Seven days after the disappearance of Wouter Weylandt, the Giro riders are ready to start the second week of race.
Although I'm not a rider, I really needed a rest day from the Giro - and not only because this afternoon I had to study for some bloody tests. I needed a rest day because I'm still shocked by what Contador did yesterday on Etna.
In the comment area of my last post I wrote that the way Contador rode yesterday was 'too good to be true'. 24 hours after writing that, my opinion hasn't changed.
'Innocent until proven guilty: four words to live by', this is the motto of the main character of a BBC series about barristers. Actually, that motto doesn't apply just to barristers - unfortunately, it worths also for cycling supporters.
As I wrote in one of my last comments, I think that people who believe that no one in cycling is clean should stop following this sport. It'd cause them just pain and sickness and they could avoid wasting their time in such an improductive way. Being naive is an important condition for being a cycling supporter, especially after all the scandals of the last years. But still, even naiveness has a limit.
Watching Contador dropping everyone else on a climb like Etna was too much for me to take. I know that the Spaniard is the best climber of the world, but it should be impossible to drop other riders in a way like that. Especially if you consider that amongst the cyclists he dropped there were some very strong grimpeurs like Kreuziger, Nibali and Scarponi.
'Innocent until proven guilty: four words to live by'. Better write it on a sheet of paper and hang it on the wall in front of my bed. Perhaps it will make those doping ghosts go away from my head.
I'm really trying to believe that Contador is clean, but I'm finding it very hard. And I find it even harder when I think that, actually, 'the innocent until proven guilty' thing doesn't apply to the Spaniard. In fact, last year (no matter what the Spanish justice thinks) there was some clenbuterol in his blood. So, he was already proven guilty once.
To say it all, right now I'm torn between two parts of my ego: the pessimistic one and the optimistic one. Pessimism makes me think that it's useless to watch the rest of the Giro, because Contador will surely win it and because he's a doper. On the other hand, optimism tells me:
1. that is not the first time that Contador drops everyone else on the first climb of a Grand Tour.
2. that Contador's power datas weren't that impressive.
3. that Contador wouldn't risk another positivity just because he wanted to win on Etna.
I'm really confused right now, since I would love to be able to believe that Contador's victory was a clean one but, at the same time, I'm finding it very tough.
'Innocent until proven guilty'. Again, those words ring inside my head. Shall I apply them to Contador's case? Or not?
Well, perhaps it would be better if I believed that Contador is clean. In that way, I would be able to read the newspaper without laughing sarcastically every time I read headlines like: 'Contador is as strong as Pantani', 'A spectacular Contador wins on Etna' or 'Contador is as strong as Coppi'. And perhaps I would even be able to enjoy the next Giro stages without thinking about doping.
However, I really do hope that Contador will give his adversaries the chance to do something against him. Many people said that Alberto's action on Etna was 'superb, spectacular, a joy for every cycling lover', but personally I found it boring and I didn't really like it. In fact, I want to see riders battling on a climb, not a single athlete attacking and dropping everyone else in 2 seconds time.
But hey, perhaps there's something wrong with me. And to say that I pretty like Contador as a person. I mean, I hated him after Chaingate, but last week I watched an interview with him and he came across as a very nice and modest boy.
Anyway, considering that right now I seem unable to put an end to the debate going on my mind between Pessimism and Optimism, perhaps it's time to think about the next stages of the Giro.
In the last hours I've heard many people saying that Contador has already won the Giro and that his adversaries should race for the second place. Most of the GC contenders have said that: 'Contador is strong, but the Giro is long', and this may sound like the usual cliché that people say when things go bad. However, I don't think we should despair in front of Alberto's strength. The Giro is a complicated race and it takes very few to lose it: a night without sleep, a virus, a sudden cold, an allergy problem, a crash, a chain popping at the wrong moment... Therefore I think we should all watch the next Giro stages and see what happens. Doping or not, Contador is strong, but the Giro is a three weeks long race. Moreover, now that he has the pink jersey, Saxo Bank will have to control the race in the next days. And, as we know, controlling a race takes a lot of effort.
Talking about other things connected to yesterday's Giro stage, I'd like to point out that Pieter Weening lost the jersey. However, I'm glad that I've discovered this rider: he seems a very nice guy and some of his facial expressions are just great.
