clean tour?

[Fixed]

bro is this what it's like when they are clean? no one looks super strong .imho
cheers

[zap]

I'm not convinced this TdF is "clean". Maybe the "cheap" dope that's currently detectable is gone, but I'm willing to bet that more sophisticated stuff is being used.

It's too early for the top riders to make an all out effort to break away. The hard mountain stages are still another week away.

[Fixed]

yeah bro i thought last year's might be clean too . if they want to clean it up {maybe } give them jail time for dope just like they do for everyone else .
it's not the dope that bothers me ..if they want to kill themselves who cares , it is the compulsive lying and cheating .
cheers

[Too Tall]

Did you hear Linus talk after his stage win?
There is alot less no doubt.
FWIIW the undetectable stuff is more expensive. It's all about billable hrs. ;)

[Fixed]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/cpress/20070630/ca_pr_on_sp/cycle_tour_de_france
cheers

[gasman]

I agree- I think there must be a lot less but I bet it's still around.

[J.Greene]

bro is this what it's like when they are clean? no one looks super strong .imho
cheers

These guys didn't look super strong before when all was not clean. To keep the winner from failing a drug test they should start the standings at 4th. That is where these guys belong anyway atmo.

JG

[SWorks4me]

...seemed to be one of the "cleanest" tours(with one major exception) I have watched since i started falling the sport back in 84. I noticed that the guys that were rocking and rolling one day, were at the back of the pack the next.

We need to see how they bounce back after a rest day. Another thing I noticed was the real lack of "punch" in the accelerations on the climbs. Albeit, the Alps are a totally different style of climb than the Pyrenees, I still didn't see the leg breaking and sustained (key word here) attacks, like in previous years.

IMO, I still think we are a few years away from a "pure" tour. We still need to cycle (pun intended) out the old riders, and more importantly the old style of directors.

[KJMUNC]

After seeing most of the guys in the break climbing in the big ring yesterday, I'm not convinced it's clean either, but at least it's been entertaining.

Linus's win was exciting, but find it ironic many are claiming that demonstrates a clean Tour. For me, it's the opposite. Climbers don't just appear overnight and solo away on tough stages.

[cpg]

Probably cleaner but not clean. Never has been. Probably never will. I'm still a fan though.

Curt

[Fat Robert]

put all this in the context of the tactics of the race -- none of those two stages were made for a decisive move, and its too early, anyway -- the real sheeyat starts in the Pyrenees.

Linus is probably clean(ish), more importantly the big guns were laying back. Yesterday they were all watching each other rather than risking losing minutes this early.

the guys making the good money are still using the good stuff....

[SWorks4me]

After seeing most of the guys in the break climbing in the big ring yesterday, I'm not convinced it's clean either, but at least it's been entertaining.

Linus's win was exciting, but find it ironic many are claiming that demonstrates a clean Tour. For me, it's the opposite. Climbers don't just appear overnight and solo away on tough stages.

they do when all of the favs are being a bunch of p***y's and afraid to attack because they didn't get their "vitamin" shot this morning!

As far as climbing in the big rings, the Alps are long steady grinders, not the short steep violent climbs like the Pyrenees. Those guys get into a good rthym and can ride tempo in the big ring for a long time.

[rpm]

In theory, what the drugs (EPO, testosterone, and HGH) should do is to help riders recover better and faster. If they're being used at the levels of previous years we should see some riders in the mountains riding away from the group three or four days in a row. The fact that Linus didn't have a second day at the front is a good sign, and the caution that Valverde and Leipheimer showed may also be a sign that they realize that they have to be careful in doling out big efforts.

On the other hand, Kloeden looked awfully strong, all things considered, and I'm still suspicious of the Spaniards, Valverde included.

I'm totally hooked again. I just hope against hope that we don't have another big scandal in the tour because that would kill TV coverage in the US and probably Germany for a decade or so.

[vaxn8r]

Define "clean".

Clean doesn't exist at sports at any level...including high school. Sorry.

[handsomerob]

bro is this what it's like when they are clean? no one looks super strong .imho
cheers

I don't know what tour your watching:

1.) Cancellara's prologue was huge
2.) Linus did pretty damn well breaking away
3.) And the chicken was lookin' a bit on the strong side yesterday.

[pdbrye]

I don't know what tour your watching:

1.) Cancellara's prologue was huge
2.) Linus did pretty damn well breaking away
3.) And the chicken was lookin' a bit on the strong side yesterday.

Agreed, there have been some strong performances. Just not from the riders that you would have expected, but maybe thats a good thing. I'm just wondering when exactly is Discovery planning to make a move? Levi keeps saying all's according to plan...

[regularguy412]

Clean or not -- those guys were still flying up the climbs faster than any normal humans. Frankie said that he rode the last climb earlier in the morning and he saw most other (normal) cyclists tacking just to make it up. I think that says something about the riders' fitness level, regardless of any dope.

Mayo took two minutes out of Rasmussen's lead on the last climb. That was after he dropped the Moreau group. Contador would have likely been right in there with Mayo, had he not flatted in the last 5 km.

Levi is either not at his best right now, or he's sandbagging the other contenders and waiting to push hard in the Pyrenees. This seems a lot like what Pedro Delgado did several tours ago. Indurain would send his First Lieutenant, Delgado, off the front. Since Delgado was a good climber and a perennial GC contender, the other favorites would have to respond. Then Indurain could see the result and either sit on wheels, or attack in a later Stage.

I'm just pretty amazed that Zabel is still hanging in there. Hushovd and Boonen were way back, yesteday. At least one other sprinter (McEwen, maybe) was eliminated due to being outside the time cutoff. Maybe Old Man Zabel can collect enough sprint points on the flat stages to pick up the Green Jersey in Paris, anyway. There may be hope for us Old F@rts yet, dope or no dope. :D

Mike in AR

[Fixed]

sorry bro I'm just a dumb messenger but I was thinking about the main contenders fighting it out to prove their strengh. looks like shadow boxing imho. but like some of the smart bro's said it is still early
cheers

[jcmuellner]

I'd guess that we have a large number of GC contenders that are holding out for the Pyrenees. It's way too early to be shooting off now. How many listers here have ridden the Alps or Pyrenees? I only know the latter, but they are some wicked climbs and descents. I am still very impressed with the ability to ride those climbs at race pace.

To me, this tour has been much more interesting and seems more in perspective for what these athletes can do. I'm a happy spectator!