2022 PRO Thread

[tymon_tm]

taking the right lane in a descent is something that is imprinted in your core, and shouldn't take too much of your operating system. if it does, you simply suck. there's a reason some guys can never learn, and some don't even seem to bother (Zakarin?). on the other hand, for the likes of Nibali or Moho it doesn't matter - they will always get it right, without probably even thinking about it.

descending is like cooking - you either feel it and love it, or you don't and no matter what you couisine is mediocre at best. can't really learn it to the point your trained abilities outweight this lack of "feel".

[tymon_tm]

can we please take a moment to give a round of applause to Alejandro Valverde, aged 42, 10th overall, and Vincenzo Nibali, aged 37, currently 5th.


I don't really care that much who wins this race, but I sure would love these two to remain in top 10. Valverde is a living and racing statue, he's been in the peloton for like forever, he's won a bunch, and I kinda feel like if it hasn't been for that dog of his, he would've been an icon today.. nevertheless, he's a truly remarkable athlete, makes me wanna put his poster over my bed

[eins4eins]

It is beyond me why people are so happy about a doper still racing

[Lina]

It is beyond me why people are so happy about a doper still racing

Because every single rider to ever have won anything is a doper. The only thing that has changed over the years is their choice of substances. In the early days it was amphetamines and other uppers, then we got to EPO and blood doping, now it's blood doping and probably something else. And you can extend that to every other sport. If you don't want to see dopers you should stop following all sports.

[ultimobici]

It is beyond me why people are so happy about a doper still racing

Because every single rider to ever have won anything is a doper. The only thing that has changed over the years is their choice of substances. In the early days it was amphetamines and other uppers, then we got to EPO and blood doping, now it's blood doping and probably something else. And you can extend that to every other sport. If you don't want to see dopers you should stop following all sports.

Lemond, Delion, Mottet, Bassons, Bauer, Van Hooydonck, Cunego all won at the top level clean.


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[Lina]

It is beyond me why people are so happy about a doper still racing

Because every single rider to ever have won anything is a doper. The only thing that has changed over the years is their choice of substances. In the early days it was amphetamines and other uppers, then we got to EPO and blood doping, now it's blood doping and probably something else. And you can extend that to every other sport. If you don't want to see dopers you should stop following all sports.

Lemond, Delion, Mottet, Bassons, Bauer, Van Hooydonck, Cunego all won at the top level clean.


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AHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA

[AJS914]

We just have no idea who was clean or not.

[Miller]

You can't prove a negative. Lina et al will always believe everyone dopes and feel safe in their cynicism. Myself, I believe the situation is more nuanced than that - but what do I know really.

As for Valverde I feel like cutting him slack. Not that I admire him exactly but it is interesting to see what an older rider can do and I think one has to concede that he is committed to racing bicycles, probably long after he actually needs to economically, and I do respect him for that.

[AJS914]

Of course it's nuanced. They used to only test in competition so I imagine riders felt like they could take whatever in the winter. Cortico steriods with TUEs were easily gotten at one time. The US team blood doped in the LA Olympics and it was legal at the time or at least not banned.

I believe Lemond, for example, when he says he didn't dope. I gather that he didn't join the EPO generation at the end of his career and chose to retire. He may have done all sorts of other stuff that were legal at the time or out of competition.

Ex-dopers like Valverde or even Armstrong just don't push my buttons either way. I've never been a super fan boy of any one rider, just a fan of the sport. I'm fine with Valverde having served his ban and then competing in the current era under the current rules and anti-doping technology. I just don't care that Valverde never said he was sorry.

[tymon_tm]

the only thing we know about doping is that we don't really know (almost) anything - apart from some names that got caught.

we do know however doping doesn't make an athlete - it only gives him a certain edge. and I believe if Valverde was infact still a doper, he would've got caught since Puerto, wouldn't he? I bet he's tested more than the average given his past. has he failed a test or produced some funky results? has his bio passport made experts scratch their heads? I don't think so. OP is a distant past now, in my book an athlete who has endured so many seasons without resorting to dope should be considered clean. or - as clean as the rest. and I don't think it makes any sense to try to discuss what it really means, beacause as I said - we don't really know anything, do we.

so once again - big chapeu to a 42 year-old who is still at the very top. respect!

[HammerTime2]

big chapeu to a 42 year-old who is still at the very top. respect!

Perhaps Vavlverde found the fountain of youth, depicted here at EPO maker AMGEN"S Breda, Netherlands European headquarters, as a symbol of what's produced inside their facilities.

[LeDuke]

Hugh Carthy just can't seem to catch a break. They let MvdP go on the final descent, he's forced to do most of the chasing, and he has nothing left pull people back. Takes 4th.

[ultimobici]

As for Valverde I feel like cutting him slack. Not that I admire him exactly but it is interesting to see what an older rider can do and I think one has to concede that he is committed to racing bicycles, probably long after he actually needs to economically, and I do respect him for that.

Problem with cutting a rider like Valverde some slack is the residual effects of his previous doping. I’d have a little more sympathy for him if he’d fessed up properly. I suspect part of the reason he’s still racing is paying off the lawyers. Can’t have been cheap.


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[BdaGhisallo]

As for Valverde I feel like cutting him slack. Not that I admire him exactly but it is interesting to see what an older rider can do and I think one has to concede that he is committed to racing bicycles, probably long after he actually needs to economically, and I do respect him for that.

Problem with cutting a rider like Valverde some slack is the residual effects of his previous doping. I’d have a little more sympathy for him if he’d fessed up properly. I suspect part of the reason he’s still racing is paying off the lawyers. Can’t have been cheap.


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Didn't he serve a ban for his doping? Has he been found to be doing anything since his return from that ban that warrants further action against him?

[TobinHatesYou]

Didn't he serve a ban for his doping? Has he been found to be doing anything since his return from that ban that warrants further action against him?

The problem with doping is your mitochondrial density isn't just residual...it's forever. Temporary suspensions don't mean much in that context.