The Cycling Thread

[tobo]

The French Anti doping agency has found proof that Jalabert tested positive on EPO during the TdF of 1998. You're right about that test in '04. On July 18, a report will be made public.

Funny, in 1998 ONCE and that other Spanish team Banesto left the TdF on the same day because they called it a witch hunt.

 

[The Imp]

So...

The Once line-up for the 1998 tour:

Jalabert
Bruyneel
Diaz Justo
Diaz Zabala
Marcelino Garcia
Javier Mauleon
Melchior Mauri
Luis Perez Rodriquez
Roberto Sierra

Fewer big names than I would have imagined, actually.

 

[tobo]

Ding Dong.

'The List' will be made public tomorrow by the French senate. 44 cyclists tested positive on EPO in the TdF of 1998. Among whom are Marco Pantani, Jan Ullrich and Bobby Julich (1, 2 and 3 that year) and Erik Zabel. Ooh who else has been caught? Place your bets right now!

I can't wait for tomorrow.

 

[Live in the Now]

Piepoli, Boogerd, Hincapie I'd expect to see on it.

 

[tobo]

Boogerd already admitted doping between 1997 and 2007. Looking back at the GC of that year... the first clean riders: Stéphane Heulot (13th) and Kurt Van de Wouwer (16th)? Cyclists who rode for teams like Cofidis, Telekom, USPS, Mapei or Polti are automatically branded dopers in my books. I do trust Lotto though. They've been around for nearly 30 years and not once have we heard stories of organized dopingschemes. Teams that carry such a burden would never be able to continue operating for such a long time. Mind you, I could be wrong though.

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

Ding Dong.

'The List' will be made public tomorrow by the French senate. 44 cyclists tested positive on EPO in the TdF of 1998. Among whom are Marco Pantani, Jan Ullrich and Bobby Julich (1, 2 and 3 that year) and Erik Zabel. Ooh who else has been caught? Place your bets right now!

I can't wait for tomorrow.

Considering they didn't have samples from everybody, I'd be interested to know if anybody tested, actually came back clean. Now that would be news.

 

[tobo]

Damnit, I wanted to check out 'The Clinic', but Cyclingnews is down.

 

[Live in the Now]

Boogerd already admitted doping between 1997 and 2007. Looking back at the GC of that year... the first clean riders: Stéphane Heulot (13th) and Kurt Van de Wouwer (16th)? Cyclists who rode for teams like Cofidis, Telekom, USPS, Mapei or Polti are automatically branded dopers in my books. I do trust Lotto though. They've been around for nearly 30 years and not once have we heard stories of organized dopingschemes. Teams that carry such a burden would never be able to continue operating for such a long time. Mind you, I could be wrong though.

I'm most interested in seeing if O'Grady is on the list. Cipollini too. He was just recently linked with Fuentes I believe.

That was the first Tour I watched.

 

[tobo]

Cipo has been named in Operacion Puerto. Apparantly, he ordered EPO, steroids and blood plasma under the code name Maria back in 2002. That year he won Milan-San Remo, Gent-Wevelgem, six stages in the Giro and the rainbow jersey that autumn. Highly Suspicious, don't you think?

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

Damnit, I wanted to check out 'The Clinic', but Cyclingnews is down.

The forums have been down since last week. They are doing some kind of upgrade but that has to be a record for software upgrade down time.

 

[tobo]

And the first names are...

Andrea Tafi
Mario Cipollini
Bo Hamburger
Udo Bölts
Marco Pantani
Jan Ullrich

to be conrinued.

 

[tobo]

Next batch:

Erik Zabel (Dui)
Abraham Olano (Spa)
Nicola Minali (Ita)
Fabio Sacchi (Ita)
Marcos Serrano (Spa)
Manuel Beltran (Spa)
Jens Heppner (Dui)
Jeroen Blijlevens (Ned)
Kevin Livingstone (VS)
Laurent Desbiens (Fra)
Laurent Jalabert (Fra)
Jacky Durand (Fra)

Still nothing shocking. Those who I suspected have been confirmed.

