JTL

mike6

Its a great shame as he is blessed with lots of talent, just a pity his body seems fragile, hence the glandular fever. Hope his self belief is not going the same way. As you say Eh, I would have thought scientific training methods would have helped with his inability to predict his form.

gsvbagpuss

Having just watched last years WC RR again in preps for Sunday, it just reminds me what a naff year has just occurred for JTL.

Richmond Racer

JTL thinks he knows best and it seems to have been this way from the start. He doesnt want to do 5-6 hour training rides, he wants to do shorter, less intense ones. He wants to stop when he feels too tired. He doesnt want to be made to stick to structured training regimes, he wants to make up his own. He doesnt want to move out to south of France like some of the Sky guys, or even spend time out there training like Stannard and Rowe do, 'because his life would feel like just training camps'.

Lionel Birnie mentioned in a podcast a couple of weeks ago that the boss of Plowman Craven had told him that when with his team JTL always wanted to do things his own way. I guess thats fine, as long as you get the results.

He looked a little more perky at the GP Montreal, but pulling out of the Worlds..you have to wonder whats going on with him.

Sky are just going to let him get on with things, and then assuming no lazarus-like developments, let him go end next year. But he must be a pretty isolated figure as things stand.

okgo

Can't argue with any of that. Needs to pull his head out of his backside and commit to what is a once in a lifetime thing, or he'll soon be back racing with choppers in Nat B's in Surrey

celbianchi

He won't be riding for Sky next year. Back to domestic racing.

Richmond Racer

celbianchi wrote:

He won't be riding for Sky next year. Back to domestic racing.

2 year contract. So unless they pay him off for the 2nd year...

celbianchi

I know he has a 2 yr contract.
A mutual consent parting of the ways and a return to a UK based outfit I reckon.

RideOnTime

Salsiccia1 wrote:

Crozza wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

Gareth Bale was a national joke for his first season at Spurs.

given that he's Welsh, that's saying something

Racist

Harsh...

napoleond

Hmmmm....

Sunday times tomorrow promises to be an interesting read...

Some mention of irregular blood values...

Turfle

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/new ... 320651.ece

Asked to explain irregular variations in blood work (from his Endura days, it's probably worth pointing out).

frenchfighter

Hmm interesting. I hope it turns out to be nothing. It does say last four months though - Tour of Britain was Sep and the rest of the year he had no races just prep for Sky. He had many results before then. Unless it also is showing odd values for previous months.

napoleond

Possibly the 3 months before joining sky.

RichN95.

The odd thing is that it was from last season when he was a Conti rider and therefore not on the bio passport. I'm not a Times subscriber so I will have wait and see what it says.

Turfle

You gotta hope it doesn't take a full year before they get around to questioning irregularities. Could it be that his 2012 numbers (wherever they came from) only look odd in comparison to a full year of 2013 numbers?


I'm doing the monthly "shall I subscribe for just one article" debate in my head.

ddraver

*sidles up to Richmond Racer and looks cute and innocent whilst casually mentioning that she looks radiant*

RichN95.

Turfle wrote:

I'm doing the monthly "shall I subscribe for just one article" debate in my head.

I would say go to a big shop tomorrow and read it there, but the Sunday Times doesn't really lend itself to such subterfuge.
The gist will be on Cycling News by the time you've finished your Weetabix

Richmond Racer

ddraver wrote:

*sidles up to Richmond Racer and looks cute and innocent whilst casually mentioning that she looks radiant*

Alright, alright...Check your email, chap

Richmond Racer

RichN95 wrote:

The odd thing is that it was from last season when he was a Conti rider and therefore not on the bio passport. I'm not a Times subscriber so I will have wait and see what it says.[/


From ST article:

'Because Endura competed at the lower Continental level, theirs riders were not part of the biological passport data system. Only when Tiernan-Locke had his greatest victory, in last season’s Tour of Britain, did he start having regular blood tests. Values recorded in the four months before the end of 2012 were not deemed sufficiently suspicious to trigger an investigation but since joining Team Sky in January, Tiernan-Locke has been routinely blood-tested.
This year’s tests gave the authorities the information to establish what they believe to be the rider’s normal values and they are now asking him to explain the higher-than-normal values from his pre-Sky days.'

Art Vandelay

Matt Brammeier via twitter - "There's no such thing as fairy tales"

iainf72

Good to see Cookson is already cracking down...

Didn't Sky do their own tests over a number of months before signing him?

Art Vandelay

Statement from Sky:

"Team Sky has been informed by Jonathan Tiernan-Locke that the UCI has notified him of a potential discrepancy in his biological passport data.

"He has withdrawn from racing whilst his response to the UCI is prepared then considered by the UCI.

"We have no doubts over his performance, behaviour or tests at Team Sky and understand any anomaly is in readings taken before he joined the team.

"Team Sky has tried to respect what should be a confidential process, allowing the rider to explain in private, without prejudice, and the anti-doping authorities to do their valuable job.

"At this stage in the ongoing process we will not add any further detail."

http://www.teamsky.com/article/0,27290, ... wrVCIsu.99

okgo

Lol - only odd thing was that it took this long.

frenchfighter

That is why he isnt racing today. So much for bad form.

I would verge on the side of caution. Not sure what doping procedures exist at TOB but im sure they could detect any products he could have afforded. Id also imagine Sky's training would mess you up if it is a lot different to what you are used to so could suppress your system. Will see what transpires in this one.

Yellow Peril

Not looking good for JTL. If he is guilty I hope he just coughs the job as soon as possible.

celbianchi

What Brammeier tweeted.

Sky must have asked the same employee who checked Leinders references to check Locke

smithy21

Just read the article. Only one way this is going.

Unknown rider wins a few decent races at the start of the season where testing is less stringent. Signs for a team where he gets tested all the time and turns to sh!t.

ratherbeintobago

smithy21 wrote:

Unknown rider wins a few decent races at the start of the season where testing is less stringent. Signs for a team where he gets tested all the time and turns to sh!t.

It's really hard not to be suspicious here, sadly.

Mad_Malx

Least bad outcome here is that the biopassport has revealed an undiagnosed medical condition.

Have there been any sanctions based on bio alone? Would be one very long court case I think.

napoleond

Yeah! Pozzatto.

rick_chasey

Anyone know what wedge he is on at sky?