Paris-Nice *spoiler*

mroli

valverde - *spits*. "Can't keep a Champ down" - no, unless they are serving a drugs ban. I don't get it FF - I just don't get it. Convicted dopers are "True Champs", men who hold onto their wheels bravely despite racing clean are "wheelsuckers".

Madness.... If Valverde had come clean/shown any contrition whatsoever, then maybe - but he's effectively been signed up to Movistar for the duration of his ban and doesn't give a flying horse's dooh dah. "Hating on the chap" - will stop doing so when he accepts responsibility for his actions.

RichN95.

frenchfighter wrote:

We can start with these two:

He's not attacking in that one. He's in 5th place and he's trying to limit his loses to Sanchez.

andyp

There is also someone 20 metres behind him.

rick_chasey

It IS a shame the top 2 brit riders look so gimpy.

Cavendish barely looks like an athlete, and Wiggins, looks positively weird in his slimmed down form.

How much better would it be for British cycling popularity if one of them looked like Cancellara?

Cycling already has a sock & sandels feel for a lot of people. Some good looks would go a long way.

nweststeyn

My mother has a weird mothering-crush on Geraint Thomas, so maybe he's our best hope?

welshmessenger

Rick Chasey wrote:

It IS a shame the top 2 brit riders look so gimpy.

Cavendish barely looks like an athlete, and Wiggins, looks positively weird in his slimmed down form.

How much better would it be for British cycling popularity if one of them looked like Cancellara?

Cycling already has a sock & sandels feel for a lot of people. Some good looks would go a long way.

I love that! So true. Have there ever been any good looking pro's? Time for a new thread.....

mfin

Rainbow jersey winners get to wear some rainbow stripes on their gear forever after right? I think it would be a neat idea if any rider who's been found guilty of doping should always ride with some kind of stripe to show they have cheated? Not actually that daft surely, perhaps it could be a yellow band of some kind? ...no, seriously, I actually think it would be fair, cos they don't have to continue racing.

Good to see the Cancellara win on Eurosport with a bit of a trademark effort, not interested in Valv's win myself at all, I got to watch both earlier. Gerrans' effort was the only real standout bit of a pretty mediocre watch I thought.

ratsbeyfus

RichN95 wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

We can start with these two:

He's not attacking in that one. He's in 5th place and he's trying to limit his loses to Sanchez.

...and, you don't get that amount of mud all over your face if you've had your nose in the wind all day...

RichN95.

mfin wrote:

Rainbow jersey winners get to wear some rainbow stripes on their gear forever after right? I think it would be a neat idea if any rider who's been found guilty of doping should always ride with some kind of stripe to show they have cheated?

That is a brilliant idea.

What about a red helmet?

frenchfighter

I see you choose to ignore one. Either way it is beside the point. He may not be the most out in front rider, however as far as the GC candidates go he does his bit. And at the end of the day he is exciting. I'm not making him out as some phenomenal solo attack rider but then that needn't be the case for him to be superb and a champion.

ratsbeyfus

RichN95 wrote:

mfin wrote:

Rainbow jersey winners get to wear some rainbow stripes on their gear forever after right? I think it would be a neat idea if any rider who's been found guilty of doping should always ride with some kind of stripe to show they have cheated?

That is a brilliant idea.

What about a red helmet?

Or a yellow rubber band type bracelet thingy?

frenchfighter

Last 20km
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xp9ou3 ... mbediframe

inseine

I was standing in front of Leipheimer when he was on the turbo, warming up for the TT. Not only is h e tiny, you forget he's completely bald when you're used to seeing with a helmet. You'd never guess he was an an athlete really.

RichN95.

frenchfighter wrote:

I see you choose to ignore one. Either way it is beside the point. He may not be the most out in front rider, however as far as the GC candidates go he does his bit. And at the end of the day he is exciting. I'm not making him out as some phenomenal solo attack rider but then that needn't be the case for him to be superb and a champion.

I didn't know where the first one came from. It looked like a publicity shot.

The thing is there are different approaches to sport, and the two of us contrast greatly. I'm an arch pragmatist while you are an idealistic romantic. You and your brethren seem to claim Valverde as one of your camp, when in reality he comes very much my school of thought. Ironically, you really like him and I never have done.

frenchfighter

Once again some 'big' names rolled in with a poor time. Basso, down 1.46, hoping that is because he is very much injured from yesterday.

I mean some of these people lost their race yesterday by poor riding but still. What is the point of rolling in. Especially if you are a top 10/20 GT contender.

