Any thoughts on why all the crashes? Whit the exception of the one caused by the spectator/photographer, the ones on the road seem like lack of attention and the ones near the finish by too much aggression. With the Olympics only days away, I would think that the riders and/or teams would be more cautious.
It's hard to tell why they go down.... maybe a bobble caused by a small stone, overlapping of wheels, trying to position ones self in a peleton brings on leaning contests, dropped bidon (water bottles), touch on the brakes, lapse of concentration caused by something as silly as a fluttering gel packet........ an endless list.
THE RULE in sprints is: Once you have started to sprint, you do not move off your line. If you impede opposition by doing so, you get to join the back of the days results.
Applies to track, lead man has to be below the black line and opponent MUST ride round the outside.
When I rode with my parents as a kid on my first lil road bike, on quiet roads mum would sit half wheel crossed outside (typical hide from wind position) and dad would ride inside parallel..... and push or lean on me. Lessons taught / learnt were:
Don't be intimidated, move off line, give position away etc.
I also learnt the dirty tricks of the trade as well
Olympics - its one race, one day and even the greats have been toppled by outsiders. True, it's only once every 4 years and to say 'I won an Olympic medal' is something big, but the task at hand is to do as well as possible in 'le Tour'. Win a major tour or two and your 'worth' is un-believably high, people want your time for the rest of your life, but a single gold is not really worth much.
Interesting to hear Wiggos response to a tweeted comment put to him in yesterdays post-stage interview:
http://http://www1.skysports.com/cycling/news/15264/7883685/
Wiggo nearly 2mins up on Evans
Why didnt Spartacus win........big-headedness!
I shall now go celebrate by drinking a can of beer, the first of the year!
THE RULE in sprints is: Once you have started to sprint, you do not move off your line. If you impede opposition by doing so, you get to join the back of the days results.
Applies to track, lead man has to be below the black line and opponent MUST ride round the outside.
When I rode with my parents as a kid on my first lil road bike, on quiet roads mum would sit half wheel crossed outside (typical hide from wind position) and dad would ride inside parallel..... and push or lean on me. Lessons taught / learnt were:
Don't be intimidated, move off line, give position away etc.
I also learnt the dirty tricks of the trade as well
Olympics - its one race, one day and even the greats have been toppled by outsiders. True, it's only once every 4 years and to say 'I won an Olympic medal' is something big, but the task at hand is to do as well as possible in 'le Tour'. Win a major tour or two and your 'worth' is un-believably high, people want your time for the rest of your life, but a single gold is not really worth much.
Interesting to hear Wiggos response to a tweeted comment put to him in yesterdays post-stage interview:
http://http://www1.skysports.com/cycling/news/15264/7883685/
Wiggo nearly 2mins up on Evans
Why didnt Spartacus win........big-headedness!
I shall now go celebrate by drinking a can of beer, the first of the year!
BOO.
So, I guess that the big news today, for me, is not Prince Harry showing off his meat n 2 veg.........
But Lance Armstrong getting busted. From 'greatest cyclist ever' to 'biggest dope fiend ever'.
Begs the question, why has'nt US Postal's team manager and doctor been dragged to the coal pit as well, they helped a certain Astana rider dope ya know!
Not like he has to actually contest it in court, he's made his millions.........unless the twisted USA legal system can take his money away.
So, I guess that the big news today, for me, is not Prince Harry showing off his meat n 2 veg.........
But Lance Armstrong getting busted. From 'greatest cyclist ever' to 'biggest dope fiend ever'.
Begs the question, why has'nt US Postal's team manager and doctor been dragged to the coal pit as well, they helped a certain Astana rider dope ya know!
Not like he has to actually contest it in court, he's made his millions.........unless the twisted USA legal system can take his money away.
Hardly! There is no evidence at all, none. Lance has passed hundreds of drug tests, upwards of 500, many random.
This is a baseless political witchhunt. That's what happens when you **** people off.
They've been after him since 1998. The only fraud here is the USADA.
I could not agree more.This guy must have been the most tested athlete when he was at his peak.Do the USADA actually have the power to strip him of his Tour wins I would have thought that was the jurisdiction of the UCI who have backed Armstrong all along.
I don't believe so, after all, they were not the organization that give him the awards/titles, etc.
They have made the recommendation though.
