Something's going right in the pro peleton...

[tonyzackery]

BBox Bouygues Telecom is winning races this year...Chainel and Fedrigo within the span of a few days - the UCI's passport program must be working...

 

[tonyzackery]

A little background as to why this is significant:

French teams have been perennial packfill in recent years because the strong French anti-doping laws have served as a significant deterrent to systematic doping programs amongst the French pro teams. The sentiment in the peloton, in my understanding, was that if you were riding on a French team, then you were clean (or "cleaner" than other non-French team riders).

With these French riders emerging already this year, and in the larger races, it signals to me that the playing field is leveling. Could be my wild imagination - I hope not...

 

[swampy1970]

I think it's your imagination.

Fedrigo was due for something like this - he's have a couple of good Tour stage wins and I don't think that Chainel's stage win in De Panne is indicative of anything other than he was better than the other 5 guys he was sprinting against...

Lets waits to the end of April and the end of the classics before jumping to conclusions... Sure, we've had Milan San Remo, but all the big classic races are still to come.

 

[tonyzackery]

So instead of a bunch of your typical troll-like, contrarian noise, I challenge you to make a definitive statement worth more than a cent.

Do I interpret your post to indicate that you believe the blood passport has had no effect on the pro peloton this year?

 

[swampy1970]

So instead of a bunch of your typical troll-like, contrarian noise, I challenge you to make a definitive statement worth more than a cent.

Do I interpret your post to indicate that you believe the blood passport has had no effect on the pro peloton this year?

Hey, if I post something worth a cent that means I'll have eclipsed the worth of all of your posts in a few short paragraphs.

I do believe I was saying that Fedrigo was a good rider last year so his win, while unexpected, was no surprise and that De Panne isn't a major race packed with heavy hitters.

Saying that things have changed before the big classics are raced, let alone the Grand Tours, is rather silly...

The "blood passport" will be as effective this year as it was last year. You'll still get happy Larry and Moe proclaiming that when someone podiums and fails a manditory test that "it was the result of careful profiling due to the blood passport program" - no it wasn't it was due to the dopey fecker taking junk and then having to take a test cause he finished top 3. You can't call it profiling when a rider podiums. Much more undeserved back patting will be in order for various UCI/WADA fcukwitts.

Hopefully, we'll start to see some people, tested "at random" *cough* finally being caught rather than only those who podium.

I'd put more faith in Hinault's scathing words at the end of last year towards French teams/riders having more of an effect than the bio-passport will regarding the sucess of French teams. Being told by a legend that his fellow countrymen have no work ethic or desire to win has gotta hurt.

There was a link to a good radio interview posted on here a while back with Greg LeMond. During that, he stated that the town that Hinault came from used to have 200+ riders licensed to race back in the 80's, now there's a mere half dozen. It was said that the same is true pretty much across all of France. The whole of French cycling has taken a massive dump... there seemingly just isn't the massive base of riders from which a couple of 'champions' may be discovered. That is the real problem for the French.

Way to miss the real problems with French cycling, Tony...

 

[tonyzackery]

Hey, if I post something worth a cent that means I'll have eclipsed the worth of all of your posts in a few short paragraphs.

I do believe I was saying that Fedrigo was a good rider last year so his win, while unexpected, was no surprise and that De Panne isn't a major race packed with heavy hitters.

Saying that things have changed before the big classics are raced, let alone the Grand Tours, is rather silly...

The "blood passport" will be as effective this year as it was last year. You'll still get happy Larry and Moe proclaiming that when someone podiums and fails a manditory test that "it was the result of careful profiling due to the blood passport program" - no it wasn't it was due to the dopey fecker taking junk and then having to take a test cause he finished top 3. You can't call it profiling when a rider podiums. Much more undeserved back patting will be in order for various UCI/WADA fcukwitts.

Hopefully, we'll start to see some people, tested "at random" *cough* finally being caught rather than only those who podium.

I'd put more faith in Hinault's scathing words at the end of last year towards French teams/riders having more of an effect than the bio-passport will regarding the sucess of French teams. Being told by a legend that his fellow countrymen have no work ethic or desire to win has gotta hurt.

There was a link to a good radio interview posted on here a while back with Greg LeMond. During that, he stated that the town that Hinault came from used to have 200+ riders licensed to race back in the 80's, now there's a mere half dozen. It was said that the same is true pretty much across all of France. The whole of French cycling has taken a massive dump... there seemingly just isn't the massive base of riders from which a couple of 'champions' may be discovered. That is the real problem for the French.

Way to miss the real problems with French cycling, Tony...

Damn, ask a simple question looking for a straight answer and look what gets regurgitated...

 

[tonyzackery]

KBC-Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde: Stage 2, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

The boys at BeatBox are on a roll!

Perhaps they know how to beat the passport too...

Nah, I'll keep dreaming that the peloton is getting cleaner and cleaner...

 

[Bro Deal]

Their training may have changed some. I posted a similar thread to another forum and people have said that the Cofidis team started using power meters this year, training camps were more serious so that the riders arrived in the early season in better condition, and riders began doing longer (250km) training rides which they had never done before.

