Liege - Bastogne - Liege *** SPOILER ***

afx237vi

Harmon's succinct description of the result...

http://twitter.com/spokesmen/status/12825589514

shinyhelmut

afx237vi wrote:

Andrei Kashechkin must be looking a little pale this weekend.

frenchfighter

ViiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNO.

Big move by him to instigate the race winning attack. Others should have gone with it - you don't let that calibre of rider go. Good job Kolobnev. They worked really well together - no shirking turns in the wind.

To those who think Vino is going to upstage Contador or something like that. Contador is the boss and has total power over everything in Astana.

For those who think this performance is an example of doping....you will have to say that Kolobnev is also a doper as he was only a few seconds behind. FFS he wasn't exactly miles ahead of the rest of the top ten. Remember what Andy did last year was a bigger margin, solo and from further out.

Great work by Contador. looking super smooth bridging to Gilbert and Schleck. Contador showing all those big mouthed critics that he can perform on the very front end of the Ardennes.

Nice move Gilbert. Valverde podium, nice one.

Big mouth Schlecks, no results. Always better not to blow your trumpet if you cannot pull out the goods.

Nice to see Horner right up there - he will be better than Lance in the Tour at this rate. Nice to also see Voeckler.

richard wants a baum

Dont think you can compare Vino and Basso, Vino is blatantly unrepentant tried to get a reduced ban and has thumbed his nose at everyone the whole time. While i dont necessarily believe Basso's i was only preparing to dope story i wouldnt group them together, i also dont think i would be this underwhelmed if Basso won a big race.

iainf72

Rick Chasey wrote:

Pffft...

Lots of people think that. obviously.

But like Ashenden said, Basso couldn't do any more to prove he's doing it clean. What's Vino done?

Millar said it better

"I respect Ivan Basso. He's been contrite, and I believe very much that he's doing it properly now. He's paid for his mistakes, and he wants to prove that he won't make them again," says Millar.

"But Vinokourov is at the other end of the scale. He'll never be the same rider again, and he doesn't treat the peloton with respect, so he doesn't get treated with respect back. There's zero respect for Vinokourov in the peloton."

richard wants a baum

i dont think anyone has put the performance down as proof of doping i dont think anyone has time for him and this isnt the result most would have wanted to see

rick_chasey

Millar?

Aw now you're really taking the p!ss....


Look, as far as I'm concerned, they're allowed to ride, they're allowed to ride.

If Vino tests positive later, you can say "I told you so", but this win doesn't leave a sour taste in my mouth.

Saying it's a bad day for cycling when a previously banned cyclist wins, but then cheering another on, leaves a sour taste in my mouth....

oscarbudgie

frenchfighter wrote:

ViiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNO.


For those who think this performance is an example of doping....you will have to say that Kolobnev is also a doper as he was only a few seconds behind. FFS he wasn't exactly miles ahead of the rest of the top ten. Remember what Andy did last year was a bigger margin, solo and from further out.

Congratulations. The dumbest thing I've ever heard said on this forum.

iainf72

Anyway, lets talk about Pip Gilbert.

Everyone talks about Fabian as this awesome raw power, but isn't Pip also very likely to take the "Best classics rider of his generation" crown. No win today, but it's bound to happen. Het Volk, Lombardia, Paris-Tours, Amstel etc etc. And he can do Flanders too...

blazing_saddles

afx237vi wrote:

Harmon's succinct description of the result...

http://twitter.com/spokesmen/status/12825589514

Yet he tippy toes around the subject of Piti, with no problems, it seems.

The various transgressions of dopers seem to be treated with a differentiated degree of disdain, dependent upon their degree of contrition. :shock:
Trouble is, we the have to assume they are being contrite, not hypocritical.
Who's to know?

rick_chasey

iainf72 wrote:

Anyway, lets talk about Pip Gilbert.

Everyone talks about Fabian as this awesome raw power, but isn't Pip also very likely to take the "Best classics rider of his generation" crown. No win today, but it's bound to happen. Het Volk, Lombardia, Paris-Tours, Amstel etc etc. And he can do Flanders too...

Tough to hold that extra percent needed for Flanders over all the way over to Liege, which he'd rather win...

It's easy to be a part of the finale, but it takes those extra percentages to make the finale, and actually contest the win.

Not sure he can hold that form for so long...

richard wants a baum

he was the only one that looked like he might close, shame that he, valv and cadel couldnt close down the gap. Impressive attempt though

iainf72

Rick Chasey wrote:

Saying it's a bad day for cycling when a previously banned cyclist wins, but then cheering another on, leaves a sour taste in my mouth....

I never supported Vino before, as I don't like him as a personality. I like Basso as a (lack of) personality.

I don't mind he was banned at all. And if he comes back, that's fine. No beef with that. It's just his entire attitude that stinks.

rick_chasey

Blazing Saddles wrote:

afx237vi wrote:

Harmon's succinct description of the result...

http://twitter.com/spokesmen/status/12825589514

Yet he tippy toes around the subject of Piti, with no problems, it seems.

