WorldTour and Pro Cycling Nonsense 2012

It's how he would have wanted to win

dang

I heard CAS is still looking into the battle at Waterloo, rumors are Napoleon has a good chance of winning it after all!

LBI - Contador's the one to blame in all this. It wouldn't have been so protracted if he hadn't kept appealing.

I would keep appealing too if it's about 0,000000000005% clenbuterol or something. The evidence is as thin as paper.

also clenbuterol doesn't seem like it'd even be that useful

It's catabolic isn't it? Used for getting muscle mass down,getting to race weight when there's no more fat to loose.

They found 0,000000000005 gram of clenbuterol in Contador's blood. Contador always claimed it came from contaminated food.

This is from the clenbuterol wiki:

In June 2011, players of the Mexico national football team were found with clenbuterol in their bloodstream but were acquitted by WADA after they claimed the clenbuterol came from contaminated food. FIFA have also claimed that 109 players from the Under 17 World Cup in Mexico tested positive for this drug, claiming that Mexican meat is contaminated.

It's not to say he didn't use it as an enhancement drug, but the amount found in Contador is so very, very tiny that it also isn't any proof that he didn't get it from food poisoning.

To take this long for the ruling with barely any evidence is a travesty no matter what.

Back to Racing -> Boonen is looking in pretty hot form for the spring classics.

if he can keep the form, him vs fabian vs p. gilbert esq could be pretty epic at flanders. boonen was fastest up the finishing straight last year and wasn't that far short of the front three.

Won again today.

Was thinking last night that he may be peaking early because he know he can't beat Gilbert, Cancellara and the rest when they do later on.

@haitch: I wouldn't go that far, before he got busted for blow Qatar was his gig.
@Ed: I think that's more like it, the true classics riders will rip Tommeke's legs off once the Ardennes roll around.

Speaking of... here's a reel of Gilbert's unbelievably dominant 2011.

Attack after attack after attack... from the front, off the front, no matter. What a season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjYGuL89vAo

the true classics riders will rip Tommeke's legs off once the Ardennes roll around

Ardennes? He's more of a Roubaix/Flanders/Wevelgem rider.

really the important thing here is that he doesn't have a hole in his ballsack like he did at the vuelta, that really has to bring an improved level of performance.

I completely misunderstood the rules for fantasy.road.cc I thought you couldn't have more than one sprinter but it turns out you can.

I'm still ignoring it until Milan-San Remo

Right Ed, we've had Het Newname, Paris-Nice starts this weekend, the season is pretty much underway, I'm in....

http://www.303cycling.com/us-pro-cycling-challenge-stage-6-finish

i was dreaming of a superflag finish, but going to the amphitheater still sounds pretty good. i will go to this one.

Wiggins into yellow in the Paris-Nice, Boonen picking up the stage win from a leading group of about 20. The whole thing had split up into Echelons and nobody outside of the first group is likely to threaten for the overall now.

Did anyone else see Cancellara winning the Strade Bianche on Saturday? That was cool. Just rode away from them up a hill about 10km from the finish.

I openly read reports seems spartacus is back on form. I did see the Paris Nice Prologue and was astounded by how well Wiggins went. He looked like he was being super cautious in the rain and then ended up top three.

I had two non riders in my starting lineup for Paris Nice and forgot to change my lineup after the TT so you are in the lead.

Echelons today: http://twitpic.com/8sfke4

Wiggins is looking really good at the moment. He would have won the opening TT but for the late rain (and as it was came second by just 1 sec) and was the strongest in the front group today: doing the hardest turns on the front, dropping some BIG names (Schlecks, Basso, Brajkovic, Hushovd, Taaramae...) by more than ten minutes on a flat stage, and even winning the intermediate sprint to pick up some bonus seconds. There's still Leipheimer and Valverde lurking nearby though.

