Anyone else not really care anymore? I can't pinpoint why I just am not going to make sure I watch it. I think it is more about the lies about drugs than the actual drug use. They are cheaters and liars. If you cheat and get caught; admit it.
Anyone else not really care anymore? I can't pinpoint why I just am not going to make sure I watch it. I think it is more about the lies about drugs than the actual drug use. They are cheaters and liars. If you cheat and get caught; admit it.
I'm going to watch it, however I think drugs will still be the number one story in cycling. I guess a verdict on Landis will be handed down tomorrow.
John, I'll be watching because my main sport is cycling now & I do some modest racing, thus an invested interest. It is just about the best sports television to be had...out in the open country for 3 weeks, great camera work, daily drama, hours of action, expert commentary, etc.
The drug spectre: well, reminds me of when folks ask if I worry about getting hit by vehicles while biking. I'm aware it can happen so I do my best to avoid it but am not so dumb to think it'll never happen. The ingredients for disaster exist on every, that's EVERY ride. But I certainly don't dwell on the possibility. And drugs in the sport- I'm sure they're out there but until a positive is produced, I'll focus on the action. Don't want to let what might happen overshadow what IS happening.
I don't blame folks for thinking poorly of Tour racing but I'll focus on the comp. This isn't like fake sports like pro wrestling where I know ahead of time what's going on. It's not possible to say for certainty so-and-so is using in cycling.
The complete pic of Le Tour is so full, so colorful and engrossing, unless things get ugly w/some kind of drug scandal this year, I'll be an avid spectator.
I am excited for the first stage in London on Saturday. I don't care much for the flat stages so I'll wait until the mountain stages to watch again.
ONeill wrote:
Anyone else not really care anymore? I can't pinpoint why I just am not going to make sure I watch it. I think it is more about the lies about drugs than the actual drug use. They are cheaters and liars. If you cheat and get caught; admit it.
So does that apply to track and field as well? It is not like athletics has been pristine.
It seems a lot more cyclists have admitted their use even without testing positive than I have seen in other sports.
I will watch what I can.
I think that the lack of an American contender that the general public knows will hurt its coverage in the US.
I first became aware of drug useage in the L.A. Olympics. A medalist, can't remember, in the 10K tested positive. So yes drugs are everywhere. I like Vino and Levi may have a small chance. Cycling is a tough sport. Training 6-8 hours a day; racing all the time; the Tour these riders are tough. But level the damn field. I say let them all use if they want. Have the riders admit to using or not. Then follow the riders you want. If everyone were drugged it could become really interesting.
Interesting, except for the whole death thing...
Cycling is no more or less dirty than track IMHO. The difference is that cycling is making an attempt to clean itself by airing its dirty laundry and not pretending that only a few minor talents cheat.
Le Tour is still, drugs or not, the greatest spectacle in sports. What endurance athlete cannot appreciate a three week painfest where the strongest man (or most doped - let's be honest) wins? No one gets lucky with a well timed kick for a medal or gets a perfect set-up of rabbits/weather for a WR and then never gets within 5% of that time ever again like track. You need to ride consistently for the entire span of the race. The races within the race also create excitement and drama.
Phil Ligget and Paul Sherwin. Great insight, found poetry, no stupid analogies (The little Basque climber is a human hydroplane with a Ferrari engine packed into a VW body and he weighs as much as a slice of bread!) or ego tripping (When my brother and I ruled the sprints yo...).
Fans party in the mountains for a week just to catch a few moments of the peloton passing. The crazy German dude in the devil costume. Entire towns shutting down for the day so folks can watch the action. The beauty of the peloton snaking through the some of the most beautiful real estate on earth - it is truly a happening rather than a sterile sporting event. I've been to track worlds and it is a staid affair compared to the festival that is bike racing.
I'll watch because I love the sport as both fan and active participant. I'll just watch with guarded skepticism.
ONeill wrote:
Anyone else not really care anymore? I can't pinpoint why I just am not going to make sure I watch it. I think it is more about the lies about drugs than the actual drug use. They are cheaters and liars. If you cheat and get caught; admit it.
Hmmm... I seem to remember the Tour being quite popular on here a few years ago when Armstrong was riding. Now it's just full of liars and cheats apparently...
luv2run wrote:
I think that the lack of an American contender that the general public knows will hurt its coverage in the US.
Levi Leipheimer is a legitimate 2nd-tier contender, and 2nd-tier contenders can certainly win the whole thing. He's definitely not a contender that the general public knows, and maybe that's what you were getting at. He has the charisma of the back-side of a billboard, so I can't blame the marketing efforts that haven't exactly latched on to him.
I agree 100% with Scott and Velo, it's an incredible, mesmorizing event. Although I mountain bike some, I don't consider myself a cyclist, but I do consider the Tour the most interesting and exciting televised sporting event of the year and I hope someday that I could see some of the race in person.
anyone read the Velonews article last month that laid out the landis trial? the last page that shows the results of the isotope tests done on landis' other samples during the tour looks to be the nail in his coffin.
i'll be watching but suspect that the guilty verdict will be handed down and this will be the talk of the tour cast a shadow of suspicion over all the riders.
bummer...
Watch Andres Klodin!
I may be naive but it seems cycling is dirtier. At least the reasons for testing positive given by runners are reasonable. Tyler H.rode the tour all busted up. He must have been doing other types of drugs to come with his excuses for testing positive.Great courage and inspiring even if he was to test positive! The tour guys are terrific endurance athletes. It seems all my favorites are coming up positive. Johan Musseuw was a hard pill to swallow, pun intended. Who will be next Taffi?
Ligget and Sherwin are the best announces in sport. They have to be to make me put up with Bobke!
Maybe it is just the media coverage of the drug busts that have me jadded.
The Lance lovefest I was never a part of. I knew him when he was much younger and could never really be a fan of his. And I really liked Ullrich. But alas he too is being implicated.
Indurain is very quiet these days. But he was never much of a talker.
predictions anybody?
I have watched is since Indurain's first win and I will continue to watch. I have long stopped caring about who wins because of the drugs issue, but it is still a dramatic event that holds my interest for the full 3 weeks. I also find Liggett and Sherwin good at their jobs.
i'll go with Klodin also.
Kloden and Vino used to race together at Telecom. They are now racing for differnt teams?
Kloden was Ullrich's right hand man and Jan was as dirty as they come. You see, the problem with the TdF is that in order for your drugged up GC contender to contend for the title he has to have domestiques who can stay with him so THEY too have to be drugged up. Any team with a GC contender needs to have the whole time drugged up to be competitive. You can't have a lone rider out there tearing it up by his drugged up self anymore like Eddy Merckx, he'll have no one to draft off of...and that's much more important than what his blood profile looks like. Team tactics are extremely important in TdF.
Alan