Is Paul Kimmage calling out Froome and Sky here

[foyster]

It is mean't to state my belief that Sky comply with the rules as they currently stand, but to suggest also that I personally believe they have found gains from something not yet banned. They act holier and more righteous regarding accusations of doping than any other team bar USPS.
Yet they have had riders like Michael Barry and medical staff like Geert Linders, along with people like Paul Yates who had links to Armstrong and the legendary 'motorman' of which there are pictures of him with his arm round him.

Sky have a zero tolerance of doping, great, but what exactly constitutes doping to them? Is it a anti-doping rule violation? Is it grounds for suspicion? Or are they simply relying on what the rider/member of staff tells them.

Bring back doping this tour is like watching paint dry

 

[User169]

Bring back doping this tour is like watching paint dry

Dude - which tour are you watching?

 

[Crackle]

Bring back doping this tour is like watching paint dry

That's sarcasm right?

 

[smutchin]

What a first post! I look forward to future contributions from foyster.

 

[raindog]

Bring back doping this tour is like watching paint dry

 

[Dave Davenport]

Whilst I wouldn't actually bet my house on Sky being clean my thoughts are;
1. Sky's riders are very closely monitored and it would be virtually impossible for any of them to use PED's without DB getting a sniff of it.
2. I believe there is no way that DB would jeopardise his standing with UK sport and the country in general. Whilst he's obviously driven to produce the best athletes and teams possible I don't believe it's win at all costs.

Kimmage reminds me of a guy I know who was a pro in Belgium in the late 90's to early 00's but never really 'made it'. Whilst his assertion that it was because he refused to dope does have some merit, the way he constantly bangs on about 'the whole peloton still being on the juice' and 'Wiggins has been on a sophisticated program since he was 16' just make him sound like a bitter nobber.

 

[Andrew_P]

Have to say that I really, really want to believe that Sky are racing clean this year and last but there is just this nagging itch about it. Having said that Froome would have to be plonker there was no need for him spin out that attack in terms of the GC, so who knows. For sure it would be awful for the sport and Brailsford if they were at it.

Like I say it is just an itch, an itch probably caused by LA et al.

 

[foyster]

Are you on drugs

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

In a slightly off-topic calling out of Sky, the French minister of sport (and youth and public education and associative affairs and safety standards for pencil erasers), Valérie Fourneyron has called for all power details and biological passport details for the yellow jersey to be made public from now until the end of the tour. A recommendation impossible for Sky to accept but bound to increase widespread French scepticism. Idiote! It reminds me of the ''magic wheels'' episode at the Olympics. I'm surprised she didn't call for full public disclosure for all 19 cyclists ahead of the highest placed Français.

Oops, linky for francophones

 

[albion]

Seems to be that that guy whose name I won't mention is the message bearer.
Avid readers get to quote him.

 

[raindog]

Idiote!

the readers commenting under the article agree with you!

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

the readers commenting under the article agree with you!

She's still an idiot in my book but it does seem to have forced Sky's hand a little - http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme-sur-route/Actualites/Sky-joue-la-transparence/386574

DB agrees to disclose data of 18 Froome climbs since the Vuelta 2011 to Fred Grappe, considered an expert in such matters, and FG's initial conclusion is that his power data over the last 2 years is consistent with Froome's profile, and he goes on to say that the exceptional power he can harness over a 5 minute period gives him a certain advantage over other riders.

The full analysis is available on the subscriber online version of L'Équipe apparently.

 

[raindog]

thanks for that link dm - I'm not too keen on l'Equipe, because of the rabid youtube style comments after the articles, but sometimes it's useful for stuff like this.

 

[smutchin]

"@richardmoore73: BREAKING: Those who believe in Sky think that releasing Froome's data to L'Equipe a good thing. Those who don't, think it wasn't."

lol

 

[smutchin]

The twitter exchanges between @stephenfarrand, @inrng and @cyclingfans this morning are worth reading for an understanding of why the numbers game is an interesting waste of time.