Where do you think Contador would be. Front end. Maybe an attack from 2km out. Boy is he in form as well, even with no racing he could turn up and ace these guys. Set a new PB up his climb at the end of Feb.

frenchfighter

Eros right up there, nice.

frenchfighter

Oh and that first photo is from Dauphine 2009. Attacked 8km out. On Ventoux. Came in with Szmyd 1.15 ahead of the pack. Pretty heavyweight stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov_t2xrcgOk

ratsbeyfus

Still hurting over that 'Contador' thing hey, Frenchie? ... just remember

jerry3571

ratsbeyfus wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

mfin wrote:

Rainbow jersey winners get to wear some rainbow stripes on their gear forever after right? I think it would be a neat idea if any rider who's been found guilty of doping should always ride with some kind of stripe to show they have cheated?

That is a brilliant idea.

What about a red helmet?

Or a yellow rubber band type bracelet thingy?

Classy comment there; too good!

-Jerry

ddraver

Thanks for the link - enojoyed that. Got to be another Valverde/Gerrans/LLS stage tomorrow no? Should I PTP stay or should I Gerrans

Feel so dirty picking Valv AGAIN, I'm selling my soul for PTP points already!

mfin

ratsbeyfus wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

mfin wrote:

Rainbow jersey winners get to wear some rainbow stripes on their gear forever after right? I think it would be a neat idea if any rider who's been found guilty of doping should always ride with some kind of stripe to show they have cheated?

That is a brilliant idea.

What about a red helmet?

Or a yellow rubber band type bracelet thingy?

see the original post

...I reckon it is a good idea though. Perhaps one colour for being a cheat, and another for lying and making stuff up? yellow for the former and sort of meat-coloured for the latter?

(I was serious, you could have Red for Doping and Brown for BShitting... damn I can't take it seriously, ummm... Silver, there... and some people of course would get to wear both.)

Pross

I've never seen a bike end up so far away from its rider as with that Katusha rider! At first I was trying to work out who it belonged to.

jerry3571

mfin wrote:

ratsbeyfus wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

mfin wrote:

Rainbow jersey winners get to wear some rainbow stripes on their gear forever after right? I think it would be a neat idea if any rider who's been found guilty of doping should always ride with some kind of stripe to show they have cheated?

That is a brilliant idea.

What about a red helmet?

Or a yellow rubber band type bracelet thingy?

see the original post

...I reckon it is a good idea though. Perhaps one colour for being a cheat, and another for lying and making stuff up? yellow for the former and sort of meat-coloured for the latter?

(I was serious, you could have Red for Doping and Brown for BShitting... damn I can't take it seriously, ummm... Silver, there... and some people of course would get to wear both.)

I take it that you got the reference to Lance Armstrong and the yellow bracelet. Still smiling for that comment!

-jerry

emadden

RichN95 wrote:

mfin wrote:

Rainbow jersey winners get to wear some rainbow stripes on their gear forever after right? I think it would be a neat idea if any rider who's been found guilty of doping should always ride with some kind of stripe to show they have cheated?

That is a brilliant idea.

What about a red helmet?

I think the guys over at Acqua e Sapone wont be so happy that their soapy clean image then :twisted:

frenchfighter

ratsbeyfus wrote:

Still hurting over that 'Contador' thing hey, Frenchie? ... just remember

Ratface, break a habit; post something worth reading.

inkyfingers

frenchfighter wrote:

Oh and that first photo is from Dauphine 2009. Attacked 8km out. On Ventoux. Came in with Szmyd 1.15 ahead of the pack. Pretty heavyweight stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov_t2xrcgOk

That would be the stage where he got Szmyd to tow him to the line in return for being gifted the stage win?

frenchfighter

Szmyd was out ahead, Valverde attacked like a champ from far out to go get the win and was solo for a good while. Then he caught and worked with Szmyd, whether the latter did more than 50% than the work isnt really relevant here.

jerry3571

frenchfighter wrote:

ratsbeyfus wrote:

Still hurting over that 'Contador' thing hey, Frenchie? ... just remember

Ratface, break a habit; post something worth reading.

Ouch! I think he got you on that one FF, he's a canny lad!

-jerry

frenchfighter

Can we keep this thread related to the race now. It is a spoiler thread and is getting messy. Ideally a new thread per stage should be started as the race deserves it.

jerry3571

I think it is about yesterday's stage as the winner was Valverde. He seems to not show us any contrition but the audience (and the other riders) his ass. I guess as long as he's not failing dope tests then fair enough but I haven't got to like it in the way he's come back.

-jerry