Herzog
Swinglish Mountain Goat
- Location
- Bern, Switzerland
how 'clean' is pro cycling
- Thread starter david k
- Start date
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Good riddance - what a bloody muppet.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
If you read Laurent Fignon's autobiography, he described what it was like encountering riders who had previously never have been able to stay anywhere close to him in the mountains, just killing him on the climbs. That's when he knew it was time to retire.
Andy Hampsten was a top climber in the form of his life and out on a training ride when he was dropped by a group of so-so Italian pros who overtook him with their hands resting easily on the tops of the bars, and chatting nonchalantly.
Greg Lemond was a former World Champion and 3-time Tour de France winner and his career came to a sudden halt when he could no longer keep up with the peloton. At the time, it was blamed on lead poisoning from the pellets left in his body from his near-fatal hunting accident.
All this coincided with EPO's arrival in the peloton ...
If you were following pro cycling back then, it was very obvious that something really dodgy was going on.
Riccò, like Bjarne Riis before him, just took it to a stupid new level. I remember Riccò winning that stage with an ultra-steep climb at the finish, with top pros falling off their bikes or grovelling up and collapsing over the finish line, and he wasn't even out of breath - it was taking the piss, and I was shouting at the TV - "You cheating little bastard!"
How about Claudio Chiapucci's epic 200km breakaway on the mountainous stage 13 of the 1992 TDF? There's good, there's great and there is just plain unbelievable!
photo gallery of a chubby cheeked Ricco receiving his new bike from Cipo
http://www.gazzetta.it/gallery/Ciclismo/02-2012/riccardo-ricco/variabili-81431026440.shtml#
http://www.gazzetta.it/gallery/Ciclismo/02-2012/riccardo-ricco/variabili-81431026440.shtml#
pubrunner
Legendary Member
Whilst I've never competed at the same (very high) levels as yourself, I'm most surprised that you were even tested four times. I'm aware that track runners do get tested, but I thought that you are/were entirely a road runner ? Throughout my 30 years of running on road & fell, I've never heard of anyone being tested. Obviously, I competed at a (considerably) lower level than yourself, but several of my pals have competed for GB on the road and they've never ever mentioned being tested.
It is somehow ironic, that whilst cycling performances (legitimate, or otherwise) seem to be improving in this country; distance running (Men's) performances do not match those from between say 1960 - 1990. A friend of mine has done a 2:12 Marathon twice and won a marathon (Eindhoven) outright and run a sub 63:00 Half; but such were the standards, he 'only' ran for GB a handful of times. Today, he'd easily qualify for a national team. So far as running is concerned - in the UK, there just isn't the strength in depth that there was previously.
Paul's modesty has prevented him from mentioning it, but I can tell you that his marathon times (if achieved today) would see him much higher up the UK rankings, than at the time.
Perhaps the cycling gains in this country are largely to do with technological improvements ? ('better' drugs may also help
). A customer in our pub did in the mid 50s for 25 miles (on singlespeed {fixed?}) back in the 50s; he eventually did 279.5 miles in 24 hours on a 'standard' 531 framed bike - with no aerodynamic aids - I wonder what he could have done on a current bike ? (He actually had to cycle to many events - on the bike on which he was competing).It does seem odd, that whilst British Cycling (particularly on the track) is so successful, for running (both track & road in the UK), the same 'improvements' haven't materialised.
OP
OP
david k
Hi
- Location
- North West
All this coincided with EPO's arrival in the peloton ...
If you were following pro cycling back then, it was very obvious that something really dodgy was going on.
Riccò, like Bjarne Riis before him, just took it to a stupid new level. I remember Riccò winning that stage with an ultra-steep climb at the finish, with top pros falling off their bikes or grovelling up and collapsing over the finish line, and he wasn't even out of breath - it was taking the piss, and I was shouting at the TV - "You cheating little bastard!"
How about Claudio Chiapucci's epic 200km breakaway on the mountainous stage 13 of the 1992 TDF? There's good, there's great and there is just plain unbelievable!
whated marco pantani on youtube last night, think it was 1998 tdf, he took a clinb, won it and wasnt out of breath, couple of years later he is suspected of taking epo, now heres a surprise! must admit, i didnt realise how effective or dangerous epo was
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I was once coming down a mountain on the Costa Blanca as Pantani was going up it on a training ride. It was pretty impressive to see how fast he was going, but of course we now know that he was fuelled by more than just pasta!
OP
OP
david k
Hi
- Location
- North West
Noodley
Guest
He won the Giro and Tour in 98 and was then expelled from 99 Giro due to the 50% rule re hematocrit levels when he was leading it.
I am in the process of re-reading his biography, well worth getting your hands on...lots of medical stuff included as well as re-telling of his rise and fall. 1995 hematocrit level of 60.1 being a "highlight"...
OP
OP
david k
Hi
- Location
- North West
he had depression dues to people thinking he was a drug user i read?
Noodley
Guest
It was a lot more comlicated than that, Rendell's biography approaches it in context and with a deal of sensitivity and insight which has to be commended. One of the best cycling books I have read, although I have heard others disagree as they found it too "technical" in the second half of the book.
OP
OP
david k
Hi
- Location
- North West
i like to read war/military non fiction, i quite like the technical bits. ive got 2 cycling books i havnt read yet looking forward to it, when ve worked my way through i may try this one
i used ot read a lot when i was a plumber, enjoyed taxing my brain! now i manage at a college and my brains mashed half the time, i dont read when i finish i want to give my head a rest, i do miss reading for joy though
i know you say complicated and that probably not good, but makes it more intriguing
i used ot read a lot when i was a plumber, enjoyed taxing my brain! now i manage at a college and my brains mashed half the time, i dont read when i finish i want to give my head a rest, i do miss reading for joy though
i know you say complicated and that probably not good, but makes it more intriguing
