2012 Pro-cycling season thread

@laurenstendam - "That's what I like about those fixed bikes. No mantainance for one year, but still ready to go!"

Laurens Ten Dam's fixie skidder conversion.

:)

That's awesome.

Alex Dowsett off to Movistar.

Valverde need someone to hold his blood bags?

Will rpm have to return his burger?

Ned Boulting collared Dowsett after Revolution; he wants to ride a GT and he knows he won't get a chance at Sky now they are signing climbing phenoms younger than him.

http://audioboo.fm/boos/1033071-alex-dowsett-movistar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXe8-2MwkWQ

Thoughts....

Fresh evidence of Vinokourov Liege bribe.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/535465/fresh-evidence-of-vinokourov-liege-bribe.html

Wouldn't the doping topic be a better place to put this?

leave vino alone

Wouldn't the doping topic be a better place to put this?

For bribery?

It's been happening since forever at every level of racing.

It's been happening since forever at every level of racing.

Bullshit - I've never once been offered money to lose a race...

Oh hang on I've never actualy been in a position to win one come to think of it.

As you were...

It's been happening since forever at every level of racing.

Guess that makes it ok then.

Anyone want to merge this into the doping thread?

Just because there have always been lying cheaters out there doesn't reduce them to anything other than what they are: lying cheaters.

I'm not saying Vino is, but it's sounds like he's got some allegations worth responding to.

Not sure it should be merged with the doping thread - it's only tangentially related to doping. This is a bribery case uncovered by a doping investigation. As a librarian and indexer I remain a (powerless) authority on the topic.

Bullshit - I've never once been offered money to lose a race...

Oh hang on I've never actualy been in a position to win one come to think of it.

As you were...

Never underestimate the allure of the DFL prize.

don't worry the UCI come down heavily on anyone bringing the sport into disrepute
he'll get his comeuppance

clubman

      **Professional Olympics?** 

 Quote:
  Originally Posted by **General Lucifer** [![](http://static.lfgss.com/images/londonfgss/buttons_lite/viewpost.gif)](http://www.lfgss.com/post3033581.html#post3033581) 

*Landis has surfaced to praise Vino's victory. Not really the ideal chappie to be patting you on the back on the occasion. He said:

Thanks, Landis. That really helps.*(End Quote)

I’m really glad Vinokourov won.

His victory goes a long way towards proving that the British Olympic authorities were right to want to exclude convicted dopers.

I make no accusation against Vino and his preparation for this race. Very possibly he now has the zeal for honesty of a truly reformed sinner, but as some one who has been hearing opinions about bike racing for some decades I know for certain there are going to be a very large number of people asking “What was he on?”

Without even considering how long it ought to take for a rider to recover from the Tour de France (three weeks racing = lowered haematocrit level), just think about what we know:

• Here’s a rider at the very end of his career who is not really going to be deterred by the possibility of a ban, but who obviously wanted to go out with a bang.
  
• He’s a former client of the sulphurous Michele Ferrari.
  
• He has been convicted of doping.
  
• We will assume he passed the dope test this time, but we know that tests are not necessarily infallible and that one of the purposes of expensive medical advice is to find loopholes.
  
  
  

I’m not at all clear what is meant by the term ‘Olympic spirit’ but I am certain the concept is damaged by having the games open to suspicion of cheating. I make no complaint here against Vinokourov, nor against the organisers of the London Games: it is the IOC, forcing the acceptance of convicted dopers, who are at fault here.

I’d like to go one step further than saying convicted dopers should not be allowed to compete in the Olympics: I want the games to revert to amateur status. For me professional sport and dodgy practices inevitably go hand in hand. “I could’a been a contender, Charlie, but all I got was a one way ticket to Palookaville.” I’ve enjoyed following professional bike racing, but I’ve never expected it to be pure: “Do they think we do this on Evian Water?” (J. Anquetil).

In my mind, this result shows that if we want to idealise sport it has to be amateur.

I tipped Kolobnev to win that race on the pro-cycling season thread on here. I think Vino should bung me a tenner or something.

Out of the blue a new British registered womens cycling team Honda-DTPC with the Olympic pursuiters, Laura Trott, Elinor Barker and Giorgia Bronzini with sponsorship from Bradley Wiggins' foundation.

The bit about further naming rights still being negotiated with a "UK based global company" maybe Sky?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/nov/06/olympic-women-bradley-wiggins-cycling

Dream Team Pro Cycling isn't the best name really..

^^ good news in pro cycling.

wooop.

that DTPC will get ditched once they have a proper sponsor. Shame they didn't get Pooley but a very impressive line up otherwise

Been in the works for a while, no?
Maybe I remember reading wrong.
But bloody good news.

Bradley Wiggins has been knocked off his bike by a van while out training - news from twitter is he's got broken ribs, wrist, arm injuries. He's in hospital.

I'll pass on news as I find it....

Posted the guardian article in General.