Ok its pretty clear tonight I cant read this forum and drink at the same time.Quote:
Originally Posted by maillotpois
It really makes for a messy computer screen.:D
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Ok its pretty clear tonight I cant read this forum and drink at the same time.Quote:
Originally Posted by maillotpois
It really makes for a messy computer screen.:D
Glad it's not just me. I had to have a bottle of wine to get me through that stage. I was in Sac all day getting texts and emails from people saying "Did you see?" "Did you hear?" So I had to rush home at 90 mph and try to watch the whole darned thing before I could even turn on my computer!
Whew!
I'm pretty sure Trekhawk spit out her drink because of your "That wasn't chicken" pic. I know I did. Thank you--we needed that!
Sweet! :D :pQuote:
Originally Posted by margo49
Yea, spazz......< dramatic long silence >.............I know. But damn, with all the anti-dope hype before the Tour, the last two years of Tyler, Jan, Basso, and Floyd (among lots of others) being put through the ringer and made an example of, and all the new contracts, agreements, and threats of fines from UCI, I thought maybe, just maybe we could have a "clean" (yea, yea, yea :rolleyes: ) Tour and maybe, just maybe, we could have a legitimate winner and we could all dance around joyfully and celebrate this grand thing we lovingly call the Tour de France....the Grand Tour, as it were.Quote:
Originally Posted by spazzdog
Ya know? It's disheartening. I'm truly angry that these arrogant, cheating few (yeessss, some other than Moreni still remain to be cleared, thus we must consider them innocent until proven guilty, yada yada) think that they can continue to get away with it. It's like they're blind to the change that's already here. Or that I hoped was here. Call me a dreamer, I dunno.
I feel for Contador. Wonder what jersey he'll wear in the morning. Not sure which one I'd rather see -- white because he earned it (and earned it darned well!!), or yellow because he is now the leader of the Tour. After all, it IS still an honorable jersey to wear, and perhaps the right person will be wearing it now.
Bet Rassmuss-Chick-en wishes he never missed those doping tests and never went to Italy and called it Mexico. :rolleyes:
~BikeMomma
We interrupt this program for the evil lurker..
Fingers crossed for Cadel Evans..C'mon Cadel, make Australia proud!! AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIEEEEEE OI OI OI..
From a non tour watcher..
Back to irregular programming..
C
Quite simply, Cadel rocks. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by crazycanuck
Maybe this will make the last few stages more exciting, as the riders will be more reluctant to dope? Or do it to a level where it might be detected.
I hate to say it but I was not pulling for the Chicken. I was hoping that Conti or Levi would win the stage yesterday.
Unattributed quote:
"If my wife thought I was in Mexico and it transpired I had been in italy, I would have more to worry about than getting expelled from the Tour de France"
I'll meet you gals there!:D Even with my current dis- abilities, I can do this!:oQuote:
Originally Posted by margo49
Me too, VB!Quote:
Originally Posted by Velobambina
Me three!
Hah! so on OLN this morning they said that the way poor chicken was "busted" was that a reporter said he saw him in the Dolomites a few days before the tour. Like I said, these days if anyone even says something then you get kicked out. It's sad and I think its a witch hunt. If this is the case I am on the side of Rasmussen. Gasp a guy who looks like Ras, riding around in a black kit in Italy - some proof! There's a guy around here who makes people double take he looks so much like Lance Armstrong....... (oh and he always races in a plain black kit)Quote:
Originally Posted by margo49
Do you think Rabobank is really that dumb? that they would take some reporters word without questioning Rasmussen further and trying to decide for themselves where he was based on that new information?
I have a hard time believing they're so stupid they based firing the guy on nothing more than that... but then, I'm getting more and more cynical about the pros in the sport as time goes on. :(
New York Times
This article says that when questioned, Ras confessed to being in Italy and not Mexico.
Go Contador!
What I am hoping for:
-- An absolutely clean finish to the tour - no more failed tests and lies but I won't be naive if that doesn't happen
-- A very close and competitive time trial showdown between Alberto, Levi and Cadel. I think that would be really exciting.
