"PRO" Cycling Discussion

[ultimobici]

Exactly. Should crucify these guys just like LA was. And don't give me the whole he was in charging of the doping ring and injected people crap. Lets strip titles and wins from these fellows.

Why? LA was not just a cheat. He vilified anyone who dared suggest he was anything but pure as the driven snow. He refused to participate in giving any testimony and as a result the SOL was lifted.

Kimmage's assertion in 2009 that "the cancer is back" was spot on.

[prendrefeu]

...
Meanwhile, some photos from the Gala Tour de France, Luxembourg, 24 July 2013:

[genesis692]

Damn that Sky jersey Richie has been wearing is terrible. I understand the reasoning behind it but it just looks so wrong.

[prendrefeu]

And this is a little old, but from the criterium in Belgium on the 22nd:



It's a fun show.



Surprisingly, no comments on Sagan's podium presence in Paris. Instead we mostly talked about doping and started fighting over crap.


Side note: I only noticed the detailing now, but I really appreciate those 'sewn collars' on the competition-jerseys. It's a subtle classy. I want the same thing on my next run of custom kits, but it's something that can only be pulled off with Inset sleeves. Raglan style leaves wouldn't work. It's such a classic Coq-Sportif move, I'm disappointed in myself that I only noticed it now.

[basilic]

Unlike others here I think this after-the-fact testing is very useful. I dont care about OGrady or Jalabert, the value is in deterring current teams/riders from using products that are yet undetectable. If anything the post-hoc testing should be more professional and systematic - e.g. a serum/DNA bank maintained by the antidoping agencies that will retest samples on a regular basis.

Also calling this a witch hunt only reveals the speaker's bias. Witches were convicted on evidence fabricated by the prosecution (unless they really did have sex with the devil, and at least got a kick out of it before they burned).

[airwise]

people don't care about procedures or policies. they care about what's in headlines, as it's as far as they're able to dig into any given matter. that's why in public perception football or tennis are clean and cycling's a dirty sport

Exactly. Which is why Cycling Authorities need to make the absence of drugs tests in Football and Tennis headline news and to portray it as shameful and a crime against fair sport. It can be done.

[Tinea Pedis]

Also calling this a witch hunt only reveals the speaker's bias.

I think all it reveals is you not appreciating a figure of speech.

[Kermithimself]

Tinkov is talking again about the break with Team Saxo. With a tweet stating that Bjarne Riis doesn't own the team, the sponsors do.

[MattSoutherden]

Tinkov is a racist half-wit. I really would just ignore the prick.

[airwise]

Back to cycling, I'm wondering about the Osymetrics fitted to Froome's bike.

Looking at them, does anyone else think they are custom?

It would not surprise me in the least if Sky had not fed the data of his polar pattern into a computer and come up with the optimal ovalisation and orientation which they then passed to Osymetric.

[MarkTwain]

The ownership battle of a World Tour team isn't 'cycling'?

Indeed.

Will be interesting to see how much brand damage Tinkov is doing to his bid to start his own professional team (again). Not exactly making himself a desirable partner.

[prendrefeu]

... or a desirable sponsor, or DS or any role with a team.

After reading his tweets and arguments with fans, why would anyone want to work for him? Why would any cyclist want to race on his team - if he gets his own team without needing a co-sponsor? And if he applies to be a sponsor for some other team, why would a team manager agree to it? Desperation may be the only reason.

[CarlosFerreiro]

Re: custom Osymetrics - if they had done that they would have course had to announce the commercial launch date of their new product, sometime within 9 months of their use in competition, before using them, in order to stay within the UCI rules....

[MarkGiardini]

... or a desirable sponsor, or DS or any role with a team.

After reading his tweets and arguments with fans, why would anyone want to work for him? Why would any cyclist want to race on his team - if he gets his own team without needing a co-sponsor? And if he applies to be a sponsor for some other team, why would a team manager agree to it? Desperation may be the only reason.

Desperation would be the only way I'd ever see an existing PT team taking him on board in an ownership role.

I think he's possibly bi polar or schizo, cos his rantings and stoushes with people on Twitter are the mumblings of a mad man..

[maquisard]

they would have course had to announce the commercial launch date of their new product, sometime within 9 months of their use in competition, before using them, in order to stay within the UCI rules....

- Would they though, would custom Osymetrics be anymore of a new product than a set of custom footbeds for shoes?