The various transgressions of dopers seem to be treated with a differentiated degree of disdain, dependent upon their degree of contrition. :shock:
Trouble is, we the have to assume they are being contrite, not hypocritical.
Who's to know?

Quite.

pb21

iainf72 wrote:

Anyway, lets talk about Pip Gilbert.

Everyone talks about Fabian as this awesome raw power, but isn't Pip also very likely to take the "Best classics rider of his generation" crown. No win today, but it's bound to happen. Het Volk, Lombardia, Paris-Tours, Amstel etc etc. And he can do Flanders too...

My favourite rider, hope he takes Liege one year.

samb01

Rick Chasey wrote:

If Vino tests positive later, you can say "I told you so", but this win doesn't leave a sour taste in my mouth.

Vino doesn't believe doping is cheating. Why would he ride clean? As far as he is concerned, he is simply being a 'good professional'.

nickwill

oscarbudgie wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

ViiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNO.


For those who think this performance is an example of doping....you will have to say that Kolobnev is also a doper as he was only a few seconds behind. FFS he wasn't exactly miles ahead of the rest of the top ten. Remember what Andy did last year was a bigger margin, solo and from further out.

Congratulations. The dumbest thing I've ever heard said on this forum.

+1

takethehighroad

Blazing Saddles wrote:

afx237vi wrote:

Harmon's succinct description of the result...

http://twitter.com/spokesmen/status/12825589514

Yet he tippy toes around the subject of Piti, with no problems, it seems.

Would you rather he tell people that cycling is full of dopers and they'd just be better turning the telly off?

afx237vi

Blazing Saddles wrote:

afx237vi wrote:

Harmon's succinct description of the result...

http://twitter.com/spokesmen/status/12825589514

Yet he tippy toes around the subject of Piti, with no problems, it seems.

The various transgressions of dopers seem to be treated with a differentiated degree of disdain, dependent upon their degree of contrition. :shock:
Trouble is, we the have to assume they are being contrite, not hypocritical.
Who's to know?

I agree, but seeing as we're just armchair fans looking in from the outside, their level of contrition is virtually all we have to go on.

Actions speak louder than words, so to speak, but that doesn't mean words aren't important too.

richard wants a baum

iainf72

And if he comes back, that's fine No beef with that. It's just his entire attitude that stinks

That about sums it up really

luckao

frenchfighter wrote:

For those who think this performance is an example of doping....you will have to say that Kolobnev is also a doper as he was only a few seconds behind.

Hmmm... Kolobnev's attacked hard during nearly all of the Classics he has entered. The only reason he made it to the end today for second was because he had somebody to take some of the responsibility, otherwise the Evans group would have swallowed him up long before the finish.

Odd reasoning.

dave_1

Blazing Saddles wrote:

afx237vi wrote:

Harmon's succinct description of the result...

http://twitter.com/spokesmen/status/12825589514

Yet he tippy toes around the subject of Piti, with no problems, it seems.

The various transgressions of dopers seem to be treated with a differentiated degree of disdain, dependent upon their degree of contrition. :shock:
Trouble is, we the have to assume they are being contrite, not hypocritical.
Who's to know?

So you think commentators whose job is really selling and marketing the sport should be doing commentary on riders doping status? ...Harmon stayed neutral in the audio feed. He was right to. Valv didn't win

mididoctors3

vino is a massive knobjockey wingbat irrespective of doping

samb01

frenchfighter wrote:

For those who think this performance is an example of doping....you will have to say that Kolobnev is also a doper as he was only a few seconds behind. FFS he wasn't exactly miles ahead of the rest of the top ten.

I don't care for your reasoning, but the fact that Kolobnev is a cheat has been obvious for a while now, so seeing him linked to Jesus Losa late last year came as no surprise.

Apparently he has expanded his program from only targeting world championships (I was initially puzzled by his Eroica win, until I realized it was held in october that year) to the classics.

stagehopper

I'm not sure Harmon does "tippy toe" around Valverde - has mentioned on numerous occasions the shenanigans with Puerto and the blood bag. Unfortunately he's as hamstrung by the legal process as every outside Italy appears to be.

Gazzaputt

The stench from that podium is unreal.

Gutted Gilbert's attack came to nothing.

Bakunin

The silliness and the greatness of this sport was evident today.

Great race with dopers on parade.

Yet, Basso vs. Vino is a distinction without a difference.

Next time Ricco gets caught, he needs to be contrite -- only then will everyone love him.

Respect within the peloton? Who cares?

oscarbudgie

stagehopper wrote:

I'm not sure Harmon does "tippy toe" around Valverde - has mentioned on numerous occasions the shenanigans with Puerto and the blood bag. Unfortunately he's as hamstrung by the legal process as every outside Italy appears to be.

I've always though that being sat next to Kelly probably inhibits him a little bit when it comes to talking about doping...

frenchfighter

Anton 7th which is pretty impressive. You must think he is doping though as he has never done anything similar in the Ardennes before this year.

Wiggins nowhere in Fleche or today (nearly 10 mins back). No surprises. I mean how on earth has Cummings beat him by a big margin. Sastre not on the results so I presume he DNF.

iainf72

Ahhh, so you're now a Vino fan, eh, FF?