Another thing to notice about yesterday is that Visconti went on a breakaway. Although he isn't in his best condition, in fact, the Italian champion absolutely wanted to honour the only Sicilian stage of the Corsa Rosa. He and Nibali were welcomed by a great support in their home region and Nibali even sang a Sicilian song at the start of the stage (although he did look embarassed, he made the tifosi happy). After the stage instead he was welcomed by a plate full of cannoli siciliani (which he couldn't eat). Yum!!
Other thing to notice, Niemiec's great work. The boy is strong, I had told you that!!
Amongst the riders that disappointed me a bit yesterday there were Pinotti, Menchov, Rodriguez and Lovkvist. On the other hand, I was happy to see Rujano, Siutsou and Bakelandts doing well.
A thing that I didn't understand was Garzelli's sprint in order to take the third place on the stage ahead of Nibali. Those 8 bonus seconds are surely going to change his GC eventual classification... :P
Last but not least, two riders finished out of time limit yesterday. They are Robbie McEwen (Richie Porte said he's worried because now the gruppetto has lost its leader) and Graeme Brown. Cavendish instead entered the time limit for just 30" - and, according to Gazzetta, he also received some help from the supporters.
So, these are my few, confused opinions about yesterday stage. In case you're wondering how the debate between Optimism and Pessimism ended up, well, let's say that the temporary score is 1-1 (yesterday evening instead Pessimism was leading with the score of 1-0). Hopefully tomorrow my opinions will be a bit clearer.
That's all from me for the moment - sorry for the confusing post, but my cyclistic mind right now is a true mess! :S
Although I'm not a rider, I really needed a rest day from the Giro - and not only because this afternoon I had to study for some bloody tests. I needed a rest day because I'm still shocked by what Contador did yesterday on Etna.
In the comment area of my last post I wrote that the way Contador rode yesterday was 'too good to be true'. 24 hours after writing that, my opinion hasn't changed.
'Innocent until proven guilty: four words to live by', this is the motto of the main character of a BBC series about barristers. Actually, that motto doesn't apply just to barristers - unfortunately, it worths also for cycling supporters.
As I wrote in one of my last comments, I think that people who believe that no one in cycling is clean should stop following this sport. It'd cause them just pain and sickness and they could avoid wasting their time in such an improductive way. Being naive is an important condition for being a cycling supporter, especially after all the scandals of the last years. But still, even naiveness has a limit.
Watching Contador dropping everyone else on a climb like Etna was too much for me to take. I know that the Spaniard is the best climber of the world, but it should be impossible to drop other riders in a way like that. Especially if you consider that amongst the cyclists he dropped there were some very strong grimpeurs like Kreuziger, Nibali and Scarponi.
'Innocent until proven guilty: four words to live by'. Better write it on a sheet of paper and hang it on the wall in front of my bed. Perhaps it will make those doping ghosts go away from my head.
I'm really trying to believe that Contador is clean, but I'm finding it very hard. And I find it even harder when I think that, actually, 'the innocent until proven guilty' thing doesn't apply to the Spaniard. In fact, last year (no matter what the Spanish justice thinks) there was some clenbuterol in his blood. So, he was already proven guilty once.
To say it all, right now I'm torn between two parts of my ego: the pessimistic one and the optimistic one. Pessimism makes me think that it's useless to watch the rest of the Giro, because Contador will surely win it and because he's a doper. On the other hand, optimism tells me:
1. that is not the first time that Contador drops everyone else on the first climb of a Grand Tour.
2. that Contador's power datas weren't that impressive.
3. that Contador wouldn't risk another positivity just because he wanted to win on Etna.
I'm really confused right now, since I would love to be able to believe that Contador's victory was a clean one but, at the same time, I'm finding it very tough.
'Innocent until proven guilty'. Again, those words ring inside my head. Shall I apply them to Contador's case? Or not?
Well, perhaps it would be better if I believed that Contador is clean. In that way, I would be able to read the newspaper without laughing sarcastically every time I read headlines like: 'Contador is as strong as Pantani', 'A spectacular Contador wins on Etna' or 'Contador is as strong as Coppi'. And perhaps I would even be able to enjoy the next Giro stages without thinking about doping.
However, I really do hope that Contador will give his adversaries the chance to do something against him. Many people said that Alberto's action on Etna was 'superb, spectacular, a joy for every cycling lover', but personally I found it boring and I didn't really like it. In fact, I want to see riders battling on a climb, not a single athlete attacking and dropping everyone else in 2 seconds time.
