Bicycles
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Chris Froome - [emoji468]
️ LEGENDSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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An asthma inhaler hanging over him
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If you're a pro-cyclist there is a question mark hanging over you. I agree, Froome is a legend. That stage 19 attack will be talked about for a very long time.
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In my opinion Armstrong fucked up the publics perception of this sport (and many other sports too). He was my hero, now I find it difficult to accept athletic brilliance without suspicion. I hate Armstrong for doing that to me. And, yes, hate is very stong word, and one that I dislike (I was going to say hate
) using, and for that, I will not forgive him either….So this quote from BBC sport website defines my position...
"But in truth it is difficult to consider this race without all that surrounds it.
"His stage win on Friday felt like a throwback to the heroic era of Jacques Anquetil, Fausto Coppi, Eddy Merckx. It was bike racing the way that people like to remember.
"But the way that people view the sport has changed. There is so much cynicism about bike racing in general.
"That straightforward heroism is much harder for people to accept, given the sport's recent history.
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100% agree. As a fan I loved Armstrong. He did amazing things for the sport…. Then cut it off at the knees with his doping reveal. He was by far the biggest name and for that also had to take the hardest fall, but doping in cycling had been going on well before he came to be what he was when he won 7 Tours in a row.
Not too long after the reveal happened there was an article about who the declared winner would be for each of those 7. You had to go back to 8th or 9th place each of those years to find the first name of a rider that had not tested positive and served a doping suspension.... And that just may have been because they had not been caught (10th in the GC is not tested nearly as frequently as the podium).
Ultimately cycling, the same as my other love Distance Running, will always be scrutinized and if you're a professional it's part of what you sign up for. Being both a participant and a fan of both sports you can't do more than give the benefit of the doubt they are clean even if recent history says otherwise.
Note, I actually do believe that Yates is totally clean. Unfortunately for him his complete implosion is very indicative of an athlete who is not taking any PEDs, as if he was, he most likely would not have cracked in week 3.
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I've known a couple of people who were involved in the amateur leagues of cycling in their youth.
One, an Italian, told me that they'd have team doctors who'd ensure that their hormones would sit at the top end of what was allowed legally under the WADA rules. He didn't sound clear on exactly what they were doing, and I suspect that it was a bit stronger than he was told.
The other was Dutch, and said that he dropped out of the sport when the team suggested he started doping.
The fact is that steroid use in endemic in society. There are up to a million users in the UK. I suspect that spills over into sport.
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What a lot of people don't realize is it is rampant in the lower professional/semi-professional ranks in endurance sports. It even trickles down into the locally competitive ranks. Those athletes are rarely caught because the events they compete in do not test as the winnings collected aren't enough to justify it.
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@der:
^^ That is an extemely high level of pussification, for someone to cheat in the amateur or „enthusiast“ ranks. But it does not surprise me.
Back in the day I was a summertime and for-fun USCF crit rider, and on the very rare occasion that I cracked the top ten (I was a time trialist and lead-out man), I sometimes had to submit a sample. This was in the early 80s. I have no idea what they were testing for, probably speed.
I do not disagree. Some guys are just desperate for a win or to take home a couple hundred bucks. Other guys dope solely to see just how fast they can be, almost like a science experiment on their bodies. Same goes for amateur body builders. Just a pathetic ego stroke.
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Those are stellar [emoji41]
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Got this a week ago, and it's an absolute hoot to ride. I can't believe how well balanced it is and I've sure missed the speed carrying capability of a 29er. So happy!
I've got an enduro race coming up in a week (the most equipment punishing one of the season :)) and I'll do that one with the Capra but after that I'll put it up for sale and I'll do the rest of the races this season on the Instinct. I'll probably have to be a bit more careful with line choices but since I'm racing just for fun I don't mind.
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^ you've got some awesome bikes buddy [emoji106]
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Cool balance bike.
The downside…only available in South Africa at the moment.
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Built a new Nicolai G1. Had a few Nicolai's over the years including a couple of hefty G-Boxx bikes. This new G1 is the best of the lot. It can run 29er or 650b wheels. Travel adjusted between 160 and 175mm travel with shock mount position, chainstays can also be lengthened. It is a very adaptable bike. All in it weighs 31lbs, not bad for a 160mm travel rig.
I have a second set of cheaper aluminium rimmed wheels that I built up for more aggressive riding, using DT ex511 rims. This second set of wheels is in the "mullet" configuration, 650b out back and 29er front. Have not had much time on this set up so difficult to give proper feedback on how they differ from a standard 29er front rear combo.
New XTR 12 speed is very nice and it does like changing gear with power on which feels a bit unusual. shimano have stated that this is a feature of the new XTR and I cant disagree.
Photos were from a sunny UK day in the Peak district riding the classic Edale, Hollins Cross, Mam Tor, Hayfield, Jacobs Ladder, Edale circular route. The brown ribbon of descent is the top of Jacobs lader descent, great fun.
Off to Lake Garda in Italy in August to give the bike a proper workout, looking forward to it.
