would be a challenge to be more suspect than Bert and still be allowed to ride a bike for a living. Hence, sadly I find it hard to believe he will change his approach much post ban.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Could we maybe drop the Cadel/Hesjedal/Wiggo discussion?

 

[Havetts]

Yep, some people want to talk about how doped Alberto will be..

 

[airstream]

Florecita, what will you say if he gets caught again?

 

[Ripper]

AC Dopador, aka Clenbrutador, aka Dirty Bertie, aka ...

There we go, back on track

On a more serious note, there is a fair degree of cynicism in this thread (I know ... pointing out the obvious )

 

[Ripper]

Florecita, what will you say if he gets caught again?

Wasn't she hyperventilating and panicking all over the forum the last time he was suspended?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Florecita, what will you say if he gets caught again?

I will be extremely sad because that would probably mean a lifetime ban.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Wasn't she hyperventilating and panicking all over the forum the last time he was suspended?

Expect it to be even worse if he tests + again.