But hey, perhaps there's something wrong with me. And to say that I pretty like Contador as a person. I mean, I hated him after Chaingate, but last week I watched an interview with him and he came across as a very nice and modest boy.
Anyway, considering that right now I seem unable to put an end to the debate going on my mind between Pessimism and Optimism, perhaps it's time to think about the next stages of the Giro.
In the last hours I've heard many people saying that Contador has already won the Giro and that his adversaries should race for the second place. Most of the GC contenders have said that: 'Contador is strong, but the Giro is long', and this may sound like the usual cliché that people say when things go bad. However, I don't think we should despair in front of Alberto's strength. The Giro is a complicated race and it takes very few to lose it: a night without sleep, a virus, a sudden cold, an allergy problem, a crash, a chain popping at the wrong moment... Therefore I think we should all watch the next Giro stages and see what happens. Doping or not, Contador is strong, but the Giro is a three weeks long race. Moreover, now that he has the pink jersey, Saxo Bank will have to control the race in the next days. And, as we know, controlling a race takes a lot of effort.
Talking about other things connected to yesterday's Giro stage, I'd like to point out that Pieter Weening lost the jersey. However, I'm glad that I've discovered this rider: he seems a very nice guy and some of his facial expressions are just great.
Another thing to notice about yesterday is that Visconti went on a breakaway. Although he isn't in his best condition, in fact, the Italian champion absolutely wanted to honour the only Sicilian stage of the Corsa Rosa. He and Nibali were welcomed by a great support in their home region and Nibali even sang a Sicilian song at the start of the stage (although he did look embarassed, he made the tifosi happy). After the stage instead he was welcomed by a plate full of cannoli siciliani (which he couldn't eat). Yum!!
Other thing to notice, Niemiec's great work. The boy is strong, I had told you that!!
Amongst the riders that disappointed me a bit yesterday there were Pinotti, Menchov, Rodriguez and Lovkvist. On the other hand, I was happy to see Rujano, Siutsou and Bakelandts doing well.
A thing that I didn't understand was Garzelli's sprint in order to take the third place on the stage ahead of Nibali. Those 8 bonus seconds are surely going to change his GC eventual classification... :P
Last but not least, two riders finished out of time limit yesterday. They are Robbie McEwen (Richie Porte said he's worried because now the gruppetto has lost its leader) and Graeme Brown. Cavendish instead entered the time limit for just 30" - and, according to Gazzetta, he also received some help from the supporters.
So, these are my few, confused opinions about yesterday stage. In case you're wondering how the debate between Optimism and Pessimism ended up, well, let's say that the temporary score is 1-1 (yesterday evening instead Pessimism was leading with the score of 1-0). Hopefully tomorrow my opinions will be a bit clearer.
That's all from me for the moment - sorry for the confusing post, but my cyclistic mind right now is a true mess! :S
The Etna stage was broadcasted a few hours late over here, and even my mum, who doesn't watch cycling at all, made this observation:
RispondiElimina"They should test this guy for drugs. Look at the way everyone's peddling has slowed down, and he's going faster. Uphill!"
Actually, seeing Pieter Weening's grimacing face is what alarmed me. Everyone seemed to be suffering in some way, except Alberto Contador. Either he has amazing reserves of energy, enough to provide electricity for an entire town, if engineers could find a way to harness it. Or, to echo something you said earlier, somewhere in Spain, there's one less cow...
I asked my mum what she thought about this, in comparison to Andy's attacks on the Col du Tourmalet in last year's Tour, and her answer surprised me again. She thought that Andy’s attacks stayed within "the realm of the possible", and that he didn't leave his opponents in the dust in the same way.
Actually, on a much lighter note, I remember reading somewhere that a journalist asked Andy if there was anything more he could do to drop Alberto Contador on the Tourmalet stage. To which Andy apparently said, “If I attacked any more, I would have dropped myself.” *imagines the ghost / spirit of Andy Schleck, peddling in front of him, saying, hey!, my body is back there* :P
Good luck on your exams Fede!
I'm confused too
RispondiEliminaFirst thought at watching Etna was: a new drug? How come he's so sure that he won't be tested for it?
Second thought: the other riders are not so good right now.
Third thought: most good/best riders are somewhere else, so maybe no dope?
