Going to start watching cycling again... HELP!

No_Ta_Doctor

Thanks to this forum, especially the Robert Millar thread and a few other bits and bobs of reminiscence here and there I've decided that I'm going to start watching cycling again, for the first time since Festina raped my naivety back in 98. Obviously I'm going to need to get into form before the TdF, so I thought I'd start with the Dauphine.

But having been away from the sport for so long I hardly know any of the names anymore, nor the teams. Given my reasons for turning off cycling anyway I'd like to know which teams and riders I can cheer for a bit with whatever comes closest to full confidence in their cleanliness in cycling. I've been impressed with Garmin's stance re the Landis claims, that should a rider fess up he'll be supported, are there other teams that seem like their anti-doping policies are more than just PR hot air?

And the riders - which of them would you be genuinely surprised if they turned up a positive test?

Other than that, apart from LA, who should I be booing? Who else has big question marks above his head? Which teams are still deeply suspect?

I'm not trying to create a huge row, or an "is he or isn't he" thread, I think suspicion is probably a healthy attitude right now, so please don't get upset if one of your favourite riders gets named. All I'm asking for is where I should maybe have a pinch of salt, which will probably apply to almost all the elite riders anyway in the current climate.

Cheers, please play nice!

andyp

Oh my.

Anonymous

Cheer -

Evans (current world champ)
Gilbert
Voeckler
Dan Martin

No_Ta_Doctor

andyp wrote:

Oh my.

Yes, I know :-) Maybe I hould have restricted it to "Cheer" rather than including the booing...

PLease no-one say boo Contador, I don't want Frenchfighter upset ;-)

Determination

Here are some of the cyclsts that I think are clean :

Bradley Wiggins - Team Sky
Frank Schleck - Saxo Bank
Andy Schleck - Saxo Bank
Nicholas Roche - AG2R La Mondiale
Daniel Martn - Garmin Slipstream
Mark Cavendish - Columbia HTC
Ivan Basso - Liquigas ( I dont think he will make the same mistake twice)
Vincenzo Nibali - Liquigas
Tony Martin - Columbia HTC
Carlos Sastre - Cervelo Test Team
Christain Vande Velde - Garmin slipstream
( And there are many others )

Cyclists that may not be so clean:

Lance Armstrong & the whole Radioshack team
Alberto Contador & the whole Astana Team

I hope I helped :shock:

takethehighroad

Saxo Bank will have a good team at the TDF with brothers Frank and Andy Schleck the most likely to challenge last years champion Alberto Contador (especially Andy).

However, they are run by Riis, a name you may recall from '98. The new story surrounding them at the moment is regarding "motorised doping" and one of their riders being accused of having a motor in his frame to help him win Flanders and Roubaix this year

No_Ta_Doctor

TakeTheHighRoad wrote:

Saxo Bank will have a good team at the TDF with brothers Frank and Andy Schleck the most likely to challenge last years champion Alberto Contador (especially Andy).

However, they are run by Riis, a name you may recall from '98. The new story surrounding them at the moment is regarding "motorised doping" and one of their riders being accused of having a motor in his frame to help him win Flanders and Roubaix this year

Living in Denmark I do indeed have a recollection of the bald eagle.... ;-) I've followed the motorised doping thing and come to the conclusion that it's all a bit tinfoil cycling helmet :-)

Thanks for the help people :-)

andyp

Time for a more serious answer.

It's hard to say who's clean and who isn't as even those teams with a strong anti-doping stance have had riders test positive. I think it's fair to say that most, but not all, French teams run a clean operation as does Garmin, Colombia-HTC and Sky. The days of widespread team doping are almost over as the risks are too high but some teams still turn a blind eye. Some teams, and more precisely their management, are so entrenched in their thinking on doping that they'll always be looking to gain an advantage.

