Menchov's massive flop

Bhima
Bhima Posts: 2,145
edited July 2009 in Pro race
Why did this guy perform SO badly in the tour? :?

He won the giro ffs! :!:

How did he so easily shut down a doped-up Di Luca in the giro and then fail miserably only a month later?

I'm baffled. :? Was he "on something" during the giro?

Comments

  • Ramanujan
    Ramanujan Posts: 352
    duh!
    Yes, he was juiced in the giro but since the tour has stricter controls, he stopped using his magic potion du jour in the tour for fear of getting caught.
  • Bhima
    Bhima Posts: 2,145
    Yeah, that's what I thought. It's just made him even more suspicious/obvious though! :lol:
  • Bhima
    Bhima Posts: 2,145
    Yeah, that's what I thought. It's just made him even more suspicious/obvious though! :lol:
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,602
    I thought this post would be about his difficulties in conceiving....
  • donrhummy
    donrhummy Posts: 2,329
    Do you have any idea how much effort goes in to winning a grand tour? Menchov was burned out from giving everything to win the Giro. If it's so easy for a guy to win two GT's in a row, or even win one and podium in the other, why has no one else done it in 20+ years? Even Contador's double victory had a lot of tiime between the Giro and Vuelta, whereas Menchov had a month pretty much between his GT's.
  • markwalker
    markwalker Posts: 953
    donrhummy wrote:
    Do you have any idea how much effort goes in to winning a grand tour? Menchov was burned out from giving everything to win the Giro. If it's so easy for a guy to win two GT's in a row, or even win one and podium in the other, why has no one else done it in 20+ years? Even Contador's double victory had a lot of tiime between the Giro and Vuelta, whereas Menchov had a month pretty much between his GT's.

    +1

    (if it was his mix that made him fall off the he was on it in the tour too :) )
  • donrhummy wrote:
    Do you have any idea how much effort goes in to winning a grand tour? Menchov was burned out from giving everything to win the Giro. If it's so easy for a guy to win two GT's in a row, or even win one and podium in the other, why has no one else done it in 20+ years? Even Contador's double victory had a lot of tiime between the Giro and Vuelta, whereas Menchov had a month pretty much between his GT's.

    Hang on two people have done a giro tour double in the 90's Indurain and Pantani
  • stjohnswell
    stjohnswell Posts: 482
    Pantani is perhaps not the best example to use.
  • cswebbo
    cswebbo Posts: 220
    Maybe Menchov missed a trip to Austria to the Humanplasma clinic after the Giro.
    Now that DiLuca has failed twice on the 'A sample' in this years Giro, it makes Menchov's performance even more amazing?
    Who was Rasmussen 'training' with in 2007, when he was supposed to be in Mexico?
  • SunWuKong
    SunWuKong Posts: 364
    I thought you meant he fell off again.
  • bikerZA
    bikerZA Posts: 314
    Pantani is perhaps not the best example to use.
    True, I think it goes to show how hard the double is, and it's not an easy feat while clean...

    So Menchov was never going to have a brilliant tour. But I don't think he's going to beat himself up over it, he still has managed to win 1 grand tour this year after all..
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,602
    cswebbo wrote:
    Who was Rasmussen 'training' with in 2007, when he was supposed to be in Mexico?

    Davide Cassani?

    It shows that the last person who went for the double was Basso in 2006, and we all know what happened there.
  • Badly? I don't think I've seen a tour that DM hasn't fallen off at some point. AND had a day in the monutians to forget. He doesn't lose seconds this guy it's minutes.

    Fair play about the Giro, but is he the class of grand tour winners as Hinault or Roche(!)......erm no.
    Giant SCR ever so slightly pimped
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    cswebbo wrote:
    Who was Rasmussen 'training' with in 2007, when he was supposed to be in Mexico?

    Davide Cassani?

    It shows that the last person who went for the double was Basso in 2006, and we all know what happened there.

    Yep, he was so concerned by the closeness of his 9 minute winning margin, it almost made him nearly start to attempt doping.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,069
    Fair play about the Giro, but is he the class of grand tour winners as Hinault or Roche(!)......erm no.
    He's won more grand tours than Roche.
  • 1987 Giro Tour double for Mr Roche I was on about, 2 in one season.

    Only by 1. Roche is making a LA style comeback anyway...
    Giant SCR ever so slightly pimped
  • AND forgot to mention World Champion in '87 too.....
    Giant SCR ever so slightly pimped
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Roche and Menchov were both about as clean as each other, too.
  • I heard 1987 was a vintage year for EPO...
    Giant SCR ever so slightly pimped
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    I heard 1987 was a vintage year for EPO...


    Look at the facts. Roche took up EPO in his second stint at Carrera. Much like Fignon and Rooks, he took it after his prime years and it did fook all good.

    Instead super-responding donkeys like Chiapucci (who was rubbish in 87) and Rominger came to the fore.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    Bhima wrote:
    Why did this guy perform SO badly in the tour? :?

    He won the giro ffs! :!:

    How did he so easily shut down a doped-up Di Luca in the giro and then fail miserably only a month later?

    I'm baffled. :? Was he "on something" during the giro?

    Why don't you try riding really hard for 3 weeks, then try it again a month or so later.
  • Is he riding the Vuelta (he usaully does) maybe he realised he wasnt going to be on the podium in Paris no matter what so he was taking it easy. Still he crashed alot didnt he, seems to be doing that alot lately
    Take care of the luxuries and the necessites will take care of themselves.
  • SpaceJunk
    SpaceJunk Posts: 1,157
    dennisn wrote:
    Bhima wrote:
    Why did this guy perform SO badly in the tour? :?

    He won the giro ffs! :!:

    How did he so easily shut down a doped-up Di Luca in the giro and then fail miserably only a month later?

    I'm baffled. :? Was he "on something" during the giro?

    Why don't you try riding really hard for 3 weeks, then try it again a month or so later.

    + 1

    Also, there were reports that he had very little training between the Giro and TdF. The crash he had the final ITT (Giro, that is), caused an injury to his hip.
  • kozzo
    kozzo Posts: 182
    Bhima wrote:
    Why did this guy perform SO badly in the tour? :?

    He won the giro ffs! :!:

    How did he so easily shut down a doped-up Di Luca in the giro and then fail miserably only a month later?

    I'm baffled. :? Was he "on something" during the giro?

    He didn't eat enough bananas.
  • Bugly
    Bugly Posts: 520
    1987 Giro Tour double for Mr Roche I was on about, 2 in one season.

    Only by 1. Roche is making a LA style comeback anyway...

    History shows (and it was talked about at the time) that Roche may have had more "assistance" in that year then Menchov ever had