I'm confused.
I didn't watch the stage because I was really tired (and slightly hungover :P) and didn't really have the energy to watch some dodgy stream that would crash in the final three kms anyway. But Bertie's victory really got to me too. There are many good riders in the Giro and most of them have the Giro as their main goal for the season so he shouldn't be able to drop them like that.
RispondiEliminaI want to believe that he's clean. Not so much because I like him or anything but because if he's not clean - then who is? It's also been bugging me that Bertie seems to win every race he's in. Why is every other rider talking about timing their season and all that when Bertie only needs thirty days and he's ready?
And I can see why you would laugh at those headlines. They might as well write 'Contador is a doper'! :P
Fede!! When are you going to make me stop making compliments? Another great post! The group of confused people has another member. I really really hope Contador is clean, but that race up the Etna.... I didn't see much of it, because I didn't want to watch. My dad was watching it, I listened to the comments. I couldn't resist looking at the screen now and then. My dad was too excited "Look how easy! Woh! Amazing" while I was making my own suspicious list... 10.
RispondiEliminaI could kill my dad :P He always says 'all italians are dopers' (NO!) and now he was cheering for Contador... Strange.
Well, as you said too, where was his sufferface?!?! Really, didn't he suffer??!
*sigh*
I will watch the Giro during the third week, when all the classements have changed :P
I am with you Fede- I so want Contador and cycling to be clean but logic tells me it is not the case. Its very disheartening.
RispondiEliminaThere is no doubt that Contador is an outstanding all round cyclist. However again logic tells me that how can one man suddenly power up a monutain like he did on Etna? I think there is some great cyclists in the giro and a number of them are all managing similar levels ie seconds/ninutes between them. This is what you would expect.
But Contador powered up that mountain as if he was the only pro and the others were middle aged men on a leisurely Sunday ride.
To me there just can't be that discrepancy at this level of competition unless doping is involved. Remember the number of Olympic Sprinters who were waaay ahead of their opponents and almost all of them were on peds ie Marion Jones- who I saw at the Sydney Olympics and it obvious she was doping as she was so far ahead of the other athletes.
I think they say a 'good' doping regime can give a 10-15% improvement. I think Andy- and all others- have no chance of winning The TDF if Contador is in it this year.
But then a nagging doubt says to me -what if Contador is clean and is just the greatest cyclist we have ever seen? So again I'm confused and disappointed that this is still whats happening in cycling today. Maybe I might follow curling which I have become acquainted with on Eurosport whilst waiting for the cycling. Jen
I really like Contador. I have tried not to, but I can't help myself. I like his attacking style, his grace on the bike, his shy smile and his big brown eyes. He has a quiet dignity that I find appealing.
RispondiEliminaThat being said, I was shocked by how easily he dropped his rivals on Etna. He seemed to take them by suprise with his attack. I tell myself that maybe they didn't want to go too far into the 'red zone' to catch him and thought that they could grind their way back to him. Or maybe they were afraid of 'bonking' and losing more time against Contador and their other rivals.
His power numbers weren't that great on the climb and he must know that he is going to be tested for drugs. Maybe he is THAT GOOD or his rivals were mediocre that day. Or maybe, like so many others, his is not clean.
I will still continue to watch the Giro and enjoy it for all the heroic efforts made by so many different riders. And as Fede says, anything can happen to ruin a Grand Tour for a contender: a badly timed mechanical, a crash, sickness. Alberto does suffer badly from allergies after all. So maybe the show isn't over.
Sorry for the long post. I must be clarifying my own thoughts by writing them down and sharing them with everyone.
Brenda
Miss Fede has the honour to inform you that, right now, Optimism is leading the match against Pessimism with the score of 2-1. In an exclusive interview for this blog, Pessimism promised that it would be back stronger than ever in the weekend :P
RispondiElimina@ Figbash: Your mum does understand a lot about cycling!
Weening is not a GC rider, so his sufference on Etna was predictable. What shocked me the most was actually the fact that nor Scarponi, nor Nibali, nor Kreuziger could follow Contador the other day - and to say that they started training for the Giro a long time ago!
In particular, Nibali knows Etna very well (although he usually faces another route when he decides to climb it) and the Sicilian stage really did suit him. In spite of this, he lost 50" from Alberto and he didn't even try to follow the Spaniard. After the stage Vincenzo said that he 'was afraid of blowing up' and that he hadn't felt very well in the first part of the day. But still, even Scarponi had big problems, although he was feeling pretty well before of Contador's attack (in fact the one who was pulling at that moment was his teammate Niemiec).
