Will this season be watchable? Or is everything still shyte?

Eurostar

I gave up on pro racing last year in disgust. What have I missed? Has the sport saved itself over the winter? I've seen a few disturbing headlines about Puerto and ASO and even Michael Ball which suggest that all is not well.

What I mean to say is, if I switch on Eurosport, will I see inspiring performances from the new wave of clean riders, like wot Linus Gerdemann did in last year's Tour? Or will it be the same old bunch of bent tossers like Valverde, Bruyneel, Contador, di Luca etc perverting everything as usual? In other words, might the clean guys win something this year?

Or is it still a crock of sh1t?

iainf72

Eurostar wrote:

What I mean to say is, if I switch on Eurosport, will I see inspiring performances from the new wave of clean riders, like wot Linus Gerdemann did in last year's Tour? Or will it be the same old bunch of bent tossers like Valverde, Bruyneel, Contador, di Luca etc perverting everything as usual? In other words, might the clean guys win something this year?

Could I rewrite that for you? Is this what you meant?

if I switch on Eurosport, will I see inspiring performances from the new wave of people I've decided are clean riders without any real evidence, like wot Linus Gerdemann did in last year's Tour? Or will it be the same old bunch of people I believe to be bent tossers like Valverde, Bruyneel, Contador, di Luca etc perverting everything as usual? In other words, might the people I think are clean guys win something this year?

Eurostar

Yes, I agree it's all about perception. And without being able to organise dope-testing for myself, I pick some heroes to cheer for after I've had a look at the more cynical information sources like ridetrash.com and that Dutch bloke. I don't subscribe to the theory that everyone might be bent. I've convinced myself that Gerdemann was clean last year, and that Wiggins is always clean. If there are enough other riders who I believe to be clean, I'll enjoy the sport again. Otherwise I'll ignore it.

LangerDan

Eurostar wrote:

I gave up on pro racing last year in disgust. What have I missed? Has the sport saved itself over the winter? I've seen a few disturbing headlines about Puerto and ASO and even Michael Ball which suggest that all is not well.

What I mean to say is, if I switch on Eurosport, will I see inspiring performances from the new wave of clean riders, like wot Linus Gerdemann did in last year's Tour? Or will it be the same old bunch of bent tossers like Valverde, Bruyneel, Contador, di Luca etc perverting everything as usual? In other words, might the clean guys win something this year?

Or is it still a crock of sh1t?

How do you know Gerdemann is clean and some of the others are, as you put it "bent tossers".

Racing will be the same crock of the brown sticky stuff its been for, oh, only the past 100 years. The only difference is that we (the viewing public) now know more. So if you spend this year, hermit-like, away from all news sources and only listen to Ligget's commentaries you can watch the racing again in all its untained bliss.

Eurostar

OK, let me ask it another way:

- is Slipstream clean? I don't see how a dirty rider could defeattheir testing regime for more than a few weeks.

- are there any other teams as clean as Slipstream?

iainf72

Eurostar wrote:

OK, let me ask it another way:

- is Slipstream clean? I don't see how a dirty rider could defeattheir testing regime for more than a few weeks.

- are there any other teams as clean as Slipstream?

Taking a leap of faith that their testing regime is worth anything, aren't you?

I guess they're as clean as any team who are coached by the same guy who coached the only TdF winner to be stripped of his title for doping and one of their star riders used to work with Michele Ferrari....

In short - Who knows. They certainly talk a good game.

vermooten

Of course it'll be very watchable. It's still cycling, and my rule of thumb is: Doping isn't everything.

Blasphemer! Blasphemer!!

Brian B

vermooten wrote:

Of course it'll be very watchable. It's still cycling, and my rule of thumb is: Doping isn't everything.

Blasphemer! Blasphemer!!

Snap - I am with you Vermooten on this. I'll still be watching and buying mags.

Moomaloid

Me too, although if you're trying to use cycling tv, you won't be watching jak!

Bronzie

I'd like to think the sport has finally reached a turning point..........most (if not all?) of the guys have finally seen that racing clean (or maybe even the next best thing which is not using doping methods that are easily detectable) is the way forward. When someone like Bruyneel with all the rumours around him institutes independent testing, surely this indicates the winds of change are blowing.

Mind you, I've thought this before only to be brought back to my senses days later.

Problem is, there are still too many riders and managers with more skeletons in the cupboard than the local cemetry. Until the Puerto case gets some closure (and by that I mean those involved get the book thrown at them), it's all still a bit of a farce. The fallout from past offences will continue to hang around the peloton like a very nasty smell.

Or do we just turn a blind eye to the past and allow valv.piti to race "clean" now alongside the new crop of "riders we'd like to think are clean"?

andy_wrx

Bronzie wrote:

the next best thing which is not using doping methods that are easily detectable

I fear so, in reality.

Which means we can watch it and assume it's a level playing field again, except the level is a different level from when everyone was on the Evening Primrose, or blood doping, or amphets, or whatever the then-current level was.

ian222

:? :?

I hope that the sport has reached a turning point, where doping is accepted as being a thing of the past. Keep testing, keep chasing the undisclosed / unknown at operation puerto or any other scandal. Keep up the anti doping war on all fronts.

I ask myself if I would want my children involved in the murky sport of road racing because I love it and have followed the sport for over 25 yrs. I also love my kids and would try and protect them from being involved in a known drug riddled sport.

Until the sport sorts itself out then I would just remain a spectator.

If the spectacle in the mountains leaves me gasping and the races are exciting then fair enough, I shall renew my sky package. If the sport is dirty and I feel ashamed to discuss it at work or in the pubs or with my children, then I shall encourage my kids to ride in different cycling disciplines, where drugs are not a real issue despite the fact that I have fathered a 9 times TDF winner to be.

However, call me sad and shallow, but I shall still watch the TDF and all of the other races. I shall also applaud loudly and with vigour every time that a current or previous cheat is exposed in the hope that one day we have a sport to be proud of!

I know I have rambled a bit but, I think this could be a TDF worth while watching. I hope that answers your question!

Kléber

Well, one race won't change everything but we saw a reputedly clean rider from a clean team storm Het Volk with an awesome display of strength and style. Encouraging.