Doping git thread

[montage]

Gutted by this.

1. There is a very, very, very slim chance that Nibbles is clean following all this - shame as he was a rider I always believed in, and possibly re soils the tour de france. I pray I am wrong.
2. Astana aren't exactly blowing everyone apart every race, so what is everyone else on? Have all the riders named seen a drop in performance if they left Astana, or have any donkeys become race horses since signing? Kreuziger for a start has excelled at Saxo Bank, so obviously doping is slipping through the net there (as if this wasn't obviously from Dertie Bertie's actions).

Vino has very obviously introduced / proactively endorsed doping into Astana - if not for the whole team, then just for those who have asked. Maybe it's time to just accept doping is still rife and just give in on following the pro peloton.

 

[SWSteve]

such disapoint by this news. I was hoping something strong would happen - but was aware if this was the case then Nibali and Aru might not make the WT/PT next year - and possibly see their licence not granted.

Not having Europcar at every race will be disappointing, I was looking forward to seeing Coquard face against the 2nd string of sprinters as he builds towards the sprint events for the track (he has stated that he is aiming for sprint events at Rio 2016 - which Europcar weren't too happy about) and would get agood showing at some classics/early stages in the season before Kittel and Cav showed up to take away wins.

I just hope Nibali is clean. If not, why have I invested so much into this sport. (professional basis, not me struggling to cycle around Somerset)

 

[SWSteve]

inrng summary of what is wrong with the current system the granting of the licence:
http://inrng.com/2014/12/astana-uci-licence/

I hope the clean riders make their feelings towards Astana known, likewise the fans on the roadside.

is nibbles drinking sparkling wine from a normal wine glass, not a flute/champagne glass? tasteless

 

[themosquitoking]

such disapoint by this news. I was hoping something strong would happen - but was aware if this was the case then Nibali and Aru might not make the WT/PT next year - and possibly see their licence not granted.

Not having Europcar at every race will be disappointing, I was looking forward to seeing Coquard face against the 2nd string of sprinters as he builds towards the sprint events for the track (he has stated that he is aiming for sprint events at Rio 2016 - which Europcar weren't too happy about) and would get agood showing at some classics/early stages in the season before Kittel and Cav showed up to take away wins.

I just hope Nibali is clean. If not, why have I invested so much into this sport. (professional basis, not me struggling to cycle around Somerset)

Did you invest it all because of Nibali? It's rubbish if someone you admire turns out to be a cheat but there's plenty more out there to enjoy. Until they get caught too. Personally i hope very few of the current riders under about 27 are on the juice, they would have grown up during all the crap about taking peds and still kept at it, hopefully determined to show it can be done without. Rose coloured spectacles and all that.

 

[themosquitoking]

is nibbles drinking sparkling wine from a normal wine glass, not a flute/champagne glass? tasteless

The best champagne tastes alight even if drunk from a tramps boot, DNAHIKT.

 

[SWSteve]

Did you invest it all because of Nibali? It's rubbish if someone you admire turns out to be a cheat but there's plenty more out there to enjoy. Until they get caught too. Personally i hope very few of the current riders under about 27 are on the juice, they would have grown up during all the crap about taking peds and still kept at it, hopefully determined to show it can be done without. Rose coloured spectacles and all that.

No, I didn't invest because of Nibali. I invested time because I felt some of these people should be admired. Having the top dog (nibbles) be so heavily mixed up in dopage makes me feel that there's more going on that what he says. I understand there are 2 sides of this team, the Kazakh and the Italian, but there's a point where they will meet, and this may be in training or developmental methodology, and that is where different products may become discussed.

The rubbish blue kit has never appealed to me, I prefer something a lot more striking, so I shalln't be seen in it any time soon.

 

[SWSteve]

DNAHIKT

?

 

[themosquitoking]

No, I didn't invest because of Nibali. I invested time because I felt some of these people should be admired. Having the top dog (nibbles) be so heavily mixed up in dopage makes me feel that there's more going on that what he says. I understand there are 2 sides of this team, the Kazakh and the Italian, but there's a point where they will meet, and this may be in training or developmental methodology, and that is where different products may become discussed.

The rubbish blue kit has never appealed to me, I prefer something a lot more striking, so I shalln't be seen in it any time soon.

There's more going on in any situation then anyone involved in it is prepared to say. The two sides of this team are nowhere near as separate as they claim.

 

[themosquitoking]

?

I hope this means do not ask how i know this. I checked it with google and this forum was like three of the top five answers.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

I hope every roadside fan makes their feelings known to Astana riders and vehicle occupants this season.

 

[jifdave]

Pete kennaugh was having a good shout on Twitter about kicking dirty riders out.

I for one have lost all faith in nibali and it's starting to taint aru for me too. Although I give him a little slack as he's Young.

 

[Hont]

I hope every roadside fan makes their feelings known to Astana riders and vehicle occupants this season.

+1. If the governing body are toothless*, we armchair and roadside fans should make our feelings clear.

*The licence decision was apparently made before the latest Padova revelations, so the licence may yet be revoked (but probably not)....

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-awards-astana-worldtour-licence

"....if the UCI confirms the offences brought in the Padova case, it "would prompt a referral to the Licence Commission to envisage, if necessary, the withdrawal of the licence."

 

[Bollo]

I hope every roadside fan makes their feelings known to Astana riders and vehicle occupants this season.

I suspect Vino might even like a little boo-ing in the panto style.

The trouble is that it's not the roadside fans that pays the wages - it's the sponsors, which in this case is the Kazakhstan sovereign wealth fund. Unless the world stops buying their oil, gas and uranium then they couldn't give a flying daffodil what anyone thinks.

 

[Hont]

I invested time because I felt some of these people should be admired.

1) That statement suggests you got no enjoyment out of the spectacle of the bike race itself, which I'm sure is not true.

Anyone watching cycling should do so with their eyes well and truly open. It's had about 100 years of doping problems, if you're watching thinking that everyone is suddenly clean you're being naive. Nobody winning a Grand Tour will be above suspicion, probably ever.

2) Very few sportsmen at the top of sport should be admired. Even ones who don't cheat at their job / don't cheat on their partners / don't dodge tax / don't rape teenagers / aren't racist / don't fix games / don't think they're above the law / don't prostitute themselves for money they don't need, are still incredibly self-centred, uninteresting human beings, simply because to become that good you have to be incredibly dedicated. And if you're that dedicated, everything else takes a back seat. Ever watch a sportsmen on a celebrity quiz show? They know f**k all about anything, simply because they haven't had the time or energy to take an interest in anything but their own career.

A little disillusioned I know, but this week we've had the Astana/Padova revelations, an IAAF cover-up (225 athletes), Rory Mcilroy aledgedly destroying evidence in a case brought solely because he wants to wheedle out of an agreement because he realised he could earn more outside of it, and the ten minutes of football I watched this week saw a player being sent off when his finger brushed an opposing player, who went down like he'd been shot with an elephant gun.

 

[Hont]

Astana aren't exactly blowing everyone apart every race, so what is everyone else on?

Bear in mind this is all micro-dosing/blood-doping, flying under the Bio-Passport radar (or not in Krueziger's case). Micro means just that; it won't turn a carthorse into a thoroughbred. It will also be far more effective in GT's (than shorter races) of which there are only three a year, none of which would I be willing to bet that a clean rider won in 2014.