giro - didn't look clean today

[Taniwha]

Neighbours...hell we're about as close together as Roy Rogers and Trigger.
It just happens that the western partner has never gotten over their convict start, their laniferous loving ways and the fact Phar Lap was bred in New Zealand.

It just happens that the Tasman Sea serves us both well.

[Tinea Pedis]

But well done on the selective quoting, you're vindicated.

So, does that mean I'm correct?

If it makes you happy, sure.


And Prend we just steal all the good things NZ produce (pavlova, Neil Finn, etc) and try to pass them off as ours we also have a nasty habit of knocking them out of rugby world cup finals...despite not being the better team...they get a little upset about all this it would seem.

Although heaven forbid the idea of combining the two rugby teams ever comes to pass - it'll mean world domination! with only about 3 aussies in the team


Ta for that Pez. Have to say Rasmusen was the one that really got me raising an eyebrow, followed by Ricco. A lot of which I think was due to how much better the doping products had gotten (til they were caught of course). But those guys would just step off, take a breath or two, and be ready and composed for an interview. In the meantime everyone else coming in behind them were dying!

Although, Valverde must have been doing something wrong somewhere along the line

[Taniwha]

If it makes you happy, sure.

Thanks.

we also have a nasty habit of knocking them out of rugby world cup finals...despite not being the better team...they get a little upset about all this it would seem.

A nice thought, but, unfortunately, incorrect. NZ and Australia have never met in a rugby world cup final.
Ergo, it doesn't upset me/us one bit.

[Roobay]

I think this fella will decide the GC and the pink jersey on friday
cant wait to see the action

[J-Nice]

Some guys are into week two or three and they hop off the bike bugg eyed and acting as if they could go out for a night on the town. See em a few hours later and theyre still wired... Talk before a stage and they're fresh as daisys...

The trick is to also have seen them in the off season and at different times during the year where they look exceptionally different, speak very differently and act very differently...

Those are general statements but it's like spotting which kids at a rave are sampling more than the punch...

That's a great way to spot a crackhead, Pez. Or someone on a crystal meth high, not a cyclist taking HGH, Cera or whatever else have you.

The only person I know who takes PEDs who ever exhibited such signs was a guy who came into the local lbs and went on a 'roid rage rant and almost got into a fight with another customer for no good reason.

Up until then that episode was totally out of character for him. But he was taking testosterone, and judging from that and other similar events he was taking too much of it.

Even if you dope you'll still look like crap at the end of a stage, the difference is you won't be sore the next day and will be able to put the same level of effort that you did the day before.

If you are talking about stimulant abuse like caffeine and amphetamines that's a different story, and excessive testosterone will cause the mood swings you speak of, but they all have to be taken in excessive enough amounts to be spotted in a drug test.

What rider would risk that? That's why they microdose.

[fat tire]

No one can honestly tell me Di Luca is clean. Talk about looking fresh all the time. He keeps attacking and attacking up climbs like he is not already redlining it. Some how he keeps finding a little extra. Continually attacking like he does day after day is not possible in the 3rd week of a stage race.
He rides exactly like Ricco. We all know what happened to him. Italy and Spain testing are pretty suspect.
One thing I do know is that it makes for great viewing.

[paul_j]

Yeah, one and the same. Made a rookie mistake that LA would have made if he was his age. No wait LA would of made a bigger mistake at his age.
Guys like him with his potential will comeback next year and win it.
They know they can win it with a high probability of success the race is already 1/2 won without even starting. You would know what I mean if you were to compete in some sport you were good at and you knew your competition.

I'm prety sure Contador will do lots of winnng in the future but I guess you don't do sarcasm?

[J-Nice]

No one can honestly tell me Di Luca is clean. Talk about looking fresh all the time. He keeps attacking and attacking up climbs like he is not already redlining it. Some how he keeps finding a little extra. Continually attacking like he does day after day is not possible in the 3rd week of a stage race.
He rides exactly like Ricco. We all know what happened to him. Italy and Spain testing are pretty suspect.
One thing I do know is that it makes for great viewing.

No he doesn't. Ricco was riding away from people and leaving them in the dust with accelerations that seemed rocket fueled.

DiLuca attacks but can't pry himself away to take significant time out of his rivals, as evidenced by today's stage.

He attacks like "The Killer" that he is. That's always been his style. Just sit back and enjoy the race.

I will say this-so much for Garmin and Jonathan Vaughter's holier-than-thou crusade to ride clean. What a bunch of bums.

