Cleanest Tour in Years

[BJH]

Last heard they had cleared all test samples up until the last 2 days - if that's the case, then we seem close to be able to at least say that testing for all know issues are done and dusted. That would amke it teh cleanest in comparison to recent years.

Only question then is whether anything that can't be tested for is being used. Hopefully that's not the case and the slower speeds, real pain shown etc offer an insight that this has indeed been the cleanest TdF for years.

 

[oldroadman]

Simple test - average speeds don't lie, neither do slower times for the major climbs. No-one is trying any less, which leads to thinking that what is on view is real and clean.

 

[montage]

When was the tour considered clean, out of interest?

 

[Globalti]

Interesting discussion. With regard to Contador, I have lived in Spain and taught and shared a hall of residence with young Spanish men and I always felt that he was cocky and too smarmy. Of course I got flamed on here for this but I haven't changed my opinion of him. He was warned not to ride the TDF, by which I think the authorities meant "ride it clean or not at all; if you dope this time we will strip you of that 2010 title". My belief is that he rode this tour clean to prove to himself, his family, friends and fans that he could do it.

 

[Buddfox]

When was the tour considered clean, out of interest?

I've always been told by cycling friends that 1990 was the last clean tour, when Greg LeMond won for the final time. The year after, Miguel Indurain, who had been average up until that point, suddenly blew everyone out of the water. I've not seen evidence to corroborate this, but apparently that's also why Greg LeMond quit, as he realised now everyone was doping and he didn't want to be a part of it. Who knows?

 

[zimzum42]

1990????????????

Come off it! That might have been the start of the EPO era, but it wasn't the start of doping...

 

[montage]

I was going to say.....didnt the winner of the 1904 tdf get done for jumping on a train or something?
I'd go as far to say as this tour was the cleanest ever

 

[Buddfox]

1990????????????

Come off it! That might have been the start of the EPO era, but it wasn't the start of doping...

As I said, who knows?

 

[wildjetskier]

Interesting discussion. With regard to Contador, I have lived in Spain and taught and shared a hall of residence with young Spanish men and I always felt that he was cocky and too smarmy. Of course I got flamed on here for this but I haven't changed my opinion of him. He was warned not to ride the TDF, by which I think the authorities meant "ride it clean or not at all; if you dope this time we will strip you of that 2010 title". My belief is that he rode this tour clean to prove to himself, his family, friends and fans that he could do it.

Agree wholeheartedly with you and look what happened, but heh at least he did it, must have taken some b*lls to come back clean and ride, but as they say he shouldn't have done it in the first place.

 

[oldroadman]

I've always been told by cycling friends that 1990 was the last clean tour, when Greg LeMond won for the final time. The year after, Miguel Indurain, who had been average up until that point, suddenly blew everyone out of the water. I've not seen evidence to corroborate this, but apparently that's also why Greg LeMond quit, as he realised now everyone was doping and he didn't want to be a part of it. Who knows?

Your friends are deluded. Plenty went on before 1990, but it was not usually such heavyweight stuff. When Gewiss arrived on the scene and blew everyone to bits, it was attributed to the coach, Koechli. Nothing to do with preparation apart from "advanced training mnethods", of course. Lemond was being a bit sanctimonious, as usual, and still seems to be that way.

 

[zimzum42]

Agree wholeheartedly with you and look what happened, but heh at least he did it, must have taken some b*lls to come back clean and ride, but as they say he shouldn't have done it in the first place.

Agree it took balls, but in terms of his performance and talking about 'look what happened', I will keep banging the drum about his riding and winning the Giro in style. To have done so well in the tour after that is pretty amazing stuff

 

[VamP]

Two quotes:

German journalist and physician Hans Halter:

''For as long as the Tour has existed, since 1903, its participants have been doping themselves. No dope, no hope. The Tour, in fact, is only possible because — not despite the fact — there is doping. For 60 years this was allowed. For the past 30 years it has been officially prohibited. Yet the fact remains: great cyclists have been doping themselves, then as now,”

Alex Zulle:

“I’ve been in this business for a long time. I know what goes on. And not just me, everyone knows. The riders, the team leaders, the organizers, the officials, the journalists. As a rider you feel tied into this system. It’s like being on the highway. The law says there’s a speed limit of 65, but everyone is driving 70 or faster. Why should I be the one who obeys the speed limit? So I had two alternatives: either fit in and go along with the others or go back to being a house painter. And who in my situation would have done that?”


Until a level playing field gets created where clean cyclists know that they are competing against other clean cyclists, there will always be doping. Looks like we may be getting to the point where the playing field is levelling out.

 

[asterix]

1990?! Tom Simpson died in '67.

I have seen it said that WW2 was responsible for 'modern' doping since much of the know how was spread by active service.

http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/ttt08/benzedrine-and-methedrine.html