Also, Jon Tiernan-Locke (who I'd never heard of until he picked up the 'mountains' jersey in the Tour of Britain last year) riding for a small domestic British team has hoovered up several fairly big European wins over the last month.

van garderen wants this it's a priority event. interested to see what he can do. the others have bigger fish to fry

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/jonathan-tiernan-locke-illness-doping-rumours-and-his-road-to-the-top

interesting story. "a big team" approached endura to see if they could sort a mid-season transfer; sky have also tried to tap him up illegally, haha.

IS HE THE #LINSANITY OF BIKES OMG

would be awes if they could scrape an invite to one of the ardennes races - tho that stuff's probably all settled already, idk.

There was a good article on Endura before the season started, but I can't remember where. They did a bigger european calendar last year and didn't really get results so they are more focussed on British races, (Halfords Tour, Nocturnes etc.)

The conditions at Haut Var and Mediteranéen were atrocious so it makes the wins that little bit more Epic. (He got 2nd at Vuelta a Murcia as well) .

It's fantastic that britain now has competitive Conti teams that are an option for those who fall off or are outside the British Cycling - Academy - Sky train.

http://www.cyclinginquisition.com/2012/03/braid-spotting-and-glenn-danzing.html

so out of touch, i didnt even know of the pointy sideburn thing

boasson hagen's foot!!!

Sky are looking immense in early season stage races. Maybe the other super teams are keeping they're powder dry or focusing on one days (although they aren't exactly lacking there a 1st and a third in two semi-classics). Only Omega Pharma seem to be showing the same breadth.

BMC seem to have pinned all they're early season hopes on Gilbert and come up short. Radioshack had Cancellara win Strade Bianche but otherwise haven't shown (he does look dangerous for the cobbles).

Sky are really starting to look like a top quality outfit.

Still think having a dual focus at the tour could turn into a bit of a shit show.

Sky *are* looking good, yes - win for EBH today and Cavendish yesterday in T-A, Wiggins still holding onto yellow in P-N, but I think it's a bit too early in the season to say BMC's big name signings and the Radioshack-Leopard merger have backfired. Gilbert will be looking to the Ardennes and Hushovd to Roubaix; Cancellara looked very strong in SB and will be looking forward to Flanders/Roubaix. The Schlecks never do anything at this time of year and Evans's main goal will be the TdF too.

Horner into the lead in T-A. Leipheimer got caught up in a crash on a descent about 25km from the finish and was left trying to chase back on about a minute down (with three team mates to help him). Movistar were at the front and really driving it down the hills - after a while Leipheimer & co were taken out again, this time rounding a corner to be confronted by a police motorbike which had stopped to protect a Lampre rider who had already crashed.

Peter Sagan is seriously good.

shit sandwich for leipheimer, but thats bike racing as they say

Very impressive mountain trial by Westra, but Wiggins smashes it - takes the stage and the overall having led from day 2 (and only a second behind on day 1).

Wow! Just realised Wiggins won the green jersey as well.

Time trial win for Cancellara, Nibali wins the overall, Horner beaten down into second on the final day but that's still amazing for a 40-year-old who hasn't raced since that crash in the Tour.

How big is team anybody but Cav going to be tomorrow? I'm picking Sagan for the win (which on my record is a guaranteed loss).

might throw a cheeky fiver on haussler if he stays at 26/1

Cavendish dropped on Le Manie, stuck in a large second group with Sky men chasing at the front. Got the gap down to about 50 secs but couldn't close it and have sat up now. Many big names at the front.

Liquigas leading up the Cipressa - for whose benefit: Nibali or Sagan?

CRASH! Gilbert taken out. Meanwhile Hoogerland 10secs off the front.

Cancellara and Boonen looking strong. Not far to the Poggio now. All together at the front.

Is phinney near the front for bmg? haven't heard him mentioned at all but interested to see if he can get as far as poggio near the front as support

Ha bmc

Haven't heard his name

BANG! Nibali, Gerrans, Cancellara...