I can't believe the Giro organizers left out Simeoni's team to make room for this display of ineptitude.

The Killer, baby!!! THE KILLER!!!!!!!!!!!

[RollinOn27s]

No he doesn't. Ricco was riding away from people and leaving them in the dust with accelerations that seemed rocket fueled.

DiLuca attacks but can't pry himself away to take significant time out of his rivals, as evidenced by today's stage.

He attacks like "The Killer" that he is. That's always been his style. Just sit back and enjoy the race.

Well stated. Big, huge difference between Ricco and, well, everyone this year.

People aren't lobbing bombs up the road left and right, and just flying away from the field. If/when they get away, they're barely creeping ahead, and they aren't gaining much time.

I will say this-so much for Garmin and Jonathan Vaughter's holier-than-thou crusade to ride clean. What a bunch of bums.

I can't believe the Giro organizers left out Simeoni's team to make room for this display of ineptitude.

The Killer, baby!!! THE KILLER!!!!!!!!!!!

Good point about Garmin as well. Wow.

"The second coming" of Lemond/Hampsten/Armstong, AKA Tom Danielson, has earned himself a $15,000 contract with some second rate domestic team for next year, with his performances so far this season. Pathetic.

[aarw]

Italian conspiracy?

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadi ... Ukk27MzeBA

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/ar ... Ohkqh2aOJA

As reported on twitter by the lads at BikePure.

[Tinea Pedis]

Gee, and here I was admiring their effort...

[Rodrego Hernandez]

Bike Pure = Bunch of idiots

[Tinea Pedis]

Bike Pure = Bunch of idiots

Really?

I sort of feel like a kid coming the understanding that santa claus does indeed not exist in some respects here.

I understand and accept the sport will never be competed on a totally even playing field, that there will always be dopers and that all cyclists will use some sort of 'supplement' to varying degrees with or without their teams approval.

However I read a few articles about the Garmin and (is it?) Columbia's in house programs and actually thought good on them for going on the front foot in this issue.

Is it all really a sham? Are mum and dad really the ones with the presents? Say it ain't so!

[aarw]

Bike Pure = Bunch of idiots

How so? or is the wink a sign of sarcasm that i've missed?

To me they represent cycling fans who want a cleaner sport that we can believe in. They communicate this to the riders - those of who agree sign up to bike pure, and as fans of the sport we can hopefully feel a bit more confident in that riders performances.

Of course a rider could use such a campaign purely for PR and i dread the day such a rider is found positive and taint's what the guys are doing, which is help the sport and the riders that we should be believing in.

That's how i see them anyway...

[CharlesM]

Some guys are into week two or three and they hop off the bike bugg eyed and acting as if they could go out for a night on the town. See em a few hours later and theyre still wired... Talk before a stage and they're fresh as daisys...

The trick is to also have seen them in the off season and at different times during the year where they look exceptionally different, speak very differently and act very differently...

Those are general statements but it's like spotting which kids at a rave are sampling more than the punch...

That's a great way to spot a crackhead, Pez. Or someone on a crystal meth high, not a cyclist taking HGH, Cera or whatever else have you.

The only person I know who takes PEDs who ever exhibited such signs was a guy who came into the local lbs and went on a 'roid rage rant and almost got into a fight with another customer for no good reason.

Up until then that episode was totally out of character for him. But he was taking testosterone, and judging from that and other similar events he was taking too much of it.

Even if you dope you'll still look like crap at the end of a stage, the difference is you won't be sore the next day and will be able to put the same level of effort that you did the day before.

If you are talking about stimulant abuse like caffeine and amphetamines that's a different story, and excessive testosterone will cause the mood swings you speak of, but they all have to be taken in excessive enough amounts to be spotted in a drug test.

What rider would risk that? That's why they microdose.

Speaking from relatively good experience I stand by what I said (though I would change one term (bug eyed)... I didnt say mood swings and didn't limit it to the end of a stage.


The freshness of some riders at the second and third week of a grand tour, at virtually any time when they're up and around is substantially different than others (but the same guys are not substantially different than others while they're at training camps etc...).

And after watching a lot of the guys I am refering to serve suspensions in the last couple of years I pretty much mean what I said versus what you think I'm trying to say.


And again I am saying that this is a generalization and certainly doesn't apply to everyone or all situations and isn't a usable test, but it's so far, from direct personal view and experience also not completely wrong...