Really, Contador's strength was shocking, especially if you consider that he had never climbed Etna before Sunday (although I don't actually believe this fact :P).
Btw, Optimism has recently forced me to take a look at what Contador did in Verbier, in the Tour de France 2009. On that occasion in fact he attacked with 5 kms to go and he managed to gain 43" on Andy Schleck, who was the only one who tried to follow him - and in spite of this he managed to pass every anti-doping test in a brilliant way. So, if he was clean on that occasion, perhaps he's clean also this time...Who knows, perhaps he's really the strongest GC rider of the last 10 years!
Talking about Andy, that one is a very good quotation which I didn't know. Therefore, many thanks for pointing it out, dear!!! Our Glorious Leader always suggests us very interesting images <3
Oh, and thank you very much also for the good luck wish :) I really needed it this morning!
@ Barbara: I had the same first thought as you when I saw that Contador dropping everyone on Etna :P
Right now it seems that the only one who can follow Contador in the climbs is Andy Schleck. However, although they aren't as strong as Andy in the climbs, I think that Alberto's adversaries in this Giro are really good. In fact they are all very good grimpeurs - and to win a Giro like this, the most important thing is being able to climb. Moreover, guys like Scarponi, Nibali and Kreuziger trained specifically for the Giro for a lot of months and I think they'll manage to put up a great fight against Contador (their ds are already talking about 'secret allies' between the teams in order to defeat Alberto, it sounds so thrilling!).
A rider like Scarponi, for example, is very good in the mountains and he's also brave, whereas Kreuziger has a great ds like Martinelli and a very good condition. In addition, Nibali is the most complete Italian rider for the Grand Tours and he's the best downhill rider of the world. I think we shouldn't underestimate this fact since, according to some experts, Vincenzo may gain even 2 minutes in the Crostis' descents - a downhill road that really scares Contador. Therefore, let's not be too pessimistic: Contador has still two weeks of race to face and the other riders will create him a lot of problems in the next stages.
Actually, I think that the Schleck brothers made a mistake when they decided not to race the Giro this year :P It would have been great to see them riding against Contador and I think that this year route perfectly suited the brothers because it has lots of climbs and few time trials. Moreover, I'm also afraid that, if Andy wins the Tour, many people will criticise him because 'winning the Tour without racing against Contador is too easy'. It would be so unfair!
@ Susanne: I would like to believe that Contador is clean too. I mean, in the past there have already been great champions who dropped their adversaries in an apparent easy way and who raised doping suspects. Moreover, I think that what Contador did on Sunday could be compared to what Cancellara did in last year's Roubaix. Therefore, in the last 48 hours my conscience has been asking me: 'Why do you have doubts about Contador whereas you never had doubts about Cancellara?'
RispondiEliminaBut still, it looks unnatural for a rider to go that fast uphill and to drop everyone else as he did on Etna.... I'm still so confused!! :S
I must say that in this situation I do feel sorry for the journalists who work at the Giro :P
I remember that, after Vinokourov was tested positive in the 2007 Tour after he did amazing, unnatural things in some stages, an Italian journalist said: 'I had thought that there was something strange about Vino, and so did many of my colleagues, but we couldn't express our doubts openly because it wouldn't have been professional'. Therefore I think that many journalists probably have doubts about Allberto too, although they can't express them.
I actually felt sorry also for the riders after watching the Etna stage. In fact, I think they have their doubts about Contador too, although they can't express them.
I remember that, when Di Luca resulted positive at the anti-doping in 2009, Pinotti was really happy and he said that 'finally, the truth has been discovered; it was high time!'. This means that riders probably know when a colleague of theirs dopes, although they decide not to tell anyone about it. This makes me believe that, after the Etna stage, many riders did have our very same doubts about Conti.
