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Tour de France 2018 starts today


Mr Info

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4 hours ago, Fadingpain said:

This is possible and why cheating with drugs kind of ruins sport.  We'll never know who was really the best or who just had the best witch's brew for doping. 

 

I am a big fan of Greg LeMond; everyone in the sport seems to agree that Greg never cheated.

 

LeMond points out that all the great cyclists in history, himself included, had "the big motor" meaning a freakish VO2 max number, or an ability to process oxygen.  LeMond's position has always been that you can't win the TDF without the huge motor.


Of note, as LeMond has pointed out, Lance Armstrong never had the big motor!  Apparently none of his VO2 numbers that are on record were ever considered particularly impressive when measured against the normal professional cyclist in the Tour.

 

However, using drugs to get an advantage and cycling go hand in hand.

 

Fausto Coppi and his contemporaries were doing it too, usually in the form of alcohol and amphetamines.

 

It wasn't illegal then! 

 

 

 

 

 

LeMond was a beast!  I always thought he was bitter, but in the end, it appears he was proven right. 

 

I remember reading Lance attributed his climbing ability to slimming down as a result of his cancer.  Earlier in his career he was a sprinter, who admittedly was unable to hang in on the tough climbs.  

 

RE: Vo2, by all accounts, Lance had a very high score.  Perhaps LeMond was comparing Lance's to his own, which was measured somewhere in the 90s IIRC.  

Edited by stony
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10 hours ago, Fadingpain said:

Speaking of broadcasters...

 

One reason to watch the TDF (record the live morning shows to watch later) is the broadcasting team of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen.

 

This duo is the best sports broadcasting team I know of in any sport.  Witty intelligence with a sense of humor, total technical understanding of the sport, and vast reserves of historical knowledge. 

 

Once you get to know them, you'll be tuning in just to hear their calls.

 

 

 

 

Does he still call that team, “Leaky Gas?”

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If there is one positive out of being out of work is that I can watch / listen to the live broadcast.  What some of these riders are doing to stay in the race (Lawson Craddock) shows how silly some of these soccer players (Neymar) are.

 

Vive le Tour!!

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4 minutes ago, BuffaloBud said:

What some of these riders are doing to stay in the race (Lawson Craddock) shows how silly some of these soccer players (Neymar) are.

 

Vive le Tour!!

 

@BuffaloBudis referring to the broken scapula that Craddock had from a crash in Stage 1 yet he continues to stay in the tour. https://www.google.com/amp/amp.timeinc.net/cyclingweekly/news/racing/tour-de-france/lawson-craddock-ready-fight-like-hell-stay-tour-de-france-breaking-scapula-385856%3fsource=dam

 

There was a crash in Stage 4 and Tiesj Benoot finished with a dislocated soldier & a bunch of stitches in his head. He withdrew before Stage 5.

 

For those interested, here are answers to Tour questions such as how they pee, how many riders have died on the Tour, and how much the bikes weigh: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bicycling.com/racing/gmp20037343/14-questions-youve-always-had-about-the-tour-de-france/

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Had friends who were semi pro riders in my 20s.  Mostly sprint races in the DC area.  Its a tough and rough sports.  Lots of elbows thrown and wrecks can be disasterous.  The tour de France is rough and a model of crazy endurance.

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