Ben O’Conner virtuel maillot jaune. Great stage!
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I don’t believe there’s a single strength or endurance sport that has been clean of PEDs since the 1970s. It’s certainly not unique to cycling. The profit motive will always stay ahead of the testing protocols. Food for thought. Lance Armstrong never failed a drug test. Not a single one (except maybe the one WADA covered up for him, if memory serves). He was outed for being an asshole whom even his own teammates (and especially them, perhaps) hated.
Still, I love to watch track and field, especially middle distance running, even though I know those athletes are using PEDs.
I love to watch the Tour de France, too. Never get tired of it. All the great vistas, the cycling tactics. Those boys really suffer and work hard, but if you look at the average TDF speeds, they haven’t declined at all. What Pogacar did yesterday is simply not humanly possible IMO. Anyone who’s tried going uphill on a bike knows how quickly the muscles tire. The guy was flying. Fun to watch, though.
Or take Gene Dykes mens over 70 marathon record of 2:54:23 set in 2018. A 70-year-old man breaking three hours in the marathon. Hmm.
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Pogacar was scary again today. The way he simply rode away from Carapaz was unbelievable. Reminiscent of the guy that blasted past me on one of my local climbs about a month ago. Heart breaking and embarrassing doesn’t cover it. That reminded me of Armstrong’s win in the time trial up Alpe de Huez (2004)
and while I’m hoping that the sport is clean and has put the past to rest I see this earlier today. It never stops it seems. Pogocar is on a very scary level compared to the rest.
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Interesting that this hydrogel is legal. I mean, where do you draw the line? When you think about it, why should storing and transfusing your own blood be illegal? It’s natural. Nothing artificial added. We like to watch these guys go fast, so why not allow them to transfuse? How about allowing some amount of EPO per day per rider, administered in front of a WADA official, based on body weight. Transfusing your own blood remains impossible to detect and EPO is also not detectable except as a hemacrit difference.
Interestingly, there are two wiki pages devoted to the topic. Shows how riders have sought an advantage going back to the early days of the tour.
Sorry I missed Pogacar’s heroics today. Was dragging my tired, old body through my weekly long run and wishing for some PEDs to get me through it!
One of my favorites remains Michael Rasmussen at the 2007 TDF. Remember him? Always a strong mountain guy. Winner of the polka dot jersey in 05 and 06 but never a man for the time trial. Suddenly, he comes to the 2007 tour (at age 33) as a massive GC threat. Was atop the GC after the first week. The first long time trial was set for the following week. Rasmussen would start the stage last, just after Alejandro Valverde, who was then in his peak as a GC threat. Rasmussen starts a minute behind Valverde. No one thinks he could gain a minute on the Spaniard (I think the commentators were wondering how much time he might lose), but before the stage is half over he rockets by Valverde. Valverde’s head does a massive double take as Rasmussen surges by like he’s standing still. It was hilarious! A couple of days later Rasmussen’s team withdrew him from the tour when it came to light he had missed several weeks of doping tests that winter.
No heroics from Pogacar really just pure raw control of the situation. Ineos tried to pressure him a little but also try and close a bit on O’Conner so that they can keep Carapaz near the podium. He just used them. When Thomas (shout out to him for looking better today) faded Carapaz had a little dig which Pogacar covered with consummate ease. He then looked back a la Armstrong and just rode off. Nothing anyone could do about it. They all looked like they were riding through mud.
The big issue with doping is the dangers to health and the varied nature that can occur from them along with controlling dosage etc. Blood doping is hugely dangerous fro all sorts of reasons ranging from infection through to heart attacks etc. From memory Tyler Hamilton got it wrong once, and it nearly killed him. I think it is possible to detect it now via the biological passports they all have. The increased blood cell count etc.
EPO was a game changer. No test for it to begin with, natural as well I think but the effect is like adding a turbo. It is apparently night and day.
The mental thing is that if you look at the Tour de France and the other grand tours there’s actually a health and safety reason for including some sort of performance enhancement be that via steroids or whatever. These guys are literally killing themselves over the 3 weeks. They lose weight, bone mass etc. They simply cant eat enough to keep themselves healthy.
For me, another a big problem with doping is the varied response that has followed those that were caught. Merckx still hailed a hero, others too while Ullrich was simply destroyed. David Miller, another now commentates for ITV and has been approached to head some high positions in cycling etc. You’ve also got the differences between Armstrong, Hamilton, Hincapie, and Landis.
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@Noo_Noo I hope you saw todays finish, absolute brilliance from Quickstep and of course great win by Cavandish.
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yep saw it. Just listening to the interviews and analysis now.
Fantastic. They are calling it textbook and I 100% agree. They left Cavendish with only 100m to sprint on his own.
Strongest sprinter in the Tour? Looking that way to me.
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It’s the big one today, tour of Vaucluse. 2 bouts of the ventoux which is a killer in any conditions.
It’s a nice day, sunny with some fluffy clouds (sorry looking the wrong way, no clouds in the direction of the Ventoux) slight refreshing breeze and it’s not hot yet as there was a rain storm last night. No evidence of winds at the top (this of course is essential if the wind picks up up there this stage could get 'cancelled).
I once went up there on a nice day with little wind but up there there was a hurricane. My son got out of the car and almost flew off the edge (would have if he hadn’t slammed into a massive concrete thing. So if you ever go up there remember to put the child locks on first (kids don’t always listen to or do what you ask)).
I’m quite excited about this one as you can probably tell (even if it doesn’t finish at the top).
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Great stuff from team Trek.
I really enjoyed that, Allaphillipe creating the break, Trek keeping the break viable and then the strong man of the day powering to a good win.
Well done van Aert.
I wonder if Ellissonde had waited for Mollenma sooner if they could have caught him up?
Thoughts on today
Pogacar is human.
Van Aert may not be. Is he the worlds best all round pro cyclist? He was competing with Cavendish in the Sprint yesterday (half a wheel off), won today on a brutal mountain stage and won the time trial. Pretty sure that it’s illegal or at least alien for Belgians to be able to climb mountains.
He also has big hair worthy of a modelling career.
Probably eats Marmite and Weetbix for breakfast.
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Perfect race for him, Jalabert gave a long review of his strengths and weaknesses (to explain why he wouldn’t ‘ever’ be a contender for winning the tour), ok he left Ellisonde but the effort Trek had made before can explain that.
He’s also cyclocross champion (very strong lad).
That’s clear! 
Without MILK!!
It shouldn’t be too hot tomorrow, even so up on those ‘plateaus’ it’s going to be stifling.
Thankfully it shouldn’t rain.
Pog won the time trial.
But yeah…he is outrageous, today the most impressive of all imo.
Yeah, he was 4th. I was obviously blinded by the hair
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Hahahahahaha!
You crazy cat.
Meteo update, possible downpours north Gard. Could get gusty and definitely some wind (15 to 25 Km/h) could make for interesting times up on the plateaus if a team decides to take advantage.
Temperatures below seasonal however for the peloton it will still be hot despite the wind. The forecast doesn’t indicate any ‘showers’ around Nimes but if there are these tend to be sub tropical downpours this time of year.
The ‘garrigue’ (arriere pays de Nimes) is frightening imo (I have never cycled there as even in a car with air conditionning was more than enough).