True winner of the Hautacam stage?

phil s
phil s Posts: 1,128
edited October 2008 in Pro race
From the top fifteen take your pick...

1 Leonardo Piepoli (Ita) Saunier Duval - Scott 4.19.27 (36.08 km/h)
2 Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott
3 Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 0.28
4 Bernhard Kohl (Aut) Gerolsteiner 1.06
5 Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale 2.05
6 Riccardo Riccò (Ita) Saunier Duval - Scott 2.17
7 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank
8 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto
9 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank
10 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
11 Moises Dueñas Nevado (Spa) Barloworld 2.27
12 Stéphane Goubert (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 2.49
13 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas 3.40
14 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 3.58
15 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia 4.19
-- Dirk Hofman Motorhomes --
«1

Comments

  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    The bloke driving the broom-wagon?
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • phil s
    phil s Posts: 1,128
    The potential complexity of working out the above stage - if this week's rumours all turn out true - highlight the dilemma facing journalists covering the sport. What a feckin mess.
    -- Dirk Hofman Motorhomes --
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    LangerDan wrote:
    The bloke driving the broom-wagon?
    No - he takes speed so he can drive through the night to the start of the next stage
    It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    Evans or Goubert. I have huge suspicions over the rest in there.
  • ridgerider
    ridgerider Posts: 2,852
    Please don't tell me my PTP pick Denis Menchov was on something.

    Whatever it was, it was rubbish!
    Half man, Half bike
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    Kléber wrote:
    Evans or Goubert. I have huge suspicions over the rest in there.
    But not Evans? May one inquire as to why you think he's clean?
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    Kléber wrote:
    Evans or Goubert. I have huge suspicions over the rest in there.

    I agree with this statement entirely.




    Except for the bit about trusting Evans and Goubert.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • Cumulonimbus
    Cumulonimbus Posts: 1,730
    David Millar? :lol:
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    I only have reduced suspicions over Evans and Goubert :twisted:
  • Poppert
    Poppert Posts: 8
    Kléber wrote:
    Evans or Goubert. I have huge suspicions over the rest in there.

    I agree. Evans is my pick.
  • singlespeedexplosif
    singlespeedexplosif Posts: 1,564
    Evans..he has no acceleration whatsoever. If he's juicing, he needs to get better juice.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    I would have reduced suspicion about Sastre, Evans and Menchov, all three at that level consistently for years. Goubert perhaps as well, although, if all the really supsicuous riders would be scrapped, he would be in the top 5 or even top 3, which would then be a suspicous surprise for old Stephane :roll:
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Menchov? You mean Dennis "no, never been to a blood bank in Austria, why do you ask" Menchov?
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    iainf72 wrote:
    Menchov? You mean Dennis "no, never been to a blood bank in Austria, why do you ask" Menchov?
    Crap, you're right. Forgot about that story. hmmm
  • jimmythecuckoo
    jimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,718
    Kléber wrote:
    Evans or Goubert. I have huge suspicions over the rest in there.

    My thoughts entirely.
    http://fendrieneu.home.blog
    My blog and pod...
    Beers of Belgium Cycling Club UK
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Wasn't Goubert at Festina, and Virenque's pal at Polti?
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    Didn't AG2R hire Mancebo who retired on the spot (which he later rescinded) when news of Operacion Puerto broke?
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    I don't think things are organised and "professional" at AG2R, riders are left to themselves. But Goubert wasn't exactly on fire and he lives like a monk only to finish 17th all the time. Not saying he's a saint, only that I have a little more faith in him than the others.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    I must say that I'm surprised no-one thinks that Christian Vandevelde is clean. He rides for Garmin after all.
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    I'd like to hope he is but he rode suspiciously well. Sadly any rider doing so well is always going to have question marks, especially since his team wasn't able to control for CERA.

    I'd like to hope Garmin has a strong philosophy that encourages riders to do it right, we've seen Kimmage confirm this. Let's hope so.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    I'm playing devil's advocate a bit. Vandevelde has, after all, ridden previously for USPS, Liberty Seguros and CSC. He's also made a dramatic improvement to his highest ever finish in a GT at the age of 32.
  • Eurostar
    Eurostar Posts: 1,806
    I'll go for Evans. He has to be clean because he can't attack or recover.

    On the other hand it could all be a bluff. Maybe he's doping but pretends he can't attack or recover to fool us all and get the sympathy vote. After all, he is a bit of a cry-baby.

    Let's start a rumour - Evans dopes but he's addicted to crying so he forces himself to lose.
    <hr>
    <h6>What\'s the point of going out? We\'re just going to end up back here anyway</h6>
  • Gragi
    Gragi Posts: 448
    I know he's not in that list but the guy who gives me hope is Cunego. He's had a tattoo done after all professing to being clean!!! Plus his performances in the Grand Tours have been "disappointing" compared to what had been expected of him.

    And Geraint Thomas! come on butt, win a classic in the next couple of years :lol:
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    Gragi wrote:
    I know he's not in that list but the guy who gives me hope is Cunego. He's had a tattoo done after all professing to being clean!!! Plus his performances in the Grand Tours have been "disappointing" compared to what had been expected of him.
    It wasn't a real tattoo but some kind of sticker.

    Many pro cyclists have tattooed arms to cover the needle marks. Allegedly.
  • Gragi
    Gragi Posts: 448
    :cry: another shattered illusion...

    On the positive side (excuse the pun) I cannot believe Geraint Thomas is on anything other than Brains Dark so my dream lives on
  • calvjones
    calvjones Posts: 3,850
    Gragi wrote:
    :cry: another shattered illusion...

    On the positive side (excuse the pun) I cannot believe Geraint Thomas is on anything other than Brains Dark so my dream lives on

    No wonder he can't get over the mountains if he's full of Dark.
    ___________________

    Strava is not Zen.
  • Patrick1.0
    Patrick1.0 Posts: 290
    If you are asking me the ones I think are least likely to be on something, then I'll go with Evans and Vande Velde.
  • mandie
    mandie Posts: 218
    Kléber wrote:
    Evans or Goubert. I have huge suspicions over the rest in there.
    Including Vandevelde who even Paul 'every one dopes' Kimmage gave a clean bill of health to?
    We\'ll kick against the darkness \'till it bleeds daylight
  • finchy
    finchy Posts: 6,686
    iainf72 wrote:
    Menchov? You mean Dennis "no, never been to a blood bank in Austria, why do you ask" Menchov?

    I thought that story turned out to be unsubstantiated.
  • dave milne
    dave milne Posts: 703
    didn't garmin publish vandevelde's results for a whole year? thereby coming as close as possible to priving he was clean

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