@ Mar: You're always so kind with me! :)
Good to know that your father enjoyed the race :) Mine didn't and at dinner he was very silent. 'Dad, what's up?', I asked him. 'Well, Contador was... unnatural this afternoon. I don't think he's clean'. He doesn't usually make comments like this, so I was very surprised when I heard him saying that :P
'All italians are dopers' is a nice cycling cliché which, unfortunately, often seem to correspond to the truth. The funny thing is that the Italian version of that cliché is 'All Spaniards are dopers' - and where does Contador come from? SPAIN! (ok, this was 'evil me' showing itself to the world :P)
I think you should watch also the next stages of the Giro, not just the ones in the third week. Tomorrow for example there is a hilly parcours and journalists say that Scarponi could try getting a good result. It sounds interesting, doesn't it?
Moreover, as @ Brenda says, 'the show isn't over yet'. As a journalist kindly pointed out on the newspaper of my town, 'even a furuncle on the gluteus can have devasting effects during a Grand Tour like the Giro'. It isn't the nicest thing we've ever read, but all in all it's one of the biggest truths of cycling :P
And if furuncles don't help us, well, Bertie's chain could always pop in at the right moment and Andy Schleck may finally be able to taste his revenge...
@ Jen: No, don't betray us for curling! Only in cycling there are young, sweated and hot boys riding up mountains while wearing lycra kits, you can't give up to this because of curling! D:
RispondiEliminaOps, sorry. Forget about the lycra thing :P
It seems that we're all having the same kind of doubts. Logic tells us one thing, Cycling Love tells us the opposite. It is so annoying!!
Poor Thomas Lovkvist complained about the fact that Contador is racing, he sounded so disappointed in an article that appeared on Cyclingnews! I think some of the cyclists are having doubts about Conti too :P
Hopefully we're just creating a problem that doesn't exist and Contador will return a normal human being in a few days time (before Friday, if possible) and won't result positive at the anti-doping. That's all I hope.
The comparison with athletics is striking: I don't remember Sidney 2000 very well, but I do know about Marion Jones and all the latest doping cases in Athletics.
And talking about the Olympics, you were really lucky to see them live!! That must have been a very cool experience!
@ Brenda: There's nothing wrong in liking Contador, dear :) Actually, I quite fancy him too, since he seems a very modest boy who hasn't got arrogant because of fame. Moreover, in the past he had to face serious health problems, so the fact that he's riding at such a high level is really encouraging for all the people who have physical problems. Last but not least, the way he rides is really nice to see.
But still, as you said, his attack on Etna was shocking. It's not the first time he drops everyone on a mountain climb, but I think that after the clenbuterol case we've become much more suspicious. And an attack like that really seemed unnatural.
However, as I already said, I really do hope that he's clean. There have already been great champions in the past, he could be the greatest GC rider of his generation - just like Cancellara and Gilbert are the best Classic riders of theirs.
But if Contador won the Giro and then he resulted positive to the anti-doping, then it would be just another bad blow for everyone - riders, supporters and cycling in general.
Hopefully the next weeks will help us to send away our suspects and doubts. I really do hope so!
Oh, and don't worry for the long comment. When I wrote my post, I thought it was simply useless and I wanted to delete it. But still, as you say, writing your thoughts down really helps to clarify your mind.
I usually let my sister do the talking here, but I do read your blog, Fede! =P Your posts are really great and thanks for putting my name in that post about Pieter Weening! ;)
RispondiEliminaGood thing that you discovered him, 'cause I support him for 6 six years now. (jup, since his win in the Tour 2005 and I actually never saw it, because I was on vacation! But my sister and mom said: 'you are gonna like that guy'. Surprise: I did!) I could go on about him for hours, but I'll stop now. =)
About Contador; When I saw him attacking, I was like: 'wow, there he goes'. I also thought that it was kinda weird that nobody could even follow. I know he's a very good climber, but still. Don't trust him anymore since last year...
Menchov also disappointed me! =( I don't think he can win this Giro, but a stage victory would be nice!!!
The commentators / chronists for Universal Sports mentioned that it must be so demoralizing for the other riders, when they see Alberto attack the way he did on Etna. As for me, I don’t want to waste energy ranting, or being frustrated by cycling in general, because it makes me sleepy :P I’ll just await the CAS ruling on the UCI and WADA appeals, and hope they make a fair decision
RispondiEliminaI found the blurb about Andy, dropping himself. Just scroll until you find the heading “Andy Schleck – Now I’ve Only Got One Guy to Watch”:
http://www.letour.fr/2010/TDF/LIVE/us/900/journal_etape.html
Andy said: “If I attacked one more time I would have dropped myself. I’m actually pretty happy that he didn’t respond to what I was doing with one of his attacks.”
