A none doping thread

Neil Buckley

Seen as there is enough crap spouted about tosspots like Landis, im starting a pro race thread that can be anything, apart from giving these nobs coverage, could be anything a funny rumour, a story, anything you want, preferable funny ones because im currently serving in Afghanistan and could do with the laughs, fire away REMEBER NO DOPING TOSSERS.....

shockedsoshocked

A team mate rode the amateur Het Volk in 1980. Beat everyone in the bunch gallop, thought he'd won it.

Turned out whilst he'd been chewing his stem off midway down the bunch 40 people had gotten away and no one told him

csp

This is one of my favourite cycling pics.

dave_1

Good thread Neil, have been off work sick for 2 weeks and the forum is a bit choca block with doping threads which is boring. Not funny point, but comes under your "anything you wannt category". Who think Evans is going to come back at Basso after the rest day? I reckon we are going to see Lemond-Fignon style mano a mano battle, with Evans taking back time...Ivan will have a off day, the day after the rest day...2004 Alpe Du Huez, 2005 Giro over Gavia, 2005 Courchevel,..Ivan always has an off day. I predict Evans will win Plan de Corones. Lemond used to say "the TDF is won in the last week, not in the first two"...I am going with that...

rick_chasey

I swear there was a rumour that the Giro was going to start on the moon next year.

It'd make as much sense as this mega course.

dougzz

Dave_1 wrote:

Good thread Neil, have been off work sick for 2 weeks and the forum is a bit choca block with doping threads which is boring. Not funny point, but comes under your "anything you wannt category". Who think Evans is going to come back at Basso after the rest day? I reckon we are going to see Lemond-Fignon style mano a mano battle, with Evans taking back time...Ivan will have a off day, the day after the rest day...2004 Alpe Du Huez, 2005 Giro over Gavia, 2005 Courchevel,..Ivan always has an off day. I predict Evans will win Plan de Corones. Lemond used to say "the TDF is won in the last week, not in the first two"...I am going with that...

I hope you're right. Evans is certainly a fighter and a great last week battle will be fantastic.

finchy

Just looked at the two TTs to come. :shock:

You'd think they were just doing it to spite Evans

DaveyL

To be honest I think that TTs with climbs can help Evans out. You don't have to respond to variations in pace - which of course he can do to a large extent - but it might suit him just to hold to a constant high pace and motor his way up.

In that respect I'd be curious to see how Wiggo does on the Kronplatz. It might be too steep for him but he's said he likes to just go at his own pace on the climbs and he must be very well practiced at measuring out his effort.

csp

Does Richie Porte still have a chance for the pink yersey? He beat Rogers, Karpets and Menchov in the Romandie TT by half a minute.

rick_chasey

csp wrote:

Does Richie Porte still have a chance for the pink yersey? He beat Rogers, Karpets and Menchov in the Romandie TT by half a minute.

Nah.

With a stage with 6km of vertical climbing after a stage including, amongst others,the mortirollo, the ability to TT comes a very very long second behind your ability to climb.

Edit: With Basso's win on the Zoncalon, he's surely the man to beat. He's shown the class that we saw pre ban and his TTing really isn't all that bad for a proper climber. He's riding a great Giro.

finchy

DaveyL wrote:

To be honest I think that TTs with climbs can help Evans out. You don't have to respond to variations in pace - which of course he can do to a large extent - but it might suit him just to hold to a constant high pace and motor his way up.

I hope I'm wrong, but I just can't see him taking the necessary time out of Basso in the TTs and his team isn't strong enough to help him in the other stages. A dead flat 50km on the other hand, and he'd really be in business...

dave_1

DaveyL wrote:

To be honest I think that TTs with climbs can help Evans out. You don't have to respond to variations in pace - which of course he can do to a large extent - but it might suit him just to hold to a constant high pace and motor his way up.

In that respect I'd be curious to see how Wiggo does on the Kronplatz. It might be too steep for him but he's said he likes to just go at his own pace on the climbs and he must be very well practiced at measuring out his effort.

My hunch is we're looking at quite a clean event..so fingers crossed we'll see guys have good days and bad days. I reckon Basso will have a bad one..he was quite poor at the Alpe D'huez TT 2004 so uphill TTs aren't a guarantee. Evans will hopefully have more suitable gearing..

The times for Zoncolan
2007

Gilberto Simoni 39.05

2010

Ivan Basso 40.45

and the VAMs
Basso's VAM 1790.

Simoni's in 07 was 1850

TheHelpfulDevil

DaveyL wrote:

In that respect I'd be curious to see how Wiggo does on the Kronplatz. It might be too steep for him but he's said he likes to just go at his own pace on the climbs and he must be very well practiced at measuring out his effort.

Is that 28 mins slower than Basso?

jimmythecuckoo

I didnt see any footage of Wiggins on the Zoncolan, is there a chance he was keeping something back (I know you have to go reasonably full pelt to get up there!) as he isn't at peak yet?