Dauphine...

[golgiaparatus]

I dont know if anyone is following the Dauphine (the pre tour, tune up for just about everyone)... TT is going on right now and I gotta say... I think the doping thing has ruined it for me.

Use to be when someone smoked the field I was like... "damn, that dude is badass today". But now... we got some Ex T-mobile (aka, Team Syringe) guys that are destroying everyone. Smoked Millar, Levi, 2+ minutes faster than George, 20+ faster than the Z-man, Contador... and they arent even TT specialists, they are both climbers.

Anyway... I'm just sayin.

[mogulskr]

Where are you watching it or are you following it online? I watched the prologue on Sunday on Versus.

[DRB]

vino won the Time Trial...

[Westy]

There were climbs within the TT. Faster dopers beat the slower dopers, I don't see the problem.

[golgiaparatus]

There were climbs within the TT. Faster dopers beat the slower dopers, I don't see the problem.

LOL! indeed. I'm just saying... this doping business has ruined the good performances for me.

[SuspectDevice]

LOL! indeed. I'm just saying... this doping business has ruined the good performances for me.


Um, every one is dirty, and has been for a hundred years. Just deal with it. Do you think football players, baseballers, soccer players or even PGA tour golfers are clean? Hell, I saw a Lynnrd Skynnrd concert the other day when I was flipping channels, those guys are doped to the gills to be able to play like that multiple nights in a row at their age and with their fitness levels.

Just deal with it.

[The Toninator]

Heidi is going to make fun of me but I hope christoph moreau is the best doper in the tour this year.
Speaking of, Heidi's boy made the news again

http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/12407.0.html

[JRogers]

Anyone see the results from today? Odd bit of tactics from Astana. Maybe the team was trying to show dominance and Vino was trying to get his Tour prep into full swing, maybe do a bit of a test. One would think with Kashechkin in the lead and the talent to back him, they'd save their energies for defense of the lead or perhaps launching one last attack to seal the deal. Instead, they went for the win. Interesting how Vino is playing it too. He gives Kashechkin the lead deliberately (he is almost certainly stronger and, I believe, stayed clear on the Ventoux to not impact Kash's GC chances) and gives this win to Colom (who even said that Vino had to slow down for him in the break). I'm not a huge fan of le Tour, but I like to follow it. I am interested in how Vino will do. Clearly, he's in good form and has a solid team (even if it's not absolutely top-shelf) that will be behind him all the way. I want to see Vino in a battle with someone- I don't think there's anyone more determined than him. I'd like to see what he does at his limit, vying for the big win.


On a side note, I saw that Valverde finished off the back on the Ventoux and read today that he has stomach problems (I think he might have abandoned today). I figured something was up; he must have been dying heading up that climb.

Oh, and Basso got 21 months.

[The Toninator]

vino vino vino!

[golgiaparatus]

vino vino vino!

I'll be pulling for Levi as always but he'll probably choke, as always.

[James]

vino vino vino!

I agree. He was my choice last year. Until, of course...
I'm not sure how the whole "co-captain" with Kloeden thing is going to work though. But Vino is still my choice.

[The Toninator]

I agree. He was my choice last year. Until, of course...
I'm not sure how the whole "co-captain" with Kloeden thing is going to work though. But Vino is still my choice.

ME TOOO. Even more when they kicked out all of his guys but he was like, I'm still going, I'm still racing. If it weren’t for that damned 5 person rule he'd of beat doper(alleged) landis.
So now I have Meroux then Vino(of course vino will spider monkey stomp murow but I still have to put him first because.)

[ulockjustice]

(he is almost certainly stronger and, I believe, stayed clear on the Ventoux to not impact Kash's GC chances) and gives this win to Colom (who even said that Vino had to slow down for him in the break).

not so sure on that one. Astana is obviously on top of the doping game at this point in time (kind of interesting that in two years theyve managed to find a whole teams worth of Kazakh riders that can rip legs off the entire peleton). Vino may have been taking it easy up ventoux, but the lead group was still 20+ when he dropped, and there was a good ways to go, so i dont think you can say Astana did it to put Kash in yellow. Theres no way to assume he'd be able to hang with the top guys all the way to the summit. I say vino was just taking it easy and keeping his cards held close, and Kash getting into yellow was an unexpected bonus.

[JRogers]

not so sure on that one. Astana is obviously on top of the doping game at this point in time (kind of interesting that in two years theyve managed to find a whole teams worth of Kazakh riders that can rip legs off the entire peleton). Vino may have been taking it easy up ventoux, but the lead group was still 20+ when he dropped, and there was a good ways to go, so i dont think you can say Astana did it to put Kash in yellow. Theres no way to assume he'd be able to hang with the top guys all the way to the summit. I say vino was just taking it easy and keeping his cards held close, and Kash getting into yellow was an unexpected bonus.

Agreed...sort of. I read in an interview with Vino a day or two before Ventoux that he was not looking to win the race and that Kash had priority.