Pro Cycling Thread 2023

Bear said:
Because it want talked about here doesn’t mean it wasn’t been spoken about elsewhere. He’s been on the radar of loads of people, like when he was smashing it in past tours day after day pretty much isolated from the rest of his team and despite that, you never see him have a bad day apart from the climb one year when he was dropped by JV but he just paced himself back on. Or when he rode the field off his wheel in Strade Bianche 55kms out etc.

I think what has really triggered people this time is you know Pog performances stand out and are a level above pretty much everyone else and when someone smashes Pog then it smells bad. On top of that as I mentioned earlier about the smashing of a 26 year old climbing record set during the EPO era by Pantani and they would have battered that record had they not messed about. JV is now nearly 11mins ahead of third, even the past few tours haven’t had such a big time gap which makes this stand out more and it’s not even finished yet. In fact I think this tour is the first time I’ve seen Pog properly crack, probably due to a lack of racing due to being injured with his btoken wrist
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I mean in the media, there has been very few questions posed to him about how he can do it all week in week out.
 
SoliD said:
I mean in the media, there has been very few questions posed to him about how he can do it all week in week out.
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Ah sorry, I thought you meant on here. I think there have been hints about it, maybe they saw how saying such things before meant people were throwing urine over the team etc. I think Lantern Rouge did an analysis and let the data speak for itself but didn’t outright say anything. TBH, no idea really just thinking aloud.
 
I guess my point was around the difference between the 'gaps between the top 2 (well, now 1) and everyone else' and 'the overall performance of present-day cyclists'. If we're suggesting most of the peloton are doping, then the gaps are not evidence, surely? If Adam Yates is doping, then JV is still a ridiculous athlete to be that far ahead, even if he's doping too. If everyone is doping, it's a level playing field still... why are these two standouts? Because they're still amazing athletes.

But yes, looks like it's over now, but could be some interesting battles for 3rd, or maybe even 2nd if Pog has burnt too many matches now.
 
Pog was always pretty nuts but I comforted myself in the knowledge that the GC fields in the Tours he won were relatively weak and he’s been an insane talent from a young age, like Remco. Vingegaard on the other hand is harder to wrap your head around. The only thing that gives me some pause for thought is there’s simply no way these guys have found some secret PED that no one else has, but perhaps they are pushing the boundaries/getting around the testing in a way that no one else is.

I do think nutrition and cooling in particular has moved on a huge way from Pantani’s day. These guys are taking on 100g plus of carbs an hour, are better fuelled off the bike for recovery and are constantly taking on ice etc to keep their core temperature down. Is that, coupled with technology and training improvements, enough to bridge the gap to historically doped performances? We have no idea really. What I would like to see is a physiologist explaining whether it’s physically possible for a clean rider to reach those performance levels. There must be an innate limit to performance when you put together all your physical attributes. AFAIK we just have 7w/kg as a doped performance because that’s what dopers achieved in the past rather than any actual knowledge about it.

I am sceptical though, the delta between Vingegaard and Pogacar is huge and, minus Vingegaard, Pogacar is still utterly destroying this field.
 
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One More Solo said:
What I would like to see is a physiologist explaining whether it’s physically possible for a clean rider to reach those performance levels.
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I don't know if thats a question that can be answered. Did anyone think that people would be running 9.5s in the hundred metres before Bolt came along and did it? The sub 2 hour marathon. We are certainly heading towards human peak performance. Well, I say that but I'm sure they said this 10 years ago too.

I simply don't believe that pro cycling is clean when the benefits are so large. There is always far more money, creativity and attention given to breaking the rules than enforcing them in almost every pursuit.
 
Yeah, this was a fantastic last 13km or so. They were gaining plenty, but Alaphiliipe and co. did a great job of just being annoying and getting in the way, then Asgreen finished great. I felt bad for Uno X who I think had a lead-out man and a sprinter, but the pace couldn't be dropped off to allow that to work.
 
All in all I thought that was a great tour. Yes, it wasn't that close for first in the end, but actually, after that was decided were some of the best stages. Do they make a DVD summary or something at some point?

What happened to Rodrigues yesterday? I only saw the blood on his face, arm and leg later on.
 
You can’t compare the EPO era times to modern day.

They were doing so so many other things badly that have now been eliminated or optimised it’s no surprise the times are being beaten.

The bikes, the clothing, the training, the team, aerodynamics, nutrition etc etc. everything is light years ahead.
 
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Really enjoyed the road championships and some of the track action last night. Felt like I was screaming MVP on through my TV, even more so once he slipped.

Then the track final between Ganna and Dan coming down to that tiny margin on the last lap, incredible.
 
Junglist said:
Some season he is having!
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This is the thing though, in a poll in the morning I couldn't decide between him and Evenepoel, but voted Evenepoel because MVP didn't look that great in the Tour (but tbf, thinking back he did some amazing lead-outs and it's why Alpecine won as many races as they did, they just weren't MVP wins...)

Junglist said:
When does the Vuelta start? Really looking forward to that now.
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26th I believe. Yeah, I'm looking forward to that too. Some big names riding it if I recall.
 
MVDP could make history and become the first male rider to hold CX, Road and MTB world titles next week. Don't think Evenepoel has come close to MVDPs season. Won Tour of Flanders and was going alright at the Giro and thats about it on the top level. MVDP has won World CX and Roads gold, Milan San Remo and Paris Roubaix.

@Junglist taht pursuit was ridiciulous, hopefully BIgham can turn it around at the Olympics next year, coming so close to Ganna is a huge step forward for him!
 
Just catching up on all the racers from the weekend, really enjoying it and glad our ladies just managed to win the Madison.

We had the Men's Elite Road Race on at a wedding after-party day on Sunday, much to the amusement/sadness if the bride, nice wee group of us huddled around the iPad.

Then when Trentin went head over heels, one of the guys messaged him to see if he had climbed off...... He only rides with him out where he lives :D
 
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