Pro-cycling thread

That was Nibali at the Vuelta, in fact, he withdrew from the race.

I'd take anything any rider says in the heat of the moment at the end of a race with a pinch of salt. Demare may have been holding on to a car, but doing so is accepted as part of the sport. There is no evidence so far which warrants a DQ.

hahahaha.... can't help but piss myself seeing it again. Fucking comedy-needs Benny Hill music accompaniment and exaggerated shouts of dismay from the rest of the riders!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING GRUBS?! Giving away precious words here .. there is a place.

Does ocelot have an exclusive on car holding?

Maybe it has been asked already, but are powermeter data accepted by race commissaires for post-race judgments?

Should be if not.

I don't think so. How would it show cheating exactly?

If the allegations are true (80kmh up the Cipressa) and Demare wasn't being pulled, data will show values up to 2,000-3,000 watt peaks.

This is getting into the realms of the ridiculous now - what evidence is there to support any allegation of him doing 80 km/h up the Cipressa? If that's true he'd have won in San Remo by 3 minutes.

Look he possibly took that risk of cheating and might get away with. Because of that you can't change the law of sports.

Not saying there are proof of that, I'm just quoting what it has been said by riders involved.

Eros Capecchi (Astana) backed up Tosatto’s claims, telling the Italian publication that, “Demare passed us at 80km/h on the climb. I’ve never seen anything like that before. I was on Tosatto’s wheel and saw it very clearly. Demare was hanging onto the right of the team car. It’s disgusting!”

It's all moot now, his race details are on Strava;

https://www.strava.com/activities/521963982

His maximum speed was less than 50 km/h according to Strava.

Presumably there is a version of EPO for Strava that works in reverse? I guess the fact that the data is (relatively) easily fiddled either way pretty much rules it out for a DQ rulling?

I guess everyone strips the power out of their public rides too?

Pro athletes in acting like wankers shocker.

Beat Visconti up there by seven seconds, took the KOM, he was definitely motoring...

I'll get my coat

But for me a tainted win, seven seconds over Visconti who on the attack at the front, and the rapid deletion of the data. Ben Swift for the win.

How do we know Swift didn't benefit from a touch of the 'magic spanner' earlier in the race? I demand he releases his data too. And Roelandts, and Bouhanni.

I'm guessing you don't do Strava? I don't see much demand for reverse digital EPO.

Indeed, so I guess there will be some troubles for Cancellara, Tosatto and Capecchi. :)

While we are at it Germanty for the 1966 World Cup win. You lot can keep the ball.

Well in this specific instance, if you wanted to hide being towed up the Cipressa at 80m/h

Just because everyone does it doesn't excuse it. He was standing around at the side of the road considering abandoning for half a minute until his DS 'persuaded' him to continue. Magic spanner is one thing, it's another to get a tow up a hill. Wasn't there complaints from other riders recently after Bouhanni was pushed up a climb by his teammates and then went on to win the race? Same difference

Back to the racing, Lizzie Armitstead has won the Trofeo Binda, for the second consecutive year.

She has won 3 out of the 4 races she's done this year, and the one she didn't win is because she pulled out mid-way through. She's on fire.

And that is why I am winning the Women's Fantasy Cycling League at work.