-- A TT win by George because he could win on this course without jeopardizing the podium standings but I want him to win just cuz.:rolleyes:
Who I'm really happy for: Mauricio Soler. He legitimately took the polka dot jersey off Rasmussen's back. He didn't get it by default and he just exudes the love of the sport and the competition. The Big Red Rooster was bobbin' 'n weaving yesterday.*
*Anyone remember the old California Cheese commercials with the silly rooster voiced by Bob Goldthwait?
There has been four missed controls over the past little while (one year?), two by the Danish authorities and two by the UCI. Rules say you miss three and you're out, however it doesn't say three by WHOM so that was a bit of a tough call, but Danish authorities kicked him out of the Danish national team (Olympics etc.), and commented about how he did not collaborate with them. I'm surprised Robobank kept him for so long, it's not really good for the sponsors' name to have one of your team's racers being excluded from his national team.Quote:
Originally Posted by bikerchick68
ETA: Actually the EXCELLENT NYT article linked above states that the rules say that it's three missed controls by the same organization. Supposedly the rule has been or is going to be changed for "three controls" period.
Men in black is not to be taken literally. It was another rider that saw MR in the Dolomites - not a reporter. Looks like he's told so many lies he himself can't keep track of them all.
THe question in my mind is how deeply adn widely the corruption flows. If somebody could be stupid enough to keep a-dopin', then somebody else might be clever enough to bribe the right folks to plant the right stuff.
Now, egos being what they are it may be more likely an athlete will want that thrill and taste and feel of victory, as in crossing that line first with that euphoric (if pain-laden) thrill - badly enough to figure "I won't be caught... I'm doing x, y, and z" or "they're all doing it so they can't bust us all!" ... or any of the things we put together to rationalize irrational behavior. I don't know. I don't think the testers are necessarily *anything* like "clean" either, though.
I think too many people take competition just too seriously...
Maybe possible, but very unlikely. There are several parameters on a regular ole CBC that indicate a dimorphic population. It is very common to see in patients receiving blood transfusions. It is unlikely that a sample can be contaminated homogeneously enough to show these same results. As for Vino's excuse about the young versus old thing, there are a couple of blood test that can indicate that his bone marrow is trying to catch up for blood loss, I doubt that he came near to the loss required to put his body into this type of "panic" mode (like about 2 pints).Quote:
Originally Posted by Thorn
As for trying to cover for the presence of two blood types shows he may have bigger problems on the horizon. Meaning he didn't bother to get a compatible blood type, which could cause life-threatening conditions to occur.
Maybe even years down the road. What if he has to have a transfusion because of say a car accident? He has set himself up to a likely transfusion reaction, which could then take his life.
Do I feel sorry for Ras and the diary keeping of the pros? Not at all. It's part of the job. Don't like it...find another job. I think you should be fired if you don't follow the rules. Rabobank should have dumped him before the Tour started.
Why did they wait till the end of the tour and He was winning. The team knew this for some time..
What is up with that?:confused:
The Danish Cycling Federation knew, the UCI knew but the *team* dint.
They did ask questions and got answers that satisfied them until it became clearly a lie. They confronted him and he either admitted it or at least dint deny it.
I think this a perfectly reasonable chain of events given the countries involved.
I tell you who I feel sorriest for is the rest of the team and the behind-the-scenes mechanics, physiotherapists,etc who worked so hard for Rasmussen.
I have to admit I have been saddened by this tour. I won't stop watching though, especially since I have been rooting for Contador and Levi. Mind you, Contador is not without his share of controversy.
I do find watching Soler exciting and was happy to see him earn that polka dot jersey.
I read that Rassmussen admitted to lying about his where abouts and that is why he was fired from the team. Ethics violation, funny huh? Now the team and managers are concerned about ethics. After Rabo let Rassmussen train alone for this tour, Chicken insisted on solitary training and they allowed it. Suspicious behaviour in my book. EPO is only detectable for 72 hours after the last dose, but the effects last for 4-5 weeks. So, the missed tests while training with no reported doping results during the tour is completely possible. All he had to do was stop a few days before heading to France!
I am holding out hopes for a clean 2008 tour!