La Vuelta 2013 (24 Aug - 15 Sept) **SPOILERS**

[rich p]

This is an interesting league table
http://climbing-records.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/new-angliru-top-50-champions-set-great.html
1. 2000: 41:55 Roberto Heras 18.32 km/h
2. 2013: 43:06 Chris Horner 17.82 km/h
3. 2008: 43:12 Alberto Contador 17.78 km/h
4. 2000: 43:24 Pavel Tonkov 17.70 km/h
5. 2000: 43:24 Roberto Laiseka 17.70 km/h
6. 2013: 43:34 Alejandro Valverde 17.63 km/h

 

[thom]

This is an interesting league table
http://climbing-records.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/new-angliru-top-50-champions-set-great.html
1. 2000: 41:55 Roberto Heras 18.32 km/h
2. 2013: 43:06 Chris Horner 17.82 km/h
3. 2008: 43:12 Alberto Contador 17.78 km/h
4. 2000: 43:24 Pavel Tonkov 17.70 km/h
5. 2000: 43:24 Roberto Laiseka 17.70 km/h
6. 2013: 43:34 Alejandro Valverde 17.63 km/h

And with Nibalil on equal time to Valverde at 7'th, 20 secs faster than Cobo's 2011 time...

Lots of factors influence the times - what happened before on the stage, weather, crowd control, how the race was going etc.
I mean Nibali's time would have been better had he not been rope a doped by Horner and raced at a more consistent pace.

 

[rich p]

Of course, @thom , it's just interesting, and far from a smoking gun!
Horner wasn't even on the limit yesterday though and I suspect he could have gone even faster had he needed to.

 

[just jim]

I wonder if he really needed carrying off like that...
Mind you must be nice if your feeling a bit puffed out.

 

[Noodley]

Niballi was questioned in the Giro as was Froome in the TDF.

So from "every single thread" it's now the giro, the tour and turkey?

 

[Crackle]

I still feel that those who have a good knowledge of the history of the sport bring the history and all it's baggage into the modern era of cycling. Almost as if Armstrong and his era have damaged the reputation for good, with zero chance of recovery.

I find that both insulting and naïve. The modern era, as you have it, started, by popular agreement, in 2010 and since then we've still had a string of positives and some success on here at pointing the finger at Vini Fantini riders, Sayer and previously, Horner too, if you recall his rather appropriately named win on Mt. Baldy in the TOC. Not to mention Contador who was under suspicion for some time.

I'd rather be in the mindset I'm in now than blindly accepting all results as I did when I started to follow the sport and it's only with the history of riders can you really decide, this interpreting of times is too broad a sword.

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

So from "every single thread" it's now the giro, the tour and turkey?

Off the top of my head it is the 3 GT's, Paris - Nice and Criterium Dauphine. That's a fair portion of the years big races - all with discussions of doping.

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

I find that both insulting and naïve. The modern era, as you have it, started, by popular agreement, in 2010 and since then we've still had a string of positives and some success on here at pointing the finger at Vini Fantini riders, Sayer and previously, Horner too, if you recall his rather appropriately named win on Mt. Baldy in the TOC. Not to mention Contador who was under suspicion for some time.

I'd rather be in the mindset I'm in now than blindly accepting all results as I did when I started to follow the sport and it's only with the history of riders can you really decide, this interpreting of times is too broad a sword.

Certainly not aiming to insult. I am not of that nature.

I am merely stating that an athlete does not become a suspicious doper the minute they become a professional cyclist.

 

[rich p]

Certainly not aiming to insult. I am not of that nature.

I am merely stating that an athlete does not become a suspicious doper the minute they become a professional cyclist.

To be honest, I'm not sure what point you're making.
Given the history of doping we are entitled to question 'unbelievable' performances. This is hardly the Clinic and we don't, as a rule, throw about wild accusations.

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

To be honest, I'm not sure what point you're making.
Given the history of doping we are entitled to question 'unbelievable' performances. This is hardly the Clinic and we don't, as a rule, throw about wild accusations.

I haven't read the posts in the clinic but by the sounds of it i'm better not to.

My point is that i struggle to see a time in the future where a rider can go and win a major race and not be asked "are you clean?". When is that mindset going to change?

We can draw a line under this if you like.

 

[Crackle]

The only thing I would like to add is that if you put in "Horner Cheating Nobber" into Google, Noodley holds prominence on the first results returned: I thank you or rather, Noodley thanks you..

 

[raindog]

.....if you put in "Horner Cheating Nobber" into Google, Noodley holds prominence on the first results returned

Let's hope Horner's lawyers aren't tapping that into search engines

 

[400bhp]

almost 42 year's old

HELLO

Douglas Adams was not right when it comes to cycling.

Unusual results occur. One offs. Think Nicklaus winning the open at 46, Hereford beating Newcastle United in the FA Cup all those year's ago, Foinhavon winning the National.

They occur, just not in a 3 week feckin bike race. A one-off would be Horner winning a stage.

 

[smutchin]

I can only recall serious doubts being voiced about Sayer in the Tour of Turkey until this Vuelta and we were soon vindicated on that one.

ISTR when I mentioned Santambrogio's form going into the Giro, you were very quick to point the finger at him...

Innocent until proven guilty my arse. As the legendary Roy Walker would have put it: Say what you see!

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

So like i said - Guilty, until he is proven Guilty.