Tour of Columbia

dave_1

interesting field...Sevila, Botero, Tyler Hamtilon and 40 year old Hernan Buenohora for those with good memories. Even though old stagers...I reckon Euro pros would get humiliated in this event, like Hinault, Kelly and Millar did in 80s...due to altitude


poss more climbing than in the Giro


http://www.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id= ... olombia083

iainf72

Botero quit yesterday.

Sevilla seems to be the only one of the Rock Racing dodgy trio who still peforms okay. I almost wish someone would hook Tyler up with some of the good stuff for one last hurrah.

dave_1

iainf72 wrote:

Botero quit yesterday.

Sevilla seems to be the only one of the Rock Racing dodgy trio who still peforms okay. I almost wish someone would hook Tyler up with some of the good stuff for one last hurrah.

yes, it's been totally humiliating fall from grace for Tyler. He's a mid pack rider by nature it seems...Anyway, I admire the TH for persevering in such a shitty situation as he is in, i'd leave the sport and start a new life.

LangerDan

I see Fabio Parra's brother Ivan (who was riding last years Giro) in the results as well as Pablo Wilches who was with DFL-Cyclingnews. Theres more than a few Columbian cycling dynasties represented in the results.

dave_1

LangerDan wrote:

I see Fabio Parra's brother Ivan (who was riding last years Giro) in the results as well as Pablo Wilches who was with DFL-Cyclingnews. Theres more than a few Columbian cycling dynasties represented in the results.

It isn't the Pablo Wilches of 1987 TDF though...born 1982

dave_1

i agree with the pro tour taking in big races far away from Europe...that part is a good idea by PMq. Euro Pros fear the colmbian event IMO

iainf72

Dave_1 wrote:

i agree with the pro tour taking in big races far away from Europe...that part is a good idea by PMq. Euro Pros fear the colmbian event IMO

Ummm, it's not the safest country in the world you know.

At least a race in Columbia has some history, not like the Tour of China or whatever

LangerDan

Dave_1 wrote:

LangerDan wrote:

I see Fabio Parra's brother Ivan (who was riding last years Giro) in the results as well as Pablo Wilches who was with DFL-Cyclingnews. Theres more than a few Columbian cycling dynasties represented in the results.

It isn't the Pablo Wilches of 1987 TDF though...born 1982

No - I think its his son.

iainf72 wrote:

At least a race in Columbia has some history, not like the Tour of China or whatever

Have you read Matt Rendells "Kings of the High Mountains" about Columbian cycling? IMO, a far more worthwhile exercise than the Pantani biog, though as much a social commentary as about racing.

afx237vi

Victor Hugo Pena too... didn't realise he had signed for RR. I'd love to see some footage from the race. The mountain stages (er, that's all of them) look epic.

micron

The case of Hamilton does seem to show that maybe a good PED regime can make an average rider into a winner.

It is good to see the name Parra back in cycling. Having read Kings of the Mountain I would love to see this race.

Cumulonimbus

micron wrote:

The case of Hamilton does seem to show that maybe a good PED regime can make an average rider into a winner.

The first post in this thread says how europeans have been humiliated in the past though. Is he performing worse than they did?

RichN95.

micron wrote:

The case of Hamilton does seem to show that maybe a good PED regime can make an average rider into a winner.

It is good to see the name Parra back in cycling. Having read Kings of the Mountain I would love to see this race.

At his age (37) and after two years out (efectively three), I doubt all the doping the world could have brought him back to close to his previous levels.

And it's always good to see a Parra. Fabio first stage of the Tour I ever saw live - solo into Morzine in 88.

dave_1

Stage 6 of tour of Columbia looke nightmarishly hard...check out the time gaps. Only 70 mile stage and riders out at near 40 minutes down

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id= ... olombia086

Jez mon

RichN95 wrote:

micron wrote:

The case of Hamilton does seem to show that maybe a good PED regime can make an average rider into a winner.

It is good to see the name Parra back in cycling. Having read Kings of the Mountain I would love to see this race.

At his age (37) and after two years out (efectively three), I doubt all the doping the world could have brought him back to close to his previous levels.

Exactly, taking a rider out for two years (effectively became three) will have made a huge impact to his career the fact that he has been able to come back and ride (compete is perhaps too strong a word) is surprising. Hamilton was a very determined rider and he doped at a time when many were doping. Once caught he didn't help himself, if he'd done a Millar and confessed to it all, he might have been back riding sooner, for bigger teams, and doing OK in bigger races.

Nevertheless, I have to say, I really don't like the guy and wouldn't be upset if he just left cycling forever.

forearms Van Petegem

Jez mon wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

micron wrote:

The case of Hamilton does seem to show that maybe a good PED regime can make an average rider into a winner.

It is good to see the name Parra back in cycling. Having read Kings of the Mountain I would love to see this race.

At his age (37) and after two years out (efectively three), I doubt all the doping the world could have brought him back to close to his previous levels.

Exactly, taking a rider out for two years (effectively became three) will have made a huge impact to his career the fact that he has been able to come back and ride (compete is perhaps too strong a word) is surprising. Hamilton was a very determined rider and he doped at a time when many were doping. Once caught he didn't help himself, if he'd done a Millar and confessed to it all, he might have been back riding sooner, for bigger teams, and doing OK in bigger races.

Nevertheless, I have to say, I really don't like the guy and wouldn't be upset if he just left cycling forever.

nope, Hamilton was highly competitive as a person, and this carried thru to his doping program. He was a big time doper, like Armstrong. The worst of the worst. They pushed the culture further.

Dont wash it away. Very talented rider when on the most comprehensive of doping programs. See Levi Leipheimer for a good comparison. Very similar.

Both ordinary talents if clean.

Doping IS NOT a level playing field. Doping can make the rider. You CAN make a racehorse from a donkey.

There would be many other riders who would come to the fore in a clean peloton.

dave_1

Hernan Buenahora wins the day. It looks like a very hilly...58th Tour of Columbia. Look at the time gaps....And Parra...behind the old pro Buenahora. It's not all Giro in the world BRers and having spent some time in South America I think big races over there should be on our radar rather than invented big races like Tour down under or Georgia that have not the history or prestige winners that Columbia has .

4 days to go

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id= ... lombia0811