2011 Pro-cycling season thread

Yeah, exactly. I'm struggling to see the point?

a ball's up.. is what it is.. 2011 will ring hollow this year :(

I think the UCI should go whole hog, permit doping for the rest of the year then ban anyone who does before the 2012 classics. Just to even everything out.

Cancellara would still reign supreme........
:)

Only to have the potential wins removed from him at a later date. What a fucking joke.

+1
and what a shit 'tour victory' for the riders who finish 2nd to him and then get bumped up to winners later

Why don't clean riders protest this sort of stuff? Is the peloton still such that that many people are doping? Or is it a fraternity that exists regardless of doping?

They'll stage massive stage protests because they can't use their radio, but they don't mind this sort of thing?

#curious

I guess most clean riders ride for teams with non-clean riders in, so an action like this would either out a lot of people, or be dishonest?

Why don't clean riders protest this sort of stuff? Is the peloton still such that that many people are doping? Or is it a fraternity that exists regardless of doping?

They'll stage massive stage protests because they can't use their radio, but they don't mind this sort of thing?

#curious

I don't get this either. If your teammates are doping, grass them up, if your team don't like it then they are part of the problem.

Pro Cycling is its own worst enemy.

this could turn into doping thread :)

With the Grand Tours stitched up by Bertie Contie at the moment, people will be looking to pad out their palmarès with the week long stage races. I think this one's a cracking race, and for the life of me I don't know why people don't target it more aggressively. It would be a good race for Wiggo and Millar.

Thoughts?

Wiggo will podium the TT and Millar will crash out in stage 5.

... and I'll receive a jolly good merging.

That was my fault, I find it easier to keep track of pro cycling discussions on here via the one thread.

I think the reason why riders don't target the Dauphine is because it's very hard to peak once in early June for it, then peak again 3-4 weeks later for the Tour. It's become a race that's usually won by up and coming riders or trusted lieutenants of the Tour favourites.

No sweat, matey.

I can't help but think that if a rider (one that can only hope for a tour top 20 at best) made it his goal to mop up the week long races in the style of Sean Kelly (not that he won this one), they would end up with a much more illustrious palmarès than a string of placings.

I realise that sponsors and teams are very Tour focused, and I've always found this focus a bit frustrating, but If a rider in the style of Jens Voigt or Wiggo really went for it they might clean up.

I absolutely agree. I can't understand why sponsors seem to value coming 5th in the Tour as being worth far more than winning races like Paris-Nice, Tour of the Basque Country, the Dauphine etc. Surely you want publicity all year round, not just for 3 weeks in July.

It would be good to see someone aggressive like Gilbert flex his stage race muscles in the Dauphiné this year, to see if there's potential for a grand tour campaign in a few years time, or just for the hell of it. He's won a stage before, and had placings, so surely it's within his powers? I know he just picked up the Tour of Belgium, but haven't seen his name on provisional start lists for this year's DL.

^Good call. They were touting Boonen of similar capabilities a few years ago, and now that he reckons he's turned his back on sprinting, perhaps with a bit of weight loss he could have a go at this himself.
He says that his poor performance in Belgium was down to training at climate and not being acclimatised - perhaps he's thinking about stage wins?

You two are going on ignore if you carry this nonsense on.

Gilbert and Boonen should remain focused on what they are best at and not get sucked into the notion of becoming GT riders. The same applies to Swiss Tony.

But surely Hincapie's mountain stage win in the 2005 tour proves classics men can cut it in the high mountains?

#trollface

ricco lashes out at doping accusations

What a silly little tit...

Only to have the potential wins removed from him at a later date. What a fucking joke.

There was stuff floating around on twitter saying a ban wouldn't be backdated. It made the Giro a farce, I hope the Tour doesn't end up the same way.

You two are going on ignore if you carry this nonsense on.

Gilbert and Boonen should remain focused on what they are best at and not get sucked into the notion of becoming GT riders. The same applies to Swiss Tony.

Gilbert's going to get bored with Classics prowess/expectations soon enough. He's the new Merckx, so he's an obvious candidate for broadening his horizons. With growing maturity, and perhaps an ongoing levelling of the peloton due to a shift in attitudes to doping, he's got a realistic chance of adding the TdF to his palmares, particularly if someone like Wiggins can bag a 4th place when the route is 'flattish'. Gilbert's not going to lose that much against the clock; only as much as someone like Andy Schleck.

If Evans finally manages to succeed, that'll send out a positive message to other puncheurs.

Gilbert has always had problems with recovery in stage races. He can't fix that easily.

He needs to lay off the Westmalle, coke and strippers after each win..

If Gilbert wins a Grand Tour it will only prove one thing - he's started doping.

I prefer him to continue dominating the Classics. At least then there is a chance that he is a clean hero.