Pyrennes on TV

[GPSGuided]

I've been cycling for years and struggle to average much over 20 KPH up any sort of hill, let alone a mountain range.

You are not suggesting that you've ridden too many years, are you?

[GPSGuided]

Analysing Froome's performance
http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/bi ... mance.html
Can-We-Trust-the-Peloton
http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/bi ... loton.html

Obviously these all are inferences. Until there's direct hard evidence, Froome/Sky will enjoy the benefit of doubt. And exactly what Sky does in their program will remain a mystery.

[highercountry]

yeah but they are drafting off each other riding the lightest bikes with streamlined gear. and they are doing it all year round...

You are not suggesting that you've ridden too many years, are you?

I ride in a group, drafting each other, on lightweight bikes with streamlined gear, all year, for LOTS of years, maybe too many years and we still can't do much better than I quoted.
As the saying goes, it's not the bike, it's the engine driving it.

[GPSGuided]

yeah but they are drafting off each other riding the lightest bikes with streamlined gear. and they are doing it all year round...

This is not my quote. Please attribute correctly.

I ride in a group, drafting each other, on lightweight bikes with streamlined gear, all year, for LOTS of years, maybe too many years and we still can't do much better than I quoted.
As the saying goes, it's not the bike, it's the engine driving it.

It's not about the 6.8kg bike, it's about your body weight!

[Hallu]

Analysing Froome's performance
http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/bi ... mance.html
Can-We-Trust-the-Peloton
http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/bi ... loton.html

Obviously these all are inferences. Until there's direct hard evidence, Froome/Sky will enjoy the benefit of doubt. And exactly what Sky does in their program will remain a mystery.

There's a difference though : Armstrong and Ulrich confessed. So now people clearly know that not only riders but members of the UCI were involved. Nowadays no one can believe Froome is clean. Armstrong had a huge congregation of fanatic followers, all absolutely shattered now. This is not the same world. The biological passport clearly isn't enough if Froome is flying like a rocket without being worried. Either highly powerful members of the UCI are paid by Sky or Froome himself to turn a blind eye, either there's a new product on the market.

[GPSGuided]

There's a difference though : Armstrong and Ulrich confessed. So now people clearly know that not only riders but members of the UCI were involved. Nowadays no one can believe Froome is clean. Armstrong had a huge congregation of fanatic followers, all absolutely shattered now. This is not the same world. The biological passport clearly isn't enough if Froome is flying like a rocket without being worried. Either highly powerful members of the UCI are paid by Sky or Froome himself to turn a blind eye, either there's a new product on the market.

But that's the problem with biology... Never say never. He could well be that "freak" who is so much better than all others. So it would be a travesty to untimely accuse him. However, with so many amazing riders on Team Sky, I have my views.

[wayno]

hes pretty thin even for an elite cyclist, some have freakishly low bod fat and he looks in that category... i think wiggins had about 2% body fat, 1% difference is around half a kilo of weight and fat is dead weight on the hills...

[Hallu]

Asafa Powel and Tyson Gay got caught this week end, and Froome is now multiplying the suspicious performances... Looks like he doesn't care about being discreet anymore...

And another pathetic/suspicious/rubbish/sickening fact surrounding the Tour : http://www.cyclisme-dopage.com/actualit ... chaine.htm Basically, it means that all the local French Customs working near the Tour's itinerary had a memo from their boss telling them not to "systematically control the teams participating in the Tour, or their family". In correct language that means "don't try to check if they have illegal drugs in their cars or luggage... We know they do, but it's the 100th Tour, and we don't want anything to spoil the party". Well newsflash, Froome already did.

[wayno]

its a criminal offense in france to have performance enhancing drugs , at least for professional athletes, the police get involved there. so its not just a case of the organisers turning a blind eye....
theres always going to be someone trying to get away with breaking the rules, and they are almost always in denial unless they are near the end of their career and are well off....
its about how good your chemist is, and if they get away with it then it encourages them just like Lance

[GPSGuided]

It was an absolutely incredible stage to see how Froome blew apart all other GC contenders, again. Those repeated spinning attacks were incredible! However, we should bear in mind that the rider deserves the benefit of doubt. At present, all are suspicions based on indirect data. No problem to suspect and explore but it's not damning. However, I suspect it will be very very difficult to gather the hard data to prove if he did dope. Cera is so 20th century. Gene therapy amongst others are out there. I hope he is clean, but...

[wayno]

oh well i was hoping to wait till i watched the climb up Mt ventoux tonight to wait for the result, i guess I know it now....

[Hallu]

The problem is it goes very high up the food chain, from the chief of Customs. This means a guy from the Tour, the UCI, anything, has some connections with politics who can tell the chief of Customs what to do... People call the last years the "clean" years, but it looks like we're far from it, even after some big fish like Armstrong and Ulrich fell...

[GPSGuided]

oh well i was hoping to wait till i watched the climb up Mt ventoux tonight to wait for the result, i guess I know it now....

Sorry. You must stay immediately up to date on these. Yet, I understand how difficult the time difference in NZ can make to watch it live.