Susan says (albeit 10 months later): “That’s because Pyrenean cows don’t provide as much nutrition as Spanish ones.”
Joking! Sorry, I just couldn’t help myself… As a peace offering to his fans, a few pictures that show Alberto, and his creative use of the Maglia Rosa:
http://www.ciclismoafondo.es/preview/2c90a89c2ffbff43012ffcf573e7009b.image
http://www.ciclismoafondo.es/preview/2c90a89c2ffbff43012ffcf5eee400ad.image
Watching stage 3 of the Tour of California as I write this, and OUCH! Jens Voigt was involved in a crash, which was hopefully not as painful as it looked, mostly he just looked really, really pissed off :P He has such a warrior’s mentality though, he finished the race anyway. Another bad crash worth mentioning, because I learned something I didn’t necessarily want to know. A Saxo Bank rider, Baden Cooke, fell just before the chaotic sprint at the end …let’s just say, I saw his left gluteus maximus. Are you telling me that cyclists don’t wear underwear underneath the lycra?! I am SHOCKED. I’m not kidding, if it’s true, I really didn’t know that. *traumatized* :O
On a more serious note, I mentioned this on Coug’s blog, but it’s certainly worth repeating: The company Road ID have produced a Wouter Weylandt wristband, the proceeds of which will go towards the memorial fund Leopard Trek have set up in his name.
http://www.roadid.com/Wouter/
--figbash
Fede, I believe you turned off the spam filter, but Blogger must really hate me, because my comment just disappeared into oblivion again O_o
RispondiElimina--
I see what you mean about Cancellara. Why believe in him and not Bertie? The thing is, all this doping, as we've already talked about, is about choosing to believe and that's when it becomes irrational and very often linked to whether or not you like the guy. I like Cancellara so I believe he doesn't dope. I don't like Bertie much so that makes it a lot easier to believe that he does dope.
RispondiEliminaBut I also think that you can't really compare those two things. I mean, Roubaix is different and a lot less controlled.
You mention Verbier in 2009 and it's true, if he was clean back then, he's probably clean now too. But we have to assume that if he is not clean, clenbuterol is not his secret weapon (trust me, it's useless!) and yet, that is the only drug he has been tested positive for. If he's doping he's probably using something that the tests can't detect yet which, in my opinion, is the worst part of all this. The anti-doping system isn't good enough.
@Susanne- Cancellara doesn't dope he uses a hidden motor in his bike remember.
RispondiEliminaBut honestly who knows- any of the riders could be doing it and unless they get a positive result we never know. Thats why watching Contador on Etna really sucks as you are torn between thinking 'have I just witnessed an amazing cycling event' or 'don't get to excited it will probably come out in the future that he was doping during it'.
Fede- I was a volunteer at the Sydney Olympics and also got to see most of the athletics. It was great- before 9/11 and all the terrorism so there was a real party/ celebration.
I got to massage hot athletes bodies- actually this is not true as got stuck doing female field athletes. I use the term female loosely as some were very masculine.
Dopers and dopers Drs and pharmacists are always steps ahead of the anti doping agencies. Doing random drug tests to attain a biological passport is flawed as the doper/dr by their own regular testing can dose and transfuse to a level that is not detected. Therefore if a doper eats a dodgy cow that has a bit of clen in the system this can raise the blood level to a detectable dose. Therefore doper doesnt eat anything that might contain drugs that will interfere with their own doping regime. A number of drugs are used as masking agents and are metabolised and excreted (with the ped).
I have watched some of WW funeral service and started blubbering again.Its so heart wrenching to see the pain in the faces of the people who knew and loved him.
Jen
Andy second!!!! And it looked very clean.
RispondiEliminaDear readers, I take advantage of this comment to point out a debate about Contador that took place on Cougar Girl's blog the other day. I really suggest you reading it; the link to it is: http://eisenandy.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-05-18T09%3A37%3A00%2B01%3A00&max-results=1.
RispondiEliminaAs I wrote there, almost one week after the Etna Optimism has definitely won the match against Pessimism. In fact, as Nim and Coug pointed out on 'Eisen Andy', Contador probably wouldn't be so stupid to risk all his reputation for winning the Giro, would he?
@ Tien: Hi Tien and welcome to the comment area!! :)
Weening seems a lovely guy, yesterday he entered a breakaway and he worked hard in it (whereas Sarmiento didn't look that happy about having to give him turns).
