Brad on "The Tour"
Comments
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He did great last year, no doubt.
But, without his Garmin GPS, I doubt he can find the poduim.0 -
Doing well in a bike race comes with kisses from the podium girls and the suspicion that you're a doper. It's part of the whole package. Being a vocal anti-doper doesn't make a rider immune from suspicion (similar to vocal anti-gay politicians who get arrested in gay night clubs in some ways).
PS Am I the only one that thinks Schleck's knee problem might be just made up - his knee is fine but he wants to get other teams to write him off this year?0 -
RichN95 wrote:iainf72 wrote:RichN95 wrote:
+1. Bunch of clowns over at CN. Loads of them looking for 'clues' to doping in every utterance or act, often with hillariously stupid consequences.
They're not that unusual. Spanish / Italian / French forums are full of similar disbelievers.
It's not the disbelieving I'm critical of, it's the ridiculous 'evidence' that they sometimes come up with. For example:I give Cadel Evans a little less 'benefit of the doubt' after seeing this interview with Andrew Denton. Something about the blankness of his face & the pause before his response when Denton asks if he has ever been offered PEDs seems rather revealing ...
In reality, there was a noticable satellite delay.
Other classics are anyone who visits the dentist, or has a large jaw, is obviously on HGH. And Contador being in a Madrid for a few days before his Giro win proved that he was still working with Dr Fuentes, not that it's because he lives there.
Loads of them claim to have sources in the peloton, Euro and US, but none knew that their 'hero' Joe Papp had been a major league drug dealer.
And their treatment of Jonathan Vaughters when he tried to answer questions about his interest in Contador and other things was downright disgraceful. In fact anyone who dares to criticism their 'everyone dopes' creed is hounded out.
Clowns, I tell you.
Well said sir.
A while ago I did ask the question on there why do they follow they the sport if they believe EVERYONE dopes. They repied that they loved the sport so much that dope will not stop them. Trouble is if they love the sport so much why do they spend all their time talking drugs? The actual racing barely get a mention!
The personal abuse that Brad in particular is receiving is disgraceful, but they are safe behind their keyboards taking no responsibility for their comments. It would be nice if a rider was to prosecute one of them
It’s the most beautiful sport in the world but it’s governed by ***ts who have turned it into a crock of ****.0 -
It's the lack of nuance that's amazing on the cyclingnews forum. Rather than present evidence of HGH use, for example before and after photos showing how a rider's jawline has changed during their career, anyone with an angular face is instantly deemed as "jacking". I gave up within days on that forum, this place is much calmer.
By the way, who was the forum member on here last year, he couldn't write a sentence without the word "jacking" in it?0 -
I'm all for Bradley going for a big result in the Tour this year as long as he gets other results during the season. Last year he showed promise in Paris Roubaix and would have probably placed higher had he not had what I remember as a pretty nasty looking crash towards the end of the race. Of course as a "Tour" rider he won't be doing Paris Roubaix this year.
There is talk of Bradley going for the time trial win in his current race, but what we need to see is him getting a result in a mountain stage. If that happens I might become more of a believer.0 -
Some very interesting comments since my thoughts.
Let's recap on a factual basis.
1. Brad finished 4th in 2009 - equalling Robert Millar's highest finish many years ago.
2. He would have learned a lot about himself through this experience.
3. He has since joined 'Brailsford' for a lotta money - I don't imagine that DB took this spend decision lightly.
4. DB and his team would have spent some time, carefully planning his programme of races so that Brad peaks for the 'Tour'
5. Brad has shown he can handle the expectation of results at a 'World' level, albeit on the track, prior to 2009.
6. Brad's best and biggest critic is himself - he I feel sure is the last person to trumpet his expectations, and the last I think to rely on excuses.
As I said earlier - let's get being our man!Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom0 -
7. The course & racing really, really suited him in '09. It doesn't/won't this year.
Not doubting he has potential to podium again, but not this year I fear.___________________
Strava is not Zen.0 -
pomtarr wrote:Arguably the only thing that kept him off the TdF podium last year was the split on stage 3.
...or the TTT, which kept him in the Top 5. He gained a large chunk of time on the likes of Sastre, Evans, Menchov, F & A Schleck et al. Subsequently, Menchov, Evans and Sastre all proved to be well off colour, but at the time, the margin was significant.
There's very few TT kms this year, no TTT and lots of mountains.
I'm supportive of Brad, but let's be realistic.
No one has answered the simple question - where is Wiggo going to gain time on the main GC riders?0 -
Kléber wrote:It's the lack of nuance that's amazing on the cyclingnews forum. Rather than present evidence of HGH use, for example before and after photos showing how a rider's jawline has changed during their career, anyone with an angular face is instantly deemed as "jacking". I gave up within days on that forum, this place is much calmer.
By the way, who was the forum member on here last year, he couldn't write a sentence without the word "jacking" in it?
wasnt that some pillock by the name of kk speeder or something.0