...and they just hold off the chase. Gerrans comes off Cancellara's wheel to nick it.

GERROOOOOOOOO

Because he knew this was coming:

David Walsh ‏@DavidWalshST
USADA statement: Armstrong's team "ran the most sophisticaed, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen."

contains "direct documentary evidence including financial payments, emails, scientific data and laboratory test results that further prove the use, possession and distribution of performance enhancing drugs by Lance Armstrong and confirm the disappointing truth about the deceptive activities of the USPS Team, a team that received tens of millions of American taxpayer dollars in funding".
the team's doping conspiracy "was professionally designed to groom and pressure athletes to use dangerous drugs, to evade detection, to ensure its secrecy and ultimately gain an unfair competitive advantage through superior doping practices".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/19903716

I guess I can see Lance's point now. You've got David Walsh sitting on your couch, drinking beer, when suddenly he's all like: "hey Lance, remember that time in high school when you were at the center of the most sophisticaed, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen?" So annoying.

202 page Reasoned Decision case file :

http://www.scribd.com/doc/109619079/Reasoned-Decision

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/danielson-vande-velde-and-zabriskie-accept-usada-bans

This is a pretty sobering take on all the back-patting going on:

http://stevetilford.com/?p=22105

Rabobank are no more :(
"We are no longer convinced that the international professional world of cycling can make this a clean and fair sport"

Very Sad news

team will go on next year highroad-style, at least

finally dl'ed the hamilton book. lols all around. armstrong even slightly more assholey than expected, doping about where i expected, maybe slightly more egregious. disliked the "up close and personal" style intro a bit (over the corny limit), but it's a fun superfast read from there.

http://inrng.com/2012/10/lemond-letter-uci/

Bobby julich confessed today and was given the boot by sky (rider 4 for those keeping score)

Can't believe that Sky hasn't sacked Mick Rogers yet...

http://inrng.com/2012/10/lemond-letter-uci/

cue everyone acting slightly embarrassed, pretending that it didn't happen, "wish he were more statesmanlike", etc

i didn't hear that but i was thinking last week that damn he's like the last of that generation of usa europros left w/out an admission.

sky's and quicksack's policies are bad imo. otoh at least quicksack freed up some scratch for cavendish with that move.

Sean Yates has gone. Not sure what this will mean for Sky: their zero tolerance approach, while commendable, will leave them with a huge problem when it comes to recruiting DSs given that probably >90% of riders of that age group doped. Garmin's approach seems more realistic.

Sky haven't exactly been that hot in the on the road tactics department. A change might be beneficial in that respect. Got to go to the continental teams or to women's racing to find an untainted DS.

I feel a bit sorry for Yates, he is apparently retiring from the sport entirely.

why feel sorry for him, sky says this is entirely a personal decision unrelated to anything? i guess he just wanted a change.

He looked kind of glum when I beat him the other week in the Catford Hill Climb. Perhaps I contributed to his demise.

why you gotta break a man like that

no gifts

Get 'em Kimmo, raaargh.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/nov/01/paul-kimmage-pat-mcquaid-criminal-complaint

Strictly speaking this is 2013 but I just volunteered for the UCI Cross Worlds in Louisville.

Anyone else fancy coming down to join in the fun?

i remember riding my road bike in team kit in 1993 in louisville for a week. it was like i just crashed my spaceship. i have never been mocked/harrassed/threatened for lycra like that in my life- not even in northern idaho in the late 80s. blows my mind they are hosting worlds. that said, fuck no.

yikes

ha, that's progress! don't hate, celebrate. i'm sure you'll have a grand time, truly-- sorry to be a churl.

times done changed

i know a bunch of ppl that will be going down for worlds, i will not likely be one of them

michael rogers to saxo/tinkoff - wasn't too keen on sky's scorched earth policy perhaps?

It looks like the Tour de France is coming through Epping Forest in 2014 and possibly within a mile of my flat