Giro 2024:-Stage 16: Livigno – Santa Cristina Valgardena (Monte Pana), 202Km ***Spoilers***

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Comments

  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    edited May 21
    https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21068526#Comment_21068526

    My theory is that Sky were a surrogate for Lance Armstrong. No-one complained about Wiggins winning, but in early 2013 LA went on Oprah and exposed the journalists who had turned a blind eye as Armstrong brought in the expense accounts (and they're at races for the food). So, Froome became an Armstrong avatar as they wanted to show they were proper journalists asking the hard questions. This was coupled with the rise of twitter and an era where anyone voicing controversial opinions was lauded as the new media. This has declined over time as journalists who ignored the EPO era are replaced by people never really witnessed it and we see twitter trolls for what they are.

    Twitter: @RichN95
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,104

    4 of the worlds top 5 GC riders missing?

    I'm thinking Roglic, Vingegaard, Evenepoel and Kuss on form would all run Pog closer (at least) than anyone at this Giro.

    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21068572#Comment_21068572

    Not convinced Kuss belongs in that group to be honest.

  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21068552#Comment_21068552

    Lol

    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,338
    https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21068574#Comment_21068574

    I'd say the same for Evenepoel in a GT with big mountains.

    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,164
    https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21068574#Comment_21068574

    You don't think that a team leading Kuss would be minutes ahead of Thomas here? I do.

    Evenepoel it's difficult to say. Could be, might be 30 minutes back and looking for breakaway wins already.

  • wallace_and_gromit
    wallace_and_gromit Posts: 3,634
    edited May 22
    https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21068569#Comment_21068569

    IIRC, Sky were on the back foot immediately PR-wise even pre-launch at the end of 2009, by predicting they'd win the Tour within 5 years (or some other relatively short period) using their expert knowledge from track racing and that they already had a future Tour winner in the Academy. I also recall an early race in 2010 where the peloton attacked EBH against all the "unwritten rules" when he stopped for a leak whilst the race leader, such was the animosity towards Sky.

    At the time, they weren't predicted to actually do very well though, and there was some merriment when Wiggo failed to deliver in the 2010 Tour. Froome emerging from nowhere at the 2011 Vuelta was petrol on the fire, and the knives were already out for Sky in early 2012, as the "Sky Train" made its first appearance to crush all resistance.

    Wiggo being perceived as some sort of mate of LA didn't help. Don't know if he actually was though. Not sure LA has "friends" as such!

  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661

    If anyone starts throwing doping accuastions, you need to say what drugs they're on first.

    I feel like everyone forgot one half of the bad old days where we knew if there was a new drug or, more specifically, a new EPO available - at least, if you were clued into the sport.

    We all watched Ricardo Rico flying up in the Tour full well knowing there was a new EPO CERA - the cool thing was in that Tour was that the doping authorities didn't let on they had a test for CERA so they busted loads of people.


    So if Pog is on something only Vingers is as well, you really need to say what - there's no new EPO that's come out - so what drug is not catchable but can create that massive gap in performance?

    _
  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 11,981

    Afternoon - I know the result of this stage, and have read with amusement through these 6 pages.


    If I was going to watch the stage on catchup, how far out would you say from is worthwhile?

    Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
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  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463

    Maybe from the bottom of the final climb (well, the 3 climbs or whatever it was in one) but you could do the last 10km probably if short of time.

  • roscoe
    roscoe Posts: 526
    https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21068566#Comment_21068566

    It’s not just this Giro, he’s been pretty much the same in every race this year.

    Romain Bardet comments in this week’s Cycling Weekly how the majority of riders do the same training now, have access to the same science but it’s just the same teams hoovering up everything.

    Sky dominated the TDF, not so the classics.

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