2015 Tour de Romandie (spoilers) Explain something to me about the winner?!

[Shortsocks]

Okay.

So I don't really Get into the Entire Doping Conversation very Often, If Ever, I really don't care. I Love to watch Pro Cycling, and it is what it is. So it doesnt bother me. But This year while Watching the 2015 Tour de Romandie the winner Ilnur Zakarin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilnur_Zakarin, it was odd.

This is what Im confused about. That Romandie had all of the Big Wigs, Froome, Quintana, Uran, Nibali, Scarponi, Pinot....and then Zakarin.

Thing is this, This guy went into a 2 year doping ban in 2009, Then after two years he returned and Raced Continental for 4 years until he came back on the International level in 2015. Not a single win last year other than Tour d'Azerbaïdjan, but then out of the Blue he wins Tour de Romandie this year !?!

I mean this is Tour de Romandie and he is going up against pretty much everyone. Did he just get lucky? Is there something Fishy going on? I just find this really odd. Usually Tour de Romandie winners go on to win the Tour! Is this guy just a freak of Nature? or do you think he is juiced up beyond repair?

I mean, I had never heard this guys name before, and Then POP!! He wins. :eek: No one said anything, Nobody from the UCI seemed to find this odd...But is it just me that thinks that this may be shady?

[Black Dog]

He will be on the Bio Passport watch list now. He better make sure is micro dosing is done just right.

[enr1co]

No one said anything, Nobody from the UCI seemed to find this odd...But is it just me that thinks that this may be shady?

I'm with ya and so is Velo Snews:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/05/news/ilnur-zakarins-swiss-surprise_368969

[paredown]

I'm with ya and so is Velo Snews:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/05/news/ilnur-zakarins-swiss-surprise_368969

Oh yeah--the "magic of the Yellow Jersey" helped him win it.:rolleyes:

Katusha--say no more.

[MattTuck]

Valverde won LBL this year. He's a past doper.

I guess we'll wait until the big climbs in france to do some calculations of VAM to determine if these guys are doped again.

[ultraman6970]

Not defending anybody but at those levels the races are like "fixed?", dont take me literally ok? I will explain... many riders are maybe better than the stars (do you remember froomey- wiggo years ago) in specific moments but since they are hired not to win races but beef up so the other guy wins... you got the idea for sure... it is unfair yes... but thats how it is and had been for a while.

Now probably the kid besides being in a russian team and having a well resume linked with dope, probably the kid got the chance to shine or maybe they left him free to do whatever he wanted and thats why he went for it. He was better than the other ones at that moment and then you have like a lot of factors together but IMO the main one is that the team let him go for it. If you look at the team katusha sent to the race there is a big chance they had nobody but spilak for the win, and the kid took his chances probably with the blessings of the team too.

The other thing is that at this part of the season if you watch the races, some riders are almost 100% and they go to just finish the races not to win them. THen you add a kid that was tic tac and was given free will to do whatever and then is when you have this upsets with unknowns wining.

[CunegoFan]

According to JV, doping is not what the "cool kids" do anymore, so don't worry. I am sure Zakarin is as clean as Froome.

[Shortsocks]

I'm with ya and so is Velo Snews:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/05/news/ilnur-zakarins-swiss-surprise_368969

Ah. I didnt see this article. Thanks
I hope this kid had it in him, Not talking about doping, to win this Race. In terms of Races this is a major calendar race and I hope he won it in earnest. I'm sure we will see him again. If he goes up against Quintana, Froome, Nibali....he will sure have his work cut out for him in 3 weeks. 3 weeks is a lot of racing though, for anyone but I'm assuming it takes lots of Years of Conditioning to get to the point to win a Tour.

I hope he won it out of Courage and Piss. We will see. Thanks guys for chiming in.

[bcroslin]

As far as I'm concerned they're all on something. I'm sure there's some clean riders in the peloton but I think the pressure is too high to not try and get away with some form of doping. Whether it's micro-dosing or steroids in the off season or blood doping in some out-of-the-way hotel room just over the border during the grand tours. I'm beyond cynical when it comes to pro-bike racing. I'm even cynical about the weekend bike racers.

[Black Dog]

Ah. I didnt see this article. Thanks
I hope this kid had it in him, Not talking about doping, to win this Race. In terms of Races this is a major calendar race and I hope he won it in earnest. I'm sure we will see him again. If he goes up against Quintana, Froome, Nibali....he will sure have his work cut out for him in 3 weeks. 3 weeks is a lot of racing though, for anyone but I'm assuming it takes lots of Years of Conditioning to get to the point to win a Tour.

I hope he won it out of Courage and Piss. We will see. Thanks guys for chiming in.

Well I am sure that he needed some courage to piss into the cup at the end of the race.

[kramnnim]

It will be interesting to see how he does in the Giro.