Jean-Jay

No i did not ride up in JHB, i went on a few social rides with some friends but did not do any training per say. I have actaully not trained properly in like 4 months. I started my training this weekend past, i died!!!!! I actually walked up 2 of the hills - can u believe it, disgusting!!!!!! I weigh 84kg, i was weighing 72 before the argus but wait, there is gonna be a heat wave this Summer like never before and i am gonna win the 94.7 (sub vets section) in JHB this year just to show them whose boss

Good to hear Stingray, i will be routing for your team Maybe is i shed a few xtra tons i might be up there at the end.

Thanks CruxPearl, that was a very touching collage of a giant in South African and indeed the world of cycling. No words can describe how shocked and sad we feel to hear of Ryan's passing. His passing has left a gap that no rider will fill. My condolences to his family and friends.

From the horses mouth.... Vinokourov denies doping Posted on 25 July 2007 - 12:03http://images.supersport.co.za/VinokourovAlexander070614YellowJerseyRbg.jpgAlexandre Vinokourov insists he did not dope and claims his Astana team are being persecuted. View the latest video highlights For a FREE SuperSMS subscription to the Tour de France, click here On Tuesday, the Kazakh rider tested positive for a blood transfusion in a blood sample taken after he won Saturday's time trial by over a minute from his rivals. On Monday, Vinokourov also won stage 15 - a tough climb in the Pyrenees. "It's a mistake. I never doped, that's not the way I see my profession," Vinokourov told Wednesday's edition of sports daily L'Equipe. I think it's a mistake in part due to my crash. I have spoken to the team doctors who had a hypothesis that there was an enormous amount of blood in my thighs, which could have led to my positive test. Vinokourov claims to be the victim of a "provocation." "It's been going on for months and today they're managing to demolish me," he said. "The setting up of our team made a lot of people jealous and now we're paying the price. It's a shame to leave the Tour this way, but I don't want to waste time in proving my innocence." Even though his career is facing ruin, Vinokourov managed to joke about his situation. "I heard that I made a transfusion with my father's blood," Vinokourov said. "That's absurd, I can tell you that with his blood, I would have tested positive for vodka." British rider David Millar - who has admitted to a doping past - said he felt saddened by the news. Learning of it during a news conference on Tuesday, Millar was close to tears. "I'm so shocked. ... 'Vino' was one of my heroes," Millar said. "I don't know what to think. I get the impression that the riders will never understand. For me, it's horrible, but for the young riders coming up, it's worse."

At this rate the maties could get a wild card entry into the TDF next year, as well as team TCS u guys ready? Better start training.

WTF No firkken way, r u serious? u kidding? for real?

Simple. He took out 1.5 litres of his blodd between 8 and 12 hours before the TT and put new fresh blood in. 100% sure his team management knew about it. No Mistake. he doped' date=' Got caught and is now on his way home. No Simpler than that.[/quote'] Could it not have been from being in hospital?

Shew Robert Millar is like 900 years old I remember him for thos corny glasses he use to ride with when he rode for Team Z with Greg Lemond. Dam fine climber that scotts man was

Just so we understand the mechanics of how blood doping works, perhaps chunky, if you know a bit about how it works, can u shed some light on it for us? This might give us a clue as to who all from team astana are involved in this, if any? When was the transfusion administered, if all riders were tested before the tour then it stands to reason he was clean at that stage, correct? Then the transfusion must have happened after that or any other test administered after the start of the tour, else it would have shown up during said tests? Could it not be from the hospitalization he received from his injury, lets not forget he did go to hospital, maybe they had to give him blood because of all the blood loss, lets not jump to conclusions. Their might be a rational explanation for all this.

Where does this leave astan with their claims to be sponsoring a team for the next 10 years? Will they keep their word? or are they out for good? I guess more sponsors will pull out and it will become increasingly difficult for riders to get teams?

Nope' date=' they all signed the contract. They should go after him with everything they have. Otherwise where does it end? Draw the line! Next I'll start believing that guys that I race against at a local league level are taking stuff.[/quote'] For sure, he has to account for his actions and pay the price but you never condem the sinner only the sin. He is no different to all of us, we all sin, although the sins might differ, we would all like to be 4given at some point.

OH NO!!!!! I Dunno what to say.... Condem the sin not the sinner. He made a mistake/s but all deserve to be given another chance.

I realise i could get blasted for this and it might be seen as a little lame but... 2morro is gonna be "murder on the dance floor" with the disco queens. The masters of the universe under the control of "Skeletor" should be up to the boogie. Lights, camera and action!

yeah i was very impreseed by rasmussen I almost had the top 3 in the stage in my TDF team, i picked vino, kloden and kashyken, pity cadel had to place 2nd otherwise i would have had the top 3 in the stage and the yellow and KOM(if rasmusen still holds that) in the TDF competition, should have pushed me to the top in the TDF competition.

That is a very scary possibilty Should be interesting....

Well said!

Not sure, i know from what i have seen i think he jumps to early, but that i think is nerves. Might be because everyone else is slowing down as they cross the line. We have yet to see what RH is capable of with a leadout. Imagine the quickstep boys leading RH out, i think he would win alot more.

Well i am a big Boonie fan, but i must admit when it comes down to backing him or Hunter i back our own even if the odds are stacked against him. Let the Hunt begin!

Let me tell you what that face is telling us..... I remember once, many years ago what it feels like to be in with a shot at winning a race, it is so weird, you cannot explain it, the wheels just open up in front of you and you see open road between you and that finish line, you exhale so much emotion it is completely distorted and extremely passionate, no words can explain it, more alive than ever before..... and that was just a regular saturday afternoon league race in paarl where i placed third, now imagine what RH must be feeling as he bombed that swiss missile into second place to make history!!!!! The showstopper!!!!!! Any faster and you would have time travelled!!!! Nice one RH!!!

It was brilliant!, saw him wipe all the leaders out on the Galibier climb, i thought they were gonna catch him on the downhill but i reckon those heavy cannondales came in handy on that 30km downhill crikey!!!!! Brillant!!!! I am super impressed. tooHot!!!!2007-07-17 09:58:59

So, caught on camera!!! with their bibbs down....

Why? I'm just curious as to what the big perceived advantage is? It's the look i think more than the advantage - but for my mate so who know's

nice bike!!!!!

correct, words will be spoken and when i deliver my sexual speech later this afternoon at the union buildings in Pretoria i shall strike fear into the hearts of the underpants gnomes who have toiled away at stealing the underpants off my fellow citizens.

Michelle.... How dare you violate the sanctity of this diabolical thread with pink text. I have to moderate this first........ My ppl will speak to your ppl.