Cycling aficionados, how doped is this year's Tour de France?

No different than any other year

hulksmash and InWyo have it right by pointing us towards ammattipyoraily and Ross Tucker. Add to that

https://twitter.com/veloclinic

The future of informed fandom is here.

These references are mandatory reading. Cycling fans are lightyears ahead of all other sport fans, they have figured it out.

Didn't you hear? There's no doping in cycling since Travis Tygart took down Texas Lance like a rodeo cowboy hog-tying a buckin' bronco!!!! The Tour is now as clean as a French maitre d's white gloves, just as it was before Armstrong and his one ball came along! [sarcasm off]

Proper "preparation" is part of the game. The current GC guys are no different. They just do less.

It's part of the show and most Americans don't want to understand that. Italians and Europeans in general understand because that has been the culture of cycling since the very beginning and it has never ever been clean.

Being professional means preparing and being discrete. That makes for a pretty show.

Not scientific I know but, when I look at Nibali powering up those mountains he reminds of one person (even looks like him on the bike), Contador at his drugged best (or should that be worst).

With Froome and Contador out, much less doping.

Makes sense.

By the way, do other sports have "aficionados"?

I was telling some of my friends, about Nibali. While things have slowed down- it's just insane how good these guys really are. (Or are becoming). A lot of people have been correct in stating that the charts or hard to compare because of hill placement, wind, weather etc. etc..

But I what is clear is that Nibali did around 6.09 watts per kilo for 37 minutes today. Last weekend I did 6.12 for 20 minutes and had me close to vomiting. I race professionally in the United States (climber, uphill sprinter, long crit specialist), and can assure you- no one can put out efforts like that day in and day out. It amazes me that these guys (only a handful) can put out 6.09 watts a kilo for 37 minutes, up a climb- after 90 miles, after doing a similar effort the day before, and not expect to be questioned. Froome was doing it last year, and him and Alberto would be doing it again this year had they not crashed. Nibali does deserve respect for not crashing and keeping his cool however. Also very questionable how he can stay with the best classics riders on the cobbles (some were given freedom to race for the win). And is still the best climber!! That's pretty boggling.

In the peloton, it is known that Horner has doped. Our boys like the King's are clean riders. It's easy to speculate on guys like Nibali, but when there's smoke...well there's usually fire. It's a bummer, guys are still doping. And people like Mancebo, and a few other pro tour guys that can't make it come over and take spots back here in the US. European racing is completely different, and it's comforting knowing that mostly the US peloton is clean. (we recently just had a kid from Cali test positive for a banned supplement). Obviously there isn't a lot of high quality cash and doctors on the US scene, so that make's things a lot cleaner.

I think the biggest BS is the guys that did dope and get caught, like Valverde, Rogers....and the directors like Riis and Vino are even allowed in the sport. Who knows, it's just a mess over there. But most athletics are. And everyone knows Voigt doped, but everyone loves him. Such is life I guess.

Yeah, lame about LL, but what he got caught for is peanuts compared to the real stuff.

It is frustrating to see the guys like N O'Neill, R Sutherland, and much of the navigators and health net team (like Ryder) dope on the domestic circuit and either get contracts again in Europe or at least get to keep the money and still compete domestically again as in O'Neill's case.

Quite honestly, part of me wishes I'd done epo when I was competing against those crooks. Similar to you, my best output was 432w at 69kg for 17:00 at 4000' elevation. I have to think I'd have wrecked those guys at least once or twice if I was playing with that crap. Oh well, at least I have my dignity. Can't help but still feel like something was taken from me. Don't care about the money, just the opportunities. Maybe that's childish, I don't know. I try not to think about it.

I don't care what they do anymore since I'm not competing and can't stop them anyway.

Yeah, man- I feel bad for guys like you. It's the worst situation. But honestly, I don't even think about it. I can compete in the US. And one day if I can make a full living off of it and support a family then so be it. But if I can't, I have my results and dignity at the least.

It just bothers me that these are the guys with the fans. And the gran fondos. And the money. I admire guys like Danny Pate, he was talking to a buddy of mine in the peloton when Tom Danielson said something. He exclaimed, "don't talk to that Mother F"cker, he's no good".

Yeah, was a bit annoyed to see mr tattoo-a-clean-bar-of-soap-on-my-arm buddying up with Tommy D. That just looks really disingenuous.

How are things currently domestically? I'm only ever 4-6 months away from 6.2 w/kg for 20:00. I'd imagine that's still not quite getting it done in the NRC, right?

A lot of people did not like that Phil did that. But who knows. And I have a better 5 minute power actually. So I've had some NRC top 10s and 15s and NCC podiums so far this year.

Haven't won anything big yet unfortunately.

The top riders are incredible. They go 21 days at +/- 100 miles a day at high speed. In the mountains their ability to push for extended periods of time is unreal. Their high cadence is deceiving on TV because the reality is the gradients are far steeper than they look, and they go on for miles to reach the summit. TDF cyclists are amazing athletes.

Well, Nibali's team director, Alexander Vinokourov was a known doper during his years as pro, and worked with the infamous Michele Ferrari

Nibali chaser wrote:

How would you compare the GC leaders (especially Nibali) to dopers of previous years?

Dunno. No longer care. TdF's credibility has been exhausted.

MIC ITW wrote:

It's part of the show and most Americans don't want to understand that. Italians and Europeans in general understand because that has been the culture of cycling since the very beginning and it has never ever been clean.

Where do the kind of outsiders to the Euro scene Brits fall in this? ie Team Sky...

SKY has been doped to the eyeballs in collusion with the UCI

it looks like their free doping pass is almost expired

it's the british culture to fake cleanliness

they are famous for it

just sayin wrote:

SKY has been doped to the eyeballs in collusion with the UCI

it looks like their free doping pass is almost expired

it's the british culture to fake cleanliness

they are famous for it

I personally know a rider from sky. He's a domestique but great climber. He's not doing from what I know. And would attest to that. But I dunno about the rest of them.

All of this is nonsense wrote:

I personally know a rider from sky. He's a domestique but great climber. He's not doing from what I know. And would attest to that. But I dunno about the rest of them.

I'm thinking the younger guys (