Yaroslav Popovych

[craig1985]

What has happened with the guy? A former u23 World Champion, and won the u23 Paris - Roubaix, finished on the podium at the 2003 Vuelta, and many people were talking him as the next big thing. He won the White jersey at the 2005 TdF and the Volta Catalunya, and won a stage the following year, and in 2007 he also won a stage at Paris - Nice and finished 8th overall. He got offered a lot of $$$ to ride for Evans at Silence Lotto, and after finishing on the podium of Paris - Nice, he has just gone backwards ever since, and is just pack fodder.

He turned pro with Landbouwkrediet-Colnago, and then and went and raced for The Hog.

 

[Avoriaz]

But, uniquely, he left the Hog and didn't subsequently get busted.

Not sure if anyone has left the Hog and then returned to the pig pen, so we face an uncertain future for him.

 

[craig1985]

He only left because Silence came in first before Hog was due to take over at Astana.

 

[unsheath]

And then spends last season being the old man's donkey. Clearly he only performs when on the Hog oil.

Absolutely useless at SL. Mr Invisible.

 

[Ferminal]

But, uniquely, he left the Hog and didn't subsequently get busted.

Not sure if anyone has left the Hog and then returned to the pig pen, so we face an uncertain future for him.

A few have done it... Levi, Matt White, Beppu and McCartney

 

[Wallace]

I always wondered if the sudden retirement/positive of his room mate and good friend Volodymyr Bileka while they were together on Silence-Lotto might have scared Popo***** straight. It certainly left him isolated on S-L, and without his #1 drug-buddy he might have had a hard time getting supplies, or just felt too nervous about staying that necessary one step ahead of the testers. It would certainly account for the degree to which he sucked so hugely at the Tour (if he'd earned 10% of his paycheck, Evans would have won).

Why Popovych continues to be so less than mediocre back in the Hog's team/program is anybody's guess--maybe he's lost that "I will never get caught" feeling you have to have to keep yourself pumped with more drugs than a factory chicken.

 

[barn yard]

Get on program
?
???
????
Profit

 

[sherer]

I read an article saying during his S-L days they did some altitude training and that seemed to affect him too much and led to the bad year he had there.

Always liked the guy and hope he does well, not sure if he will ever be a GT winner now though