Tour de France 2014

[balbec]

@Fagan ODowd

Needless to say Pat gave Pat an armchair ride. Pat is after all the broadcaster who employed Dr Bill Tormey to ambush David Walsh on the Late Late. Pat M was allowed to get away with such bollix as this year was the cleanest peloton ever and that was down to him, and that the Lance Armstrong gift to the UCI was never proven (as opposed to never happened). And best of all that Pat M will be there ready to serve the UCI when they come looking for him again.

If pat wasn’t shafted by the UCI he could have made a run for the IOC presidency. Then with Delaney running FIFA, Ireland would rule world sport.

[Sandymount_Red]

@Watch The Break

Is there any case at all to be made for him being clean?

If his Astana jersey wasn’t enough to put anyone off, the sight of Alexander Vinokourov in the team car would surely be the final nail in the coffin.

It would have been fascinating to see what would have happened if Froome and Contador had not been injured and had been fully “prepared”. Whatever the Astana cooks are brewing is some serious stuff and they would have had their work cut out competing with the Sicilian.

Nibali has dominated all aspects of the tour, from the cobbles of the north to the high peaks of the Alps and Pyrenees.

[RaymondCrotty]

I’d have as much confidence in nibali as I would in Roche (which is pretty unsure really). Times have been real slow. He was over three mins slower than Riis’ time in 96/97 yesterday for instance and same on other stages. His power numbers have been decent but in line with rest of his career and he is 2kg lighter now too. GC contenders have been non existent. Pinot and peraud didn’t even top ten last year. Would like to have seen TVG avoid that bad day as he’s someone you could guarantee is clean.

[croppy_boy]

@Raymond Crotty

I’d have as much confidence in nibali as I would in Roche (which is pretty unsure really). Times have been real slow. He was over three mins slower than Riis’ time in 96/97 yesterday for instance and same on other stages. His power numbers have been decent but in line with rest of his career and he is 2kg lighter now too. GC contenders have been non existent. Pinot and peraud didn’t even top ten last year. Would like to have seen TVG avoid that bad day as he’s someone you could guarantee is clean.

What about Martin Ray?

[RaymondCrotty]

@croppy_boy

What about Martin Ray?

Clean for sure

[balbec]

@Raymond Crotty

Would like to have seen TVG avoid that bad day as he’s someone you could guarantee is clean.

Don’t think you can say that about anyone, in fairness.

[RaymondCrotty]

[QUOTE=“balbec, post: 989297, member: 193”][/QUOTE]

@balbec

Don’t think you can say that about anyone, in fairness.

Good enough for rr and stokes is good enough for me. Also hugely outspoken against doping which is always good indication in cycling.

your lazy comment about Italians all being dopers is straight out of the Phil L commentary handbook. Marco P might beg to differ.

[balbec]

[QUOTE=“Raymond Crotty, post: 989521, member: 25”]Good enough for rr and stokes is good enough for me. Also hugely outspoken against doping which is always good indication in cycling.

your lazy comment about Italians all being dopers is straight out of the Phil L commentary handbook. Marco P might beg to differ.[/QUOTE]

The Italians invented EPO abuse pal. Pantani, scarponi, cipollini, petacchi, basso, di luca, Ricco. Helllllloooo???

[Fagan_ODowd]

There was a snippet of an interview with Paul Kimmage on Newstalk tonight where they were discussing whether cycling was very hard on itself as regards doping compared to other sports. Kimmage then said he was watching the World Cup and he saw in a dugout a doctor he had last seen in 1989 handing out syringes to cyclists. Anyone know which team this was?

[corner_back]

Possibly Switzerland. Not certain

[RaymondCrotty]

@balbec

The Italians invented EPO abuse pal. Pantani, scarponi, cipollini, petacchi, basso, di luca, Ricco. Helllllloooo???

so that means all Italians are dopers? What an ignorant comment

could equally say that martin must be on the juice because of Roche, mcquaid, kelly etc

[flattythehurdler]

Might be more apt to compare him to Simpson, Froome et al.

[balbec]

[QUOTE=“Raymond Crotty, post: 989654, member: 25”]so that means all Italians are dopers? What an ignorant comment

could equally say that martin must be on the juice because of Roche, mcquaid, kelly etc[/QUOTE]

Ok, believe in Nibali if it makes you feel better. I might be a bit older than you, but in the late 80’s the italians couldn’t get over a railway bridge. Then a couple of years later they were dominating. Not the only ones to dope of course. But fair to say a higher proportion of them caught than the french for example. And more wins.

[RaymondCrotty]

@balbec

Ok, believe in Nibali if it makes you feel better. I might be a bit older than you, but in the late 80’s the italians couldn’t get over a railway bridge. Then a couple of years later they were dominating. Not the only ones to dope of course. But fair to say a higher proportion of them caught than the french for example. And more wins.

I never said I believed in him. I said i have as much confidence in him as roche junior (which isnt great). labelling all Italians dopers is just stupid considering efforts of likes of Marco Pinotti and Aldo Sassi in recent years. Good to see you’ve backed down from that though.
Still though find it more than a bit rich for an Irish cycling fan to throw stones given our own appalling track record. Plenty of reasons to doubt Nibali but using his nationality as justification is just silly.

[Rocko]

@Fagan ODowd

There was a snippet of an interview with Paul Kimmage on Newstalk tonight where they were discussing whether cycling was very hard on itself as regards doping compared to other sports. Kimmage then said he was watching the World Cup and he saw in a dugout a doctor he had last seen in 1989 handing out syringes to cyclists. Anyone know which team this was?

Think it was Germany:

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/7324261/germany-dr-hans-wilhelm-muller-wohlfahrta-great-healer-quack-hyperactive-syringe

http://fussballdoping.derwesten-recherche.org/en/2013/05/muller-wohlfahrt-how-does-he-work/

[Watch_The_Break]

Kittel takes the stage today. Nibali wins the tour with 7.37 to spare over Péraud.

[Watch_The_Break]

Very interesting article on the numbers underpinning the performances at the TdF this year - http://sportsscientists.com/2014/07/the-physiology-at-the-front-of-the-tour/

Conclusion is that the performances are plausible, but at the limit, and as such in the same category as the dopers of the last decade.

[RaymondCrotty]

Really like Ten Dam. Workd of difference between likes of him and Roche.
http://cyclingtips.com.au/2014/07/laurens-ten-dam-interview-dutchman-really-happy-with-tour/

[Scrunchie]

Where’s the 2015 Thread chaps?

Dan Martin in a group of seven about five minutes ahead with 47Km to go! Majka the major threat in the breakaway

[Sidney]

@Scrunchie

Where’s the 2015 Thread chaps?

Try having a

Le Tour 2015

At least we’ll be spared @Raymond Crotty claiming that it’s a clean Tour. I saw the ITV highlights yesterday evening and had to laugh at the absurdity of it all. As Lockes said it was identical to Lance. Spinning the legs like a hamster on a wheel. The team seem to be very strong and well prepared.