Tour de France 2018

[Bub Marley]

actually a an interesting question...

 

Do you think it is that simple and innocent that sky had a package delivered to a certain rider before a big tour?

Do you think it s that simple and innocent that they require TUE's?

Do you think it is that simple and innocent that the testing system is not correct for sulbutamol and it was 100% innocent having double the allowed volume?

 

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.

 

Once you have watched Icarus it is hard to believe that any single rider in that race is not pushing the legal and ethical boundary somewhere...

I don't think any team or rider are 100% clean. I think where they can they will push the limits to gain any sort of advantage.

 

However the days of blood doping and all that are gone in my opinion. You can even just see this by watching the racing. Ten years back on a mountain stage we would have attack after attack on a mountain stage with multiple accelerations. You just don't see that anymore today. Once a rider accelerates hard he either gets a gap and then rides tempo to sustain or he gets eaten up by the GC bunch instantly.

[Slowbee]

Umm as a late wade in, that cop was doing his job. Well done.

 

It is actually the "bodyguard" of Chris Froome who should be nailed. He did not do his job.

 

And of course had a fan got involved with one of the riders going up the hill then lots of complaints.

 

Nope, well done Mr Policeman for doing your job !

[V12man]

So much for having your bodyguard with you....

Problem is that the **** will REALLY hit the fan if the bodyguard hits a cop..... French cops are NOT nice - and their judicial system really backs them up.

[HeadDown]

People still go on about motors that dont exist as well...

Have you seen this?

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/motor-found-in-belgian-cyclo-cross-bike-a-disgrace-says-national-cycling-coach-209504

[Eldron]

Once you have watched Icarus it is hard to believe that any single rider in that race is not pushing the legal and ethical boundary somewhere...

 

Pushing legal and ethical boundaries is morally reprehensible.

 

Breaking them incurs sanctions.

 

For instance the TUE system was overhauled once it was established that it was being abused.

 

Do you think cycling is cleaner, dirtier or the same now? Honest question.

[Eldron]

I don't think any team or rider are 100% clean. I think where they can they will push the limits to gain any sort of advantage.

 

However the days of blood doping and all that are gone in my opinion. You can even just see this by watching the racing. Ten years back on a mountain stage we would have attack after attack on a mountain stage with multiple accelerations. You just don't see that anymore today. Once a rider accelerates hard he either gets a gap and then rides tempo to sustain or he gets eaten up by the GC bunch instantly.

 

"100% clean" is, of course, a relative thing!

 

I agree with the last paragraph - there is certainly a smaller gap in the fitness range. The difference in the EPO'd and non EPO'd athletes in the last decade was remarkable! That and 85kg men outclimbing the 65kg climbers...

[Hacc]

Quintana only seems to attack once the pressure off and there's no chance of a GC win. Yesterday was the first time he in donkey years where he actually just went for it. Normally he attacks and then hopes someone joins him and then wants that person to work with him.

How funny was Quintana going over the finish line... He didn't know how to celebrate. Should he smile, throw his hands in the air, sit up straight. Clearly, it has been a while.

[Bonus]

One of my reasons for wanting to be on that top part of the climb was to see the riders coming back down again after the race.  I knew we wouldn't be able to get past the 8km to go point with our car on the day because after that point the road becomes narrow and badly paved - so it was obvious that the busses would park there for the same reason. 

 

As it turned out, we couldn't go, and in a way I was glad. We had planned for "very hot" up there, which it has been for the last few weeks, but yesterday I could see it was actually misty and cold. We would have been underdressed, tired and cold. One of us doesn't do well under those circumstances . . . (ok it's me). 

 

With riders going up, riders coming down and the fans all over the place on a narrow piece of road, it was always going to be tricky. The bad weather and necessity for CF to pull on a big coat just sealed the deal.

 

The "fan" (****) who grabbed at G in the other pictures needs a good kicking. #fact 

[Fat Boab]

Think the public are only allowed to ride down after all the riders, team staff and press are down.

 

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

Chapeau Gen!

 

"However, amateurs and members of the public aren't allowed to ride on the race route while the road is closed under race conditions and police are there to make sure members of the public walk their bikes alongside the race route rather than ride them."

 

https://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/article/2018/07/26/froome-thrown-ground-police-after-race?cid=trending

[Gen]

One of my reasons for wanting to be on that top part of the climb was to see the riders coming back down again after the race. I knew we wouldn't be able to get past the 8km to go point with our car on the day because after that point the road becomes narrow and badly paved - so it was obvious that the busses would park there for the same reason.

 

As it turned out, we couldn't go, and in a way I was glad. We had planned for "very hot" up there, which it has been for the last few weeks, but yesterday I could see it was actually misty and cold. We would have been underdressed, tired and cold. One of us doesn't do well under those circumstances . . . (ok it's me).

 

With riders going up, riders coming down and the fans all over the place on a narrow piece of road, it was always going to be tricky. The bad weather and necessity for CF to pull on a big coat just sealed the deal.

 

The "fan" (****) who grabbed at G in the other pictures needs a good kicking. #fact

Sorry you couldn't get up there.

 

That "fan" did a similar thing to NQ...but couldn't make contact. he should be fairly easy to identify..hope they find him

 

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[Gen]

Having gone to a few GTs, and ridden down the hills with the riders after the stage (its the only way down for the thousands of people on the hill) I have never seen this.

They have extra security this year so makes sense that they are stopping the public from descending along side the pros.

 

His bodyguard however needs to be fired.

 

 

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[Bateleur1]

Interesting observation: none of the GC group had disk brakes, even though this stage involved technical descending.

 

... and Sagz had disk brakes and crashed ... 

[Patchelicious]

They have extra security this year so makes sense that they are stopping the public from descending along side the pros.

 

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

You are right, there is nothing suspicious that out of the 150 pro riders going down after the stage, the only one who got man handled happens to be the one being booed, pushed and having piss thrown on by the French.

 

Perhaps it was an innocent mistake, but it looks highly suspicious.

[Neverfit]

Problem is that the **** will REALLY hit the fan if the bodyguard hits a cop..... French cops are NOT nice - and their judicial system really backs them up.

Definitely don't want to see anyone trying to hit a cop - that would be stupid. but Mr bodyguard should have been able to prevent his "client" from ending on the tarmac. Sure policeman should stop them seeing that he cannot identify them. No issue with the stoppage. Imagine how everyone would react if a weekend warrior coming down the mountain took out or interfered with riders coming up the road.

[Patchelicious]

... and Sagz had disk brakes and crashed ... 

Which of his body parts was cut off? I thought guaranteed loss of limb was the reason to ban them?

[Pure Savage]

Have you seen this?

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/motor-found-in-belgian-cyclo-cross-bike-a-disgrace-says-national-cycling-coach-209504

 

Not convinced, she was not using that bike. 

 

Nobody has actually been caught using a bike with a motor.