The other big issue is the high dollar endorsements. Many were contingent on him not losing or forfeiting his titles. That money will have to be given back, which is, I believe the real motivation. We're talking millions, tens of millions if not hundreds of millions.
why would the "twisted USA legal system" want to take his money away? he signed contracts with companies he endorses. it would be those companies that would take his money away.
Tyler Hamilton - USPS/Trek, doper in same time frame as Armstrong winning TDF, banned and iirc stripped of several titles, guy has the bits that Armstrong does not obviously posses and has said that he'll give evidence........
Johan Bruyneel - Team principle of USPS and caught up in other dope instances prior and post USPS era
No evidence....... TEN men from that squad have been / can be called to give evidence, so there are bound to be others that will/can be called upon.
500 tests means nothing in that era, the detection back then is not what it was now - recent testing of 'B' samples from other sports of the era in question show up all sorts of interesting substances, Some very difficult to detect even with modern testing.
Also look at the trend of that era, lots of former elite sports people saying 'Of course we doped, how else could we do what we did'.
MHO is, that if Armstrong really really has the bits that had cancer, he would stand up in court and defend himself like a man - or just stand in court and admit that he did rather than acting like the kid who ate the last pie and has been caught out by his parents 'cos of his still sticky fingers proclaiming 'No no no no' like the mantra will make it all go away.
Marra / hags: Simple answer is YES. UCI, USADA, WADA etc etc can take away a title/s as they are all the same governing bodies.
Hags: I dont believe that money is at the heart of this
Johan Bruyneel - Team principle of USPS and caught up in other dope instances prior and post USPS era
No evidence....... TEN men from that squad have been / can be called to give evidence, so there are bound to be others that will/can be called upon.
500 tests means nothing in that era, the detection back then is not what it was now - recent testing of 'B' samples from other sports of the era in question show up all sorts of interesting substances, Some very difficult to detect even with modern testing.
Also look at the trend of that era, lots of former elite sports people saying 'Of course we doped, how else could we do what we did'.
MHO is, that if Armstrong really really has the bits that had cancer, he would stand up in court and defend himself like a man - or just stand in court and admit that he did rather than acting like the kid who ate the last pie and has been caught out by his parents 'cos of his still sticky fingers proclaiming 'No no no no' like the mantra will make it all go away.
Marra / hags: Simple answer is YES. UCI, USADA, WADA etc etc can take away a title/s as they are all the same governing bodies.
Hags: I dont believe that money is at the heart of this
If they have so much evidence, why not come out with it? What is stopping them if its factual and provable. I don't know if he is guilty or not, but there has been many a person coerced, through force or persistence, into admitting to something that never happened. Landis was his teammate and was busted using the same method that have not been able to prove the guilt of Armstrong. I cant imagine envy having anything to do with his position against Armstrong. Athletes tend to be a humble and caring sort.
Testimony is not evidence, period.
who knows what their motivation is?
over 500 drug tests is evidence enough for me to believe that he did not dope.
why has this been going on since 1998?
he has been defending himself, he's tired of it by now.
also, accroding to this article, I don't understand that the USADA can strip Tour titles.
USADA strips Armstrong of seven Tour de France titles
again, there is no evidence, there has never been any evidence.
they say they have evidence but don't release anything, which to me means they don't have any.
who knows what their motivation is?
over 500 drug tests is evidence enough for me to believe that he did not dope.
why has this been going on since 1998?
he has been defending himself, he's tired of it by now.
also, accroding to this article, I don't understand that the USADA can strip Tour titles.
USADA strips Armstrong of seven Tour de France titles
again, there is no evidence, there has never been any evidence.
they say they have evidence but don't release anything, which to me means they don't have any.
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Just finished watching the Vuelta.
Co presenter cycled with Armstrong and said that Armstrong does not recognise USADA!
Co presenter also said that he never saw Armstrong or anyone else on the team take anything don't mean that it did not happen - LOL's at the thought of 10 men in lycra having a blood transfusion party
Co presenter cycled with Armstrong and said that Armstrong does not recognise USADA!
Co presenter also said that he never saw Armstrong or anyone else on the team take anything don't mean that it did not happen - LOL's at the thought of 10 men in lycra having a blood transfusion party
That's mostly true Buzz, I've been lucky enough to be in the presence of Wendy Houvenaghel, both on and off bike, she gives a new meaning to the word.
Armstrongs already done this
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