Some French teams have been downgraded from ProTour status, so they need results to get into races. Also teams like Cofidis had their sponsorship deals set to expire at the year's end. Perhaps team management has put pressure on the riders more so than in the past.

Someone also posted an interesting quote from a French rider that said the pace at races had gotten easier, even the Spanish races, so that now instead of barely hanging on they could attack.

 

[tambourlain]

BBox Bouygues Telecom is winning races this year...Chainel and Fedrigo within the span of a few days - the UCI's passport program must be working...

I don't think so. I think that the French were sick of getting beaten and the demotion of French teams out of the pro tour was the last straw. I think that the French have given up the squeaky clean approach and they have rejoined the doping party. With national cycling organizations like the Kazakhs now fighting for their dopers instead of against them, this is what you would expect.
Look at Pierrick Fedrigo - he's too stocky and muscular to be a natural climber. The dude is doping.

 

[tonyzackery]

^Interesting points, Bro.

I'd be interested in seeing some comparisons of the average race speeds this year versus years past to determine if that French rider was accurate in his assessment.

My title on this thread was more wishful thinking and tongue-in-cheek, but if the UCI's tactics are in fact working, albeit even a fraction, I'm all for it...

 

[oldbobcat]

With these French riders emerging already this year, and in the larger races, it signals to me that the playing field is leveling. Could be my wild imagination - I hope not...

Plausible. If you're right I'll buy you a beer.

 

[swampy1970]

... and as Tony predicted, the French just dominated today as they did in Ghent Wevelgem and Milan San Remo. That UCI passport is working just swell.

Swampy's prediction for:

Paris Roubaix - French... nowhere.
Amstel Gold Race - French... nowhere.
La Flèche Wallonne - French... nowhere.
Liège-Bastogne-Liège - French... nowhere.

Viva la biological passport!

Keep diggin' in the races where the top guys don't ride Tony for evidence regarding how the battle against drugs in cycling is being "won".

Hinault was right...

 

[tonyzackery]

^^^Anonomous fat man, go ride your bike...and as I've told you several times previous - please find someone your own size to pick at...while you're at it, go and google the term 'tongue-in-cheek' - it may help you out with your problem concerning this thread...

From my last post...
"My title on this thread was more wishful thinking and tongue-in-cheek, but if the UCI's tactics are in fact working, albeit even a fraction, I'm all for it..."

 

[swampy1970]

Hey, I'm all for having more guys up the front attacking... but alas it isn't going to be the French anytime soon.

Then again being English I guess I should be somewhat happy about this situation. LOL

Oh... go figure out how to ride around corners faster than an old granny so you can unleash that 1,800 watt sprint of yours and finish in a place with single digits. Poor NFL player doesn't want to fall off and hurt his 'wittle knee. Awww... Call the fecking whaaaaaaaaaaaaambulance.

 

[Bro Deal]

The French won't be challenging for the big wins, but they are now getting small wins. It was not that long ago that it seemed that the only thing the French would win was the occasional 1.2 race in France itself. There appears to have been a change over the last couple of years.

A cynical person might look at the deal made between UCI and the ASO, where ASO got rid of the AFLD and McQuaid publicly said that there will be no positives at the Tour in the next few years, and conclude that there has been a fundamental change in how the sport intends to deal with doping. The French may be charging more than they did during the last ten years or the overall amount of doping may have lessened somewhat. The passport may be used to limit the amount of doping instead of eliminate it. In the past the UCI warned riders about questionable blood values; it would not surprise me if the UCI is doing the same thing now using passport data.

 

[Maxiton]

A cynical person might look at the deal made between UCI and the ASO, where ASO got rid of the AFLD and McQuaid publicly said that there will be no positives at the Tour in the next few years, and conclude that there has been a fundamental change in how the sport intends to deal with doping. The French may be charging more than they did during the last ten years or the overall amount of doping may have lessened somewhat. The passport may be used to limit the amount of doping instead of eliminate it. In the past the UCI warned riders about questionable blood values; it would not surprise me if the UCI is doing the same thing now using passport data.

None of which sounds cynical to me. Sounds like it corresponds, roughly, to reality.

 

[tonyzackery]

Someone please stick something in Swampy's mouth 'cuz my zipper's stuck...His public display of peni$ envy, oops, I mean power envy is most embarassing to witness...anyway, I'm done with him...Somebody please engage him - his ego needs it desperately...

Go Yohann Gene!!!!!

 

[swampy1970]

Go Drugs!

Mountain goat Ricco is now winning bunch sprints. Viva la UCI Bio Passport!

Settimana Ciclistica Lombarda By Bergamasca: Stage 5, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

Power envy Tony? Don't ever recall you posting a couple of hours at 320+ watts... I just love the fact that you have so much power but have so few, if any, 3rd Cat crit podium finishes. You should try taking those training wheels off your bike and lean over a little going around corners.

 

[tonyzackery]

One of many.

Perhaps the fatman will now upload just one of his recent podium finishes...

 

[tonyzackery]

Here ya' go, you could get pulled along in my jetstream...well, you wouldn't have even made it to the final round...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeUVoLCbotI&playnext_from=TL&videos=ltehdwCPKd8]YouTube - B Keirin Finals[/ame]