2015 'PRO' cycling discussion

[Antoine]

From cyclingnews :
"Today there's a total elevation gain of nearly 4,800m, mostly in the last 100km, where the peloton negotiates three consecutive climbs, up to 20km in length."

4800 + , that's really a lot

[micky]

And first 2 hrs done at 48km/h average.

[Liggero]

The thing with Contador wasn't the Clembuterol, which could well have been food (there's been a number of clear food cases since), but the plasticizer.

Do you have any reference for that? I was firmly under the impression that while a lot of fuzz was made about the plasticisers, there was nothing in the rules about them, so they could not be used in the case against him. I also seem to remember having read that there was next to no research on plasticisers and how they might enter the body back then, and that they were used in many many more places than just blood bags, so the whole case was less than clear cut all around.

exactly.

[bikewithnoname]

Plasticisers are not naturally occurring in blood so how do you "think" they got there?

[Liggero]

there is simply no test for plasticizers. Period. Now, if you want to follow stupid yellow journalism, from cycling news, or whatever such an asshole as Cipollini has to say about bike engines, well, up to you. You can even go further, as you just did in the past, saying LA never tested positive.

You can basically choose how pathetic your comments has to be. It's a free world. One by one, one by one...

[bikewithnoname]

There's no theehold test because plasticisers are not performance enhancing, however given the only feasible way for them to enter the bloodstream is from the inside of a blood or saline bag (as you don't find plasticisers in Spanish beef) it certainly suggests some foul play...

No idea what "yellow journalism" means

[KWalker]

Could they enter the bloodstream from all the shit we eat and drink out of plastic bottles and packaging? Saline bags weren't illegal back then either so even if he used one its not the same as a tranfusion

[bikewithnoname]

That's a good point, I thought saline had been banned prior to 2010. I stand corrected.

[kkibbler]

Did Aru find his form today or what! What on Earth...

[Anders3404]

Floyd Landis 2.0 perhaps

[mrlobber]

^^^ exactly my first thoughts. But it is not that Aru destroyed everyone, Contador it looks like just took today easy and perhaps is planning to finish them all off tomorrow.

But I really dig for Hesjedal, he's crawling up the GC, now up to 7th.

[nathanong87]

can someone remind me how hesjedal lost his time this giro. Like dude has been in every break for the past 10 stages or something. did he crash? bad tt? i forget honestly.

maxime bouet with some killer slam.

[djconnel]

Reference: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/segura- ... ransfusion

Questioned about claims made in the New York Times and L'Equipe that Contador's levels were eight to 10 times higher than normal, Segura said, "Those reported parameters are an unequivocal indication [that a blood transfusion took place]," Segura told AS. "However, we should look at all the data and see if there are any sudden changes in the levels in the samples taken before and afterwards."

I never said he should have been sanctioned for the plasticizer levels, or that there should have been a test for it. Similarly there was no hematocrit limit in 1996, but Riis' reported 60% is still relevant to how you interpret his results (he later admitted to using EPO, so it's a bit moot now). I'm just saying there's considerable evidence Contador transfused in 2010, something which would hardly a surprise given what he did on Verbier in 2009:

http://sportsscientists.com/2009/07/tou ... dor-climb/
(note follow-up post speculates a tailwind might have helped)

My whole point is I wasn't crying over the injustice of his ban, which was largely back-dated anyway (technical loss of results mostly, not much loss of racing).

[xena]

http://news.discovery.com/adventure/con ... 120207.htm

[IchDien]

RAI did a feature on all of the Giro's female assistant's today after the stage, what they do, what they wear, various "look at her in a bra" shots WHILST split screen with a close up of Cipollini's face for a live reaction from the studio to the feature.

Very comedic...but try doing that on the BBC!