I love Pieter's facial expressions, they're so nice! I really like this rider and I'd be happy to find out more about him in the future. So, if you ever want to share something about him, here I am :)
Luckily yesterday Contador looked a bit more 'human', if compared to last Sunday. Actually, I'm afraid that some of the Giro riders aren't in their top form. Anton and Rodriguez have admitted they won't go for the GC, Scarponi (who usually climbs very well) probably peaked too early in the season (what he did in Sanremo was amazing), whereas Nibali is a very complete rider, but he isn't the best climber of the world. Rujano seems to be the only one able to stay with Contador in the mountains (with a physique like his, I'd be surprised if José wasn't a good climber), but I don't think he can be a serious threat to Alberto. Our only hope is the 'furunculus on his gluteus' :P
I hope that Menchov will improve in the next mountain stages. He cannot challenge Contador in the climbs, but I think he may end up on the podium next week.
@ Figbash: Luckily your comment is back!! And yes, it had ended up in the spam filter (that's strange, because that thing shouldn't be working anymore on my blog) :P
The thing about Contador is that 2 years ago Pellizotti gave up almost two years of his career because he had anormal values in his blood and his team decided to stop him from racing. Also Ballan and Santambrogio were stopped by BMC, why should it be different for Contador?
Moreover, I want cycling results to be decided by the road, not by a judge. In addition, I think Contador is making this Giro the least exciting one of the last years and right now I really hate him for having had the Crostis cut of the Zoncolan stage. If he was so afraid of that climb, he should have stayed home.
Also Frank Schleck slept with the leader jersey on his pillow during TdF 2008. So sweet! :)
Poor Jens has broken his scaphoid, but in spite of that he kept on racing for two days. What a hero.
Yes Figgy, I know that it's one of the most shocking truths of the world, but cyclists usually ride without underwear. I think it makes things easier when they need to pee rapidly in the fields :P
Thank you very for pointing that bracelet out. It is a very important thing!
I'm a lot more optimistic too. Now I'm just annoyed because it's so damn boring to watch him drop everyone all the time -.-
RispondiEliminaWanted to say something more but now I can't remember... Oh well, can't have been very important then :P
@ Susanne: The limits of the anti-doping system are still many, unfortunately for us. For example, it's impossible to detect the growth hormone and blood transfusions.
RispondiEliminaHowever, as I said, Optimism has convinced me that Contador isn't on drugs. The funny thing is that I started to believe he's clean on Thursday, but right now I dislike Contador as much as never before because of what happened with Crostis :P
Alberto is a nice, modest guy, but at times either he thinks that everyone in Cycledom is stupid, either he's aware of acting in a hypocrital way.
And yes, I think you're right about Conti and Cance. What about comparing Contador to Gilbert, then?
@ Jen: Jen, you've just opened my eyes! Contador DID change his bike at the beginning of Etna and he DID change his bike yesterday on the Grossglockner!!! The hidden engine, that's his secret weapon!!!! :O
Ok, just kidding. I think the bikes get controlled also at the Giro, so there are no hopes of cheating in that way.
Being a voluntary at the Olympics must be great! A friend of mine has applied for becoming a voluntary in London 2012, but my parents won't let me apply for it :( And then, I don't think I have a single chance to be picked, especially if you consider the number of people who have already applied for becoming a voluntary.
Did you get to watch just Athletics in Sidney or also some other sports (I know,I'm a curious person :P) ?
If I remember correctly, after Contador was found positive many people said that he might have used a product in order to hide the effects that doping has on the blood values.
But still, I don't like talking about the limits of the anti-doping and things like that. I like cycling, so I always try to believe that everyone in the peloton is clean.
I would have loved to witness WW Special's funeral in Gand. Sharing my grief with everybody else, paying my homages to him and giving my support to the family would have been nice.
@ Barbara: Unfortunately, I haven't seen any stage of ToC because of the time zone problems. However, it does look like our man is doing very well!!! I can't wait for the Mt. Baldy stage to come, I think he has great chances of winning it! :D
@ Susanne: Contador didn't look that superior today and this leaves us a bit of hope! I was so happy to see Nibali glued to him on Zoncolan, it was great! Now there's some hope also for the next stages :)
RispondiEliminaIf you remember what you wanted to say, just tell it ;)