Cleanest Tour in Years

[Crackle]

A few of you have been saying it and a lot more thinking it but this article http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/2011-tour-de-france-the-cleanest-in-recent-years shows we are far from alone in that view.

The suffering and pain in this tour has been obvious and I have to go back to pre-Indurain days to remember a tour like it. Any tour that invokes comparisons to the Lemond-Fignon duel or great rides of the past hs got to be good.

What I found most interesting in that article was the view that Evans's performance has not really changed over the years. It makes me wonder how many others have lost the tour on principles not compromised and puts into perspective the effect of drugs in cycling and who it's really cheating, not just other riders but all cycling fans too.

 

[rich p]

I agree. The style of racing, the relative decline of Dirty Bertie, the times of Voeckler and his jersey retention all point to a cleaner tour IMO.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Been a joy to watch - all about racing and not overshadowed by controversy.

 

[zimzum42]

Hard to call it the 'decline' of Contador...

The man won the Giro resoundingly, and has come fifth in the hardest race of all after a bad crash, a relatively crap team and a fair amount of bad luck

 

[aJohnson]

Hard to call it the 'decline' of Contador...

The man won the Giro resoundingly, and has come fifth in the hardest race of all after a bad crash, a relatively crap team and a fair amount of bad luck

I have to agree with this. Something to note about Cadel this year is that he skipped the Giro d'Italia unlike previous years. Contador still performed well, just not as well as previous years which is to be expected if he won the Giro, isn't it?

 

[raindog]

The suffering and pain in this tour has been obvious and I have to go back to pre-Indurain days to remember a tour like it.

A big +1 to that.
Let's just hope it continues.

 

[rich p]

Hard to call it the 'decline' of Contador...

The man won the Giro resoundingly, and has come fifth in the hardest race of all after a bad crash, a relatively crap team and a fair amount of bad luck

" relative decline" in as much as his times and those of notable others were slower than the past. No superlative escapades and nothing for Chris Boardman to repeat his his old quote of...

..."if it looks unbelievable it probably is"

 

[zacklaws]

I actually thought Contador had a steak pie for breakfast on Friday when he shot up that mountain compared to the day before.

 

[Fiona N]

I do keep bashing on about the analysis over on the 'Science of Sport' blog - it's real sports scientists with real data rather than just arm waving and unqualified opinion (none of that here, of course ). it gives a really good overview of performances in this tour in a historical perspective and the possible reasons why all the HC climbs were climbed about three minutes slower than in Lance's day.

 

[HLaB]

Touch wood it has seemed to be a cleaner tour, just one positive (AK47) and none of the performances have seemed superhuman

 

[zimzum42]

" relative decline" in as much as his times and those of notable others were slower than the past. No superlative escapades and nothing for Chris Boardman to repeat his his old quote of...

..."if it looks unbelievable it probably is"

Like the 1994 prologue

 

[Crackle]

I do keep bashing on about the analysis over on the 'Science of Sport' blog - it's real sports scientists with real data rather than just arm waving and unqualified opinion (none of that here, of course ). it gives a really good overview of performances in this tour in a historical perspective and the possible reasons why all the HC climbs were climbed about three minutes slower than in Lance's day.

Indeed, I've been reading them.

 

[Dave Davenport]

I have to admit that prior to this tour I dismissed Wiggins as a serious contender (possible podium with luck and a fair wind), but maybe the word was out that a few of the previous top contenders were being forced to race clean and he knew that he really was in with a chance.

When you look at previous performances where the likes of Contador & Armstrong were flying up a mountain stage one day and then crushing all and sundry in a TT the next day it really does seem 'incredible'.

 

[Silver Fox]

Congratulations to Cadel and Cav , well earned victories.

I also take my hat off to Thomas Voekeler, what a gutsy rider he is.

 

[oldroadman]

What is clear is that it's very challenging to ride Giro and Tour successfully now. Accumulated fatigue is now a factor, as is between stage recovery rate. This has resulted in a far more interesting race, with some unexpected results, and in the mountains less dominance by certain riders as in the past.
Cadel Evan's win is a big plus for the gutsy all rounder (remember he can win uphill sprint finishes, climb in the front group really well, time trial very well) who prepared properly by meticulously check riding vital bits of the route several times. This is very important, Sky did it very well, and look what happens when you learn a descent into a finish. You win and the Schlecks moan it's not fair - but they could have done the same "homework".
I do hope we have seen the end of the days of dominance by riders who appear to be able to ride up climbs over 2,000 metres hardly breathing hard, then do it again the next day, then knock out a superb TT. This year it's been different, people like Voeckler would never have kept the yellow so long in the past, and has proved class and guts gets rewards when some of the clear excesses of the past have been removed.