The biological passport is making a difference but it's still possible to evade detection for the committed and a test for transfusing your own blood still doesn't exist. I think the difference between a doped rider and non-doped rider is narrowing so we're beginning to see non-doped riders appear towards the top of the general classification of three week stage races again. That said, the last clean rider to win the Tour was almost certainly Greg Lemond.

No_Ta_Doctor

andyp wrote:

Time for a more serious answer.

It's hard to say who's clean and who isn't as even those teams with a strong anti-doping stance have had riders test positive. I think it's fair to say that most, but not all, French teams run a clean operation as does Garmin, Colombia-HTC and Sky. The days of widespread team doping are almost over as the risks are too high but some teams still turn a blind eye. Some teams, and more precisely their management, are so entrenched in their thinking on doping that they'll always be looking to gain an advantage.

The biological passport is making a difference but it's still possible to evade detection for the committed and a test for transfusing your own blood still doesn't exist. I think the difference between a doped rider and non-doped rider is narrowing so we're beginning to see non-doped riders appear towards the top of the general classification of three week stage races again. That said, the last clean rider to win the Tour was almost certainly Greg Lemond.

Cheers, that's pretty much what I thought the state of play was from reading the forum, but nice to have some info on who is at least trying to do things right. I shall proceed cautiously :-)

rick_chasey

I would offer some thoughts, but given that it was the '98 Tour which got me into cycling, I'd imagine we'd be coming at cycling from two very different angles.


As far as my enjoyment goes, I'm concerned with what happens on the road, rather than someone's veins.

samb01

Determination wrote:

Here are some of the cyclsts that I think are clean :
Frank Schleck - Saxo Bank
Andy Schleck - Saxo Bank

Cyclists that may not be so clean:

Lance Armstrong & the whole Radioshack team
Alberto Contador & the whole Astana Team

The Schlecks are prime examples of the 'donkey to racehorse'-effect proper professional preparation has on some riders.

Atleast Armstrong and Contador were racehorses to begin with.

Determination

samb01 wrote:

Determination wrote:

Here are some of the cyclsts that I think are clean :
Frank Schleck - Saxo Bank
Andy Schleck - Saxo Bank

Cyclists that may not be so clean:

Lance Armstrong & the whole Radioshack team
Alberto Contador & the whole Astana Team

The Schlecks are prime examples of the 'donkey to racehorse'-effect proper professional preparation has on some riders.

Atleast Armstrong and Contador were racehorses to begin with.

I think your in the wrong forum dude, this is for cycling not horse racing :roll:

andyp

On the topic of horses, anyone who thinks Frank Schleck is clean needs a dose of ketamine.

Determination

andyp wrote:

On the topic of horses, anyone who thinks Frank Schleck is clean needs a dose of ketamine.

Naaaahhhhhh

Maybe you are right, but in my opinion he has gradually got stronger over the years, rather than a sudden improvement :? I suppose time will tell....

andyp

Dr Fuentes will probably tell all some day. Like just why Frank was paying him money for training plans.

Determination

andyp wrote:

Dr Fuentes will probably tell all some day. Like just why Frank was paying him money for training plans.

I can't help but wonder is there some secret drug that a select few use in the peloten that hasn't been discovered yet :roll: Like epo in the late eighties, very early ninties :shock:

mididoctors

be prepared for disappointments

No_Ta_Doctor

mididoctors wrote:

be prepared for disappointments

Oh I'm holding them all at arm's length at the mo. Won't hope for too much.

Doobz

No tA Doctor wrote:

mididoctors wrote:

be prepared for disappointments

Oh I'm holding them all at arm's length at the mo. Won't hope for too much.

stop being a pussy!!

No_Ta_Doctor

Doobz wrote:

No tA Doctor wrote:

mididoctors wrote:

be prepared for disappointments

Oh I'm holding them all at arm's length at the mo. Won't hope for too much.

stop being a pussy!!

No! I'm not putting my full trust in any of the bastards!

prawny

I watch it like a world cup final, dont care who wins just hope it's a good show.

I have no emotional involement with cycling at all, it's just great entertainment.