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

Oddly enough, Stuart O'Grady admits to it hours before the release and then the report only calls him suspicious.

It would have been interesting if they had also posted which stages the tested samples were from. I'll bet many of the "suspicious" ones were after the Festina bust when some may have stopped using but still had traces in their system.

 

[Dado]

Blew up my bike this morning - snapped the rear derailleur right off at the start of a climb. Need to get a new bike this week. At this point I'm thinking Cannondale Synpase, but have two questions:

1. I'm a rec rider, 50-60km a week, am I really going to notice a meaningful difference between a Synpase decked out in 105 or one decked out in 2300 running trim? The difference in price is basically 2x - for that difference I could fully restore my old(er) Gary Fisher mountain bike to fighting trim and have two completely different bikes for the price of one.

2. Any obvious contender in that kind of $1200 +/- pricing pocket I should give serious consideration to? As point of reference, I'm liking Synapse over CAAD (which I *love*, CAAD10 is an awesome piece of kit) because of bit more comfy, "recreational"-like riding position.

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

Blew up my bike this morning - snapped the rear derailleur right off at the start of a climb. Need to get a new bike this week. At this point I'm thinking Cannondale Synpase, but have two questions:

1. I'm a rec rider, 50-60km a week, am I really going to notice a meaningful difference between a Synpase decked out in 105 or one decked out in 2300 running trim? The difference in price is basically 2x - for that difference I could fully restore my old(er) Gary Fisher mountain bike to fighting trim and have two completely different bikes for the price of one.

2. Any obvious contender in that kind of $1200 +/- pricing pocket I should give serious consideration to? As point of reference, I'm liking Synapse over CAAD (which I *love*, CAAD10 is an awesome piece of kit) because of bit more comfy, "recreational"-like riding position.

You haven't provided any specifics. But based on your price comparisons I am certain the difference between the bikes is more than just the gruppo. I personally would not buy a bike with anything less than 105 components. Bikes equipped like you mention can be found from many manufacturers. I wouldn't be married to just Cannondale.

 

[The Imp]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/hesjedal-admits-to-doping-says-evidence-was-given-to-usada

... Any reaction to this in Canada?

 

[Fighter]

Bringing back the old thread.

Looking at the list of notable participants, this year Vuelta will be a treat!

 

[IslesRock4]

Pinot is riding? Wow.

 

[tobo]

Tom Boonem?

Lol, incompetent noobs.

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

Anybody watching the Tour of Utah? It's available live online. Google "tour of Utah tour tracker". There is also a mobile app available. Looks like the race is covered from start to finish although today a power outage lost about an hour of coverage.

 

[IslesRock4]

Anybody watching the Tour of Utah? It's available live online. Google "tour of Utah tour tracker". There is also a mobile app available. Looks like the race is covered from start to finish although today a power outage lost about an hour of coverage.

Fox Sports, ROOT, and MSG+ are showing the last two hours of the race every day, live.

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

Fox Sports, ROOT, and MSG+ are showing the last two hours of the race every day, live.

True, but if you want to watch the break get away after the neutralized zone the tourtracker appears to be covering that in this race. Or if you don't get cable anymore.

 

[Fighter]

Tom Boonem?

Lol, incompetent noobs.

I wouldn't say the Spaniards are noobs, that is a clear typo. Funny though

 

[tobo]

Oh I know. Before the globalization of cycling, it was confined to just a handful nations: Belgium, Netherlands, France, Spain and Italy. I'm well aware of the history of Spanish cycling with cyclists like Bahamontes, Indurain and Freire.

 

[The Imp]

I imagine Oleg's having himself a beer, and then another.

This weekend:
- Saxo signed on as co-title sponsor for another year
- Valgreen won the Tour of Denmark
- Majka won the Tour of Poland
- He was finally able to announce the signing of Sagan.