Cycling!

Is anyone else keeping up with this? Fabian is kicking ao much arse this year!

I do follow it a bit. However, over the years I have become very cynical with regards to cycling due to the obvious doping going on. Looking at Fabian's performance over the last two weeks makes me think he has found a new better drug than the others...

Seriously, the way he left Boonen in the climb (Tour des Flandres), sitting down on his bike was just sick!

I don't think he is doping only because he's been getting steadily better and better every year. Someone I know also said the same thing to me however. If Fabian's been doping I'll be so sad because I absolutely love that guy, that will be like Vino!

To be honest, I don't think any of the professional riders are entirely clean. It is more a question of who and when they get caught. Having been up some of the mountain stages in the Alps, I figure there is no way a human can manage the speeds and efforts of these guys without a little extra help.

The worst of it is that doping is so wide spread. I have a very good friend who does a lot of amateur races in the area, and as he says if you want to win you will take something. It is very easily available, and at least half of the amateur field is using. According to him, you can be damn sure that all of the front runners are cheating.

Still, I always end up watching some of the races, or at least the mountain stages in the TDF. Since Fabian is not really a climber, it is more on the timed stages that he excells, I have not followed him too closely.

But then again, I was once a fan of Richard Virenque....

I don't think cheating is an issue when everyone is cheating...

Cheating means giving someone an unfair advantage.
No one has an advantage is everyone is doing it...

Cycling for me has clearly been like this for a while...

Look at what all these people are doing, it's inhuman...

I don't think any of us could do a leg of the tour de France, even given 3 days to acheive it...

and how the hell do they recover so quickly?! you look at cadel evans after some sprint stages and he's heaving heaving heaving for breath, but with every second breath you can see him recovering... it's freaky.

Versus is covering all the major race this year. Also, for a little fun you can go to the chalkbot website, and have them post a message during the Tour de France. I had my daughters name posted, and a buddies dad's name who recently died of cancer.

Interesting article in the Swiss papers today. There are rumours going around that Cancelara was cheating in those two races he won, but not through doping. Instead, the latest is that he was using a mechanically enhanced bike. It is believed that they may have developed a bike with some miniature electronic motor device to assist him. Part of the proof to this is that he changed bike in both races towards the end, around 60km from the finish line. There has then been some strange cover up stuff around the bikes etc.

I suppose this was bound to happen...

Too sad!

No honour ... when will the Klingon way finally be adopted.

They at least did not mind losing in battle as long as it was done honourably.

Well the tour has been AMAZING so far this year, and a welcome distraction from my Ferrari woes! So what do you guys think? Is it going to be Schleck or Contador? Seriously the last two stages have been leaping out of the chair stuff for me! Can't wait for this weekend's next big mountain stages! :-D

I suppose it has not been bad so far, primarily because there has not been any major doping scandal yet. And the fact that Lance seems to have lost it...

It was nice to see Contador and Schleck go together up the Madeleine, and they both do seem strong. Next important part will be the Pyrenees, and the final mountain stage with an arrival at the Tourmalet could be decisive. Still, if neither manages to make a difference there, there is still a time trial to follow...

That actually reminds me of one year when LeMond won it, and the last and final stage was a time trial. I thought that was a brilliant way to end it, as it really meant that the last day was the decisive one (and in this case it was since Laurent Fignon seemed like the winner until that last stage...). Much better than having them cruise up and down the Champs Elysée.

I always like the last stage in a way...it makes me sad because I know they won't show cycling on TV for another year!

I think Andy Schleck will take it, he REALLY wants it and I think that if he can pull another small chunk of time on Contador he just might have the time trial of his life!

I was happy that today's stage was so lax because I was at work, so I missed nothing!lol!

Dani wrote: I was at work, so I missed nothing!lol!

Only the scenery, some of which was truly spectacular.

I am FURIOUS! I have totally lost respect for Alberto Contador after today's stage. Andy Schleck was totally about to crack him and then he has a problem with his bike chain and OF COURSE Contador decides to take advantage and pretend that it was all about his skill afterwards. He had better not win the tour because he does not deserve it. Tomorrow I hope that Schleck is so angry by this lack of sportsmanship that he destroys and humiliates Alberto in the mountains! God I'm so angry right now, if it had been about great riding I wouldn't have cared who won the tour, but I just feel robbed right now!

Great! Now I won't even get to see most of tomorrows stage because I have to be in at 9am and stupid Canadian TV doesn't show the replay of stages on versus...instead the show something called operation repo which is basically a bunch of trailer trash arguing with people who don't pay their bills. You'd think that Canadians would be ever so slightly interested in the tour because one of their own is now top ten...but OBVIOUSLY watching white trash argue is more thrilling! UGH!

Hillbilly mayhem is what I always call it. Contador was an ass last year, and will do it again if allowed. They pulled the same thing with lance this year when he fell on the cobblestones.

Dani wrote:Canadians would be ever so slightly interested in the tour because one of their own is now top ten...

Yea, but white trash arguing about material shit represents so many more...
lol

Well contador is in some serious trouble. The first excuse that he ate bad meat was ok since the amount was so small, but finding platic in his blood looks like cheating. The hangman might be coming for ol Alberto.

Just had the world championships down here in Melbourne last week, unfortunately I had prior commitments so couldn't attend the road race, but was great to see all the big names down here in Oz.